10 Sustainable Basics Brands that are Affordable, Organic & Fair
photo from Made Trade
building practical wardrobes
What's a closet without your functional collection of basic pieces? Especially if you are interested in building a capsule wardrobe, basics are essential.
everybody & everyone
This brand is home to several great basic pieces, AND comes in sizes 00-24! Everybody & Everyone is all about size inclusivity, which is lacking within the sustainable fashion industry. Inclusivity is such an important aspect of sustainability, and its absolutely wonderful to see brands like these leading the way. I have this Dream Cardigan pictured to the left, and its such a lovely piece. Alexa, the model is wearing a size 16. Gorgeous!
made trade
From sweatshirts to t-shirt dresses, Made Trade has a wide range of brands who make awesome sustainable basics. While shopping through the collection, you can learn all about the values of each piece. Is it Fair Trade? Is it Made in the USA? Is it POC owned? Its truly a different experience unlike anything else you find online. Made Trade is always one of my first suggestions to those who are curating their homes and closets!
Sustain by kat
The National Institutes of Health has proven your skin does indeed absorb the chemicals found in your shirt. What we wear on our body, ends up in our body so why aren't we taking the necessary precautions when it comes to our clothes? This brand eliminates all the worry, and only uses non-toxic plant dyes and organic fabrics to create their pieces. Its amazing the colors you can make with nature, and Sustain by Kat has been super resourceful!
Encircled
Encircled is a Canadian based sustainable clothing brand who creates for the stylish traveler {& your everyday busy body!}. They want you to be able to travel light while looking effortless at the same time. Imagine being able to put all your essentials into one carry-on.Most of Encircled garments can be worn more than one way. That means more versatility in a smaller closet. Capsule wardrobes can make life so much easier, and having an Encircled 'uniform' can give you several more options when it comes to dressing.
pact
Probably one of the most affordable organic brands, Pact has you covered on any basic piece you can think of. I love their lace undies and bras, and Travis has a ton of their tees. Everything washes well, and stays nice & soft. Im constantly looking at this brand online to see what new basics they come out with!
synergy
While there are some beautiful prints, Synergy has a lot of wonderful basics in several different solid colors. At Synergy, we believe that it matters how your clothing is made. We believe that consumers deserve the choice to buy clothing they feel good about wearing with the knowledge of where and how it was produced.From our home base in Santa Cruz, California to our handwork seamstresses in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal, our Synergy family is part of a global community with purpose. - synergyclothing.com
everlane
To be honest, I havent worn anything from this brand until very recently. I like to keep everything on my blog genuine, so knowing the product is super important. I decided to order a pair of jeans because Im in need and the price was super reasonable. I think their line has every design to build the perfect capsule wardrobe - & the jeans have been pretty wonderful! Looking forward to adding more pieces to my closet.
tonle
This brand makes zero-waste look so good. Every design from Tonle is made from dead stock fabric. Besides their great eco fashion practices, Tonle believes in hand made and creating fair work for their Cambodian makers. Their site even breaks down the impact youve made from buying a piece of their clothing - like how much water you saved, as well as emissions and pesticides avoided.
Organic Basics
If you are looking for plain tees, socks and undies, this is your place! They even have a range for men so you can stock up for your man, as well. I love using their bras for nursing since they are so easy to slide off the shoulder. Very comfy!When we say sustainability is our core mission we dont mean that sustainability is nice to have - we mean that its the only way we act. - organicbasics.com
Science of Apparel
"The New American Standard - The First Tees Guaranteed for Life" - If these tag lines don't resonate with you, I don't know what else will :P I am always talking about how low of a standard we have created within the fashion industry, and seeing brands bring up this issue makes me relieved! Science of Apparel has spent a full year of engineering fibers safe for this planet. Their process uses less water, less energy & creates less waste. Best part, this shirt is meant to wear for life.