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black woman wearing red recycled polyester puff sleeves dress by nu-in
15 Apr
black woman wearing red recycled polyester puff sleeves dress by nu-in

16 More Sustainable Puff Sleeves Dresses and Tops You’ll Love

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Puff sleeves first came about in the Renaissance, and since then, they have ebbed and flowed in popularity. Since 2018, they have reemerged bigger and better than ever and are set to stick around through 2021 and beyond. The puff or balloon sleeves trend is soft, romantic, ultra-femme, and cousins with another trend with roots in sustainability—cottagecore. We rounded up more sustainable puff sleeves dresses and tops from some of our favourite brands so ethical fashionistas everywhere can embody this billowy look and spread the good word about the brands when asked that inevitable question: “Where did you get it?!”

Lucky for us, there are plenty of responsible brands with more sustainable puff sleeves galore in their ranges. We love the inclusively sized mini dress from Luna + Sun (Australia), the empire waist top from OhSevenDays (Turkey), and the versatile handwoven shirt from ReCreate (US), to name a few. All garments feature everything from short puff sleeves to long balloon sleeves, made by more ethical brands that care for people, the planet, and animals.

Mother of Pearl

Rated: Good
woman of colour wearing blue and white striped ethical puff sleeves top by Mother of Pearl

Tegan Shirt – Ships internationally from the UK

Mother of Pearl is a more sustainable and ethical luxury womenswear and accessories designer brand from the UK that celebrates individuality and authenticity. The brand uses a high proportion of lower-impact materials including organic cotton and ensures the payment of a living wage across some of its supply chain. The Tegan Shirt beautifully embodies the sustainable puff sleeves vibe!

Find most products in UK sizes 6 to 16.

See the rating.

Shop Mother of Pearl.

Shop Mother of Pearl @ Rêve en Vert.

Shop Mother of Pearl Pre-Owned @ Vestiaire Collective.

Whimsy + Row

Rated: Good
woman of colour wearing white silk eco-friendly puff sleeves dress by Whimsy + Row

Olivia Dress – Ships internationally from the US

Whimsy + Row is a conscious lifestyle brand born out of a love for quality goods and sustainable practices. Since 2014, its mission has been to provide ease and elegance for the modern, more sustainable woman. By limiting each garment to short runs, Whimsy + Row utilises deadstock fabric, reduces packaging waste, and takes care of precious water resources. In a modern mini dress twist on a classic Romantic style, the raw silk Olivia Dress features adorable elbow-length puff sleeves!

Find most products in XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Whimsy + Row.

Shop Whimsy + Row @ Earthkind.

LANIUS

Rated: Good
woman wearing baby blue sustainable puff sleeve top by LANIUS

Chambray Blouse – Ships internationally from Germany

“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. For a subtle sustainable puff sleeves top that you can wear any day and pair with anything, the delicate organic cotton Chambray Blouse wins.

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

See the rating.

Shop LANIUS.

Boyish

Rated: Good

The Lauper – Ships internationally from the US

Love the & Other Stories vibe, but hate their fast fashion business model? Boyish has all the quality, fit, and authentic washes that you could want without the harmful practices.

Find sizes 2XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Boyish @ Wearwell.

Shop Boyish @ Reve en Vert.

Shop Boyish.

ÉTICA

Rated: Great

ÉTICA is a premium US luxury brand that features innovative design and cutting-edge technology. We love the Isabelle puff sleeve dress as a staple piece in your next capsule wardrobe.

Find most items in sizes 38 to 48.

See the rating.

Shop ÉTICA @ Wearwell.

Shop ÉTICA.

Altar

Rated: Good
plus size woman wearing sustainable puff sleeves crop top by Altar

Natalie Crop Top + – Ships internationally from the US

Altar is a US-based boutique that specializes in alternative and custom fashion, apothecary, and gifts. The brand celebrates independent manufacturers and artists from across North America, with a focus on the stories that are woven into their work. Its clothing brand, Altar Houseline, is proudly made in America using deadstock materials and serves size gradations from size S to 6XL. How gorg are these models, busting any myths about different body types in crop tops?!

You can also find the top in smaller sizes if needed.

See the rating.

Shop Altar.

Seek Collective

Rated: Good
older woman of colour wearing pink Sustainable puff sleeves artist's frock by Seek Collective

Artist Shirt – Ships internationally from the US

Seek Collective is a US brand of thoughtfully made items with a dedication to transparency, authenticity, craft, and sustainability. Seek is focused on establishing connections between art, product, consumers, process, and makers. Its items are made in India through partnerships with like-minded communities and people. Seek’s elevated take on a classic artist’s smock combines effortless cool with lived-in, laid-back comfort.

Available in sizes XS-L.

See the rating.

Shop Seek Collective.

BASTET NOIR

Rated: Good
close up of woman wearing blue maxi dress with puff sleeves

Martha Dress – Ships internationally from Macedonia

Offers

Someone in luxurious, black long-sleeved dress by BASTET NOIR

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BASTET NOIR offers custom-made clothing manufactured by women in Macedonia, ensuring that every purchase contributes to the welfare and education of these women and their children.

Find most items in sizes 36-42, or in custom sizing.

See the rating.

Shop BASTET NOIR.

ReCreate

Rated: Great
Someone styled in loose-fitting shirt by more sustainable brand, Recreate.

Poppy Shirt – Ships internationally from New Zealand

New Zealand based label ReCreate receives the highest rating from Good On You. As well as using Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified organic cotton and recycled materials to make trendy clothing, the brand provides employment for women in Dey Tmey, a disadvantaged community in Cambodia. This loose-fit collared shirt makes the balloon sleeve look super wearable and easy to style.

Find clothes in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop ReCreate.

Kalaurie

Rated: Great
woman of colour wearing high fashion navy blue puff sleeves dress by Kalaurie

The Star Dress – Ships internationally from Australia

Stunning designs, beautifully made, to the highest ethical standards—Kalaurie is one of those labels that gives you a rush of excitement when you first find it. This is a Melbourne brand that makes capsule collections, with an emphasis on signature shirt tailoring. There are so many reasons to love Kalaurie, and it rates highly in all three categories! If you really want to treat yourself, then go all-out on this stunning more sustainable puff sleeves dress made from deadstock cotton and silk.

The pieces are available in 2XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Kalaurie.

Carlie Ballard

Rated: Great
women wearing white and magenta printed sustainable puff sleeves tops by Carlie Ballard

Cochineal Clouds Top – Ships internationally from Australia

Carlie Ballard is a pioneering Australian fashion brand advocating for more ethical and sustainable practices, and quality, independent design. How cute is this magenta and white printed puff sleeves top?! It features coconut buttons and is breastfeeding friendly, which we love.

Find the garments in AU sizes 6-16.

See the rating.

Shop Carlie Ballard.

The Social Outfit

Rated: Good
black woman wearing puff sleeve dress by The Social Outfit

Caramel Canary Bishop Sleeve Dress – Ships internationally from Australia

Accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia, the Social Outfit has a social mission to employ and train workers from refugee and new migrant communities. You can be confident your purchase is directly contributing to a better life for minorities who need it most. Each piece tells an amazing human story, as the team taps into the creativity and diversity of these amazing people and collaborates with them to create new designs each season. From day to night or date night, this cotton and silk dress made from leftover fabric is unique and easy to wear.

Find styles in 2XS-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop the Social Outfit.

autark

Rated: Good
woman wearing white sustainable puff sleeve top

Balloon Sleeve Organic Cotton Blouse – Ships internationally from Australia

autark is a clothing label that features a modern take on slow fashion. It uses a high proportion of lower-impact materials including Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) cotton, and manufactures locally to reduce its carbon footprint. This sustainable puff sleeves classic white blouse is proudly made in Australia.

Garments are available in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop autark.

Luna + Sun

Rated: Good
woman of colour wearing terracotta sustainable puff sleeves dress

The Bodhi Dress – Ships internationally from Australia

Luna + Sun is an Australian, cruelty-free fashion line creating gorgeous feminine designs. Its factory is certified by Ethical Clothing Australia, and its products are Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified. The Bodhi Dress is made from 100% linen fabric and is perfect to dress up with heels or wear casually with sandals.

Find the clothes in AU sizes 6-18.

See the rating.

Shop Luna + Sun.

OhSevenDays

Rated: Good
People in more responsibly-made top by OhSevenDays.

Lola Top – Ships internationally from Turkey

OhSevenDays was started by Australian-Canadian Megan Mummery to promote slow fashion and the ‘power of circularity’. Based in Istanbul, the brand reclaims end-of-roll fabrics from the city’s garment factories and creates sharp, everyday womenswear that’s as wearable as it is ethical. Essentially, it makes slow fashion from fast fashion’s leftovers! The Lola Top is feminine, unique and comes in two colours.

OhSevenDays’ garments are available in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop OhSevenDays.

Faithfull the Brand (Pre-Owned)

Rated: It's A Start
three women wearing sustainable puff sleeves dresses second hand Faithfull the Brand on Vestiaire Collective

Pre-Owned Faithfull the Brand Dresses – Ships internationally

Faithfull the Brand is an Indonesia-based collection of effortless pieces designed to be versatile and easy, made with the modern traveller in mind. The brand rates ‘Good’ on the labour and animal welfare fronts, but still needs to use eco-friendly materials and reduce textile waste. By buying Faithfull the Brand second hand you’re helping keep clothes out of landfills. You can find a wide array of more sustainable puff sleeves dresses and tops from Faithfull over on Vestiaire Collective, so happy browsing!

See the rating.

Shop Faithfull the Brand Pre-Owned @ Vestiaire Collective.

Editor's note

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

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