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The Story of Clothes

The Story of Clothes

Sustainable brand directory

Please note: some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission if you decide to make a purchase using that link, at no additional cost to you. It’s a great way to support my blog if you enjoy what I publish! Not all of the links are affiliate links and I do not include brands I don’t believe meet high ethical & environmental standards.

UNDERWEAR & LINGERIE

Basic underwear

  • Zyza: I’m quite happy with these, especially with the boy short style. Made-to-order by the owner in North Vancouver with hemp and organic cotton. $29 CAD + shipping, available in boy short or regular bikini styles, in black and in cream.
  • WAMA: basic underwear made with hemp & organic cotton. $20 CAD/pair + tax + shipping, you can also buy packs of 3, 6, and 10 and pay a bit less per pair. Personally these didn’t fit me all that well BUT I have a short torso & a booty and generally have a very hard time finding pants that fit in North America (Latin America though, no issues :P). They seem well-made too.
  • Azura Bay: Go-to boutique for sustainable underwear. The owner, Ashley, handpicks the brands she carries to ensure that they’re as ethical and environmentally friendly as possible. The marketing is body-positive and the models show size & race inclusivity. Prices for underwear are between $26-$44 CAD.
  • Etiko: basic underwear made out of organic & fair trade cotton. Prices: $13.50-$17.50 AUD (roughly $13-$17 CAD), + shipping + possibly tax.
  • Organic Basics: ethically-made underwear. Remake-approved brand, rated “Great” (5/5) on Good on you. A 4-pack of briefs, thongs, etc is $66-$98 USD before tax & shipping, 2-packs also available for $39-$55 USD.

Lingerie

  • Azura Bay: Go-to boutique for sustainable underwear. The owner, Ashley, handpicks the brands she carries to ensure that they’re as ethical and environmentally friendly as possible. The marketing is body-positive and the models show size & race inclusivity. Prices for underwear are between $26-$44 CAD.

More coming soon

BRAS

More coming soon

SOCKS

  • Basic Revolution: eco-friendly, ethically-made socks that come with a mailing label for textile recycling so that you can get rid of your end-of-life-embarrasing clothing items with a clear conscience. The ripped/stained/whatever things will go to a textile recycler in New York where they can be turned into things like insulation or stuffing for car seats. Super cool, innovative concept that should be more widely available in my opinion. I interviewed the founder, Andrea, in January 2021.
  • Organic Basics: basic socks made out of organic cotton. Remake-approved brand, rated “Great” (5/5) on Good on you. 10-packs available for $71-$163 USD before tax & shipping. A 2-pack is $15-$23 USD.
  • Kotn: a Canadian brand that’s big on traceability and using high-quality, ethically-made natural materials. Remake-approved, rated “Good” (4/5) on Good on you. Ankle socks are $8 USD/pair and dress socks are $10 USD/pair, plus tax & shipping. If you need 5 pairs or more, you’ll get 15% off at checkout.
  • Conscious Step: Colourful socks made ethically out of organic, fair trade cotton. Rated “Good” (4/5) on Good on you. A portion of every sale goes to charity, and the product names reflect the cause that the donation goes to – so you literally buy “socks that protect sloths” and “socks that save LGBTQ lives”. Most pairs are around $15 USD, if buy 5 you’ll get 1 free on select styles. Gift bundles like the “protect the planet giftbox” also available.

More coming soon

SWIMWEAR

More coming soon

ACTIVEWEAR

  • Girlfriend: leggings & other activewear made out of recycled plastic waste. I have a pair of their leggings and like them, they seem well-made. Their models are inclusive in terms of size, race, and age, which is great to see.
  • Zyza: Leggings, pants, shorts & sports bras made-to-order in North Vancouver with sustainable fabrics like hemp, bamboo and organic cotton. For the pants, she’ll ask you for your height to make sure that they fit you like they’re supposed to. I got this pair and I’ve been living in them ever since.

More coming soon

SUNGLASSES

  • Pela Vision: Trendy-looking sunglasses that will biodegrade in landfill environments. Pela also has the Pela 360 Program, so you can send in your old sunglasses for recycling or upcycling. Not polarized but prescription-friendly, see their FAQ section.

More coming soon

RUNNING SHOES

 

SHOES & SANDALS

  • Rothy’s: I’m literally waiting for some of my flats to give out so I can buy a pair of Rothy’s. These shoes are super cute AND made entirely out of recycled plastic. They’re fully machine washable, too! (just make sure to use a Guppyfriend bag to prevent the release of microplastics into the water supply). Prices for most shoes are between $157 and $225 CAD.
  • Etiko: An Australian brand that sells sneakers (among other things). Rated “great” on Good on you. All products are ethically made using sustainable materials like organic cotton and natural rubber. They also have a Take Back program for the shoes that they sell (best if you live in Australia or New Zealand). Sneakers are between $110-130 AUD (about $106-$125 CAD) and flats are $80-$90 AUD (about $77-$87 CAD).
  • Brother Vellies: I first heard of this Black-owned brand when the founder was interviewed on Girlboss radio (she’s Canadian!). Higher-end shoes, sandals, boots, etc made ethically using traditional African design practices & techniques. Not vegan but it’s a tough choice to make with shoes. They also make belts & handbags.

More coming soon

HANDBAGS AND WALLETS

  • GnL (“Genuinely no Leather”) Accessories: a vegan handbag brand based in Hong Kong. The founder, Vinita Turakhia, is very invested in making her operations as eco-friendly and ethical as possible. Materials used include cork fabric, teak leaf fabric and fabric made from coffee grounds.
  • Been London: a UK brand that offers classic bags made out of high-end recycled materials. Made ethically in London.
  • The World’s Corner: bags, wallets, scarves & other artisanal products made by female artisans around the world. The founder, Patricia, partners with women artisans from ethnic minority groups to help them preserve the craftsmanship of their community and earn extra income with their craft.
  • Cesarscork: a Portuguese brand that makes handbags, wallets & necklaces out of cork. IF you need a new bag or wallet & you’ve decided that you’d like something from Cesarscork, the code StoryofClothes5 will get you 5% off your purchase. 

JEANS

  • Outland Denim: the ethically-made jeans that Meghan Markle wore on a tour of Australia in 2018 (prices range from $200-$300 CAD + tax per pair). I heard the Australian founder speak at the Good on you’s “Building an Ethical Brand” panel; he started his brand when he witnessed human trafficking first-hand (saw a girl for sale when he was travelling in Southeast Asia). Originally, Outland was a way to offer sustainable employment and training opportunities for women who have experienced exploitation, but with time, minimizing the environmental impact of their products also became a priority. Rated “Great” (5/5) on Good on you. Denim jackets, shorts & overalls also available.
  • Nudie Jeans: Jeans made ethically using eco-friendly materials. Rated “Great” (5/5) on Good on you. For women, they have four types of fit: 1. tight fit + high waist 2. regular fit + mid waist 3. regular fit + high waist + tapered (narrowed) at the legs and ankles and 4. regular fit + high waist + wide leg. So you basically can gauge right off the bat if they will fit you (they won’t in my case because I have an unusually short torso, but maybe you’ll have better luck?). Prices are around $200-280 CAD before tax + shipping.

More coming soon

PANTS, TOPS, SKIRTS, DRESSES, COATS

Sustainable Canadian brands

  • Kotn: a Canadian brand that’s big on traceability and using high-quality, ethically-made natural materials. Remake-approved. Price range: $25-$35 CAD for tank tops and $75-$90 CAD for more complex pieces like pants & dresses.
  • Ramonalisa: Ethically made in Montreal using ecofriendly fabrics. Price range: roughly $80-$150 CAD before tax for most items.
  • OÖM/Message factory: a Québec brand based in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu that is keen on ethical, environmentally-friendly & local production. Price range: $45-$150 CAD before tax.
  • Encircled: Versatile capsule wardrobe pieces ethically made in Canada using sustainable fabrics like hemp, linen, organic cotton and tencel. Prices range from $44-$156 CAD for tops, $138-$162 CAD for leggings/pants and $99-$168 CAD for skirts and dresses.
  • Gaia & Dubos: a higher-end sustainable boutique based in Québec City. A bit more expensive but cute styles and high-end sustainable fabrics like peace silk (made in a way that doesn’t kill the silk worm). Made ethically in Québec. Most items are around $100-$500 CAD before tax.
  • uni design: Montreal/Vancouver brand that makes unisex clothing out of upcycled fabrics. Check out the interview with the founder that I published in March 2020. Most items are between $45 and $140 CAD.
  • Meemoza: Cute pieces made ethically in Montreal, using eco-friendly or deadstock fabrics. Bohemian chic style. Prices range from $60-$180 CAD before tax.

More coming soon

Sustainable European brands

  • People Tree: this UK brand was featured in The True Cost (the go-to documentary on fast fashion) as the example to follow for ecofriendly & ethical clothing production.

More coming soon

Sustainable brands in Asia

  • Raasleela: Based in Ahmedabad, India, this brand’s clothes are entirely handstitched by artisans (no sewing machines!), and any little loose bits of fabrics are actually handsewn onto the garments as unique print patterns that form the brand’s signature aesthetic (this is one of my favourites). They also use dye free & bleach free fabrics. I particularly enjoy following their Facebook page for updates.

More coming soon

Sustainable brands in Australia & New Zealand

Coming soon

JEWELRY

More coming soon

KIDS’ BRANDS

Coming soon

OTHER ZERO WASTE THINGS

  • Pela Case: Cute & compostable phone cases made in Saskatchewan, Canada out of flax & other waste materials. Check out the video on how they are made here. Choice of most sustainability influencers. They also have a takeback program for old cases that they recycle into new products. DM me if you’re ready to buy yours, I have a 15% discount code that I’m not allowed to share publically.
  • Life Without Plastic: This company was actually founded by a former colleague of mine (he doesn’t know I’m writing this). They’ve been around for 13+ years and sell plastic-free household items like 100% compostable toothbrushes, zero-waste floss (it’s refillable, it’s what I use), stainless steel popsicle makers, you name it. They also have a subscription box and a book on all things life without plastic, available in English and in French.

More coming soon

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