I posted about an article a little while ago : Why Does So Much Ethical Fashion Look the Same? and wanted to follow-up with some of my favorite “ethical” fashion brands that DON’T look “the same.” By “the same”, I think the article meant neutral in color, oversized/generic in silhouette, but also subtly referred to the types of women who are primarily seen wearing said brands (“influencers” if you will): thin, caucasian, 30’s, moms.
If I may touch here on something I brought up when I mentioned the article in the first place, something which is obvious to me, but not in the article, or may not be obvious to everyone: there is so much more to ethical fashion/responsible style than what we see on instagram. There are more women out there wearing brands like Elizabeth Suzann, for example, who don’t look “the same” – we just don’t see them as often because they don’t have tens of thousands of followers on instagram. And there are other “ethical” fashion brands besides Tradlands, ES, Everlane, etc. etc.
It’s almost as if it doesn’t exist if it’s not on instagram.
Moving on though – I’m not entirely sure that’s of consequence, just something I felt like could have been brought up in the article. There is more to life/style/responsible consumerism than what we see on instagram.
But anyway, what is “ethical” fashion? I prefer “responsible” to ethical, and even sustainable, because it’s more broad, and I honestly feel like they’re both buzzwords and used to convey something that may not actually be there. To me, being a responsible consumer means I am educated about fabrics, manufacturing processes, supply chains, etc., and I therefore make informed, conscious choices about the clothing I buy. I also am aware of the emotional reasons I may be drawn to shopping, or buying a particular item.
“Responsible” fashion then, takes these things into account and can include items that are manufactured in a location or factory that adheres to higher standards for workers, are made from natural or organic materials, use innovative zero-waste technologies, employ artisans and pay them fairly, are independently-owned and transparent, size inclusive and so on. Being a responsible consumer also means shopping secondhand, repairing well-loved items, using what we have, avoiding polyester/plastics in clothes unless it’s recycled, and choosing to support independent designers, businesses and artisans whenever possible.
On to some designers/brands I love that are using more colors and pattern:
Ace & Jig – Ah…Ace & Jig. I never ever considered Ace & Jig for myself until recently, and now I have a deep appreciation for the textiles and designs. I’ll admit, I don’t get their styling (no pants? no bras??) very often, and I cannot bring myself to mix textiles/patterns yet, but I have really enjoyed learning about the textiles and supporting the company in the ways I have so far. On the top of the list for my next purchase? This Vivian dress:
Beklina is a wonderful small boutique, and also a house line by owner Lina Rennell, that features high curated items from independent designers and LOTS of color/patterns. FYI, she just launched new clogs with chunky, architectural heels that I am SUPER-intrigued about. And I love her basic sweaters (I have a couple). This new wrap style sweater is made from alpaca which is better for the environment than cashmere and better for the animals than wool, is beautiful, and would be so lovely over a dress, with wide leg pants, or jeans…
Alpaca wrap sweater | $180
Zuri Kenya – I think I first heard about this brand from a comment here, but now I’m all in. Zuri sources from traditional textile manufacturers in East Africa and garments are sewn at Soko in Kenya where they have an environmentally friendly factory and are bringing employment and empowerment to one of the highest risk areas of the country. I have my eye on this 24 Carrot Gold dress (I love the combination of colors! And…carrots!!):
A few other mentions:
Garmentory is THE BEST PLACE to browse through independent designers and boutiques and is a wonderful place to start a more responsible fashion journey.
Jamie + the Jones definitely does NOT shy away from color producing their popular raw silk tops in a rainbow of bright colors. This scrap dress is exactly that, made from scraps from other production:
Rachel Comey is one of my favorite designers now; she just knows how to dress women in an interesting, but very practical way. All of her pieces are very special IMO. I’m obsessed with this solicitous dress/caftan:
Mara Hoffman. Sigh.
Okay. You guys always have the best suggestions…what are your go-to brands for non-neutral or patterned responsible fashion??
Miranda Bennett (plant dyed) and Black Crane (not sure about the textile origin but they produce everything in CA).
Most of my pieces that are non-neutral are from these two lines.
I have three Zuri dresses and absolutely love them. The pieces are so versatile since they can be worn as a dress, tunic, coat or skirt.
Is there something about the dye process that makes it harder to produce brightly colored ethical/responsible fashion? Or is it that the business model for smaller scale producers does not lend itself to offering things in lots of colors beyond the neutrals which are more likely to sell? I have wondered about this. Just looking at the silk blouses available at Everlane is depressing, for example. The colors are so drab in my view. I am from India, and am used to silk in every color of the rainbow.
I am new to sustainable/ethical shopping. I am really surprised by the similarities in style and colors. From the kimono style jacket to the paperbag waist pant. And so many people wear them the same way down to the Nisolo shoes or clogs and the #19 sweater. I was told it is the “Brooklyn mom” look. I don’t know about that but I will say the look is becoming tired. Not to mention the price of these outfits…5-$600 per outfit. It’s a lot and I am sure discouraging for many who see ethical as too expensive.
I love the Kenyan dresses on the site you introduced me to. How they would look amazing over linen pants…being from Kenya, I am definitely going to purchase one to brighten myself up.
Agree. I have only one Zuri dress, but I love it, and wear it at least once a week in the summertime. I haven’t mastered wearing it as a skirt yet, but love the coat & dress options.
This is such an interesting topic. I know from personal experience that it’s possible to have a small wardrobe that includes prints and non-neutral colors. But that’s certainly not what you see in the influencer world. I think that, along with the fact that as someone else already commented, many of these “simple” outfits literally cost several hundred dollars, makes me less and less interested in the people generally deemed influencers. I would rather see ordinary people who don’t receive garments or get paid for blog posts talk about what they are wearing and why. The more I want to be responsible myself about the clothes I buy and wear the more that seems to be true. Bring on the clothes you’ve had for ten years, the shirt you thrifted, the repeat outfits. Isn’t that what responsible, ethical fashion should look like?
I am somewhat new to ethical fashion, but have enjoyed shopping online from Elizabeth Suzann, Jamie and the Jones and Everlane, to name a few. I am up in Canada, so I do appreciate their forgiving and generous shapes because they are much easier to fit and wear than items that are more body conscious. Having to return items that don’t fit is a real hassle between borders.
That being said though, here is my dilemma when it comes to ethical shopping… what happens to the local boutiques here? They don’t necessarily carry ethical brands, but they do employ people in our community. They boost our local economy and provide an income for other people within our area. By shopping online, the only job I see providing for locally is the delivery-person. I have been struggling with that. I can encourage my shops to provide more ethical choices, but most of these ethical vendors are online. I don’t know what the answer is here. I am not at the point where I purchase all my clothes online, but when I do, I feel a little guilt about the local shop owner who is busting their butt to make a living here.
Alice Alexander! Size-inclusive, colorful, out of Philadelphia (recommend by Mason-Dixon Made, also in Philly, have and love her Blair sandals).
Obsessed with Miranda Bennett’s colors.
Luna Zorro and Lola y Tula stock beautiful things from Guatemala and Mexico, respectively.
Also Sevilla Smith offers a dizzying array of leathers for her shoes. All gorgeous.
Hmm, it’s such a pendulum swing. I grew up in New England college towns where shopping ethically/responsibly has been around for a long time, but until recently it always meant tie-dyed hemp dresses and fair trade batik and purses made out of old jeans. Weird, loud, quirky stuff. So when companies like Everlane and the Reformation came along and started making clothes that looked normcore, or even trendy, but with a greater degree of transparency than the usual slate of fast-fashion brands, it was a real breath of fresh air for those of us who do care about where our clothes come from, but don’t do the hippy-boho thing. I guess I’m trying to say, if I wore an Ace&Jig dress in my neck of the woods, I would feel like an aging Baby Boomer trying to recapture the magic of the 60s, and not at all like myself. 90% of the time I just dress like a boy — jeans and flannels — so yeah, I love Tradlands and Power of My People. I loved Taylor Stitch when they offered a women’s line. I like Bridge & Burn. And I buy a lot of Everlane because quite a bit of their stuff fits my body and aesthetic (and yes, I’m a skinny, white, 30-something mom) — their Cheeky Straight jeans are holy-grail for me. If I weren’t shopping these companies, I would probably still be wearing secondhand LLBean and Patagonia, which is what my wardrobe consisted of for a long time…
Oh, and I’d also suggest Amour Vert for colourful items in a wide range of silhouettes. Their printed silk shirts and dresses are so gorgeous.
My definition of responsible is, at a minimum, buying clothing that are made locally. For me that means Obus (an Australian brand that I loved when I lived in Australia, and I get buy online now that i live in Canada), Birds of North America, Jennifer Glasgow, and Allison Wonderland (all made in Canada brands). I love, love, love Ace & Jig but can’t afford new, so I follow the #aceandjigforsale hashtag on instagram. I’m so behind on their textiles anyway that I don’t mind getting things that are years old.
I totally agree that the “ethical” aesthetic on intsa is getting a bit old and one-sided. I am a 30-something mom and it doesn’t really speak to me except for that I find it beautiful- for someone else 🙂
Zero Maria Cornejo!
And, before everyone is scared off the by the prices, the end-of-season sales are extremely good (both on the ZMC site directly and via Barney’s.) I’ve bought a couple of dresses that otherwise retailed for $800+ for around $200, so less than Elizabeth Suzann or Ace & Jig.
Plus, the cut of her stuff is extremely flattering on my 40+, not-so-toned, very pear-shaped body. It’s like she’s happy, and knows how, to dress women of a certain age. I feel good when I wear her stuff.