Summer Fashion from Environmentally-Conscious Brands

Image courtesy of Reformation 

The key in practicing sustainability as a consumer is being thoughtful. Purchase something you need and love but avoid impulse buys. In other words, buy less and buy better. Being cooped up in our homes surrounded by all of our belongings prompts us to question why we ever needed so much stuff in the first place.

As someone who grew up treating sales at Abercrombie and Fitch like the Last Supper and scavenging to hoard as much clothes as possible, I understand the difficulty in changing this habit. Take a step back and look at the impact of your purchases. Look at what companies you’re buying from, what types of wages they pay their workers, how they source their materials, if they pay to offset their carbon footprint, etc.

Those are some of the important and valid reasons sustainable fashion often has a higher price tag. Though you might spend more on an individual item, you'll likely save money in the long run as you become more thoughtful with your purchases.

While fashion in and of itself is not sustainable, we can make a change by supporting brands that are paving the way towards a better future with less waste, less pollution and more intention. Having said that, let’s highlight a few of these great brands with an eye on sustainability.

Sporty & Rich

As seen on Kate Bock and sweeping social media, Sporty & Rich works on a made-to-order basis. This eliminates wasted product that typically ends up in landfills.

Allbirds

Allbirds focuses heavily on its carbon footprint. In short, while the brand strives to have no negative impact on the environment through production, nobody is quite there yet. Its response to this is by funding projects that off-set its carbon footprint to neutralize any damage done.

Pangaia

By utilizing sustainable fabrics made from materials like seaweed fiber, they make clothing that is completely biodegradable.

Reformation

From swimwear to wedding dresses, this brand created its own “Refscale” to help understand the environmental impact of every garment, and works with the very best and most sustainable fabrics and practices currently possible.

Eileen Fisher

From human rights to supply chain, this effortlessly chic brand is beyond conscious of their impact on the world.