5 Sustainable Brands That Will Up Your Street Style
Graphics: Karis Merritt
The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that discarded clothing makes up 5% of all landfill space; that’s roughly 21 billion pounds of textile waste per year. This amount of waste wreaks absolute havoc on our ecosystem. Most clothing items take up to 200 years to completely decompose in a landfill. Harmful greenhouse methane gas is released during the decomposition process, not to mention the chemical and dye waste that is produced and deposited into our waterways. The demand for fast fashion is also a humanitarian issue. Large scale clothing operations overseas often overwork and underpay textile workers, forcing them to work long hours despite fatigue and even injury. The rate of clothing waste production to material decomposition is just not sustainable for our planet and fellow woman.
Check out this video below by the CBC News program “Marketplace”. Award-winning journalist Charlsie Agro shows us where our clothes go after we’ve thrown them away.
Doing our part to combat unethical clothing practices starts with our wallet. Thrifting gently used clothing, tailoring our favorite pieces as time goes on, and buying responsibly-sourced wardrobe staples are easy steps we can take to become smarter fashion consumers.
We did some digging on social media and found 5 women-owned brands that give life to clothing that would have otherwise ended up at a landfill. Check out the small-scale sustainable clothing brands we love down below.
The earth (and your closet!) will thank you.
JJ Vintage
New York based brand JJ Vintage uses recycled materials to produce eye-catching clubwear. Their comfy, stretchy pieces are one-of-a-kind, each made of different discarded materials and scraps. Founder Jasmine James says that the brand was inspired by her love for vintage clothing. With a price range of $45USD to $80USD, you can score something ethically made from JJ without breaking the bank.
Check out more of JJ Vintage here and follow them on insta here.
Saint Muze
Netherlands brand Saint Muze remixes retro pieces into handbags, corset tops, and cropped tees. “No space for waste” is the shop’s motto; old, damaged clothing can have a new life with a little bit of handiwork. SneakHERheads rejoice- Saint Muze founder Sam Zegelink loves reworking brands like Nike, Adidas, and Stüssy. The site uses the Euro (€) for pricing, so keep that in mind during check out time. Prices range from €30-€120, or $35-$141 USD.
Check out more of Saint Muze here and follow them on insta here.
Peterson Stoop
Peterson Stoop founders Jelske Peterson and Jarah Stoop turn our favorite iconic sneakHERs into footwear that’s fit for the runway. Their years of experience working in shoe repair has given them a leg up on the sustainable footwear game. They make their one-of-a-kind shoes by deconstructing vintage sneakers and pairing them with natural recycled materials like cork. These kicks will run you anywhere from €300-€785, or $354-$927.
Check out more of Peterson Stoop here and follow them on insta here.
TrynaB Studios
TrynaB Studios founder Leslie Gomez is following in her grandparents’ footsteps with her upcycled creations. Inspired by their work in thrift and consignment stores, Gomez began creating reworked clothes that are as stylish as they are sustainable. Her work includes coppable bikini tops made from graphic tees and refurbished vintage denim. Tops range from $40-$60 USD and her jeans run around $99.
Check out more of TrynaB Studios here and follow them on insta here.
King Des
Sometimes cool thrifted finds just need a lil’ tweaking.
Enter momtrepreneur, blogger, and all-around badass Destinie Marie of store King Des. She takes vintage + thrifted graphic tees and hoodies she’s collected and gives them a clean crop at the waist for a modern look. Her tops will run you anywhere from $50-$95 USD. The store also features a designer consignment section, making it a one-stop-shop for an ethical wardrobe.
Check out more of King Des here and follow them on insta here.