Earth Day 2015: Top 5 Eco-Friendly Clothing Brands
When you go to the mall to buy a new dress, do you think about how that dress was made? If you don’t, that’s okay. Most people don’t think twice about buying the first product they fall in love with at a store. However, there are brands that are better than others; you just have to know where to look! In honor of Earth Day 2015, here are five of the best eco-friendly clothing brands that you could shop from to help make a difference:
Elroy
Based out of Vancouver, creative director Leanne McElroy created this company with the intent to support fair trade markets in areas that have significantly low records of poverty and unemployment while also providing opportunities to those in those areas to work. As of now, they work with small companies in Indonesia and make use of sustainable, organic materials for their clothes. Full of great fashion and flirty style, Elroy is one of the leading eco-friendly clothing companies today.
The featured item above is the Myrabel Batik Dress. Made of upcycled batik, the ruffles and full skirt give out a very girly style.
Indigenous
Indigenous prides itself in having organic, fair trade and eco-friendly clothing that are all produced in fair trade. They respect other cultures and religions and the rights of artisans throughout the world. They create pieces that not only accentuate a variety of styles, but also help preserve our planet and artisan traditions. Indigenous supports fair wages and safe working environments. Above all, they love making products that look good, feel good and do good for the environment.
The item above is the Notch Stitch Poncho. With a soft texture and long tassels, this outerwear piece is made from Alpaca wool by fair trade artisans in Peru.
Study NY
With the goal to remain conscious all the way through their production process, Study constructs all of their clothing within NYC. The company was originally created by Brooklyn-based designer Tara St. James and it has been doing very well. As far as material goes, Study uses a variety of sources including organic cotton, linen, hand-dyed fabrics which are usually recycled. Study has tried to make itself an example in the fashion world, and they are definitely succeeding.
The outfit pictured above is labeled as Shirt 1.4 on the Study NY website. It’s especially cool because you can remove the bottom layer of the shirt to turn it into a crop top or add more layers (sold separately) to turn it into a dress. This fabric is also 100 percent organic cotton, made in NYC and just an overall great look!
Feral Childe
Quirky duo Moriah Carlson of Brooklyn, NY and Alice Wu of Oakland, California came together to create Feral Childe. The way their clothes are designed is pretty interesting and it comes with a backstory. Carlson and Wu both received graduate training in fine art. With this talent, each season they draw up outfits based on the collection’s textile prints and magic happens! They have very strong values and all of their products usually meet more than one of those values. Some of these include the use of natural fibers, the use of upcycled fabrics, the conscientious application of printing and dying and the responsible disposal of production waste.
The piece above was featured in Feral Childe’s Spring 2014 Collection: Disappearing Object Phenomenon. The dress is titled Planetary Shift in Nightfall Print and is not only innovative, but very unique.
Vaute Couture
Founder Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart has been advocating for animals since she was around eight years old. The main goal of her company is to create and develop apparel with fabrics that are better than wearing animals could ever be. The line was first launched in 2009, but in February 2013, Vaute made the history books as the first all vegan label to showcase their products at New York Fashion Week! Hilgart and Vaute have been talked about in a bunch of iconic fashion magazines, such as Marie Claire and Teen Vogue, along with major news organizations like CNN and U.S News & World Report.
This Jackie Dress in Organic Velvet and Moleskin is super cute and easy to fall in love with when spring has just arrived. It is made with very limited run and is absolutely 100 percent organic. Oh and here’s a bonus: there’s hidden pockets!
Written By: Elizabeth Steinberg
Photo Sources:
https://studyny.squarespace.com/