A big hurdle in trying to live a more sustainable life is often fashion. We wear clothes every day, and whether you have slightly too many items in your wardrobe (or wardrobes), or you stick to your old faithful fave items, avoiding the high-waste, high emissions and not to mention unfair labour focused fashion industry is not easy. Buying second hand, or altering clothing if you are a handy sewer are both great options, but there are also an increasing amount of sustainable clothing brands today which are also becoming more reasonably priced. Here are a few of our favourites:
1. Nu-in Fashion
For your nice-cut jeans, glam tops and trendy coats, Nu-in has plenty of choice. Founded in 2019, Nu-in is run by a small group of friends with a combined duration of 50+ years experience in the fashion industry. The brand is fashion forward, sustainable and affordable, and believes that it ‘shouldn’t cost the earth to save the Earth’. They aim to have lowest possible impact in their business, and part of this is basing their creative office next to their main factory in Portugal to reduce carbon footprint and ensure their clothes are more affordable. Through methods such as reducing CO2, water saving, recycling/upcycling, clean-dyeing and using biodegradable and organic materials, as well as including seamless items, they reduce the impact and increase the durability of their products. Showing that affordable fashion and sustainability can coexist, they offer great fashionable and sustainable yet reasonably priced clothes. Check them out here.
2. Organic Basics
Organic Basics is what it says on the box, the place to buy your sustainable basics and essentials. The brand places sustainable thinking at the centre of everything it does, using only fabrics that care for the environment and only partnering with factories that care about their impact. Their items are designed to last, with simplicity and function in mind, and use only quality fabrics and making. They offer a great range of comfy and quality essentials, from underwear and sports wear, to cosy winter jumpers and all the accessories you need. You can wear the and know they are all made of quality, organic and long lasting materials in a sustainable way. Check them out here.
3. Brighton Lace
A small business tucked away in trendy Brighton, near London, UK, Brighton Lace offers handmade sustainable underwear that is truly beautiful. Run by a small all-woman team, they design and create beautiful underwear that is ‘both a joy to wear & doesn’t cost the earth’. The team are each paid the living wage for the region, and are passionate about sustainability. They use only ecological & rescued fabrics, including Eco lace (certified OEKOTEX 100 Standard vegan), GOTS certified organic jersey cotton, recycled cashmere and locally dyed linen, in small batches, to create unique limited-edition collections. They are also committed to zero waste, and any smaller fabric scraps left over from production are saved and sold as craft kits. Their beautiful range of underwear, with a few winter and summer essentials thrown in, is one of a kind as well as sustainable, and you can be sure your money is supporting a great and ethical business. Check them out here.
4. Thought Clothing
Thought offers a very wide variety of clothing, from everyday essentials to glam accessories, and although their prices tend to go higher than the other companies we’ve mentioned, there are more reasonable items to be found, as well as some great sales. Thought believes in easy-to-wear clothes, made from natural fabrics like bamboo, hemp and organic cotton. They are committed to considered design, responsible sourcing, and fostering change, and hope to inspire shoppers to follow this commitment. Check them out here.
5. Lucy and Yak
For colourful, quirky and sustainable clothing, Lucy & Yak ticks all the boxes. An independent, ethically and sustainably made brand, they are dedicated to having a positive environmental and social impact with their business. They have a great range of colurful boilersuits, dungarees and trousers, and cropped sweatshirts and t-shirts, all made from organic fabrics. The company was started by a couple and is based in the UK, with the clothes being produced in a factory in north India with which they partner. Workers are paid four times the state minimum wage, all postage material and stationary is 100% recycled and biodegradable, and their products are awesomely unique. Check them out here.
