Fast fashion is a huge problem. As the second largest polluter after oil, our habits of regularly buying and replacing clothing does more than just clog up our wardrobe. One solution could be to stop buying clothes altogether however, for many of us that isn't a realistic option. With so many brands under speculation and criticism for their lack of fair wages, good working conditions and sustainably sourced materials, it's no wonder more people are looking for alternative places to shop. In addition, it's so important to support smaller businesses where we can. Whilst we can't control the ethics a brand has, we can control where we invest our money and how we, as individuals, reduce our contribution to the fashion industry's carbon footprint along with ensuring our money goes to the people all along the chain. So if you're looking to shop more consciously or make some small changes, this might just be the post for you...
NH by Hand
A small business based in the UK and ran by Natasha who designs and handmakes the clothes herself with the help of a freelance seamstress. The clothes are gorgeous, well made and true to size. As each item is made to order, you can select your top and bottom size individually and ensure it'll be right for you. The personal touches such as the handwritten note in the delivered package really add to the experience. NH by Hand offers so many pretty designs, including a variety of matching sets, that it's easy to love this business. One option is to purchase a lucky dip worth either £10, £20 or £50 which could get you a variety of items ranging from those on sale, exclusive items or something from a previous range and could consist of mismatched or paired items. Overall I had a really positive experience from the shopping, to the delivery, to the final items.
Luna Clothing
Another small business ran by two women in the UK. Luna clothing is great for somebody wanting to support a smaller business however if you want to shop and know exactly who makes the clothes, this would be challenging as the brand has grown to now sell wholesale items and items bought in from other suppliers. I loved the pieces they had on offer and love the jewellery and clothes I purchased so I'd recommend Luna Clothing on that front however, they cannot be classed in the same sustainability and ethical bracket as some of the other businesses and don't quite fulfill the goals I was hoping to meet so would be less likely to return compared to some other options.
Love Wild Rose
More clothing handmade in the UK by an individual. This site has a lot of items available including loungewear, swimwear, party/festival items and general clothing. I loved the look of the fleece loungewear sets and although I wouldn't typically find cropped sets comfortable for lounging around I thought they looked cute and comfy. Upon arrival, I was pleased by the quality of the items and the way they looked however, I don't think I would wear them as a set as much as I'd hoped as I prefer more covered up clothing for lounging around. I find the shorts to be quite thick which adds to the quality but slightly takes away from the comfort although, I would and have worn them on their own with a different top and enjoyed it more. Overall, I would recommend this business although it is less my typical style so I'm not desperate to place another order myself but will keep an eye on new releases.
Ecostyleco
I was eager to find a sustainable gymwear brand with affordable short sets in stock which seemed to be a bigger issue than I anticipated. Eventually I found Ecostyleco and found a few items I loved the look of plus, the business plants 7 trees for every purchase which seemed a great idea. After ordering two sets, one short set and one long set, I had a long wait until they arrived. What I hadn't taken into consideration was the fact it is an American based business and as a UK citizen, my ordering from across the seas essentially undid all of the good of planting 7 trees when taking transport into consideration. On top of this, after ordering I got a notification informing me it was shipping from China and got sent back and forth a few times which only added to the carbon footprint and prolonged the delivery. Furthermore, as there is little information on the production, I am hesitant to shop there again not knowing who is actually making the clothes, ensuring they are working in good conditions and are paid fairly. The two sets arrived separately roughly a week apart which made even less sense to me and the quality of the clothing certainly differs between the two. The pink shorts set seems fairly well made if a little on the small side but once on seems to fit okay and not move around too much when working out. The white floral set is pretty and comfy as it stretches well but the material is very thin and see-through which makes it near impossible to wear for exercising (or for anything else). All in all, I would not shop there again, it seems very hit and miss and whilst it plants trees, it doesn't seem to have sustainability covered elsewhere. Perhaps if you live in the US or China, the reduction in the effects transport has would make it more worthwhile but for me, it's sadly a no go.
Ebloggers
A business which concentrates on recycling clothes? Great! Ebloggers collect clothing from influencers, bloggers and celebrities and resells them at discounted prices. The items can vary from brand new with tags on to worn but in good condition. Not only can this be a good place to get clothing but also beauty products that are often gifted to bloggers who can't/don't want to use everything they are given. I loved the concept and was amazed at the amount of items on the website although one thing to consider is the sizing is more limited. I noticed a lot of UK small, 8s and 10s and significantly less items in other sizes which may vary depending on launches they have at any one time or could be a reflection of the average sizes of those donating clothes to the site. I was also pleased to know that at least 5% of every purchase is donated to charity (the percentage depends on the person providing the clothing). I was very happy with the new Bare Minerals products I got my hands on for a discount and would definitely return for beauty and skincare. I was less happy with the clothing but this was down to my choices as they were all different brands and different conditions so can't reflect Ebloggers themselves but I failed to take into consideration my sizing preferences with shirts and blazers as I would normally size up and did not do so. On arrival, I was a little disappointed that the clothes didn't fit as I'd hoped. Although this was my fault, the fact that most items cannot be returned (which I knew going into this and stupidly overlooked) does put me off a little as now I have some items that I cannot or will not wear which means it hasn't fulfilled the purpose of finding a good new home for items. I'm yet to decide what to do with these as I don't want to add to landfill so will wear what I can but will keep this policy in mind for future purchases and ensure I pick clothes and sizes I'm more confident in.
Returns Policy- "As a company that sells secondhand clothing and donates to charity with every sale, we have to strictly adhere to our shipping & returns policy in order to remain a viable business. We hope you can appreciate that although we are not legally required to offer returns on these preloved goods, we do so as a gesture of goodwill. Not all items sold at Ebloggers are eligible for a return as we act as an agent for private sellers, thus we are under no obligation to offer returns on any items and so we do this as a gesture of goodwill for our customers."
Lily's Gadgets and Gizmos
As a Disney fan in this current climate, I was pleased to find this small business which usually handmakes Disney ears but has recently expanded to make masks (matching ears and masks also available). I ordered a couple and was happy with the quality, the delivery and how cute they look! With a number of fabrics to choose from, you can pick the one right for you whether it's in your face Disney or a more subtle print. I'm sure when I next visit Disneyland, I'll be ordering myself a pair of custom ears to take along for the ride.
Lilys Gadgets and Gizmos Instagram
Good on You
This website/app has been so insightful and helpful in showing which brands are ethical and sustainable compared to those which are not doing enough. You can use the site to search for brands and it will rank them overall as 'avoid', 'not good enough', 'it's a start', 'good' or 'excellent' based on their 'labour', 'environment' and 'animal' policies and actions. It's been a great place for me to browse the brands I would normally shop at and discover which I am likely to avoid now knowing their efforts (or lack thereof) as well as those that I'm more inclined to return to. It really highlights how many stores both high street and high end are lacking in their ethics and sustainability. For sites with a more positive overall score, the site also recommends similar brands which can help to discover new places to shop with a more ethical approach.
I have a couple of reviews on my channel which show the items I purchased from some of these brands both in the packaging and tried on so if you want to check those out, click here or watch below.
Honorable Mentions
In my searches, there were a few smaller and more sustainable businesses that I discovered but have yet to put to the test. So if you're looking for more brands to consider these might be the ones for you...
- Organic Basics
- Benini Swim
- Notion Fitness
- Nu-in
- Stay Wild Swim
- Bamboo Clothing
- SOS Activewear
- People Tree
- Sancho
- Out of the Ordinary
- Lucy and Yak
- Votig
- Slow Garments
- Acta Wear
- Wolven
- The Seraphina Collection
- Haus of JB
- Verity Anne Clothing
- Tala
I hope this has been helpful in identifying some new places to shop, source information and how to find new places as this hasn't been the easiest for me to find. If anybody has any other businesses they can recommend, please share as I'd love to find some more. Thanks for reading this post, to keep up to date with me, follow my social media links at the top of the page.
Love,
Steph x
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