Affordable Ethical Brands To Help You On Your Journey
Whenever I feature my outfits on my social media platforms, I’m sometimes met with comments pointing out the expensive nature of ethical fashion. I wanted to first acknowledge that there is a severe lack of affordable options within the ethical fashion industry because of the natural high cost of goods before the rise of globalization. Before the rise of fast fashion, clothing was often not as cheap as it can be now — the world wasn’t nearly as connected as it is now, and exploiting cheap labor around the world wasn’t as easy as it is today. Therefore, there was a lot less textile waste, and people expected a decent shirt to cost a good dollar.
Second, I want to address that there are many other ways to be an ethical consumer. Fashion is a major way I try my best to be more sustainable, because like many others, I used to love fast-fashion companies that didn’t consider ethical practices since I was unaware of its impacts. Shopping for clothes was something that I knew if I stopped doing so often and instead invested in more high quality pieces (think: cost per wear), it could make such a huge impact on my personal carbon footprint. Other ways include shopping for biodegradable home goods, fair-trade coffee, swapping out your underwear first, and so so much more — whatever is reasonable, accessible and relevant for you.
Lastly, secondhand fashion is always an option. Now, I know secondhand can be tricky depending on where you live, the rising cost of secondhand as it becomes more mainstream, and the limited sizing options for plus-sized women. Plus-size inclusive clothing is only now becoming more inclusive within the fast-fashion industry, so you can only imagine how hard it is to find within the ethical fashion industry.
This is why my first and second points are so important — there are other ways to be an ethical consumer outside of fashion, and the most effective way is to slow down consumption altogether and shop for more long-term items of which you can make the most use. This helps lower carbon emissions, toxic chemicals, and overall waste.
That’s not to say it is our sole responsibility as individual consumers to bring about necessary climate change. Governments and corporations play a big role and it’s mostly up to them to bear the responsibility to enact change. Also, the ethical fashion industry still remains pretty exclusive due to the hefty price, and those with less disposable income have no choice but to shop unsustainably/unethically, hence why it is not our responsibility as individuals to shop sustainably… Also capitalism, the wealthy, and the corrupt, but I’d rather save that for another future discussion post.
You’ll find that the brands below are basics if affordable ($-$$), and more expensive the dressier they get. That’s not to say that those dressier items are not financially attainable! It means if possible, you can be more thoughtful of how much you buy and what you buy. That’s how I first started to become an ethical consumer as a university student on a budget. Again, I recognize the fact that I even went to university shows a level of socio-economic status and privilege not others have — that’s why being sustainable really needs to be reasonable and relevant to you.
The best way to start your sustainable journey is by looking at what items you frequently use. The impacts of those items will build up over time.
When choosing to only shop for ethical fashion, one of the first things I did was slowly swap out my basics with Pact Apparel when my old products were getting too old. I remember being so impressed with Pact Apparel because the first pack of underwear it sent me was too small, so instead of offering me an exchange, they told me to keep it/give it to someone else to reduce the carbon emission waste of having to send it back, and they would send me the right size.
I think this brand is great for those who like casual clothing with a youthful street style.
Similar to the point above, you’re going to want to slowly swap out your basics. When replacing your old items, remember to be mindful about what you do with your old clothes. Simply swapping out clothing for the sake of getting new ethical clothes is not helping the environment. FOR DAYS helps with getting rid of your old clothes with its Take Back Bag program — it takes any brand of clothing as long as it’s clean and washed.
It also uses mostly organic cotton, a lower-impact material.
Use code CLAIRE for 15% off your order!
This is currently one of my favorite brands to shop at. They have a bunch of simple yet chic basics that can be re-worked to be stylish. Something about the shape of these pieces makes it easy to standalone as a trendy piece or used as a base layer of clothing to re-work into something more elaborately stylish.
It’s not too pricy either for how ethical it is — something I’m very skeptical about it but even after looking into it further, I trust its ethical and sustainability practices because of the certifications, virtual factory tour, and materials (mostly eco-friendly fabrics). There isn’t too much information on traceability throughout supply chain, however.
I also want to take the time to acknowledge that there aren’t too many sizes either, so while it is affordable it still does remain exclusive to a certain demographic.
This brand isn’t as affordable as the above two brands, but just like there’s a tradeoff between how ethical a brand is and its affordability, the same relationship exists for how stylish the clothing — in general, basics are simply less expensive to produce.
You’ll find the basics generally are more affordable, but pieces like cardigans and dresses are pricier.
According to Good on You, it has a great rating for how it produces its clothing considering people and the environment, and a good rating for being cruelty-free throughout its supply chain.
This brand is also similar to ARMEDANGELS in that you’ll find some affordable pieces when it comes to basics, while a bit more elaborate items will be more expensive.
As alluded to before, keep in mind a cardigan was never supposed to really be $20 until the rise of fast fashion and globalization that led to cheap labor and materials. Essentially, you really do get what you pay for and should consider things like cost per wear (how many time will you be able to wear this, and how timeless is it?).
This is a little bit more on the pricy side, however not outrageous compared to a lot of luxury ethical brands out there.
I like OHSEVENDAYS because a lot of its clothes are trendier than your usual basics, and the price point is manageable for me when I consume in moderation. The pieces can be re-worked and re-styled for years.
However, its environment rating on Good on You is more impressive (5/5) than its labor rating (2/2). It uses mostly natural fibers like cotton and created high-quality clothing that will last for years.
This is one of those brands that are similar to those with quality basics, but a bit more elevated in quality and material (in my opinion). Based on my experience with the pieces I own, the pieces are really soft, durable, and the perfect WFH clothing.
Tentree plants ten trees for each purchase and uses a wide range of eco-friendly materials. It uses renewable energy within its supply chain.
Use code CLAIRESUA20 for 20% off!
This is an example of a brand where if it’s more affordable (especially considering how much more trendy the clothing is), you will find a bit of a tradeoff with its ethical standards. It’s still a relatively new brand, so it’s still hard to conclusively say what rating it should get, but based on the materials stated for its current items, it's environmental rating is decent at best — despite the environmentally unfriendly materials, it is carbon neutral.
Again, that’s not to say you shouldn’t shop here just because of that reason. As commonly stated throughout this post, you should consider your financial means and/or the fact that you’re putting your dollars here as opposed to a SHEIN or Fashion Nova. There isn’t a fool-proof way to prove its labor promises are legit, but it states that it works with a small factory in which fair wages are paid.
We’ve definitely entered the $$$-$$$$ area with this one, but if you’re looking for outerwear, dressy pants, or special-occasion dresses that will last, then this is your place to look.
This company has a great environment rating on Good on You, and decent labor ratings, so like a lot of other ethical brands, by no means is it perfect. However, it mostly markets itself as a sustainable / eco-friendly clothing store.
Also, if you’re not one who likes to re-wear clothing for special occasions, know that there is always an option to re-sell your clothing at a reasonable price. This gives others an opportunity to shop for ethical clothing at lower prices and also helps you shop more affordably.
AFFORDABLE ETHICAL SHOPPING BEYOND FASHION
Public Goods
This company sells super affordable goods for your home, including but not limited to cleaning, cooking, and bath supplies. Some items are a hit or a miss in terms of product efficacy, but I do love a a lot of its wide array of products (agave syrup, body lotion, silk floss, toothbrushes, organic tampons, essential oils, toothpaste, bamboo wet wipes, produce bags — just to name a couple).
A lot of its products are ethical in some way — non-toxic, vegan, natural, refillable — you name it. The company seeks to make sustainable living affordable and accessible to all.
Use code CLAIRESUA for 25% off your first order!
Microfiber Washing Bag
If you have to shop for unsustainable clothing that uses plastic fabrics, please try to get a microfiber washing bag!
If your clothing is made out of polyester (which most are), microscopic plastic particles come out of the clothing in the wash into our water systems. Most of our water sources that we use to drink are filled with these particles, so it’s important that we avoid this by using this filtering bag.
Type in “microfiber washing bag” in a search engine or click the button below to shop from another ethical company, Organic Basics.
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