Where to buy affordable sustainable fashion

[Vee124]

I totally get that fast fashion brands like Shein can be hard to resist because of their attractive prices, even though they're terrible for the environment and often treat workers unfairly. I've tried looking for sustainable brands, but many of them seem way out of my budget. Any suggestions for affordable, eco-friendly fashion brands that I can check out?

I don't have any good recommendations sorry. I think the issue is that in order to be genuinely ethical and sustainable, then the cost of the clothing needs to cover a fair wage for all of the people's time that went into all the steps of making the garment, plus the materials and transport etc. , so it is genuinely difficult to get that for not very much money. I can't afford to buy as ethically as I'd like most of the time. You can only do what you can do.

What I've tried to do recently is buy a bit less, and/or buy second hand. Doesn't always work out. But buying second hand is generally a very ethical/sustainable practice, so Vinted is a good starting place.

I always liked People Tree but I saw they went into administration recently. Thought clothing is nice. but generally I'd say focus on quality and classic items, and maintain clothes well, so you buy less overall.

Affordable is a matter of opinion but if you want high street prices then no, not really. Like a pp said second hand is better.

I'd not heard of Community Clothing before - it was just mentioned on another thread so I've had a look. Not nearly as expensive as lots of other ethical brands, but (as you'd expect) higher than general High St prices.
https://communityclothing.co.uk/

Rapanui is good for basics

Community Clothing (mentioned above) would be my first pick. But although I think it's fairly priced, it's still not affordable for a lot of people.

The problem is that we have lost our home grown clothing manufacturing industry, the high street has turned to shit and stagnating wages combined with a cost of living crisis mean that for many people ethically produced / sustainable / good quality clothing is simply out of budget. Before you know it, you've been sucked into a cycle of buying badly made things that constantly need replacing. If that's the case then I don't think anyone should beat themselves up about it

Yes second hand can work for some of us - I buy it myself a lot of the time. But it still relies on other people buying new and getting rid while it's still in good condition and desirable, so I don't see it as a solution in itself.

I think what we can all do is buy the best we can afford, and if that means Shein then firstly try and stick to things that are going to get a lot of wear and
secondly take as much care of it you would something expensive.

Yes Friends is good for basics. There aren't loads of options at the moment but they did send an email saying more is coming soon for winter e.g. fleeces, sweatshirts, beanies that look nice! yesfriends.co/collections/women

I think affordability is sometimes hard to define (beyond something being as cheap as possible). A lot depends on your style and lifestyle, too.

I've got quite good at spotting bargains and buying at the right time. Thought Clothing for example currently has 20% off on top of the sale prices in their sale. When they last had that offer I bought some tops and a skirt for about £15 each and intend to wear them for a long time as they are very much my style (not the least bit trendy, though!).

I also discovered Irish aran knitwear earlier this year and especially when on offer, you can get a wool jumper made in Ireland for as little as £40. Again I expect to wear it for years as the quality is so much better than any man-made fibres or high street options. It's obviously not a trendy style but it suits my style. I mostly buy from Skellig Gift Store, it ships from Ireland and arrives in about a week.

And as others have said, obviously buying second hand and buying less is best.

I now buy clothes that are much more expensive and more ethically made from natural materials, but I buy much, MUCH less. This year I've bought two jumpers (for first time in years), some workout clothes, underwear, and two dresses. I have bought other stuff but it's all been from Vinted or eBay.

Lots of brands claim to be sustainable but aren't. I think Thought, BAM, Turtledove are all fairly good and not too expensive

Vinted is great. Not perfect of course but much better then clothes going to landfill.
I also like Baukjen sales.

Pangaia is known for being sustainable and appropriately priced as well as being very colourful.

I've got a few pieces from thought clothing (mainly in the sale) - I've found them to be good quality. I think they have a sale on now.

second hand can work for some of us - I buy it myself a lot of the time. But it still relies on other people buying new and getting rid while it's still in good condition and desirable, so I don't see it as a solution in itself.

I don't think charity shops and Vinted will run out of clothing stock any time soon.

With sustainable and affordable you are going to have to pick one factor that is most important to you:

biodegradable fabrics?
Organic fabrics?
Fair wages and employment practices?
Timeless quality pieces?

It's unlikely you can have all of them. And all brands ultimately want to sell you new stuff when the world already has a massive oversupply of clothing.

There is also a vast amount of greenwashing going on with brands claiming to be sustainable when they aren't, or putting out small 'ethical ranges' amidst 1000s of other lines - yes, H&M I mean you.

So Vinted and eBay probably is your best best on a budget.

Just to echo others, if you are wanting the most sustainable / eco friendly fashion you need to be buying secondhand.

Vinted is fab and can narrow down searches, and you can even search by fabric now if you'd rather keep to natural materials.

earth wardrobe but basics rather than smart

Has anyone bought from This is Unfolded?

I keep seeing them on social media and quite like some of their designs and the ethos sounds good

Balzac do second hand as well as new.

I placed my first order with them last week, so still waiting for the items to arrive. I like their ethos and some of their designs so fingers crossed....

Earth wardrobe is good for basics: https://earthwardrobe.com

this is unfolded seems good but returns are tricky they want you to swap I really don't think if I buy a size 18 dress in green and it doesn't suit me I'm not going to want that dress in any size or colour instead as the style is wrong for me rather than fit, so who is going to want to say swap this green dress in 18 for a size 18 cream blouse?

Palava meets the criteria for materials and manufacturing conditions- made in the UK. Whether it's affordable is subjective. It's also very quirky and not everyone's cup of tea.

What is your budget, OP? If you're budget is Shein then most of the ethical brands will be way out.
I love the look of Community Clothing but it's pricey. Same with Palava and People Tree.
I buy a lot of my clothes from Vinted, local FB selling sites and charity shops. Vinted is brilliant if there are specific items that you want. Second hand is the most sustainable way of shopping. But may e is say that as the brands mentioned above are out of my price range

Yes - they're fab.

The customer experience is amazing - you can track your items as it's stitched and put together, and they update you at every stage. Quality is good and the people are lovely.

I joined the group on Facebook and you can vote for the next 'round' of designs to make sure they're actually what people want...

Totally recommend. Stellar company (and no, I don't work for them!)

I don't want to derail the thread but what I meant wasn't that people will stop getting rid of clothes they don't want, rather that, if the quality on the high street continues to tank as it has the last few years, then sooner or later that'll start feeding into the second hand market - arguably it's already started, look how much Shein there is in charity shops already - which will make it much less desirable. I've bought second hand for decades but I don't think the choice has ever been as poor as it is now and I don't see it as a sustainable long term solution.