There’s one line from the classic movie, Shawshank Redemption, that always springs to mind when I think of the speed of fashion now. “The world went, and got itself in a big damn hurry.” And, it’s true! As we’ve discussed when comparing fast fashion and slow fashion, fast don’t mean better. In fact, it’s time to slow down and design clothes that last.
Here are some slow fashion brands to love:
Accompany
Accompany curates handmade products from indigenous brands and artisans. They also show transparency where each item is handcrafted and how it’s made.
This certified B-Corporation goes above and beyond when it comes to featuring and partnering with brands. The company also makes sure that they’re partnering up with brands that treat their workers fairly.
Moreover, Accompany has vast collections inspired by where it came from. You can shop for apparel, handbags, shoes, jewellery, decor, and even kitchenware on the site! Every item has a unique design, and its apparel collection ranges from casual to boho chic.
Warp+Weft
Size inclusive, ethically made, and sustainable, Warp+Weft is doing everything right. This brand offers ethical and comfortable jeans for every body size and type.
By making their own materials at their own factory, they make sure the process is ethical and sustainable. They also only take up 10 gallons of water to make a pair of jeans, which is way less than the average consumption.
If that didn’t hook you this brand yet, perhaps this will: their jean sizes range from 0 to 24 for women and 28 to 40 for men. Did I mention that everything is also under $100!
Theo+George
When it comes to slow fashion brands for basic staples, Theo+George is your go-to. This slow fashion brand supports the idea of buying less and choosing well, as seen on their apparel’s classic style.
The brand focuses on comfort and sustainability. Ergo they make use of custom-blended tee fabric, which is wrinkle- and pillage-resistant. This type of fabric also reduces odour and shrinkage, and is softer than cotton fabric.
Because the brand’s core value is all about sustainability, they have partnered with factories with 100 percent traceability. This ensure they’re engaging in sustainable manufacturing practices.
Eileen Fisher
When it comes to slow fashion brands, Eileen Fisher brings a timeless, almost minimalist style slow fashion consumers absolutely love: garments that last forever in quality and style.
This slow fashion brand constantly explores better working practices, including nonhazardous dyes, organic fibres, and renewable energy.
It adds sustainability to the life cycle of clothing with its take-back program RENEW. Customers can send back old clothing, in any condition, and the brand repurposes or recycles it into new designs. As Eileen Fisher says:
Making clothing is a lifetime commitment.
Alternative Apparel
Slow fashion brand Alternative Apparel goes above and beyond in everything they do, which is a shame in some ways because all fashion brands should be striving to be so exceptional.
This US-wide slow fashion brand looks at every part of its supply chain and products.
Packaging is one of the biggest issues when it comes to waste in any industry. I can’t count the amount of “not yet recyclable” packaging. However, Alternative Apparel now uses oxo-biodegradable packaging and vendor recycling programs to combat the issue.
This brand doesn’t ignore social responsibility; all their factories are accredited by the Fair Labour Association. And, when it comes to the environment, they design sustainable materials and processes into their products.
They create garments using organic and recycled fibres, use low-impact dyes to add style, and incorporate water conservation during their manufacturing process. Also, they recycle around 1.8 million bottles annually to produce its Alternative Eco fabric. Kudos.
Everlane
Welcome to remarkably soft, ethically made, classic garments, including cotton jeans and cashmere sweaters. Everlane says they use the world’s cleanest denim factory, Saitex.
Big claims.
Well, the manufacturing process impressively recycles 98 percent of water. It saves nearly 1,500 litres of water per denim process through a closed-loop water cycle. Alternative clean energy sources, plus air-drying 85 percent of jeans helps to dramatically reduce CO2 emissions by 80 percent. Manufactured byproducts are repurposed to make jeans without the waste. They sure are the cleanest jeans around!
Now, the company has launched Tread by Everlane, which aims to be the lowest impact sneakers in the world.
KOTN
KOTN is a Canadian company taking it’s time to produce organic cotton the right way—slowly. Cotton comes under a lot of pressure from environmentalists now due to its intensive resource-sapping production methods.
Growing cotton slowly and sustainably gains positive effects on the environment, and also on the quality of the clothing. Slow-grown Egyptian cotton creates longer and more durable fibres, ensuing that fabrics last longer.
The brand continues to push forward with social responsibility, helping to improve local communities needed to produce cotton. It partners with pro-literacy organizations in Nile Delta, and funds local construction of schools in Egypt.
On the ground, the team works directly with farms to develop a world-class level of agriculture and sustainability. The growing slow fashion brand is helping more farms to introduce better working practices, benefitting workers and the environment.
Thought
Formerly known as Braintree Clothing, the London-based slow fashion brand rebranded as Thought after over a decade of success. The brand champions slow fashion clothing that’s built to last.
This brand has grown from a simple men’s line pop-up shop in London to a complete clothing brand for men and women. Even with the brand globally available, the team is still striving to evolve and act as industry innovators.
All their collections embrace slow fashion with contemporary sustainable clothing that become wardrobe classics. Designs incorporate natural, organic, and recycled fibres, such as wool, cotton, hemp, and Tencel.
Tree Tribe
Tree Tribe is an outdoor lifestyle brand that, as you may have guessed, lives and breathes trees. In fact, it plants trees for every purchase.
It offers one particularly interesting handmade product—leaf leather wallets. Truly this is slow fashion, as it relies on the patterns and seasons of nature. The brand sustainably collects fallen teak leaves from the ground to create vegan leather, a part of nature’s waste!
Trees are planted, and trees are unharmed. Perfect!
Tasi Travels
Built with sustainability in mind, Tasi Travels focuses on adventurous travel wear. Its timeless, minimalist clothing is ready for every adventure.
The relaxed style garments are created from Tencel, a regenerated wood cellulose that creates comfy, ultra breathable, and sustainable clothing. This is a slow durable fashion for those living an unpredictable traveller’s lifestyle.
Can Old Clothes Be Recycled?
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