Sustainable Fashion Brands I Love

Over time I’ve realized that spending my money with companies that are doing good in the world is more satisfying than buying from companies that seemingly don’t care. I’d rather spend a little bit more and know that I’m helping the environment and/or positively impacting worker’s lives.

These are the sustainable fashion brands that I love and support. I’ve tried out their products to review and continue to keep them in my closet today. Happily, many of these items have lasted years and I’m still wearing them.

I’ve also included ethical fashion brands, too. Most of the time sustainable fashion and ethical fashion are one and the same.

Sustainable fashion is using materials that won’t harm the environment. Ethical fashion is when a brand treats their employees and suppliers with care, offering fair wages and a healthy work environment. You will find that sustainable fashion and ethical fashion often, but not always, go hand in hand.

Sunski Sunglasses

I love Sunski sunglasses. I love how they fit and they have a modern design!

I own the Makani design in Blond Tortoise Aqua.

The sunglasses are made from recycled plastics collected from U.S. landfills. The packaging is plastic-free, too. Origami folds are used in the packaging, rather than plastic and glue.

Plus, there is a lifetime warranty. Sunski doesn’t want you to throw out your sunglasses and put them in a landfill if they break. Instead, they’ll fix them for you so you can keep them as long as possible.

Try them out and see if you like them with a 30 day return policy.

See Sunski sunglasses and more of my favorites in my video below:

Ministry of Supply

This Boston-based fashion company had its start in the labs of MIT. Ministry of Supply (named after a character in a James Bond film) focuses on smartly designed fabrics that are better for the environment. In fact, NASA has even awarded them an Innovation Excellence Award. The Climate Neutral Certified sustainable fashion company has also won Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Award, and 2 Guinness World Records.

Among the sustainable fabrics that Ministry of Supply uses is:

S.Cafe A fabric made from coffee grounds and recycled polyester
Merino Wool Moisture-wicking fabric blended with recycled polyester
Viscose A fiber in use since the late 1800s and derived from trees
Bio-Based Polyester Derived from corn and sugar cane

Their Aero Zero Collection has 100% carbon neutral shirts made from 100% recycled materials.

My husband and I both own a few Ministry of Supply clothing items. He has the Men’s Composite Merino Tee. Made of wool, it’s actually a cooling fabric that keeps your temperature regulated. He wore it hiking at the Grand Canyon and felt comfortable. Plus, he wears it a lot at home and I think the classic style and color look great on him!

I have the Women’s Composite Merino Active Tank. It’s the same fabric as my husband’s but in a tank style. I love the easy, breezy feel of the tank.

Clothing made from Merino wool is not scratchy! You’d be surprised at how soft and comfortable these shirts are!

I also own the Women’s Apollo Shirt Dress. I LOVE having a dress that is soft and comfortable (with pockets!) and easy to dress up or down. A shirt dress is a classic style that will never be too trendy. I can keep it in my wardrobe for years.

The Apollo line of clothing won the NASA award for its brilliant design using PCMs. Phase Change Materials (PCMs) are used by NASA in spacesuit gloves to regulate temperature. The materials actually absorb or release heat based on the temperature of the person wearing them. The fabric is actually 19X MORE breathable that cotton pique knit. That’s impressive!

Did you know hemp can be used for clothing fibers? And that hemp textiles are naturally anti-bacterial and anti-odor? Yep! Which makes hemp underwear a smart decision in a sustainable wardrobe!

Coalatree

Coalatree features outdoor-friendly clothing for men and women, with unisex designs. They also have outdoor equipment such as hammocks and multi-purpose blankets.

I tried their popular Trailhead Pants, eco-friendly hiking pants that have earned over 2,000 five-star reviews. And I can see why!

These pants are awesome. That’s all I can say. I’ve never had a pair of hiking pants that combined durable materials, plenty of pockets, and ease of wearing all in one.

The waterproof, durable, stretchable and tear-resistant nylon material is made from recycled materials. It’s antimicrobial so you can wear them for multiple days while hiking, camping or traveling and not worry about them getting gross or smelly.

I’ve never had a pair of hiking pants that I really liked wearing until Coalatree Trailhead Pants. The four pockets are essential for hiking and camping. Two pockets in the back close with velcro. The two front pockets are super deep to carry your phone, snacks, photography equipment, etc.

The material is thicker than I expected. But it’s still lightweight (about 10 oz.) and more breathable than I would have imagined for being so thick.

I appreciate the tie closures on the ankles, too. That way I can get the pants to fit as tight or as loose as I’d like depending on the weather conditions. Or I could roll up my pants to make cropped pants if I chose to.

The unisex pants design does run towards big, at least I feel it does. There are two different fits – regular and slim – and I wish I had bought slim. But the next pair I get will be slim! There are so many colors, I can see myself buying more for travel.

These pants are so comfy you’ll probably want them to just wear around at home or going to work. They don’t have to stay on the trail. I’m going to try their Decaf Denim pants (made from recycled coffee grounds) next to see if they are just as comfortable!

I also tried their Kachula Adventure Blanket, which has over 700 five-star reviews. Again, I see why! This blanket doubles as a poncho, or use it as a pillow. You can even snap them together to make a huge blanket.

Fifth Origins

Fifth Origins is a company that is committed to ethical and sustainable fashion, starting high in the Himalaya Mountains. The company says that their products are “Made with Humanity.”

Capes, scarves and jewelry are made by artisans who source materials sustainably and use cruelty-free wool from sheep. Eco-friendly dyes are used to make the vibrant colors, and the wool is woven on a traditional hand loom.

Buying the fashion accessories through Fifth Origins employs an entire community in the Himalayas, from the sheep herders to the weavers and tailors. One Cape Infinity takes 15 artisans to produce.

The Cape Infinity is a multi-purpose fashion accessory that can be worn in a variety of ways. The scarves are thick and luxurious, while the beaded bracelets will add color to your outfit.

HARMONY 783 Grounding Shoes

The Earth has a natural energy to it, which could be beneficial for us humans who are surrounded by technology and man-made energy every day. Grounding, or Earthing, is the practice of reconnecting with the planet’s naturally occurring energy field by going barefoot in the grass, standing in a stream, walking on the beach, etc.

But your modern-day life might not let you walk barefoot in nature too often. Which is why Harmony 783 Grounding Shoes can help.

The unique shoes have conductive properties which allow you to reconnect with Earth’s electrons, even though you are not barefoot.

The grounding shoes are made with pure silver to create conductivity of the Earth’s natural energy. The EVA midsole is made with an innovative algae-based material.

Harmony 783 makes stylish grounding shoes for women and men. Styles range from flip flops to sneakers, loafers and ballet flats.

I have the Women’s White Leather Walker. The shoes are really well made with sturdy materials and look cute, too! (You can also see them in my Sustainable Fashion Video above.)

The walkers are quite comfortable. My only concern is the toe box seems to be a bit tight, so if your foot is larger in the toes you might want to size up.

I enjoy wearing the shoes. I can’t offer you any concrete evidence of how they work for me, but I really enjoy wearing them. I do try to go outside and ground when I can, but like most people that doesn’t happen a lot. So I really enjoy that I can go about my day, wearing cute shoes, and potentially get extra benefits by Earthing.

WAMA Hemp Underwear

WAMA hemp underwear is a combination of hemp, organic cotton and a touch of spandex which helps to keep underwear where it needs to stay. The sustainable company makes hemp underwear for women and men, as well as bralettes.

I know what you are thinking. It was the first thing I thought, too. Isn’t hemp scratchy feeling? Like burlap?

The answer is definitely no!

WAMA hemp underwear was super soft and instantly fit remarkably well. It’s like a high end fabric feel. It is definitely a thicker fabric than you might be used to for underwear, but not too thick.

Hemp underwear for women and men keeps getting softer over time, too. I’ve found that to be the case with many natural fibers, including bamboo and wool. The fabric just keeps relaxing and getting softer with every wash.

WAMA Hemp Underwear Review

My husband and I tried out some products from WAMA, including:

Mens Boxer Briefs
Womens Hipsters

Now, when I was looking at the WAMA hemp underwear website, I did notice that they suggest sizing up compared to your normal size. Which kind of freaked me out because I was stressed about what size to order. No one wants super tight or baggy underwear, right?

Turns out, I didn’t need to be concerned about choosing a size. I ordered the same size I always wear (my husband did, too), and they fit perfectly!

The underwear fit to our curves without being bulky or baggy. The elastic waistband was substantial and fit well without pinching. And two years later, we are still wearing the underwear and it is definitely getting softer without getting baggy.

But why hemp underwear, you may ask? Why not just stick with cotton? Here’s why:

Facts about hemp fabric

Anti-bacterial
Anti-Odor
Can be Organic
Soft
Breathable
Sustainable (hemp grows super fast, actually improves the soil, and doesn’t require as many pesticides or fertilizers)

The fact that hemp textiles are naturally anti-bacterial and anti-odor makes hemp fabric a no-brainer for use in underwear.

Hemp is also one of the strongest natural fibers available. It was one of the first plants to be used to make fiber textiles more than 10,000 years ago!

This underwear will last longer. You’ll be able to use hemp underwear much longer than cheap cotton or polyester underwear. The fibers aren’t going to wear out quickly, which is common with inexpensive brands.

Okabashi Shoes

It’s rare to find any type of fashion made in the USA anymore. Especially shoes. Okabashi footwear is one of the few companies that makes shoes in America and creates sustainable fashion.

Based in Georgia, this footwear company sells Women’s and Men’s shoes. Sandals, flip flops, clogs and ballet flats are among their modern and stylish shoe choices.

Their shoes use recycled plastics and – get this – all of their shoes can be recycled. That’s right. When you’ve grown out – or worn out – your shoes, you can send them back to Okabashi and they will completely recycle the shoe. Plus, you’ll get 15% off for another pair.

Closed-loop recycling is a rarity in the fashion world. As is affordable American made fashion.

See more great sustainable fashion picks on my popular Pinterest board!!!

Yet Okabashi is one of the few that is still entirely made in America. The family-owned company has been creating sustainable shoes since 1984.

I tried out two different styles of Okabashi shoes – Indigo in Brown/Aqua and Maui in Hot Pink. I ordered both sizes in Medium. *Indigo is no longer available, but I’d suggest checking out the Splash Flip Flops.

When my shoes came with their red reusable shoe bags, I was instantly impressed. These are thick, great quality shoes that are stylish and fun.

I ordered them online. But I’ve seen recently that you can get Okabashi sandals at CVS and Target.

The Indigo flip flops fit perfectly. They feel like a glove on my narrow feet. I’m usually a size 6 1/2 or 7 in a shoe, so these were the perfect fit.

The Maui flip flops were a bit bigger on my foot. They were the same size as Indigo, but fit much more loosely. Keep this in mind when ordering based on how wide or narrow your foot is.

These sustainable shoes are a bit more heavy than the flimsy stuff you’ll find for cheap on mass market shelves. They also have arch support, which I am thankful for! I’ve been buying Vionic shoes which absolutely feel great, but the price point is much higher.

Not with Okabashi. Their shoes have arch support and a price point about 80% less!!!!!!!!! (Around $20)

Even better? When your shoes get dirty and need a good cleaning, you can pop them in the dishwasher. Yes, that’s right – the dishwasher!

Natural World Shoes

This European shoe company is available through online shopping for U.S. Customers. Natural World offers footwear for men, women and kids.

Natural World only uses 100% organic raw materials.

Both my husband and I have worn these shoes. We each chose high top sneakers and were really happy with the style and design. The soles were thick and solid.

We chose a men’s pair – Safari Enzimatico Beige – and a women’s pair – Basket Suede Boot Blue.