Wedding season is upon us! As someone who has committed to a life without fast fashion, finding a dress for these kinds of occasions can be kinda like…
So, I went on a serious mission to find a dress that was suitable for a semi-casual, west coast wedding. Let's just say...it was a time.
My blessing and my curse is that I care…a LOT about people and the planet, so when I go to purchase something new it has to meet certain criteria. My guide for buying something new is very similar to this post that a friend shared with me by @mishanonoo on Instagram. Here it is:
Although I do follow this guide, I also take it a few steps further and choose garments made from natural fabrics (hemp, linen, organic cotton, tencel**) vs. synthetic fabrics (nylon, lycra, polyester & acrylic) and I also make sure they have that have been ethically made.
In other words, it takes me a freakin’ long time to buy something!
I know I am not alone in this so I figured I would share some of my findings so that this process a little less like:
via GIPHY
Here are the Canadian brands that are killing the ethical and sustainable dress game:
Korinne Vader
Handmade natural fibre clothing and ceramic jewelry made in Victoria, BC, by Korinne Vader.
Harly Jae
Feminine, vintage-inspired womenswear made ethically from sustainable fabrics in Vancouver, BC.
Uniform Handmade
Small batch, minimalist womens clothing, handmade with natural fibres in the Fraser Valley.
Jessica Redditt Design
Reclaimed and natural textiles hand-dyed with pigments from plants and ethically made in Vancouver.
(Ag)+(Au) Clothing / Silver and Gold Clothing
Silver and Gold Clothing is a contemporary, seasonless collection that aims to marry the cool confidence of streetwear with the elegance & timelessness of a capsule wardrobe. They use all eco-friendly fabrics and all their pieces are made ethically.
Wisefolk
Ethically produced in Indonesia, small batch, maternity friendly clothing. Classic, cozy and minimal styles for before during and after.
ARC Apparel
ARC sources brands that are doing notable things in the apparel industry. In the realm of sustainability, ethical manufacturing, or giving back.
Here are the US brands that I love:
Vetta
Simple, versatile and sustainable capsule collections made ethically in California and New York. You can also buy each item individually if you want.
Sotela
Sotela is a clothing company based out of Los Angeles that creates wardrobe staples for humans. They use eco-friendly fabrics, use recycled paper for all their marketing needs and hand make everything in their studio in California.
Tonlé
A zero waste, ethical fashion brand on a big mission, to reduce waste generated by larger factories and change the way business is done in the fashion industry.
Everlane
Everlane makes high quality, timeless pieces that are made to last. They manufacture ethically and exude radical transparency.
Reformation
Operating out of their own sustainable factory in LA, The Reformation uses sustainable fabrics and invests in green building infrastructure to minimize their waste, water and energy footprints. Sustainability is at the core of what they do.
LACAUSA
LACAUSA is committed to creating quality garments under ethical conditions, with it's headquarters and factory in Los Angeles, California.
Hope you found this useful and if you did, please share it with your friends and family so that they can spend fewer hours than I did finding the perfect sustainable and ethical dress.
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**Tencel is a material that is made from eucalyptus trees and is biodegradable. The production of Tencel is closed loop meaning that 99.8% of the chemicals used can be reused again and again with only a fraction of the water energy and emissions of conventional viscose and cotton.
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