This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CU Boulder chapter.
If you’re anything like me, you love to shop online in your free time and are constantly looking for new pieces that will either become essentials or something you can wear as a statement. Unfortunately, fast fashion is taking over our clothing world, and it can be difficult to find trendy and simple clothing that is sourced and produced ethically. Here are some environmentally-friendly brands that have both cute staples and statement pieces, for whatever fits your style.
- Lucy and Yak
- Lucy and Yak is an overseas brand that specializes in high-quality, organic, recycled clothing at a generally affordable price. With cute staple pieces from pants to colorful overalls to unique jackets, Lucy and Yak is one of the most common sustainable brands that I’ve seen used by my friends and family members. They not only allow you to bring back your old garments and receive a discount on anything new you buy, but make a point to be inclusive for all bodies and styles. This brand has something for everyone and is long-lasting and sustainable, making it great for the environment.
- Pact
- Though this one can be a little more expensive for certain items, Pact is another environmentally conscious brand that is great for college students. They are currently having an Earth-month sale, which makes this brand more accessible on a budget. With eco-friendly packaging and free returns, there is nothing to feel bad about when buying from this brand. Pact emphasizes organic manufacturing and production, as well as safe working conditions by partnering only with Fair Trade factories, which promote sustainable production under safe conditions. This is another stylish brand you can feel good about purchasing a staple or a statement piece from.
- Reformation
- Reformation is definitely more on the expensive side, but if you’re willing to splurge a little bit for some well-made pieces that will last you for years to come, it’s a great brand to consider. They are currently aiming to make all of their fabrics sourced from renewable and recycled materials by 2025, and take water use, carbon footprint, eco-toxicity, and more into consideration when creating their pieces. With limited edition collections put out every week, Reformation has unique, quality pieces that no one else around you is likely to have, and the low quantity produced helps to prevent textile waste. This is a fashionable and innovative brand you can be confident investing in when shopping for long-term pieces.
- Everlane
- A less well-known brand, but one that is equally as sustainable, is Everlane. Everlane is ethical in their production, finding factories with safe working conditions and making connections with the owners as well as auditing them to ensure their quality and safety standards. They claim to be transparent about the pricing of their items and are honest about manufacturing, labor, and transportation costs without marking the prices up. By labeling their items, from jeans to sweaters to dresses, with their selling points such as “reduced water use” and “organic cotton,” you can find pieces at a good price that match your priorities as a consumer. Customer reviews also allow you to select your body type for the pieces that you’re interested in so you can see what other buyers have to say, allowing you to feel confident in what you’re buying both for yourself and the environment.
- Organic Basics
- A brand famous for their undergarments, layering pieces, and general staple pieces is Organic Basics. Based in Europe, Organic Basics ships internationally, offers a student discount, and owns up to their failed attempts at certain things,and states their future goals, allowing consumers to feel comfortable buying from such a sustainable and honest brand. They offer a “unisex” section on their website as well, meaning you can feel good about buying pieces that you want to wear without the label of “men” or “women.” Organic Basics offers packages as well as a section on their website featuring everything from pajama sets to bra and underwear sets. For a great set of basic pieces to wear either on their own or under your statement pieces, Organic Basics has you covered.
Though it can be challenging to find cute pieces that are both affordable and good for the environment, these high-quality brands are accessible and perfect for those looking for a way to make a positive impact on the environment. It is important now more than ever to watch what we consume in order to be able to keep this planet habitable, and starting with something as easy as the clothing you wear can really help to make a difference.