Sustainable and Fashion Forward Clothing Brands

I love living a more simplified and minimal life but I also LOVE fashion. I'm just not attracted to the billowy silhouettes often associated with a minimalist wardrobe. Black and white are perfect in my wardrobe but sometimes I need a pop of bold neon green or a soft pink to balance it all out. I often struggled with a number of sustainable brands because I find most of the clothing to be very limited or boring. I want clothing that are both good to the earth, fair to the people that make them and beautiful. I want to love everything about what I wear. In this journey, I am trying to only purchase things as my family uses up or out grows pieces in their wardrobes. This is more challenging for us transitioning from well known commercial names to smaller sustainable brands. With two teenaged girls in the house, there is the added challenge of finding things they like and feel are on trend with what they want to wear.

Here is a list of brands we've been pleased with so far. First, here is an honorable mention.

Pact-I want to love Pact so bad. I circle back to them on occasion hoping that I’ve just ordered the wrong thing and will find the right piece from their brand. Pact is one of the most affordable clean brands. They also offer a wide variety of clothing and home items for the whole family. I would call them the Gap of sustainable brands. They carry many classic, timeless, all cotton pieces in solid colors. Occasionally they have a bold color or an interesting piece but they are mostly classic, casual clothing. In my opinion, the sizing is inconsistent and can be hit or miss. I am usually a size 8 or medium but find that I can’t consistently fit those sizes with Pact. Their clothing seem to run on the small size. The clothes can also be a bit on the thinner side and not as solid feeling as other sustainable brands. They deserve honorable mention because of the affordability factor and they can be an easy transition from something like Amazon basics, Gap, Old Navy etc.

Thread 4 Thought: The quality of this brand is top notch. Each garmet is well made and feels

luxurious. They carry a variety of casual wear items for the whole family. My whole family loves their lounge/ sweat pants. They are very comfortable, keep you warm during colder months but are comfortable during the early spring for lounging in a cool house. They have occasional sales usually closer to the holidays. I've noticed they are adding to their lineup and I recently saw denim options online. I haven't tried their denim but may in the future to replace an old worn out pair. Thread 4 Thought also plants a tree with every purchase and you can follow the progress of the tree through a code you receive with your purchase. In theory, that is a great idea but honestly it wasn't something I paid much attention to. After the first initial check to register my trees, I have not checked again since and can’t remember how to do it…The only downside to Thread 4 Thought is they have a limited variety of clothing, focusing mostly on casual lounge wear. If you need any dressy pieces or can't live in lounge wear all day, you will be challenged to find pieces for the other activities in your life.

Reformation: I LOVE Reformation!!! It is one of my favorite brands I found while researching sustainable brands. Reformation clothing speak to my inner need to wear fashionable clothing while also doing good in my purchases. Their clothing are incredible. They have a huge variety ranging from casual and basic all the way to wedding guest attire. They also carry shoes and accessories. Reformation can dress you from head to toe.

The quality is great, heavy weight and have incredible lasting power. I purchased a jumpsuit from them over 5 years ago and still love it, and wear it regularly. It has not faded and other than one lost button on the sleeve, still looks great. It was well worth the investment. I am eyeing several other pieces from their collection to add to my wardrobe. The only con is that Reformation pieces are an investment. Expect to pay more for each piece but also know that piece will last.

Everlane: I have purchased a few pieces from Everlane, mostly for work. I am pleased with the quality and the longevity of what I have purchased. Everlane carries a wide variety of classic pieces. They are reasonably priced for the quality. Ironically, my favorite piece has not been clothing but a backpack. It is amazing quality and has endured many business trips, being tossed around, shoved into small spaces etc. This bag will last a long time. My biggest disappointment with Everlane has been the news surrounding the company's ideals on minority models and the companies general feeling about minorities. I know they have committed to change and have outted the leadership that endorsed those ideals but it is something difficult for me to overlook and I've decide to shop elsewhere.

Nisolo: I love the variety and quality of Nisolo shoes. I've owned one pair of sandals and wore them out. Nisolo shoes are more casual but I've been able to dress them up. They are very comfortable after long wear and I’ve never had a blister or any rubbing. The pair I purchased ran a little big but I’m ok with that. There are several other pair I am eyeing and Nisolo adds more styles as it retires styles. Since Nisolo shoes are timeless, you'll own them for a long time.

Ebay: Ok so this is a bit of a stretch. Ebay is not exactly sustainable, low waste or earth friendly in the strictest since of the definition. However, one of the best way to be sustainable is to purchase second hand and reuse items rather than purchase newly produced items. The great thing about Ebay is you can often find many of the sustainable brands at discounted prices. This allows you to try out a brand with a lower barrier to entry. also love Bay for items that may not have a sustainable version I like. I feel better about buy-ing a product second hand that fits my need. Buying second hand keeps perfectly good ideas from ending up in a land fill.

In time there will be more brands I'll try and share my experience here. I hope to find brands my whole family will love. Until then, live life simply and fully.