Shopping sustainably can be a bit of a minefield. Sometimes it’s hard to know whether a company is truly sustainable and normally the ones that are, are on the more luxury side and, understandably, not everything has or wants to spend that kind of money. But there’s no need to panic because I have found 5 affordable brands that have sustainability at the heart of them. However, don’t expect to find truly sustainable clothing at Primark prices. This is because the quality is so much better and definitely worth investing in. Can you really put a price on saving the planet?
TALA
The first brand I want to talk about are Tala. Tala are an amazing active wear company in so many ways. Not only is the founder and CEO an absolute girlboss called Grace Beverley, the brand is both inclusive and highly sustainable. Firstly, their products are made of 92% recycled raw materials with the aim to get this to 100% soon. The materials used to make their garments are normally materials that would have otherwise ended up in landfill and by recovering these textiles they are severely reducing the amounts of textile waste. Furthermore, some of their products are also made from recyclable plastic bottles, that are sadly not recycled, in order to remove this plastic from oceans and landfill. And if this isn’t enough they are also cutting their emissions and the amount of chemicals they use. They really are a truly sustainable brand and all of their garments are affordable and very high quality so its a win, win, win!
REFORMATION
This is definitely a brand that is on the more pricey side, but for the quality of their dresses it is worth it and it is perfect for when you want to treat yourself to something a bit more special. At reformation they’re all about minimising: water, waste, energy but definitely not quality. Their first achievement is that the company has been carbon neutral since 2015, this means that for 5 years now they have achieved net-zero carbon emissions. I don’t know about you but I think that’s pretty impressive! They also have amazing little sustainable touches throughout their stores such as recycled paper hangers and reusable tote bags because, as it says on their website, they not only lighten the load of plastic in landfill, they’re also way cuter! If this isn’t enough they aim to buy fabrics locally if they can while also making sure there’s no unfair labour in their factories. Reformation is an amazing allrounder that ensures sustainability, safety and quality are at the core of everything they do.
EVERLANE
Everlane is similar to brands such as H&M, they have lovely, high quality basics that are essential is everyones wardrobe. But more importantly, they are trying to make big environmental differences. Their first move to a more sustainable future was stopping the production of new plastic and they hoped to use completely recycled plastic by 2021. So far, 75% of their shoes, garments and packaging are made for recycled plastics such as water bottles and fishing nets. But plastic is not the only material they are trying to eliminate. They try and use the most sustainable materials from farm to factory. Their denim comes from a factory that recycles 98% of their water, their wool and cashmere comes from repurposed old sweaters and their leather comes from a Gold certified factory that uses considerably less water, electricity and CO2. This means that all of their garments are at least partially sustainable with the aim to be fully sustainable soon. It is worth investing in these amazing pieces as they’re very high quality and very sustainable.
LUCY AND YAK
This is a special brand. Even though their clothes may not be for everyone, they have some amazing pieces. If you want a new pair of dungarees, you really shouldn’t look anywhere else. This is because they are super affordable and some of the most sustainable dungarees out there. Firstly, all of their cotton, hemp and linen must be certified as organic in order to know exactly where their materials are coming from. Secondly, they limit the amount of elastane in their products by only adding it to a garment if it is absolutely necessary. This limits the amount of man-made fibres in their clothing and for any man-made fibres they do have to use they ensure that they are properly recycled. Therefore, you can be assured that your dungarees are made sustainably and transparently and at a bargain price. I highly recommend checking out this brand.
LEVI’S
To make jeans requires more water than any other clothing item. On average one pair of jeans requires 2000 gallons of water to make! The part of the manufacturing process that uses the most water is the finishing process, which gives your jeans that worn and broken-in look that Levi’s is known for. In 2011 Levi’s introduced a campaign called ‘Levi’s water<less’ in which they seriously decrease the amount of water used in the finishing process. This has been super successful so far and Levi’s have saved 3.5 billion litres of water from the finishing process! (That’s enough to fill 12 olympic swimming pools). And if that isn’t enough, they have also recycled 5 billion litres of water (you do the maths). Considering the difficulty around making the same quality jeans with way less water, I think Levi’s are doing a killer job and they’re not stopping there. By 2021 at least 80% of their jeans will be finished using ‘water<less’ techniques. So in just 10 years they’ll have switched the finishing process of a large majority of their jeans to a much more sustainable version and I’m sure in the next few years that will become 100%.
So there you have it, 5 amazing, affordable and sustainable brands that are doing everything right. I tried to find brands that sell a variety of types of clothes so you could easily buy anything you need from a sustainable brand. But, not all your clothes need to be sustainable straight away, don’t feel the pressure to buy a whole new, sustainable wardrobe right now but in the future maybe be a bit more mindful of where you shop and buy sustainable where you can.
Enjoy,
Mollie x
The Manhattan Minimalist 