As the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and land degradation escalate at alarming speeds, it’s about time to move beyond sustainable fashion and embrace regenerative fashion.
What is Regenerative Fashion?
First let’s back up and define regenerative.
As Rainforest Alliance explains “regenerative agriculture is an ancient concept that originated with Indigenous peoples around the world more than a thousand years ago. In many Indigenous world views, humans and nature are not separate forces, but parts of a whole that need each other to thrive. Regenerative agriculture supports this by promoting farming methods that enrich the land—so it can continue to provide for present and future generations.”
Specifically, as Regeneration International outlines, “regenerative agriculture describes farming and grazing practices that, among other benefits, reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity — resulting in both carbon drawdown and improvements in the water cycle.”
So rather than focusing on doing less bad or having a reduced negative impact, regenerative puts the focus on doing more good and creating a positive impact by improving the land, revitalizing the soil, restoring nutrients, and capturing carbon from the atmosphere and into the soil. (While the atmosphere has far too much carbon, our soil actually has far too little carbon — in fact, our soil has lost about 50–70% of its original carbon content.)
As Rebecca Burgess of Fibershed puts it, “carbon is a finite resource that moves through soils, oceans, food, fibers and the atmosphere — and ancient carbon is fossilized in Earth’s core. There is no more carbon entering or leaving Earth — we are simply seeing the effects of having too much of it in the wrong place.“
How Can Fashion Be Regenerative?
Natural fibers used in the clothing and textile industry — whether they’re animal-based or plant-based — come from the land. So when the fiber is grown or the fiber-producing animal is raised as part of a regenerative system, then that fiber is then part of that regenerative system.
For example, if a cotton farmer is using regenerative, holistic management practices (such as cover crops, crop rotation, no-till, composting, and pasture cropping) to grow their cotton, that cotton could be considered regenerative cotton, just like when a cotton farmer using organic practices, they can call their cotton organic cotton.
How to Identify (and Verify) Regenerative Fashion
As with any green or green-adjacent term in the sustainable fashion space, there is inevitably going to be greenwashing. How can you tell if it’s the real deal when a brand says that they are (or a collection they have) is regenerative?
Fibershed Member or Climate Beneficial
Verified
The leader in regenerative fashion and fibers is Fibershed, a nonprofit organization based in California that is building regenerative fiber systems through research, education, events, and partnerships. The organization has built out a large network of farmers, ranchers, land managers, ecologists, mill operators, spinners, natural dyes, filters, designers, sewers, and knitters to advance regenerative and regional fiber systems.
Fibershed has a Climate Beneficial verification, which is given to brands using fibers that come from landscapes where carbon farming practices are being used.
Climate Beneficial was first used for wool from sheep who grazed on grassland and helped enhance carbon storage in the soil. Fibershed has also partnered with fashion brands, like Reformation to explore what it looks like to grow Climate Beneficial Cotton in California as well.
Regenerative Organic Certified®
Regenerative Organic Certified® is a seal overseen by Regenerative Organic Alliance and it certifies farms, ranches, brands, and products. To achieve this certification, entities must already hold a USDA organic certification, or equivalent international organic certification.
Beyond being certified organic, entities must follow criteria within the following pillars from ROC’s framework: Soil Health & Land Management, Animal Welfare, and Farmer & Worker Fairness.
In addition to food and beverage products, there are several fashion and textile companies in ROC’s brand and product directory.
Savory Institute’s Land to Market Program
Land to Market is another program with member brands and verified products ensuring that a particular product — whether it’s a food item or a textile piece — was made with practices that “are healing the planet instead of degrading it.”
The program counts some of the world’s largest fashion companies, like UGG, Kering (which owns Gucci and Saint Laurent) and Tapestry (which owns Coach) among its’ members.
Important to note: just because a brand is a Land to Market member, it does not mean that all of their products meet the Land to Market standards. In fact for some of the larger companies, they may only have the verification on a tiny portion of their products.
Where to Find Regenerative Fashion
There are a few pioneering brands bringing clothing made with Climate Beneficial fibers to the market, several brands partnering with Fibershed to create more regional fiber systems, as well as some fashion brands securing the Regenerative Organic Certified® label for several of their products.
This curated guide of regenerative fashion brands includes companies that have made a substantial commitment to regenerative sourcing. You may find more brands with a collection here or there made with regenerative fibers, but these brands have been a long-term commitment to regenerative fashion.
Note that the guide contains affiliate links. As always, we only feature brands that meet strict criteria for sustainability we love, that we think you’ll love too!
1. Christy Dawn
Categories: Dresses, Tees, and Slip Skirts
Christy Dawn has been investing in regenerative cotton with Oshadi Collective — a close partner with Fibershed — in India for several years. (I interviewed the founder of Oshadi in a podcast episode about how the producer is building a seed-to-sew supply chain that restores the earth and centers equity.)
The slow fashion brand also sources regenerative silk for their formal dresses. Each piece is digitally printed or traditionally block printed with natural or even organic dyes.
2. Maggie’s Organics
Categories: Basics and Loungewear
For over three decades, Maggie’s Organics has been going above and beyond to ensure their products are made responsibly. The Michigan-based organic fashion company now has a growing selection of basics — from tees to sweatshirts — made with Regenerative Organic Certified® cotton. Maggie’s Organics is also a World Fair Trade Organization member and is verified by the Fair Trade Federation.
3. Harvest & Mill
Categories: Basics, Loungewear, Socks
Harvest & Mill is a Fibershed Member with basics like socks, tees, and joggers made with USA-grown and milled organic cotton. The brand has many undyed pieces, like unbleached white as well as heirloom brown grown cotton and tan-green grown cotton.
All of Harvest & Mill’s pieces are independently sewn in Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco.
4. Eileen Fisher
Categories: Jackets & Sweaters, Coats, Skirts & Pants, Tops & Vests
Eileen Fisher has foundational wardrobe staples designed to last made with regenerative wool sourced from ranchers in Argentina committed to restoring depleted grasslands.
The slow fashion brand is a brand partner with Land to Market and has been selling regenerative wool products for many years, demonstrating their long-term commitment to helping to build a regenerative fashion system.
5. California Cloth Foundry
Categories: Basics & Loungewear
Slow fashion brand California Cloth Foundry is a Fibershed Soil to Soil Partner that creates loungewear from earth-friendly natural fibers like regenerative hemp, Climate Beneficial wool, Cleaner Cotton, organic cotton, and Lenzing Modal®.
CCF also uses natural dyes and finishes. The colors for their pieces are achieved by botanically dyeing the fabric with plants like weld and madder, brightening the fabrics with hydrogen peroxide, or leaving the fabric undyed. The brand ships their earth-minded pieces in compostable materials and vegetable-based inks.
6. Housework
Categories: Sweaters, Basics, Loungewear
Housework is a Fibershed Partner that collaborates with designers and artisans to create quality clothing from all-natural fibers.
From sweaters and sweatshirts to classic tees and lounge shorts, Housework offers a variety of undyed and naturally dyed garments.
7. Patagonia
Categories: Basics, Activewear, Shorts & Pants
As a founding member of the Regenerative Organic Certification, Patagonia has been one of the few larger clothing brands to commit to sourcing regenerative organic fibers.
As with all of Patagonia’s products, the Regenerative Organic Certified® cotton clothing is made to last and easy to mend with their Product Repair program.
Additional Honorable Mentions
These brands are making big commitments to regenerative fashion, though their variety of regenerative styles are relatively limited at this time.
- Outerknown has a selection of basics, like tees and tanks, made with Regenerative Organic Certified® cotton.
- prAna also has some basics made with Regenerative Organic Certified® cotton.
- Terra Thread has helped get 700 farms ROC certified and their clothing line is made entirely with Regenerative Organic Certified® cotton.
The post 7 Regenerative Fashion Brands Helping to Heal Our Planet appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
Green Living
Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: The Ocean River Institute’s Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action
Turn back the clock with this classic interview that will get you ready for Spring yard care planning. A lawn may be beautiful but it can take a heavy toll on the environment, accounting for between 30% and 60% of residential water use in the United States. Rob Moir, Ph.D., is president and executive director of the Ocean River Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ORI works with residential lawn owners to heal damaged ecosystems by restoring coastal areas to lessen the destructive impacts of climate change. The benefits of a natural lawn reach far beyond reduced local water pollution, eliminating chemicals that can contribute to cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and other cellular diseases. Natural lawns are also better for local pollinators and store much more carbon than heavily fertilized lawns. If you considered removing your lawn to play a part in the battle against climate change, this interview may change your mind — a healthy lawn is a powerful carbon sink.
The Ocean River Institute is recruiting Massachusetts communities, town by town, to take a pledge to follow natural lawn practices in the Healthy Soils for Climate Restoration Challenge. You don’t need to live in Massachusetts to participate and learn about the alternatives to the traditional, chemical-intensive lawn practices that use Roundup, a source of glyphosates that kills soil-dwelling fungi and local pollinators, and fast-acting nitrogen fertilizers. You can learn more about the Ocean River Institute at www.oceanriver.org.
Rob has contributed many articles about climate change and the history of environmental change since this interview, including:
- Finding a Northwest Passage to the Sea
- Turning the Tide—How Land and Water Shape Our Climate Future
- Learning from Captain Scoresby’s Ten-gallon Fir-Cask
- Earth Savvy?
- Let the Ground Keep Falling Rainwater
- The Sultans of Swag Versus Looking at Clouds from Both Sides Now
- Subscribe to Sustainability in Your Ear on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.
- Follow Sustainability in Your Ear on Spreaker, iHeartRadio, or YouTube
Editor’s Note: This episode originally aired on May 30, 2022.
The post Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: The Ocean River Institute’s Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/podcast/earth911-podcast-the-ocean-river-institutes-natural-lawn-challenge-for-climate-action/
Choosing your perfect gown can be one of the most exciting decisions for your special day, but for the eco fashionista, it can be a challenge to find a dress that fits your values and style — but these brands have exceptional sustainable wedding dresses you’ll swoon over!
Using earth-minded materials like hemp, cruelty-free peace silk, deadstock recycled fabrics and vintage lace, and producing consciously, either in small batches or handcrafting each individual piece made-to-order, the brands below meet high standards for transparency, ecological sustainability, and fair labor.
[For more sustainable wedding dresses, check out this guide to secondhand wedding dress sites!]
Note that the guide contains affiliate links. As always, we only feature brands that meet strict criteria for sustainability we love, that we think you’ll love too!
1. Christy Dawn
Dreamy dress brand Christy Dawn does not disappoint with their romantic bridal collection! Each piece is more swoon-worthy than the next.
Their three sustainable bridal gowns are made from regenerative silk charmeuse —sourced through BOMBYX, an innovative silk producer using best practices — and colored in a beautiful pearl silk with non-toxic dyes. Each dress is ethically cut and sewn by makers in Los Angeles earning living wages, as with the rest of Christy Dawn’s collections.
The Britta Dress and Fitzgerald Dress are 1920s inspired while the Athena Dress is a more modern (but equally romantic) option. All of these dresses are made-to-order with an estimated timeline of 4 weeks.
Conscious Qualities: Regenerative silk and organic non-toxic dyes, ethically made-to-order in Los Angeles
Price Range: $2,500 – $3,000
Size Range: XS – XL
2. Pure Magnolia
Blending the traditional with the modern, Pure Magnolia designs classic-inspired sustainable wedding dresses with contemporary touches. And each dress is made in their Canadian studio by seamstresses earning fair wages from eco-fabrics, such as organic cotton and hemp silk.
The brand sources recycled fabrics whenever possible as well, and recycles their scrap fabric through FABCYCLE.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, locally and fairly made, recycles scrap fabrics
Price Range: $845 – $3,300 CAD
Size Range: 0 – 28
3. Lost in Paris
Lost in Paris crafts each of their creatively designed bohemian-inspired gowns ethically in their Sydney, Australia studio. Unconventional yet undeniably striking, Lost in Paris’ dresses are made from vintage lace and cotton.
Investing in a dress from Lost in Paris is seamless — the brand offers at-home sample try-ons, offers train and sleeve adjustments on several styles, ships their dresses worldwide for free, and even accepts returns. Oh, and, if one of their ready-made sizes doesn’t work for you, you can get a dress designed to your measurements.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, uses vintage lace, locally made
Price Range: $950 – $3900 AUD
Size Range: XXS – XXL + custom sizing options
For More Slow Fashion Content:
4. Wear Your Love
Wear Your Love creates feminine, effortless dresses in their Northern California studio that are — in contrast to the majority of wedding dresses on the market — actually comfortable! The brand’s free-spirited designs are made with soft, earth-minded fabrics like organic cotton and each dress is made to order for each bride to their exact measurements.
There are also customizations available for each eco-friendly wedding dress such as train or no train, skirt or sleeve linings, back coverage, skirt style, and more.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, made-to-order model, locally and transparently made
Price Range: $680 – $1,700
Size Range: N/A; dresses are made to your measurements
5. Larimeloom
Based in Reggio Emilia, Italy, Larimeloom crafts exceptional custom-made dresses by hand in their atelier. The brand creates comfortable minimalist dresses from durable natural fabrics and colors them with natural or non-toxic dyes.
Larimeloom has also implemented zero waste design techniques, cutting their patterns strategically in order to minimize fabric waste.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, zero-waste designs, natural fabrics and dyes
Price Range: 650€ – 2,650€
Size Range: XS – XL
6. Sister Organics
Sourcing quality earth-friendly natural fabrics like organic hemp and cotton, Sister Organics creates classic, eco-friendly wedding dresses for UK-based brides.
Each dress is made to order in England, so you can select a pre-defined size, customize the length of a size, or get an entirely different dress made for your measurements.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, made-to-order model
Price Range: £125 – £390
Size Range: XXS – XXL + custom sizing
7. Indiebride London
Indiebride’s vintage-inspired sustainable wedding dresses are delicate and romantic yet free-spirited, offering a unique collection for the bride that wants to skip the conventional wedding gown and choose a piece that fits their individual style.
The brand’s conscious wedding dresses are handmade in London using majority natural fibers and can be altered or customized to your specifications.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, uses many natural fabrics, locally made
Price Range: £1,200 – £1,700
Size Range: 8 – 16 (UK sizes)
More Resources For Your Eco Wedding:
10 Secondhand Wedding Dress Sites for the Eco Bride
7 Ethical Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement and Wedding Rings
17 Brands with Conscious Dresses (great options for bridesmaid dresses in here!)
The post 7 Best Sustainable Wedding Dresses for Your Special Day appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
Get organized in style with the beautiful sustainable dressers, wardrobes, and armoires from these furniture companies using responsibly-sourced FSC-Certified wood or upcycled wood.
Note that this guide includes affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you choose to make a purchase through these links.
What Makes A Dresser Sustainable?
As with anything in sustainability, there are various approaches that can make something “sustainable”.
Secondhand
With over 12 million tons (or 24 billion pounds) of furniture getting wasted each year in the United States alone, it’s definitely a great idea to look used when possible!
Secondhand not only helps divert furniture from the landfill, but reduces the need to extract new materials, whether that’s metal, wood, cotton, or increasingly, petroleum for synthetic fabrics and plastic.
Here’s where to look for secondhand dressers:
- Garage sales and estate sales (check EstateSales.net!)
- Facebook Marketplace
- OfferUp
- AptDeco
Responsibly Sourced Wood
Most storage furniture, like dressers, are made from wood (or engineered wood). While wood is a natural material, deforestation is a significant driver of climate change.
So, look for domestic or certified sustainably-sourced wood when purchasing wooden furniture. The largest most common certification is FSC, which stands for Forest Stewardship Council.
Even better is if you can find furniture made from reclaimed wood! This is basically upcycled wood that is being repurposed. This reclaimed wood can come from old barns, ships, factories, warehouses, or even wine barrels.
Non-Toxic Finishes
Unfortunately, many wood finishes contain harmful petroleum- and chemical-based solvents which can emit VOCs, or volatile organic compounds. While the toxicity is most severe during application and does reduce with time, the chemicals can build up in your home, so you may feel most comfortable minimizing risk of VOCs.
Why does this matter? Well, the EPA reports that indoor air can be 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air — largely due to what we bring into our homes, from furniture to household cleaners.
Look for low-VOC finishes, water-based finishes, or natural oil finishes like linseed oil.
Where to Find Sustainably Made Dressers
I’ve done the grunt work for you and curated furniture brands with sustainable dressers, armoires, and wardrobes below!
1. Urban Natural
Highlights: Sustainably-Sourced Woods,
Price Range: $1,245 – $9,000+
For a one-stop shop for sustainable storage furniture, look no further than Urban Natural. The retailer has a stunning selection of timeless sustainable dressers (including non-toxic dressers for nurseries) made with responsibly sourced wood and several with non-toxic finishes too.
Urban Natural’s workshop partners use materials like solid oak, cherry, maple, and walnut — and many of the brands prioritize local sourcing as well.
2. Avocado
Highlights: Reclaimed or FSC-Certified Wood, GREENGUARD Gold Certified, Zero VOC Finish
Price Range: $1,939 – $3,999
Avocado’s sustainable dressers are made in Los Angeles in their own FSC-certified woodshop. Beautifully designed with a timeless mid-century modern or Scandinavian-inspired aesthetic, Avocado’s dressers are also built to last. Each dresser is made with either responsibly sourced FSC-Certified wood or reclaimed wood. Most of the company’s non-toxic bedroom furniture is also finished with a non-toxic zero-VOC finish to you can sleep easy.
3. Thuma
Highlights: Upcycled Solid Wood, GREENGUARD Gold Certified, Modular
Price Range: $1,165 – $3,495
Designed for maximum functionality and versatility, Thuma’s sustainable dressers give you endless options. Configure a couple drawers for a nightstand and add on more drawers vertically or horizontally for a full dresser that can fit any space.
The modular setup may be especially useful for families with evolving needs — you can add on more drawers if your needs grow or separate a large dresser into two smaller ones.
4. Medley
Highlights: Non-Toxic, USA Made
Price Range: $4,136
Medley’s sustainable dressers are handmade to order in California. The wide dresser pictured here comes in maple or walnut sourced domestically in the US.
The tops and sides are solid hardwood and FSC-certified, low-VOC CARB 2 compliant hardwood plywood is used in the rest of the dresser. The piece is finished with non-toxic natural beeswax.
5. MasayaCo
Highlights: FSC-Certified Reforested Wood, 1.2 Million Trees Planted
Price Range: $2,295 – $2,395
MasayaCo is committed to responsible sourcing for all of their sustainable storage furniture. Each FSC-Certified piece is made to order by skilled artisans in Nicaragua from 100% solid teak wood that comes from their own reforestation projects. Even more impressive, the company leaves 40% of these projects completely untouched to thrive on its own.
Their stunning credenzas could easily be used as dressers, too.
6. West Elm Sustainably Sourced Collection
Highlights: Non-Toxic and Responsibly-Sourced Options
Price Range: $879 – $2499
West Elm is a large retailer with options for more eco-friendly dressers. Among their selection, you can curate by filters such as GREENGUARD Gold Certified, crafted in Fair Trade Certified facilities, made from responsibly-sourced wood, and/or Contract Grade (i.e. high quality + durable).
7. Crate & Barrel FSC-Certified (Honorable Mention)
Price Range: $899 – $2,699
While Crate & Barrel does not have as many sustainability efforts as other large retailers like West Elm, the company has a vast selection of FSC-certified wood storage furniture, including dressers, chests, and full wardrobes or armoires.
You’ll find an array of woods and finishes as well, from weathered rustic natural wood to dark espresso-finished wood.
More Guides Like This:
21 Best Places to Find Sustainable Furniture
8 Gorgeous Sustainable Tables to Gather Around
Best Eco-Friendly and Non-Toxic Sofas to Relax In
The post 7 Sustainable Dressers and Armoires to Store it All Away in Style (2026) appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
7 Sustainable Dressers and Armoires to Store it All Away in Style (2026)
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