What’s not to love about a solid dress in your wardrobe? A dress can be dressed up (or down), layered (or not) and when topped with a loose blouse, can even transform into a skirt. Plus a dress is arguably the easiest outfit to put together that still looks put together. The right sustainable dress is a closet staple you’ll reach for when you *no idea* what to wear or you just want something loose and comfy.
From casual t-shirt dresses and house dresses to chic midi frocks and fun mini’s for a night out, this roundup of sustainable dresses has just about everything.
So if you’re looking for that perfect eco-friendly dress to complement your wardrobe this year, I’ve got you covered with this guide to sustainably and ethically-made dresses. This guide has brands with both casual and fancier dresses, but if you’re shopping for exclusively special occasion dresses, I would recommend checking out this guide to ethical formal dresses.
What Qualifies As (More) Sustainable Dresses?
Wearing what we have in our closets is the most sustainable approach! But if you’re here, you probably already evaluated that option and you’re looking to add something to your closet for whatever reason.
Secondhand Dresses are Sustainable Dresses
The second most sustainable option is to look secondhand. thredUP is a solid option for lower priced items and The RealReal is a great choice for premium and more luxury brands.
Online secondhand marketplaces like Poshmark or Depop are also good options — just something to watch out for peer-led secondhand marketplaces, is that they can contain new items sometimes too so it can require some additional digging or questioning.
If you’re looking for a new sustainably-made dress, here are some considerations:
- Materials: what is it made from? Is it made with a natural fabric like hemp, linen, or organic cotton? Perhaps made from deadstock or upcycled materials?
- Production Practices: does the brand take efforts to not overproduce? (no matter how “eco” the material is, if a brand is throwing away 30% of their stock, that’s not sustainable!)
- Timelessness Over Trends: this doesn’t mean boring! it just means: does the brand constantly hop on every single trend and push you to buy more and more? or do they encourage slow mindful consumption with well-designed dresses?
- Manufacturing: most brands do not produce their own clothing, but are they sourcing from facilities that use renewable energy? how about their shipping emissions?
- Quality: is the sustainable dress made to last? (fashion instructor Zoe Hong shared some tips for spotting high quality clothing on the podcast)
- Ethical Production: who made the dress? were they paid fairly and were they working in safe conditions? do they have worker’s rights, such as the right to organize? how does the brand ensure this?
- Ownership: is it a small sustainable business or big fashion brand owned by billionaires? is the brand marginalized owned? what are your values when it comes to where your money is going?
I know that’s a lot of questions! But these are just things to start looking for as you browse through brands. This isn’t about perfection — it’s just about learning and doing the best we can.
The Best Ethical and Sustainable Dresses
To help you out (because I get it — it’s complicated!) I’ve curated 20 retailers and brands with sustainable and ethical dresses. These brands aren’t necessarily perfect, but they’re doing things better for people and the planet. I’ve included “Conscious Qualities” by each brand or retailer, so you can get an idea about why the brand is on the list and which sustainability criteria they meet.
Price Range Key: $ = Under $100 | $$ = $100 – $180 | $$$ = $180+
This article features affiliates and partners. As always, we only feature brands that meet high standards for sustainability that we love — and that we think you’ll love too!
1. Made Trade
Trans-seasonal shift dresses, block-printed midis, silky slip dresses, comfy sweater dresses, effortless maxis: no matter the season or the style you’re shopping for, it’s probably on Made Trade.
You can also shop by your values on this sustainable retailer’s site. Sort through the sustainable dresses on Made Trade with filters like Vegan, Fair Trade, Sustainable, Women Owned, and BIPOC Owned to find something that fits your style and your values.
Conscious Qualities: Sustainable Materials, Fair Trade, Size Inclusive, Ethical Production, Woman-Owned, Climate Neutral
Size Range: XS – 4XL
Price Range: $ – $$$
Use code CONSCIOUSSTYLE for $20 off your first order of $150+
2. Christy Dawn
Crafting “dresses you want to live in”, Christy Dawn’s pieces are a fairytale come true with their flowy fit and dreamy prints. The sustainably-minded brand sources organic cotton as well as regenerative organic cotton grown in India by their partners Oshadi Collective. This “Farm-to-Closet” collection is also vegetable-dyed and block-printed in India using traditional time-honored practices.
Conscious Qualities: Organic & Regenerative Fabrics, Local & Ethical Production
Size Range: XS-3XL
Price Range: $$$
3. Whimsy + Row
Los Angeles-based sustainable fashion brand Whimsy + Row manufacturers their clothing in limited batches just a few miles away from their office. The brand sources upcycled fabrics (i.e. deadstock) and eco-minded materials (such as linen and organic cotton) for their flirty, feminine clothing.
Conscious Qualities: Eco Fabrics, Local & Ethical Production
Size Range: XS-XL
Price Range: $$-$$$
4. ABLE
ABLE is a fair trade fashion brand that prioritizes living wages and responsible production practices. This ethical fashion label has recently expanded their size range (with commitments for further extensions) and offers pieces that can transition to maternity wear.
Another unique feature from ABLE is their “try before you buy” feature so you can make sure your purchase is one you’ll love for years to come.
Conscious Qualities: Ethical Production, Size Inclusive, Natural Fabrics
Size Range: XXS-3XL
Price Range: $ – $$
5. Magic Linen
Versatile, breezy, and perfect for simmering temps, Magic Linen’s relaxed styles offer everything you need to feel calm and collected all summer long. Crafted from pure linen that has been stone-washed to provide unparalleled softness against your skin, these relaxed fits are the ideal intersection between vacation chic and functional style.
All of Magic Linen’s summer-ready pieces are created on a made-to-order basis, ensuring their garments are not overproduced. The brand also minimizes wastage by repurposing most of its fabric offcuts to create smaller items like tote bags and Christmas decorations.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-Minded Material, Woman-Owned Brand, Low-Waste Practices, Compostable Packaging, Made-To-Order
Size Range: US 2–18
Price Range: $$-$$$
6. Reformation
Fun and feminine, Reformation has flirty dresses for day or night and everything in between.
A leader in fashion for setting sustainability standards, Reformation used 97% recycled, regenerative, or renewable materials in 2023 and nearly 1 in 5 of their sales were resale, vintage, or rental. They also have partnerships with repair company Hemster and resale site thredUP. (Find more details in their sustainability report.)
Conscious Qualities: Responsible Material Sourcing, Circularity Initiatives, Traceability
Size Range: 0 – 12 and 14 – 24 in select styles
Price Range: $$$
7. Rare & Fair
Made thoughtfully with time-honored practices by master artisans and craftspeople in small batches, Rare & Fair has truly exceptional sustainable dresses. Each piece is made in a fully transparent, traceable process from fiber to final stitch.
Conscious Qualities: Sustainable Fabrics & Processes, Artisan Made, Cultural Preservation
Size Range: XXS-XL
Price Range: $$$
8. tentree
When warm weather approaches, all you want is a dress you can throw on. And if your style skews minimalist, all you desire is a dress that has interesting details but doesn’t make too much of a fuss or song and dance about itself. Lucky for you, tentree has an array of simple dresses that fit the bill.
Button-down, wrap, cami, or even hooded, these pieces make everyday dressing feel like a breeze. Made from breathable materials like modal, hemp, TENCEL
Lyocell, linen, and organic cotton, these dresses come in a range of solid colors, making them an ideal investment for the long haul.
Conscious Qualities: Eco Materials, Supply Chain Transparency, Plants Trees, Circularity Programs
Size Range: XS–XL
Price Range: $$-$$$
9. MATE
There’s nothing more satisfying than finding summer dresses that make you look instantly put together without much effort – and MATE’s curation checks every box.
From breezy maxi dresses to functional dresses that come with a removable belt bag, their styles are made using GOTS Certified Organic Linen, ideal for keeping the heat at bay when the mercury rises to unbearable temperatures.
What’s more? You can work up a sweat feeling relieved knowing that all of their pieces are made using non-toxic dyes that don’t rely on harmful chemicals like pesticides, BPA, PFAS, and formaldehyde.
Size Range: XS – XL
Price Range: $ – $$$
10. Amour Vert
Amour Vert not only has an on-point aesthetic, but their clothing is comfy and effortless too. The earth-minded label uses fabrics like silk, cupro, deadstock, organic cotton, and their signature responsibly-sourced Beachwood fabric for their eco-friendly dresses. 97% of their products are made in California, too.
Conscious Qualities: Eco Fabrics, Locally-Made
Size Range: XS-XL
Price Range: $$
11. Valani
With flowy fits in feminine cuts, Valani’s dreamy dresses check off all of the boxes for an eco-minded fashion lover. The conscious fashion label uses only sustainably-sourced natural fabrics and non-toxic, low-impact dyes for their swoon-worthy frocks. Valani’s vegan dresses are made from banana fabric — a fiber created from banana stems discarded by the agricultural banana industry — or a hemp/Tencel blend. Both fabrics are breathable, biodegradable, and of course, beautiful!
Conscious Qualities: Eco-Friendly, Vegan, WOC-Owned, Gives Back
Size Range: 0 – 12
Price Range: $$-$$$
12. OhSevenDays
All of OhSevenDays’ dreamy sustainable dresses are made from deadstock fabrics sourced from Istanbul, Turkey. The slow fashion brand also offers a transparent behind the scenes look at their production process, all done in-house by a team of four tailors.
Conscious Qualities: Reclaimed Fabrics, Transparent Production
Size Range: S-L + custom sizing
Price Range: $
13. No Nasties
No Nasties creates 100% organic cotton fair trade dresses perfect for wearing to the beach with flip flops or pairing with heeled sandals for date night. Their versatile sustainable dresses are comfy, organic, and affordable with most pieces priced at under $100.
Conscious Qualities: Organic Fabrics, Traceable Supply Chain, Fair Trade
Size Range: XS-L
Price Range: $
14. LOUD BODIES
Crafting pieces in small batches using Oeko-Tex 100 certified natural fibers in 15 different sizes, LOUD BODIES’ creates some of the best eco-friendly size inclusive dresses. The brand will even produce pieces in custom sizes at no extra charge!
Size Range: XXS-10XL
Conscious Qualities: Eco Fabrics, Size Inclusive
Price Range: $$
15. Míe
Defying typical design boundaries, Míe’s ethical dresses have a loose, comfortable fit but feature unique design elements like off-the-shoulder puff sleeves, making them the ultimate summer staples. And every dress is crafted consciously in Nigeria using breathable, natural fibers like linen.
Conscious Qualities: Natural Fibers, Black Woman-Owned
Size Range: XS-3XL
Price Range: $$$
Need Accessories For Your Sustainable Dresses?
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The post 15 Brands With Sustainable Dresses That Are Beautiful Anytime of The Year appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
15 Brands With Sustainable Dresses That Are Beautiful Anytime of The Year
Curating a conscious home is a thoughtful process involving much consideration — who made my products, how they were made, and what are they made from — and this guide aims to support you on your journey towards finding ethical and sustainable home decor you truly love.
What is Sustainable Home Decor?
Sustainable home decor includes any home decor that is made in a way that takes into consideration both the makers and the planet. Sustainable home decor will be ethically made using eco-friendly and natural materials. Eco-friendly decor will also be produced using sustainable supply chain practices. This includes using renewable energy and recycled or compostable packaging.
While there are numerous sustainable home decor brands, some of which are featured below, first consider what’s already been made in order to prevent contributing to new waste. Secondhand, used, or DIY home decor options are typically more sustainable than buying new.
What is Ethical and Fair Trade Home Decor?
Ethical and Fair Trade home decor is produced in a way that adheres to Fair Trade standards and is, ideally, Fair Trade Certified. Fair Trade means paying artisans and makers a fair, living wage and providing ethical working conditions. Ethical home decor also includes supporting goods made by artisans using traditional heritage techniques and art forms. Many cultures around the world are at risk of losing their age-old artisanal crafts forever in the age of mass manufacturing.
It’s important to note that sometimes a major brand may use an “eco” fiber while still supporting irresponsible labor practices, and excessive production amounts that inevitably lead to a lot of waste. This is not true sustainability in my mind!
Most artisan-made home decor is ethically produced and directly supports the makers. However, it’s important to check if a brand or marketplace is transparent about their business practices to ensure they are ethical or Fair Trade.
Where Can You Find Sustainable Home Decor?
In terms of environmental sustainability, looking secondhand and vintage is always a great first place to look for sustainable home decor.
But if you’ve scoured those options and haven’t found what you’re looking for and/or if you’re looking to financially support artisans and traditional crafts around the globe, this shopping guide is designed for you. You’ll discover many brands with artfully designed and artisan handmade goods for furnishing any space among this list of decor brands.
All of the brands in this guide use natural and/or recycled fibers and avoid the use of virgin synthetics like polyester; however, some brands do use materials that are not the most environmentally-friendly option on the market, such as conventional cotton.
And of course, I wanted to choose brands that followed slow, thoughtful production practices, prioritizing artisan handmade over factory labor and quality over quantity.
So without further ado, here are my favorite small-batch, artisan-made, and ethical home decor brands.
Note that this guide includes affiliate links — as always, we only curate brands vetted for sustainability that we love (and that we think you’ll love too).
1. Urban Natural
Categories: Accent Pillows, Tabletop, Lighting, Wall Art & Mirrors, Blankets & Throws
Eco-friendly home retailer Urban Natural is on a mission to curate high-quality furniture (and other home goods) built with quality and free of toxic chemicals. Urban Natural carries several sustainable home decor brands, including artisan brands Ethnicraft and Jaipur Living as well as ethically USA-made brands Farmhouse Pottery and East Fork.
2. GOODEE
Categories: Pillows, Lighting, Wall Decor, Planters, Baskets, Blankets, Candles
GOODEE is an ethical marketplace featuring numerous sustainable artisan brands and designers. You’ll find a variety of beautifully crafted home decor goods to suit a wide range of styles. Goodee is a Climate Neutral and B Corp Certified company. They publish an annual impact report so you can easily ensure their business practices align with your values.
Our favorite brands on Goodee are Texidors, Baba Tree, Makaua, and Tensira.
3. Healthier Homes
Categories: Rugs, Lighting, Tabletop, Baskets, Wall Decor & Wallpaper
Founded after years running an award-winning healthy home building firm and publishing a book by the same name (Healthier Homes) this retailer is a go-to online destination for finding non-toxic home goods. The eco-friendly home decor on Healthier Homes is primarily made with natural materials like clay, cotton, seagrass, mango wood, and bamboo,