person wearing more sustainable dress
14 Apr
person wearing more sustainable dress

The Ultimate Guide to More Ethical and Sustainable Dresses

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Either for work or play, dresses are a timeless classic that will (hopefully) live in your closet for a long time. Yet, many well-known brands aren’t doing enough for people, the planet, or animals—here’s our ultimate guide to more ethically-minded dresses sorted by region.

The change of a dress

Dresses are fun and easy to throw on for day or night. A dress can make you feel sensual, flirty, or comfy in a pinch. They come in many shapes, sizes, and fabrics—like silk, cotton, cupro, or linen—with a range of features and styles. But, if you’re reading this, you must also care about the journey of a dress before it lands in your hands—that’s where we come in.

At Good On You, our mission is to help you understand how brands impact the issues you care about. In line with this ethos, we’ve created a special list of dresses of all kinds of fabrics and lengths, divided into regions so you can shop locally and more consciously. First up in our top picks, we’ve got a gorgeous tiered dress fromThe Summer House (India) that can be worn at any occasion. Following suit (pun-intended), we’ve added some beauties from Europe including a stunning printed, pleated midi from Thinking MU (Spain).

With that, happy reading.

Oceania

Spell

Rated: Good

Spell is an Australian fashion brand inspired by far-off places, vintage treasures, and childhood memories. Its clothes are proudly designed and sampled in Byron Bay, and produced responsibly in factories around the world.

Most garments are available in sizes 2XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Spell.

Elk

Rated: Good

A pioneer of independent Australian design, Elk was founded in Melbourne in 2004. Elk creates bi-annual collections that are informed by a design ethos where simplicity and sustainability meet innovation.

Find most items in AU sizes 6-18.

See the rating.

Shop Elk.

Europe

Dedicated

Rated: Good

Dedicated is a Swedish casualwear brand prioritising lower impact materials.

Find the clothes in XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Dedicated.

Shop Dedicated @ Earthkind.

Shop Dedicated @ Shop Like You Give a Damn.

Jyoti – Fair Works

Rated: Good

Jyoti – Fair Works is based in Germany and makes GOTS certified cotton products. It provides employment for people from marginalised or disadvantaged groups in India.

Sizes available are S-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Jyoti.

LANIUS

Rated: Good

LANIUS is a German slow-fashion brand making smart-casual clothes.

LANIUS’ clothes are available in EU sizes 34-44.

See the rating.

Shop LANIUS.

Coco & Kandy

Rated: Good

Coco & Kandy focuses on making uncomplicated, high quality clothes for warm weather. The Bulgarian brand uses lower-impact materials, traces most of its supply chain and visits suppliers regularly.

See the rating.

Shop Coco & Kandy.

Thinking MU

Rated: Good

Thinking MU is a Barcelona-based fashion brand for non-conformists and passionate people who believe that life deserves to be enjoyed and, above all, respected.

The garments are available in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Thinking MU.

Shop Thinking MU @ Shop Like You Give a Damn.

The UK

OMNES

Rated: Good
People in chic styles by responsible womenswear brand OMNES.

OMNES is a more responsible and more affordable UK-based brand creating high quality womenswear. “We created OMNES to help change the way you shop, wear and think about clothing. And to encourage the rest of the industry to do it, too,” says the brand.

Find most items in sizes 6-20.

See the rating.

Shop OMNES.

Baukjen

Rated: Good

Baukjen is a London-based womenswear brand, with a focus on more ethical and sustainable style. Its clothes are designed for you, and designed for good. The brand uses lower-impact materials including recycled materials, which helps limit the amount of chemicals, water, and wastewater used in production.

Find the range in sizes XS-L.

See the rating.

Shop Baukjen.

Beaumont Organic

Rated: Good

Beaumont Organic creates premium womenswear, baby wear, homeware, and accessories using lower impact materials.

Find the range in sizes XS-L.

See the rating.

Shop Beaumont Organic.

COSSAC

Rated: Good
Timeless womenswear designed to last and crafted in Europe.

Find most of the range in sizes S-L.

See the rating.

Shop COSSAC.

Shop COSSAC @ Earthkind.

Indilisi

Rated: Great

Indilisi creates clothing with a strong focus on heritage crafts and handweaving, using surplus fabrics sourced from deadstock material.

See the rating.

Shop Indilisi.

Shop Indilisi @ Lovebrook & Green.

North America

Christy Dawn

Rated: Great

Christy Dawn is known for vintage-inspired clothes, in particular dresses, made using lower-impact materials.

See the rating.

Shop Christy Dawn.

Kotn

Rated: Good

Kotn makes stylish ready-to-wear clothing.

Find Kotn in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Kotn.

Minimalist

Rated: Good

Anchored in timeless design, Minimalist is a curated collection of women’s ready-to-wear pieces all made in New York and designed to be recycled at their end of life. It seeks to be part of the solution to make fashion more sustainable, using certified lower-impact materials and ensuring fair wage and work conditions in the local New York City factories it supports.

Find it in sizes XS-L.

See the rating.

Shop Minimalist.

Whimsy + Row

Rated: Good

Whimsy + Row is a US-based lifestyle brand born in 2014 out of a love for quality goods and responsible practices. The brand uses deadstock fabrics and short production runs, and it also reduces packaging waste and takes care of precious water resources.

Find most products in XS-XL, with an extended sizing range up to 3XL.

See the rating.

Shop Whimsy + Row.

Shop Whimsy + Row @ Earthkind.

Ace & Jig

Rated: Good

Ace & Jig creates vibrant clothing from custom woven textiles by artisans in India.

Sizes range from 2XS-4XL.

See the rating.

Shop Ace & Jig.

Shop Ace & Jig Pre-Owned @ Vestiaire Collective.

Asia

The Summer House

Rated: Good

The Summer House offers mindfully designed, organic womenswear with a focus on quality.

Find the range in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop The Summer House with 15% off (automatically applied at checkout).

No Nasties

Rated: Great
dress from no nasties

Noir Halter Mini Dress

Offers

Exclusive 10% off

New tees, new fits, new hues, in the fits you’ve been asking for. Exclusive 10% off with code NONASTIES10 (Ends: 1 NOV)

Checkout code: NONASTIES10
Shop now

Exclusive 10% off

Signature prints tell stories of Goa’s rich Portuguese heritage, and the enchantment of artisanal craftsmanship. Exclusive 10% off with code NONASTIES10 (Ends: 31 OCT)

Checkout code: NONASTIES10

No Nasties makes vegan men’s and womenswear in organic cotton and linen.

Find styles in sizes 2XS-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop No Nasties.

SukkhaCitta

Rated: Great

Founded in 2016, Sukkhacitta works directly with mothers in Indonesian Villages, not factories, to make its clothing.

Find the range in sizes XS-L.

See the rating.

Shop SukkhaCitta.

SeamsFriendly

Rated: Good
dress from seamsfriendly

Horseshoe-neck Dress

Offers

10% off reversibles

The most sustainable wardrobe is a smaller one. These pieces flip, convert, and transform. Multiple looks from one garment. Handcrafted in natural fabrics. Exclusive 10% off with code SF-GY10   (Ends: 12 OCT)

Checkout code: SF-GY10
Shop now

10% off bestsellers

These styles have been custom-made for hundreds of women, each to her exact measurements. Not off-the-rack. Made by artisans, made when you order, made for you. Exclusive 10% off with code SF-GY10 (Ends: 12 OCT)

Checkout code: SF-GY10
Shop now

10% off jumpsuits

Jumpsuits are impossible to fit off the rack. SeamsFriendly will make one that actually fits your body. Exclusive 10% off with code SF-GY10 (Ends: 12 OCT)

Checkout code: SF-GY10
Shop now

10% off new arrivals

Handcrafted to your exact measurements in natural fabrics. No inventory. Made only when you order. Only yours. Exclusive 10% off with code SF-GY10 (Ends: 12 OCT)

Checkout code: SF-GY10
Shop now

SeamsFriendly makes customisable clothing for women, men, and kids of all body types, sizes, and heights.

The brand’s product sizing is customisable (for womenswear: bust size range 26″-70″, waist size range 19″-63″, including petite, regular, and tall heights; and for menswear: chest size 34″ to 76″ and above with free custom sizing) to ensure you always find the perfect fit.  There’s a kids range (bust: 18″-28″, waist: 19″-26″) available too.

See the rating.

Shop SeamsFriendly with 10% off (automatically applied at checkout).

Dorsu

Rated: Great

Based in Cambodia, Dorsu creates everyday basics and key signature favourites that form the core of any conscious wardrobe.

You can find the full range in XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Dorsu.

I was a Sari

Rated: Good

I was a Sari is an Indian brand bringing traditional styles into the modern age. Used saris and deadstock fabrics become vibrant products that are sold worldwide.

Find pieces in sizes S-L.

See the rating.

Shop I was a Sari.

OhSevenDays

Rated: Good

OhSevenDays creates womenswear from deadstock fabrics sourced from Istanbul’s garment factories.

See the rating.

Shop OhSevenDays.

Editor's note

Feature image via Beaumont Organic, all other images via brands mentioned. Good On You publishes the world’s most comprehensive ratings of fashion and beauty brands’ impact on people, the planet, and animals. Use our directory to search thousands of rated brands.

We updated this article on 2 April 2026. Our editors frequently make updates to articles to ensure they’re up to date. We updated this article to include recent products.

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