Refinery29 just published an insanely-popular post--"6 Stores You'll Love as Much as Zara"--featuring fast-fashion brands fueled by slave labor. Here is my response. Because fashion should be empowering, not exploitative~
1. Matter Prints: Sideswept Dhoti + Mobi Indigo Pants | Matter Prints works with artisans across India to create products that are eco-friendly, preserve their heritage, and are able to help the artisans become financially independent.
Update! -- They just came out with a rad new ethical jumpsuit collection! Peep our editorial collaboration here!
2. Harveys: Berkeley Backpack in Black + White | bags & backpacks made from re-purposed seat belts. Seriously cool. All products are handmade in the USA!
3. New Classics Studios: Papaya Dress | I seriously want to buy everything. You know it's an A+ store when they sell dresses with papayas on them. Because can you think of anything better to put on a dress? All clothing is created with high ethical standards (& aesthetics, obviously).
Update! -- JooJoo Azad & New Classics Studios collabed on a sick new editorial shoot for their KowTow Phase Dress!
4. Osborne: Dune Oxford | handmade, fair-trade, eco-friendly, artisan crafted...basically everything you could ever want in an oxford (or a brand).
5. FashionABLE: Alem Color-Block Scarf | this brand uses fashion as a method of empowering women in Ethiopia, Kenya, and other countries bring themselves and their families out of poverty, receive an education, and become strong & independent individuals. Because that is what fashion should be for, right?
6. Shelby Steiner: Tie Tunic | a local designer from here in Chicago, Shelby produces her clothing using ethical, eco-friendly, and natural materials such as organic cotton, bamboo, and bad-assery.
Be sure to check out this post's brother, The Top 5 Coolest Ethical Menswear Brands and the post for ethical, conscious shoppers on a budget, 5 Under $25: Ethical Buys on a College Student Budget.
Related reads:
+ Minimal Wardrobe Series -- while you're shopping ethically, are you also shopping minimally?
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1. Matter Prints: Sideswept Dhoti + Mobi Indigo Pants | Matter Prints works with artisans across India to create products that are eco-friendly, preserve their heritage, and are able to help the artisans become financially independent.
Update! -- They just came out with a rad new ethical jumpsuit collection! Peep our editorial collaboration here!
2. Harveys: Berkeley Backpack in Black + White | bags & backpacks made from re-purposed seat belts. Seriously cool. All products are handmade in the USA!
3. New Classics Studios: Papaya Dress | I seriously want to buy everything. You know it's an A+ store when they sell dresses with papayas on them. Because can you think of anything better to put on a dress? All clothing is created with high ethical standards (& aesthetics, obviously).
Update! -- JooJoo Azad & New Classics Studios collabed on a sick new editorial shoot for their KowTow Phase Dress!
4. Osborne: Dune Oxford | handmade, fair-trade, eco-friendly, artisan crafted...basically everything you could ever want in an oxford (or a brand).
5. FashionABLE: Alem Color-Block Scarf | this brand uses fashion as a method of empowering women in Ethiopia, Kenya, and other countries bring themselves and their families out of poverty, receive an education, and become strong & independent individuals. Because that is what fashion should be for, right?
6. Shelby Steiner: Tie Tunic | a local designer from here in Chicago, Shelby produces her clothing using ethical, eco-friendly, and natural materials such as organic cotton, bamboo, and bad-assery.
Be sure to check out this post's brother, The Top 5 Coolest Ethical Menswear Brands and the post for ethical, conscious shoppers on a budget, 5 Under $25: Ethical Buys on a College Student Budget.
Related reads:
+ Minimal Wardrobe Series -- while you're shopping ethically, are you also shopping minimally?
<(')
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Thank you for the tips!!
ReplyDeleteHttp://pinchblack.blogspot.com
I'm glad I can find someone who has this fashion awareness. Amazing post. :) xo
ReplyDeletethanks for reading!!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm glad I've found someone who appreciates ethical fashion! ;) Welcome to the blog, Mara!
ReplyDeleteThis are so amazing! I love how they help women and are eco-friendly!
ReplyDeleteLove
Pili
Records of my Troubles
So glad you like them, Pili! xx It's amazing how many beautiful brands are out there!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post. I love finding new online shopping sites that I can actually support. I've started making a lot of my clothes because I feel kind of gross buying from a lot of places.
ReplyDeleteThese are awesome alternatives. I love New Classic Studios!
xx
scarlettandgiselle.blogspot.com
I featured this comment because I find you rather lovely :) Thank you for the kind words and great work on starting to make your own clothes--that is really impressive and a really great way to phase out of supporting the "dark" side of fashion!
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the alternatives, Jenna!
I wish I could also find those brands here in the Philippines. Those oxfords look amazing. I've been on the hunt for the best ones in town lately. I like how androgynous those brown oxfords from Osborne are.
ReplyDeletewww.annescribblesanddoodles.blogspot.com
wonderful post dear! I do have ethical fashion in mind. I usually always buy clothes produced locally...in that way I'm helping my friends keep their jobs! In addition, I sometimes buy second hand clothes. I don't own anything from Zara and I usually shy away from the big brands.
ReplyDeletehttp://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/
Woah!! Great job girl. These places have great clothes.
ReplyDeleteDuty Free Dame
Love this! Ethical fashion is so important in a day in age where we have no reason to be ignorant of the atrocities that happen with fast fashion. I also feature a countless number of ethical fashion brands on my site, would love for you to check it out! xx
ReplyDeletewww.ADIMAY.com
Never heard of any of the brands. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you so much for this post! I love how "ethical" is in the title, too :) I'm in love with Zara clothes so I'm going to have to check these all out.
ReplyDeleteCircus & Bloom
♥♥♥
I do read a lot of news regarding fast fashion brands' suppliers are running sweatshops. That's one of the reasons why I no longer shop in most fast fashion brands. I never bought anything from Forever21 for over 3 years now. And thank you for sharing these stores, I particularly like Matter Prints :)
ReplyDeleteSTYLE VANITY
What a great post! I am definitely going to check out these stores! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOut of the 6 brands listed here, I'm only familiar with Harveys. Great list and thank you for introducing them to me.
ReplyDeleteShireen | Reflection of Sanity
A lot of these brands actually are online and offer international shipping! xx
ReplyDeleteThe brown oxfords are beautiful, I definitely agree! They really know how to make a pair of good-looking shoes!
Thank you for dropping by Anne! :)
Thank you Ivana! xx Very glad to hear your conscious efforts to step towards a conscious life! Buying local and buying from thrift stores are really great alternatives! You could also try designing and making your own clothes (it's actually much easier than you think!) or hosting a clothing swap with your friends! Either way, you're definitely on the right track! xx Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeletexx thank you! Glad you enjoy them as much as I do!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on that, Aditi! Saying no to destructive fashion should be an instinct!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I checked out your site--it's beautiful! You've found a new follower in me! Thanks for leaving your link!
thank you for reading, Melissa! xx
ReplyDeleteHaha the title was easy, as it was a reply to another article! In every other case though, titles are the bane of my existence haha ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you for dropping by and welcome to the blog, Natalie! Hope you enjoy the stores as much as I do! xx
Very impressive! Your dedication to ethics is really wonderful, Alyssa! Keep it up! :) What have your alternatives been?
ReplyDeleteMatter Prints pants are really the best! xx
Thanks for reading, Valerie! xx Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteHarveys is a great one to be familiar with! Hope you enjoy the others just as much! Thank you for dropping by, Shireen! xx
ReplyDeleteMy alternative are local brands in the Philippines. My favorite is R2R which stands for "Rags 2 Riches" because the fabrics they use for their bags are all recycled and the bags were made by women from rural areas who do not have jobs, well now they do! :)
ReplyDeleteI love this post! I really would like to start shopping more ethically :) however, I was wondering if you had suggestions on places that were a little less expensive. I wish I could afford to spend 130$ on pants but it is not in the student budget.
ReplyDeletehttp://abookofmaps.blogspot.ca/
I just looked up R2R and they are awesome! Thank you for telling me about them! You should totally feature them in a post on your blog, as you also blog about fashion, correct? :) I would love to share the post!
ReplyDeleteIn any regard, they look great and I will add them to my growing list of ethical brands I will be publishing on the blog soon!
Ah no I totally get you (as a uni student myself, I feel the struggle, haha)! In this post I suppose I was more matching the title and finding brands in about the same price range as Zara, but I will definitely put together a list of ethical brands for a college student's budget for you, Kayla!
ReplyDeleteThe only tricky thing about ethical fashion though is that the cheaper the clothing costs, the less the workers were paid, the slightly more questionable the ethics are, right? So that gets difficult, but I'll see what I can find!
Those shoes!!!
ReplyDelete*swoooooon*
ReplyDeleteI used to be an intern to one of their designer. I'll try to come up with an interesting post about them and I'll let you know :)
ReplyDeleteHooray! Looking forward to it! ;)
ReplyDeleteHello! I have just discovered your blog, due to a share on Google+, and I am very happy for that. I search ethical products and I think it will help me. Keep doing the great work! :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you found the post and are looking for ethical brands--stick around, because that's what this site is all about! Welcome to the blog, Larisa! xx (;
ReplyDeletedo you know of any ethical brands that sell good sandals? I got my last pair from JCrew last year and they're amazing, but now that I realize they're such a problematic brand, i want to try and find something a bit more ethically sound.
ReplyDelete^_^!
ReplyDelete<3 <3 <3 (When I come back to Chicago I would so love to collaborate with you on a project I'm working on! I will get in touch with details soon!)
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