This blog post is not a collaboration, neither is it filled with affiliate links. This is our personal opinion and just good tips and recommendations about our favorite eco-friendly clothing brands that we want to share with you guys! I used to work in the fashion industry and I am therefore very educated on all the environmental issues this industry is facing. Thankfully, many new brands are taking responsibility for and action against the dark side of the industry. We are here to recommend a few of these to you.
First of all a disclaimer!
We rarely shop for clothes and if we do it is most often secondhand. We love to go secondhand shopping when we are in bigger cities like Berlin or Paris, as they truly have the best selection(in our humble opinion). Furthermore, we always check out the local brands wherever we are. We do this to support the local communities and to limit the transportation value chain of a product. There is no need to buy a shirt online from Germany when you are staying in Bali and have the opportunity to buy locally manufactured shirts. Karoline always buys products that are vegan, as she cares a lot about animal welfare. If she buys leather, it will be vegan leather (made out of plant materials) or second hand. We always try to buy pieces that are timeless and are of great quality so we can enjoy the clothes for a long time. But when our undies have holes in them(and not in the cute or sexy kind of way), and when we can’t get the stains of our t-shirts, we think everyone would agree that we should get some fresh clothes.
Before investing in a new piece you should consider:
The average Danish person buys 16 kilos of new clothes every year(Source: 1)! This is way above what someone actually needs! Fashion brands that used to have two seasonal collections every year now have new pieces coming out every week due to the new cycle of “trends” in “fast fashion”. Most of these clothes are made of materials that are toxic for the earth or harms and kills animals and that cannot be recycled. The production of clothes also involves great volumes of water resources. Furthermore, the clothes are shipped all around the globe in planes, ships, and trucks and are wrapped in all sorts of packaging. So please, before investing in new clothes, consider:
- Do you need new clothes?
- Could you buy this second hand?
- How is the value chain of the product?
- Do you need to buy it online?
- What are the clothes made of?
- Are the clothes recyclable?
- Is the piece of clothing timeless or a current trend?
Bearing all of these factors in mind: The brands we are going to recommend to you are great if you would like some new clothes that have a greener value chain, are made of sustainable or recycled materials, are vegan and has a timeless design. Most of the brands are Danish, as we like to support our own local community. So you should take note of them, and visit their stores next time you visit Copenhagen. If you can’t wait for that, they do ship internationally.
The Pangaia Collective
This is one of our absolute favorite brands and companies. They are so innovative and futuristic that they will make you believe eco-friendly is the new black. Their clothes are made of all sorts of amazing stuff like recycled plastic, recycled cotton, seaweed, dried flowers, organic cotton, etc. Furthermore, they dye their clothes with eco-friendly and natural dyes. All their pieces are basics and the designs are super timeless and cool. To keep up with the current trends they simply change the natural color dye and prints on the clothes and sell the styles in limited numbers. They make clothes for all genders. Pangaia also supports a number of different charities on different occasions. Recently, they donated all of their profits in a period of time to the fight against the horrible bushfires in Australia, even though they are a start-up company! We have such huge respect for this brand and its vision, and we cant wait to see their development in the future. Our entire wardrobe is almost Pangaia by now. We truly love their pieces!
You can shop Pangaia here.
Aiayu
Aiayu is a Danish clothing and home textile brand with some of the highest ethical and sustainable standards and they have a very transparent value chain. They make clothes for all genders. Every year they visit their manufacturing sites in India and controls that all production is kept at the highest ethical standards in everything regarding labor, sustainability, community, etc. We really like how transparent Aiayu are about their processes, and that we are able to read about the specific production sites on their website. They are also great at educating their costumers on where the materials of the clothes originate from and all of the complex processes the clothes have been through. This ultimately makes us, as the consumers, more conscious about our consumption and more appreciative of the clothes. Aiayu makes beautiful stylish high-quality clothes in Nordic design. The color palette is very earthy, natural and warm and I am so in love with this Scandinavian country style.
You can shop Aiayu here.
Underprotection
Underprotection primarily makes lingerie, loungewear, and swimwear for women. They care greatly about the environment and social ethics in the production of the clothes. Their beautiful and feminine styles are made of sustainable materials like recycled polyester, recycled wool, lyocell, and organic cotton. The majority of their styles are certified vegan by PETA, however, some of the clothes are made of recycled wool or have traces of a recycled waste resource like milk. They only work with ethically certified factories to support fair working conditions and fair wages. Underprotection’s styles are very beautiful and modern even though they don’t support the fast fashion industry. Honestly, I always receive compliments when I wear their styles – Like people actually stop me on the streets to ask me where I got the clothes from!
You can shop Underprotection here.
Moshi Moshi Mind
Moshi Moshi Mind is a company based in our neighborhood in Copenhagen that has made a whole universe of mindfulness. It is a calm, feminine and soothing universe that inspires costumers to be mindful and aware of their consumption and appreciate their clothes. They make the comfiest everyday wear, leisure, and activewear in high-quality fabrics and materials that will last and stay beautifully fresh for a really long time! I get so many questions about my comfy clothes that I always travel in and wear during yoga sessions, and most of these styles I got from Moshi Moshi Mind. The majority of their products are made of organic cotton, which uses far less water and chemicals to produce than conventional cotton. We really think Moshi Moshi Mind has succeeded in guiding their loyal costumers to being more considerate about their consumption and we genuinely love to be part of the brand’s community.
You can shop Moshi Moshi Mind here.
We have clothes from all of these four brands and we can wholeheartedly recommend all the companies! They are the real deal. We hope this guide is able to help you with your quest for new fresh eco-friendly clothing.
