5 Ethical Fashion Brands You Can Trust

To see how brands that claim to be ethical stack up, I filter pioneers and emerging fashion brands through Remake’s sustainability criteria. I’m on the hunt for womens, mens, footwear, accessories and lingerie that met our seal of approval. We feature the brands who pass, and are loving these five brands right now:

A round of applause for:

1. MUD Jeans

MUD got one of the highest Remake scores, 80 out of a 100, for their holistic vision to doing more good for people and our planet. The brand shares a detailed sustainability plan that encompasses each aspect of the supply chain, rather than picking and choosing areas to succeed. They even transparently share their factory audit data and work hard to recycle jeans when you are done with them.

2. KowTow

Kowtow’s minimalist clothing is certified organic and fair trade. With an interest in craftsmanship and sustainability, they exclusively use organic cotton, GOTS certified dyes, and have partnered with Fairtrade International to help cover education and medical costs for their makers.

3. Soko

Soko is an ethical jewelry brand with a unique production model. Working directly with artisans in Kenya, they cut out the middleman, ensuring more wages in the hands of makers. If you are looking for sleek, geometric jewelry-this is the brand for you!

4. ASOS Eco Edit

The Asos Eco Edit collection includes chic clothing, accessories, and skincare. This collection runs contrary to the fast fashion powerhouse. Every featured product had to stack up against detailed metrics in order to be added this collection.

5. Nudie Jeans

100% organic jeans (meaning makers and we aren’t exposed to chemicals) with repair services to be sure those threads are with you through the seasons. This splurge-worthy brand closely collaborates with their factories, and are members of the Fair Wear Foundation, an independent, non-profit organization striving for a living wage and better working conditions for makers.

I was excited to find a growing list of sustainable options for clothes and footwear with Po-Zu, Oliberté, and Veja really leading the shoe game. Sadly accessories had the lowest scores overall with very little publicly reported data.

We Need to See More From:

AG Jeans, Nau Clothing, Warby Parker and Fame and Partners. These brands talk a big susty game but report very little. Some of the brands that heavily market themselves as sustainable or “transparent” were often the ones with little to no detail on what makes their brand sustainable. In particular, I was surprised to see Warby Parker get a Remake score of 17 out of a 100.

Overall I found a lot of greenwashing. Brands were particularly weak in their commitment to addressing carbon and water impacts and their approach to maker well-being. We need to keep asking for more transparency from the fashion industry with our fav brands telling us how they plan to leave our planet and the people who make our clothes better off.

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