Your Favourite Ethical Brands of 2018

Kiwi brand Kowtow designs elegant and timeless womenswear, as well as its own range of ceramics. It uses organic, fair trade cotton and non-toxic GOTS approved dyes to produce its clothes. All its garments are made in SA8000 approved factories in India and the brand does not use any animal products. Thanks to this, it rates ‘Great’ on all fronts, which is why Kowtow is one of our (and your) favourites!

LA-based Reformation makes killer clothes, that don’t kill the environment. Some if the brand’s products are Bluesign and Oeko-Tex Standard 100. It also uses eco-friendly materials, like Tencel and recycled fabrics in its dresses, jumpsuits, tops, bottoms and wedding dresses.

If you are looking for thoughtfully designed, easy to wear women’s and men’s outfits, then look no further than Thought. The brand uses eco-friendly materials and its high-quality, long-lasting products. It has also taken meaningful actions to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain, such as transporting its products by sea freight.

Based in San Francisco, Amour Vert makes sustainable staples, using only eco-friendly materials, including organic cotton, Tencel and recycled polyester. It also participates in American Forests and plants a tree for every purchase of a t-shirt.

Witchery has set some good environmental policies, measuring its direct and indirect emissions and reporting to the Carbon Disclosure Project. It also traces some of its supply chain and ensures that no subcontracting occurs, or if it does, that it adheres to its standards.

Sustainable fashion pioneer and leader People Tree is a ‘Great’ ethical brand and one of our favourites too. The brand uses eco-friendly materials and addresses the labour risks by adopting the Fairtrade International – Small Producers Organisations Code of Conduct.

PACT’s underwear and activewear are almost 100% made from GOTS certified organic cotton. The brand has a range of basics for men, women and babies, and it does not use any animal products.

Made from organically grown bamboo, Boody is a clothing brand that supports the trend for all things green and ethical. It is Oeko Tex Standard 100 certified, supports 1% For The Planet and uses recycled packaging.

HARA is a clothing label designed for you and our earth collectively. Its super comfy underwear are made using low impact and non-toxic dyes.

When thinking about ethical brands, Adidas might not be one of the brands we think about first! Yet, the brand has set some good environmental and labor standards over the years, making it better than its rival, Nike. The brand is a founding member o the Better Cotton Initiative and Sustainable Apparel Coalition and has made a public commitment to reduce its direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions in absolute terms by 15% by 2020.

Another ethical fashion pioneer and leader is Patagonia. The B Corporation outdoor wear retailer has all its cotton GOTS certified organic and is Bluesign certified for 56% of its fabrics. The brand is also a member of 1% For The Planet and of the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct. We love Patagonia’s philosophy, always aiming to do no harm and protect our planet.

New Zealand-based Kathmandu traces most of its supply chain, including all of its final stage, and publicly list some of its supplies, which is why it received a ‘Good’ rating in terms of labour, The brand has also committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 2020.

Nudie Jeans gives you the naked truth about denim, using a high-proportion of eco-friendly materials, including GOTS certified cotton, limiting the amount of chemicals, water and wastewater used in production.

Nobody Denim has a longstanding commitment to ethical manufacturing principles. It’s one of brands worn by Meghan Markle during her tour down under in October. The brand offers a unique vision of responsible design. It is certified by Ethical Clothing Australia and uses a low-waste cutting technique to minimise textile waste.

Reebok is also one brand we don’t necessarily think of when looking for ethical fashion brands. Partially certified by Bluesign, it is also one of the founding members of the Better Cotton Initiative and Sustainable Apparel Coalition.

Etiko is a designer of organic, eco-friendly and fair trade shoes and clothing. The brand rates ‘Great’ on all fronts, being entirely GOTS certified, having adopted a Code of Conduct covering all the ILO principles, ensuring fair labour conditions and using no animal products.

Paris-based Veja creates cool and trendy ecological and fair trade sneakers and accessories. The brand is one of our favourite French brands as it uses a high-proportion of eco-friendly materials and as it has adopted a robust Code of Conduct, making sure a large proportion of its supplies pay a living wage.

Mimco, part of the Country Road Group is committed to making more conscious choices. The brand is taking steps to reduce its environmental impact and makes sure its product are long-lasting. It also received the top score for its Supplier Code of Conduct in the 2018 Ethical Fashion report, ensuring the ethical treatment of its workers in its supply chain. The brand designs cool ethical eyewear, making it one of your favourites.