5 Great British Ethical Fashion Brands
Looking good doesn’t mean you have to buy a new outfit every weekend. Fast-fashion is falling out of favour fast as consumers become increasingly eco-conscious. A separate blog needs to be written on the true cost of fast fashion but for a glimpse of the horrors, please take a moment to watch this 2.5 minute trailer of the film The True Cost.
Luckily for us, there is now a substantial range of sustainable, responsible fashion brands that mean we can look our best while limiting the damage to our planet and its people. We’ve rounded up five UK-based brands to get you started but there are plenty more out there!
- Thought
Thought was originally founded in 1995 in Australia under the name Braintree Clothing but is now based in London having launched in the UK back in 2002. Thought use sustainable fibres such as bamboo, hemp, recycled polyester and organic cotton to create clothing that has minimal environmental impact. They created the mantra “Wear me, love me, mend me, pass me on” to celebrate and support the slow fashion movement.
- Finisterre
For the more adventurous types among you, Finisterre creates functional clothing that’s perfect for battling the winter weather and enjoying everything the outdoors has to offer all year round. Finisterre was born in a flat above a surf shop in 2003 and has been serving the needs of hardy British surfers ever since. Finisterre are passionate about product innovation which has lead them to use recycled polyester in a number of their products and to launch the Bowmont project which helped create a more sustainable, 100% British supply chain for their wool. They’ve also had an in-house repair service for over ten years so you can get your well-loved gear patched up and returned for more adventures.
- Dai
London-based Dai offers timeless modern design and elegant tailoring with a sustainable twist. Their capsule collection is designed to empower professional women and make dressing for work feel like dressing for leisure. Their technical fabrics are made in environmentally friendly factories in Italy and are certified to ensure the chemical safety of their products. They also donate a portion of their profits to organisations that support women, girls and gender equality like Dress for Success Greater London.
- Beaumont Organic
Creating laid-back, easy to wear clothes made from fairly produced organic cotton, Manchester-based Beaumont Organic is a brand that people are proud to be wearing. The company offers affordable but luxurious pieces that are made in a small, family-run factory in the north of Portugal using only ethically sourced, organic materials.
- Ally Bee Knitwear
Since 2014, Ally Bee has been creating luxury knitwear using sustainably sourced British alpaca, cashmere and wool. Sourcing British materials means that there are no air miles involved in production. The company is proud to support the UK’s long heritage of skilled knitwear manufacturing by using a factory on the Scottish borders that still operates their knitting machines manually. Founder Alison Baker believes that we should all buy well and buy less, so her designs last well beyond one season.