Commons' Shopping Guide for Sustainable Clothing

The rapid consumption and production promoted by fast fashion brands like Zara and H&M is exploiting human and planetary resources. Ultra-fast fashion brands like Shein and Boohoo are exacerbating everything that is wrong with fast fashion.

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Thankfully, there are sustainable brands that act as alternatives to fast fashion. Here are a few things to look for in a sustainable brand.

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Choose brands with items made from natural fabrics

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Synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon are commonly used in manufacturing clothes. They are made of plastic that is derived from non-renewable petrochemicals, a.k.a fossil fuels. They also shed microplastics when washed, impacting our food chain and impacting marine life. Look for natural alternatives like hemp, Tencel, and bamboo.

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Look for brands with ethical labor practices

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Fast fashion brands outsource production to third-party factories in developing countries. These countries usually have fewer labor laws, so garment workers are subjected to unreasonable production targets, unsafe work environments, forced overtime, and constant threat of termination. Look for fast fashion alternatives like Mayamiko that are transparent about their supply chain and don’t indulge in activities like child labor and forced labor.

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Choose brands that provide mending and repair

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Patagonia runs more than 70 repair centers where their items can be repaired for free or for a nominal fee. Customers can also participate in the repair-and-resale program, where they can send back their old clothes. They are then repaired and listed on Patagonia’s second-hand clothing store, Worn Wear. Other brands like Eileen Fisher also offer repair services. This increases the life of the clothes and keeps them out of landfills.

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Opt for slow fashion

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Apparel production produces deadstock fabrics. These are leftover fabrics created as a result of bad planning or rejection due to small faults in the fabric. Brands like OHSEVENDAYS and Everybody.World use these fabrics to help reduce textile waste and divert these materials from landfill and into your closet.

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Check if the brand has certifications

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One of the quickest ways to find sustainable brands is to look for the following certifications:

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• FairTrade- Certifies clothes that are produced in accordance with a rigorous environmental, economic and social standards.
• GOTS- A leading textile processing standard for organic fibers.
• B Corp- Certifies businesses that benefit people, communities, and the planet.
• Climate Neutral Certified- Promoting brands that are reducing their greenhouse gas emissions from making and delivering their products and services.

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Use Commons to discover over 300 sustainable brands that are Climate Neutral Certified →