Your Sustainable (and Fashionable) Swap Guide

Go on fashion lovers; tout around your love for fashion and the Earth because loving your planet and your wardrobe is possible. You just need to know where to start. 

Fashion and sustainability don’t always seem to coincide. It doesn’t help that fast fashion is (still) on the rise and the industry is one of the leading producers of waste and pollution on the planet (over 85% of textiles end up in landfills!). As a lifelong environmentalist, zero-waste advocate, and fashion lover, loving fashion and the Earth can feel like you’re caught between a rock and a hard place. Your options might feel limited to only buying thrifted or vintage pieces, making your clothes, or simply giving up altogether.

But there’s hope for us yet.

I present to you: sustainable fashion swaps perfect for keeping you (and your planet) looking and feeling great. 

Disclaimer: I’ll be using the term “sustainable” as defined by EarthDay.org: “a clothing supply chain that is ecologically and socially responsible. It aims to reorient the industry and consumers away from the fast fashion model and toward sustainable practices in sourcing, production, distribution, marketing, and consumption.”

Basics: ForDays (https://fordays.com/)

If you’re looking for some great basic tees and pieces, ForDays is the place for you. They make 100% recyclable fashion using a zero-waste system. On top of that, they’re gender-inclusive and offer Take-Back bags so you can get rid of old clothes, earn closet credit, and know for certain your old clothes are being put to use instead of put in a landfill (no seriously, all their clothes are made using what they receive in the TakeBack Bags)!  

Activewear: Girlfriend Collective (https://girlfriend.com/) 

I’m all for stealing your boyfriend’s hoodie (sorry, not sorry, Simon). But leggings? Sports bras? Sweats? Girlfriend’s got you. Listen, I go hard in my workouts, so the absolute joy and power I felt when I found a zero-waste athletic brand that could keep up was on another level. They’re comfy, supportive, and size-inclusive (XXS-6XL), a fact apparent in their models and marketing. While they mainly market their clothing to women, they offer a few gender-neutral options.

Sneakers/Tennis Shoes: Allbirds (https://www.allbirds.com/) 

This San-Francisco based brand is amazing. Not only are they incredibly transparent about their practices, but they’re a certified B-Corporation, which means they meet the highest industry standards concerning their entire social and environmental impact. Though Allbirds started by making running shoes, this brand has since expanded to everyday sneakers, slip-ons, sandals, and even high-tops. They sell at about the same price as Nike or Adidas – sometimes even less. And because of their materials and classic designs, these pair great with most outfits and won’t go out of style. 

Formal shoes/Heels: Bhava Studio (https://bhavastudio.com/) 

My friend swears by this vegan shoe brand. I haven’t bought anything from them yet (trying to stick to my budget here), but I’ve seen Bhava’s shoes, and they are gorgeous. The perfect addition to your closet for parties, date nights, weddings, and days you feel like looking hotter than you usually do. 

Formal wear/Gowns/Suits: Bastet Noir (https://bastetnoir.com/) 

Sophisticated and chic is the name of the game here at Bastet Noir. Browse their collections (my current favorite is the Arlan set in their Boss Babe collection!!) for the perfect evening dress, suit, or coat. This company is zero-waste, sustainable, and makes every piece to order, which means that when they’re out, they’re out. But it also means that your purchased pieces will fit YOU. And their entire profit is reinvested into women-owned businesses and education funds in North Macedonia, where the clothes are made. You can keep up with every decision they make regarding their production too because they post regular updates and production information on their page. 

Jeans/Bottoms/Boilersuits: Lucy & Yak (https://lucyandyak.com/) 

To all the print and bright color lovers out there, this store is for you! They stand by the 3Cs: Creativity. Community. Comfort. And believe me, it shows. Like many brands listed here, they use deadstock, organic, and recycled materials to make clothing. All the fabrics they use are GOT-approved, and if any of the clothes have imperfections, they're sold at a discounted rate instead of dumping them in a landfill. When your clothes are worn down, return them to the store. You’ll get closet rewards for new pieces, and the planet will have one less item in the landfill. 

Bras: Cuup (https://shopcuup.com/) 

Ugh. As a member of the small back, big boobs club, finding bras that fit has always been a nightmare. Even when I started moving towards more sustainable practices, I was still stuck going to a certain heavily scented, black and pink chain. The sustainable-labeled bras were either only made for smaller chest sizes, completely unsupportive (see my previous complaint), or in all honesty? Ugly. Thankfully though, a few zero-wasters pointed me to Cuup. Now, this one comes with a bit of a disclaimer. Technically, Cuup isn't listed as a sustainable brand. But the reason I put it here is that on top of using a simple design that uses less fabric, they offer bra recycling which they run in partnership with B.R.A. Recycling Agency. Oh, and did I mention they go up to 44H??

I get it. Taking care of the planet is overwhelming.

And while most of the blame lies with corporations, we as consumers have a choice in what we purchase. And the more money we spend on companies working to change the industry, the more the industry itself will pause and listen. So go on fashion lovers; tout around your love for fashion and the Earth because loving your planet and your wardrobe is possible. You just need to know where to start. 

Confused about the lingo? Elaine Mead wrote a great article about what your “green” labels mean! Interested in learning more about sustainable practices as a whole? Here are a few of my favorite follows. And the best part? They’re all fashion lovers too.

Good On You (https://goodonyou.eco/): rates fashion brands on environmental impact, labor, and animal impact. Also if you’re wondering why I didn’t include certain brands.

Fashion Revolution (@fash_rev on Instagram): brings you the latest on ethical and sustainable fashion and what brands are doing (or not doing) about it. 

Gittemary (https://www.gittemary.com/ or @gittemary on Instagram): a self-proclaimed maximalist, this vegan zero-waster gives realistic, practical tips with budgets (and privilege) in mind. And she won’t shame you for doing what you can. 

Business of Fashion (https://www.businessoffashion.com/): a good resource for fashion creatives and lovers in general. Also has regular updates on sustainable fashion and what steps brands are taking.

The Good Trade (https://www.thegoodtrade.com/): for articles on sustainability, slow living, and self-care. What’s not to love?

Emily Chan ​​(@chan_ely on Instagram): Chan is the Senior Sustainability & Features Editor at British Vogue and her articles are cutting and brilliant. If you want someone that’s fully immersed in the world of fashion and still loving the Earth, I give you the king herself. 

Caeli Faisst

Caeli (chaylee) is a freelance writer & poet casually chilling in the city of Charlotte. Her work has appeared in Broccoli Magazine, YouVersion, & Carolina Muse to name a few. When she is not writing, one can find Caeli enjoying the outdoor seating of local coffee shops, perusing through web comics, or museum hopping with friends.