DAY 6: ETHICAL DRESSES/JUMPSUITS
Welcome to day 6 of the series where we’re taking a look at jumpsuits and dresses that are sustainably and fairly made! Wow! I had SO much fun creating this incredible collection of brands below- I am an absolute sucker for a jumpsuit and apparently now dresses after drooling over how many incredible options there are available. I am in love. I’ve always been a pretty play it safe clothing-wise kinda gal. My wardrobe has always been small and because I spent a lot of time travelling and in need of easy clothing the majority of what I have owned was black, or very dark colours. With Summer incoming I am so here for these bold prints and colours! What about you?
Enjoy and remember, this series isn’t about tempting you to buy what you don’t need, it’s equipping you to buy well when you need to! Secondhand, and what you already have at your fingertips will always be the most sustainable option.
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Oh and brands with an asterisk by them are brands that I believe are going above and beyond with ethics.
Who: Women
What: Bold feel good womenswear
Where: Based in UK, produced between Nigeria, India and China
Favourites: Simisola Green Drawstring Dress, Shola Layered Dress, Indian Ink Grey Smocked Dress
Price: ££
Close relationship with manufacturers and fair and just treatment of employees with fair breaks and being paid more than the minimum wage of their respective country
Items are made to last
They sell on samples and seconds to minimise waste and turn leftover fabric into other products such as hair ties
All orders sent in packaging that is either recyclable or biodegradable.
The website runs on carbon-neutral infrastructure
They use Ecologi to offset remaining carbon emissions.
They donate clothes to Reigate and Banstead Women’s Aid
HAMAJI
Who: Women and men
What: African Designed collection
Where: Based in and produced in rural Kenya, can be purchased through Gather and See
Favourites: Moss Lily, Shadow dress lavender, Chyulu Set – Bone
Price: ££
Celebrates ancient textile traditions and Nomadic craftsmanship while empowering and supporting local small scale artisans in Africa.
Their collections are made up of natural fibres, botanical dyes, hand craft, embroidery and up-cycled collected vintage textiles.
Team consists of 20 local artisans working together, mostly in creating items made from second hand clothes found at the ‘mitumba market’. All the profits are collectively shared between the artists consisting of tailors, upholsters, hand beaders and painters.
Who: Women
What: Block printed clothing
Where: Based in Cornwall, produced in Jaipur
Favourite pieces: The midi Hannah dress, Juniper pyjama set, The Rosen Dress
Price: ££
Naked Generation was founded by Lara who resides in Cornwall with her family. A trip to Jaipur in 2018 had her discover artisans there who would bring her block printing dreams to life.
She works closely with suppliers and only uses natural processes and ethical manufacturing processes to bring about the most stunning pieces
Fair wage paid
Who: Women
What: Bohemian block printed women’s clothing
Where: Based in Australia, produced in Jaipur
Favourite pieces: Chamomile gown, Aahna dress- walnut, Kaia pinafore maxi
Fair trade
Garments are made in small factories within local villages just outside Jaipur, India.
Goal is to preserve the tradition of Indian hand block printing
Who: Women
What: Mainly jumpsuits to be worn through pregnancy and beyond
Where: Based and produced in London U.K
Favourite pieces: Milly jumpsuit, Laura drop arm jumpsuit, Boilersuit- navy
100% organic cotton
Everything is built to last especially as to be seen through various body changes
Everything made in small quantities
Fair wage paid
Who: Women
What: Jumpsuits and playsuits
Where: Based in the UK, made in both Bali and the UK.
Favourite pieces: Canvas jumpsuit blue, Hemp two piece
Recycled packaging
Natural dyes, no chemicals and no plastic
Fair wage paid
Vegan
Only work with natural fibres
Who: Men, Women and accessories
What: Colourful contemporary Ghanian textiles
Where: Based in Ghana
Favourites: Pink and Green Check Smock Top, Repurposed Denim Jumpsuit, Colour Wave Split Skirt
Price: ££
female-led fashion brand with community and enterprise at its core
20% of annual profits are donated to Dream Big Ghana NGO
The supply chain can be traced to where all of the production takes place, at Aunty’s Fashion Home -a family run business consisting of Mother and Daughter, and seamstresses from the local community
Fairtrade
Machinists and members of staff are paid a daily wage that exceeds 5 times the minimum wage set in Ghana and 4 times the living wage.
All fabrics used in the collections are responsibly sourced in Ghana.
The garments are made to be worn for many years
Offcuts of fabric are used to make scrunchies
Who: Women
What: Block printed clothing
Where: Based in Bristol, produced in Bristol and India
Favourite pieces: Caia Ochre, Mali indigo
Work with natural plant dyes on plant fibres
Trans-seasonal collections
Help reforestation projects
Fair wage paid
Who: Women
What: Clothing
Where: Based in Brighton, made in India
Favourites: Farah Workwear Wide Legged Jumpsuit in Denim, Brooke Workwear Boilersuit in Pink, Kathy Puffed Sleeve Smock Dress in Black Gingham
Price: ££
Founders travel to India each season to source fabric cast offs to make their clothes. Saving a ton on greenhouse emissions and the millions of litres of water used to produce fabrics worldwide every year.
Once a year, leftover samples and unused garments from all the brands working with their factory are collected and distributed to homeless children in Delhi.
Their team recieve fair wages, holiday pay, health insurance, safe working environments and EU standard working hours.
Their factory is Sedex certified
Female-led brand
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Who: Women and men
What: Iconic dungarees, dresses, boilersuits
Where: Based in Yorkshire and made in North India
Favourite pieces: Easton denim dungarees, Boilersuit
Price: £
100% recycled paper bags or biodegradable mailing bags
Those working in the UK are paid above the living wage (different to minimum wage)
Those in their factories in India are paid 3-4 times more than state minimum wage
Large percentage of the energy being used is renewable
Almost 100% of their garments are either Organic or Recycled
Code of ethics and you can meet who made your clothes via their website and see their suppliers.
Who: Women
What: Clothing inspired by everyday stories
Where: Based and made in Lithuania
Favourite pieces: Checkered linen smock mini dress Cecile, Mandarin collar denim jumpsuit, Linen wrap dress in checks
100% body positivity is the essence of the brand.
All fabrics for their garments are produced in Europe. They are all 100% Oeko-Tex certified (certified free of harmful chemicals and are safe for human use).
Refuse to make seasonal collections. Their garments are all made to order.
They reduce garbage creation in their production cycle by cutting patterns more cleverly, making garments on an order-only basis, and up-cycle any excess fabric into smaller garments, parts of new garments or accessories.
Fair wage paid
Who: Men and Women
What: Clothing and accessories
Where: Based in London, factories in Kathmandu, Bali and India and some more recently in China
Favourites: TENZING Cupro Dress Khaki, JUNKO Bamboo Dress Black, SHIVA Tencel Jumpsuit Coal
Fair wage paid
Close connection with factories
Only use wool from the EU where there are very strict laws on farming. All wool is harvested according to non-mulesing practices in line with animal rights recommendations, and where possible we have moved to recycled yarns in an effort to re-use rather than produce more.
GOTS certified and a member of the soil association
Who: Women and baby
What: Clothing, accessories, home
Where: Based in Manchester, Produced in Europe
Favourites: Balears Sandal in Tostado, Unity Linen Jumpsuit In Sand, Dylla Organic Cotton Dress in Sun
Price: ££
All cotton is GOTS certified and organic cotton is at the centre of their collection
Only use wool from the EU where there are very strict laws on farming. All our wool is harvested according to non-mulesing practices in line with animal rights recommendations, and where possible we have moved to recycled yarns in an effort to re-use rather than produce more.
Use ‘end of roll’ fabrics to minimise waste
Pay fair wages and in close connection with factory workers
Working towards even greater transparency
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Thinking MU*
Who: Men and Women
What: Clothes and accessories
Where: Based in Barcelona,
Favourites: Hemp fresia dress, Mustard striped dress, Small flowers jumpsuit
Price: ££
Organic, recycled and fairtrade textiles
All garments include a transparency tag with a QR code to access the story and impact behind the item
Dyes and prints are all natural- water-based and biodegradable
No sales
Biodegradadable packaging
Who: Women
What: Timeless versatile clothing
Where: Made in Pakistan
Favourites: Dede Ecru Silk Jumpsuit, Maggie Black Silk Satin Dress - Made to Order, Rimi Ecru Silk Tunic Dress - Made to Order
Price: £££
Clothes made to last
High value on preserving tradition and the livelihoods of artisans
Short supply chain, making all their garments, from cloth, cut and sew to embroidery in one place- Pakistan.
Only use strong, natural fibres which have beneficial properties.
Carbon neutral parcel shipping
They work with the SRSC in Pakistan which a free centre of rehabilitation for children.
All the offcuts from Indoi pieces are donated to the SRSC, where the children use the fabric to learn how to make bags and accessories.
Meet the makers on their website
Founders proud of their Iranian Bangladeshi descent, with heritage in Burma, India and Pakistan and are from a line of extremely strong-willed women who have broken boundaries, showed immense strength and escaped their traditional paths for want of something else.
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Who: Women and kids
What: Women’s clothing and kids toys
Where: Based in Australia, Produced in Vietnam, France, China and the UK.
Favourites: Toulouse jumpsuit, Flor shift dress, Flor Muu Muu
Price: £-££
Started by two sisters
certified B corp
Certified factories
Spare fabric is made into hair scrunchies
All buttons are made from coconut husks
Biodegradable packaging
Only work with organic and natural materials
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Who: Women
What: Womenswear and homeware in natural fibres using artisanal handwoven cloth
Where: Based in the London, produced in India and the UK
Favourites: Jane Skirt black, morgan dress/bubblegum, wren shirt | nude
Price: ££
Maia works exclusively with the weaving cooperative WOMENWEAVE based on the banks of the River Narmada in the town of Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, India.
The fabric is dyed with azo free dyes with a proportion using natural dyes with the intention to move to 100% natural dyes within the next year.
The garments are currently made at a not for profit, social enterprise in London, which strives to be a centre of excellence for sampling, grading, production and for learning and development of skills within the fashion and textiles industry.
They minimise the use of fastenings where possible and when we do use them they are from a sustainable source.
The garments are cut in the least wasteful way possible to utilise all of the fabric.
The garments come packaged in compostable plastic bags and posted in recycled packaging with no extra labels
Fair wage paid
Other companies to take a look at: Ren London, EASTBYEASTWEST, Nadinoo, Alice Early, Kindred of Ireland ,The Regular works, United change makers, Damson Madder, Meadows, Riyka, KETIKETA, Bug clothing