For consumers For business
16 Dec

More Sustainable Alternatives: 12 Ethical Brands Like & Other Stories

Our editors curate highly rated brands that are first assessed by our rigorous ratings system. Buying through our links may earn us a commission—supporting the work we do. Learn more.

 

If you like the & Other Stories vibe, you might be wondering: “Are there ethical brands like & Other Stories? What more sustainable alternatives to the Swedish brand are there?”

With minimal, timeless, yet on-trend looks and a capsule collection, it seems like Swedish fashion brand & Other Stories is a good brand to invest in on your more sustainable fashion journey. But while the H&M-owned brand prides itself on being different from its motherhouse, everything that goes on behind the scenes is still done by, well, H&M.

We previously decided to dig a little deeper to look at & Other Stories’ impact on people, the planet, and animals and answer the burning question: how ethical is & Other Stories?

In this article, we’ll have a quick recap of what’s going behind the scenes at & Other Stories and answer another crucial question: if you like the & Other Stories vibe, what more ethical and sustainable alternatives to the Swedish brand are there?

To put it simply, & Other Stories is making a start in all three areas, covering environmental impact, labour conditions, and animal welfare.

The brand uses some more responsible materials, like organic cotton. It has a policy approved by CanopyStyle to prevent deforestation of ancient and endangered forests in its supply chain, which is another positive. But here’s the kicker: like parent-company H&M, it’s a fast fashion brand, and this means on-trend styles and too-regular new arrivals.

It gets a tick for being more transparent than many other big brands out there about labour: it publishes detailed information about its suppliers and supply chain policies and received a decent score in the previous Fashion Transparency Index. But while it has a project to improve wages in its supply chain, there is no evidence & Other Stories ensures payment of a living wage. Considering H&M Group rakes in almost $2 billion worth of profit every year, this shouldn’t be out of reach.

When it comes to animals, & Other Stories has a formal animal welfare policy aligned with Five Freedoms, uses down accredited by the Responsible Down Standard, and states that it sources wool from non-mulesed sheep. You also won’t find any fur, angora, or exotic animal skin in the garments. However, the brand only traces some animal products and uses leather and exotic animal hair without disclosing their origins. This means the welfare of the animals in the supply chain can’t be guaranteed.

For all the reasons mentioned above (and more, which you can find out in our How Ethical Is & Other Stories article), & Other Stories has received an overall rating of “It’s a Start”.

While the brand is taking some steps across the board, it still has a way to go before it can be considered a more ethical or sustainable brand by consumers in the know.

So if you’re into the & Other Stories vibe, we found 12 more sustainable alternatives from Sweden and worldwide that are just as trendy and minimalistic, and most importantly, way better for the planet, people, and animals. We particularly love ASKET’s (Sweden) minimalist essentials, Whimsy & Row’s (US) flowy dresses, and People Tree’s (UK) Fair Trade basics.

More sustainable brands like & Other Stories

Afends

Rated: Good
3 images of afends' latest collection

Born in Byron Bay, Australia, Afends is a more responsible brand leading the way in hemp fashion. Drawing inspiration from the environment, streetwear, and surf culture, Afends’ mission is to create more sustainable clothing through innovation, action, and positive change. As true hemp advocates, it purchased 100 acres of farmland called Sleepy Hollow to grow its own hemp crops and ignite the hemp revolution.

Find most of the range in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Afends.

Amour Vert

Rated: Good

Amour Vert creates beautiful, more sustainable staples in San Francisco, California. Its final stage of production is done in the US and it works closely with suppliers in all of its supply chain. The brand also uses lower-impact materials and promotes an anti-waste strategy.

The range is available in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Amour Vert.

HarperSage

Rated: Good

HarperSage is a responsible lifestyle brand for womenswear, making dresses, tops, pants, and more. It's on a mission to create clothes responsibly, empowering women by partnering with a woman-owned SEDEX certified factory in India and using lower-impact materials that are completely vegan.

Find the range in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop HarperSage.

People Tree

Rated: Great

Conscious fashion pioneer People Tree uses lower-impact materials and addresses labour risks by adopting the Fairtrade International - Small Producers Organisations Code of Conduct.

Find most products in UK sizes 6-18.

See the rating.

Shop People Tree EU.

Whimsy + Row

Rated: Good

Whimsy + Row is a US-based lifestyle brand born out of a love for quality goods and responsible practices. Since 2014, its mission has been to provide ease and elegance for the modern woman. Whimsy + Row utilises deadstock fabric, and by limiting each garment to short runs, the brand 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.

LANIUS

Rated: Good

“Love fashion, think organic, be responsible” are the maxims of LANIUS. The German brand uses lower-impact materials, like GOTS certified cotton. All LANIUS facilities are SA8000 certified and it is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation.

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

See the rating.

Shop LANIUS.

ABLE

Rated: Good

ABLE is a US-based clothing and accessories brand that works with communities all over the world to make a meaningful impact, producing slow fashion that pays a living wage to women who have faced extraordinary circumstances. It uses lower-impact materials, and reuses water and materials to minimise waste. With thoughtful design and a level of quality that guarantees its products for life, its pieces aren't just an investment for your wardrobe, they are an investment in women around the world.

Find the range in sizes 2XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop ABLE.

SKFK

Rated: Great

Spanish brand SKFK creates women’s clothing collections with a timeless, comfortable and functional style. The brand uses GOTS and Fairtrade certified cotton. It also has a Code of Conduct that covers all of the ILO Four Fundamental Freedoms principles and ensures payment of a living wage in most of its supply chain.

Find most items in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop SKFK.

Dedicated

Rated: Great

If you love a great graphic print, Swedish label Dedicated has you covered. Dedicated is a responsible streetwear brand for men, women, and children. All cotton used in its clothes is 100% organic, and most pieces are Fairtrade certified, which means that you don’t have to sacrifice your ethics to dress in style.

Find the clothes in XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Dedicated.

Shop Dedicated @ Earthkind.

ASKET

Rated: Good

ASKET has been creating timeless wardrobe essentials since 2015 with revolutionary sizing and fair pricing. The brand disregards seasonal collections, cuts out all the middlemen, and only sells directly to you—putting its entire focus on building a single permanent collection.

Find the range in sizes 2XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop ASKET.

BITE

Rated: Good

BITE is a women's clothing brand based in Sweden created by independent thinkers for environmental progress.

See the rating.

Shop BITE.

Shop BITE @ LVRSustainable.

Shop pre-owned fashion with Vestiaire Collective

women wearing stylish sustainable dress, jacket, and jumpsuit from Reformation

A peer-to-peer platform that allows you to buy and sell luxury items. Vestiaire’s items are independently authenticated and evaluated to ensure the described condition matches the actual item you receive.

PANGAIAReformationAdidas, and Stella McCartney are among our favourite brands to buy on Vestiaire Collective.

Shop pre-owned fashion @ Vestiaire Collective.

Editor's note

Feature image via & Other Stories, all other images via brands mentioned. We love to recommend some of the best more sustainable brands, rated "Good" or "Great". We also encourage shopping pre-owned as another great way to reduce the impact of our fashion choices. Good On You publishes the world’s most comprehensive ratings of fashion brands’ impact on people, the planet and animals. Use Good On You to search thousands of rated brands.

Ethical brand ratings. There’s an app for that.

Wear the change you want to see. Download our app to discover ethical brands and see how your favourites measure up.