Fast Fashion Explained and How It Impacts Retail Manufacturing

By
ADAM HAYES

Gordon Scott has been an active investor and technical analyst or 20+ years. He is a
Chartered Market Technician (CMT).
Investopedia / Laura Porter

What Is Fast Fashion?

Fast fashion is the term used to describe clothing designs that move quickly from the
catwalk to stores to take advantage of trends. The collections are often based on styles
presented at Fashion Week runway shows or worn by celebrities. Fast fashion allows
mainstream consumers to purchase the hot new look or the next big thing at an affordable
price.

Fast fashion became common because of cheaper, speedier manufacturing and shipping
methods, an increase in consumers' appetite for up-to-the-minute styles, and the increase
in consumer purchasing power—especially among young people—to indulge these
instant-gratification desires. Because of all this, fast fashion is challenging the established
clothing labels' tradition of introducing new collections and lines on an orderly, seasonal
basis. In fact, it's not uncommon for fast-fashion retailers to introduce new products
multiple times in one week to stay on trend.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 Fast fashion describes low-priced but stylish clothing that moves quickly from
design to retail stores to meet trends, with new collections being introduced
continuously.
 Innovations in supply chain management among retailers make fast fashion
possible.
 Zara and H&M are two giants in the fast fashion field. Others include UNIQLO,
GAP, and Topshop.
 Fast fashion's benefits are affordable prices and instant gratification for consumers,
more profits for companies, and the democratization of stylish clothing.
 On the downside, fast fashion is also associated with pollution, waste, the
promulgation of a "disposable" mentality, low wages, and unsafe workplaces.

Understanding Fast Fashion

Shopping for clothing was once considered an event. Consumers would save up to buy
new clothes at certain times of the year. The style-conscious would get a preview of the
styles to come via fashion shows that displayed new collections and clothing lines several
months in advance of their appearance in stores.

But that began to change in the late 1990s, as shopping became a form of entertainment
and discretionary spending on clothing increased. Enter fast fashion—cheap, trendy
knock-off garments, mass-produced at low cost, that allowed consumers to feel as though
they were wearing the same styles that "walked the runway" or were sported by a sexy
entertainer.

Fast fashion is made possible by innovations in supply chain management (SCM) among
fashion retailers. Its goal is to quickly produce cost-efficient articles of clothing in response
to (or anticipation of) fast-shifting consumer demands. The assumption is that consumers
want high fashion at a low cost. While the garments are often carelessly made, they're not
intended to be worn for years or even multiple times.

Fast fashion follows the concept of category management, linking the manufacturer with
the consumer in a mutually beneficial relationship. The speed at which fast fashion
happens requires this kind of collaboration, as the need to refine and accelerate supply
chain processes is paramount.

Fast Fashion Leaders

Major players in the fast-fashion market include Zara, H&M Group, UNIQLO, GAP,
Forever 21, Topshop, Esprit, Primark, Fashion Nova, and New Look. Many companies are
both retailers and manufacturers, though they often outsource the actual production of
clothing.

In addition, traditional mass-market department stores such as Macy's, J. C. Penney, and

Kohl's in the U.S. have all taken a page from the fast-fashion book. For their in-house and
proprietary brands, they've shortened design and production times to better compete in the
market.

Here's a closer look at some of the leaders in fast fashion.

Zara

Spanish retail chain Zara, the flagship brand of textile giant Inditex, is all but synonymous
with fast fashion, serving as an exemplar of how to cut the time between design,
production, and delivery. Zara's designers can sketch a garment—the company sells
men's, women's, and children's clothing—and have the finished piece appear on store
racks in as little as four weeks. It can modify existing items in as little as two weeks.

Its secret to this rapid turnover is its ownership of a relatively short supply chain. Over half
its factories are closely located to its corporate headquarters in A Coruña, Spain—
including countries like Portugal, Turkey, and Morocco.

Its fast turnaround time aids another key Zara strategy: to stuff the stores with more goods,
offering the consumer an unparalleled amount of choice. It produces 11,000-plus pieces
annually, vs. an industry average of 2,000 to 4,000 pieces.2

In 2021, Zara's annual net sales (including those of Zara Home) were €19.6 billion.3 As of
mid-2022, it has 1,947 stores across the globe, as well as a strong online operation.4

H&M
Founded in 1947, Sweden-based H&M Group (short for Hennes & Mauritz ) is one of the
oldest fast-fashion companies. As of 2022, H&M Group operates in 74 countries with over
4,000 stores under its various brands, which, along with H&M, include the slightly more
upscale COS and the youth-oriented Monki.5

H&M Group functions like a department store, selling not only clothing for men, women,
and children but cosmetics and home furnishings. It is more strictly a retailer: It does not
own any factories but instead relies on about 600 independent suppliers for its garments.
However, these suppliers are overseen by 16 H&M production offices, using state-of-the-
art IT systems to track inventory and communicate with corporate HQ. The factories are
based all around Europe, Asia, and Africa.6

Part of H&M's strategy has also been not to offer just knockoffs but original creations via
its much-ballyhooed designer collaborations with elite labels like Alexander Wang and
Giambattista Vali. In early 2021, for example, it launched a collection designed by Simone
Rocha.

H&M's annual net sales in 2021 came to SEK 199 billion (about $18.9 billion).7

The traditional clothing-industry model operates seasonally, with the fall fashion week
displaying styles for the upcoming spring/summer and the spring fashion week
showcasing looks for the following fall/winter; in addition, there are often pre-fall and pre-
spring or resort collections too. In contrast to these four seasons, fast-fashion labels
produce about 52 “micro-seasons” a year—or one new “collection” a week of clothes
meant to be worn immediately instead of months later.8

Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Fashion

The Advantages of Fast Fashion

 Profitable for manufacturers and retailers: The constant introduction of new

products encourages customers to frequent stores more often, which means they
end up making more purchases. The retailer does not replenish its stock—instead,
it replaces items that sell out with new items. Accordingly, consumers know to
purchase an item they like when they see it, no matter the price because it's not
likely to be available for long. And because the clothing is cheap (and cheaply
made), it's easy to get people back into stores or online to make fresh purchases.
 Quick to consumers: As for advantages for the consumer, fast fashion has
enabled people to get the clothes they want when they want them. Also, it's made
clothing more affordable—and not just any clothing, but innovative, imaginative,
stylish clothing.
 Makes clothes affordable: Even those of modest means can constantly buy smart
new clothes, indulge in fun or impractical items, and wear something different every
day.
 Democratizes fashion: No longer is the latest look, being "well-dressed," or
having a large wardrobe the province of the rich and famous. Everyone can look
good.

The Disadvantages of Fast Fashion

  Cheap materials and poor workmanship: Because the clothing is made
overseas, fast fashion is also seen as contributing to a decline in the U.S. garment
industry, where labor laws and workplace regulations are stronger, and wages are
better. If a consumer buys multiple fast fashion garments, cheap as they are, it
eventually costs them more than buying a few pricier ones that last longer.
 Encourages a “throw-away” consumer mentality: That's why it's also called
disposable fashion. Many fast fashionistas in their teens and early twenties—the
age group the industry targets—admit they only wear their purchases once or
twice.9
 Bad for the environment: Critics contend that fast fashion contributes to pollution,
waste, and planned obsolescence due to its cheap materials and manufacturing
methods. The poorly made garments don't age well, but they can't be recycled
because they're predominantly (over 60%) made of synthetics. So when they're
discarded, they molder in landfills for years.10
 Associated with exploitative, abusive labor practices: Manufacturers are
generally based in developing countries—and some have been none too stringent
in overseeing their sub-contractors nor transparent about their supply chain. That's
led to critics charging that fast fashion is built on bad working conditions, poor pay,
and other abusive, exploitative practices.
 Intellectual property theft: Some designers allege that their designs have been
illegally duplicated and mass-produced by fast fashion companies.

Pros
 Profitable for manufacturers and retailers
 Offers fast, efficient delivery
 Makes clothes affordable
 Democratizes style and fashion

Cons
 Uses cheap materials, poor workmanship
 Encourages "throwaway" consumer mentality
 Bad for the environment
 Associated with exploitative, abusive labor practices

Impact on the Environment and Workers

It's argued in some circles that fast fashion is wasteful and harmful to the environment.
When accounting for quality of workmanship, materials, cheap labor, rapid turnaround, and
low stock for quick sales on the newest fashion items, it's easy to observe that waste can
occur.

However, the environmental impact is much more severe than a cursory look at the
industry reveals. Here's a quick look at some figures:11

 The industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water per year.

 It takes 3,781 liters of water to make one pair of jeans.
 Of all the wastewater in the world, 20% is from textile dying and is highly toxic—
many countries where clothes are made have reduced or no regulations for
wastewater disposal.
  Microplastic fibers used in clothing make their way to the ocean, amounting to
about 500,000 tons—close to 50 billion plastic bottles.
 Fashion emits more than 10% of global carbon emissions.

Economic Impact

The apparel industry, in general, has been growing by as much as 8% annually (aside
from the blip of the 2020 pandemic year)—and fast fashion leads the apparel industry. It's
estimated to grow nearly 7% to $39.84 billion in 2025.1

However, the industry growth is unlikely to be felt by the fast fashion manufacturing
industry workers—profits are not returned to the local economies for the work being done.
Instead, revenues are recognized in the countries the companies are headquartered in,
leaving these local economies to stagnate while others enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Worker Impact

Fast fashion companies employ thousands in their offices, stores, and factories, making
millions in profits yearly. Unfortunately, workers are underpaid, work long hours, and are
exposed to harmful chemicals used in the process.

Fast Fashion vs. Slow Fashion

If fast fashion is getting garments to consumers as quickly as possible, regardless of the

impact on workers and the environment, slow fashion is the exact opposite.

Slow fashion—a concept first introduced in 2008 by fashion and sustainability consultant
Kate Fletcher—uses environmentally-friendly processes and materials through "mindful
manufacturing," focusing on quality rather than quantity.1213 Mindful manufacturing, an
idea championed by 3d printing company Stratasys, is the concept of developing more
efficient production, sound chemical and solid waste disposal practices, reusable
materials, and recycled packaging.

How to Avoid Fast Fashion

It's difficult to avoid products manfactured by companies that practice fast fashion
completely; however, it's not impossible. One of the issues is consumerism and price;
many people cannot afford the actual products fast fashion imitates but are still obsessed
with the latest fashions.

Apart from resisting the urges of consumerism, there are some steps you can take to
reduce the impact of your purchases:

Investigate the brands you like and see if they use sustainable processes and fair labor
practices. You can buy your clothes at secondhand stores, which helps to reduce the
amount of garment waste and extends their usage.

Additionally, speaking up and advocating against fast fashion and consumerism is one of
the best ways to ensure awareness spreads. Most people are unaware of fast fashion's
social and environmental impact—only with everyone doing their part to raise awareness
will accountability be forced onto the companies making these products.

What Is Fast Fashion and Why Is it Important?

Fast fashion is getting garments that imitate new styles to market as quickly as possible,
regardless of the impact on the environment and people's health.

What Are Fast Fashion Examples?

Some examples of companies in fast fashion are Stradivarius, Victoria's Secret, Urban
Outfitters, Guess, Forever 21, and many other popular brands.

Who Benefits From Fast Fashion?

Consumers who enjoy the latest fashion with the convenience of low prices benefit, but the
primary beneficiaries are investors, owners, and other stakeholders who profit from the
practice.

The Bottom Line

"The benefits of fast fashion are clear: more consumer spending, more profits, and the
consumer satisfaction of being able to participate in a trend almost immediately after they
see it in magazines or on their favorite celebrities," stated a 2020 article on the
GlobalEdge, a Michigan State University business reference site. "However, fast fashion
creates a host of issues that make it more problematic than it is beneficial… This industry
contributes to climate change, pesticide pollution, and enormous amounts of waste." The
exploitation of and danger to workers, promulgated by the need for speed and cost
efficiencies, is fast fashion's whole raison d'être.14

The debate around fast fashion, alternatives, and how to proceed will continue as long as
people are willing to buy high styles at low prices and ignore the issues the practice
creates.
What Is Fast Fashion and Why Is It So Bad?

Words: Solene Rauturier

Category: In the Know
Published: 07 Aug 2023
Share for change

FBTW
Our editors curate highly rated brands that are first assessed by our rigorous ratings
system. Buying through our links may earn us a commission—supporting the work we
do. Learn more.

Fast fashion is a relatively new phenomenon in the industry that causes extensive
damage to the planet, exploits workers, and harms animals. Here’s why it’s best to
steer clear when you can.

A tragic reality check for fashion

Fashion wasn’t always as destructive of an industry. Clothes shopping used to be an

occasional event—something that happened a few times a year when the seasons
changed or when we outgrew what we had. But about 30 years ago, something changed.
Clothes became cheaper, trend cycles sped up, and shopping became a weekly hobby for
many. Enter fast fashion and the global chains that now dominate our high streets
and online shopping. But what is fast fashion? Why is fast fashion so bad? And how
exactly does it impact people, the planet, and animals?

It was all too good to be true in the oughties. All these stores selling cool, trendy clothing
well-off people could buy without a second’s thought, wear a handful of times, and then
throw away. Suddenly brands were promising that almost everyone could afford to dress
like their favourite celebrity and wear the latest trends fresh from the catwalk.

But, of course, someone was paying the price. Then in 2013, much of the world had a
reality check when the Rana Plaza clothing manufacturing complex in Bangladesh
collapsed, killing over 1,000 workers. That’s when many consumers really started
questioning fast fashion and wondering at the true cost of those $5 t-shirts. If you’re
reading this article, you might already be aware of fast fashion’s dark side, but it’s worth
exploring how the industry got to this point—and how we can help to change it.

What is fast fashion?

Fast fashion can be defined as cheap, trendy clothing that samples ideas from the catwalk
or celebrity culture and turns them into garments at breakneck speed to meet consumer
demand. The idea is to get the newest styles on the market as fast as possible, so
shoppers can snap them up while they are still at the height of their popularity and then,
sadly, discard them after a few wears. It plays into the idea that outfit repeating is a fashion
faux pas and that if you want to stay relevant, you have to sport the latest looks as they
happen. It forms a key part of the toxic system of overproduction and consumption that
has made fashion one of the world’s largest polluters. Before we can go about changing it,
let’s take a look at the history.

Fast fashion plays into the idea that outfit repeating is a fashion faux pas and that if you

want to stay relevant, you have to sport the latest looks as they happen.

How did fast fashion happen?

To understand how fast fashion came to be, we need to rewind a bit. Before the 1800s,
fashion was slow. You had to source your own materials like wool or leather, prepare
them, weave them, and then make the clothes.

The Industrial Revolution introduced new technology—like the sewing machine. Clothes
became easier, quicker, and cheaper to make. Dressmaking shops emerged to cater to
the middle classes.

Many of these dressmaking shops used teams of garment workers or home workers.
Around this time, sweatshops emerged, along with some familiar safety issues. The first
significant garment factory disaster was when a fire broke out in New York’s Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory in 1911. It claimed the lives of 146 garment workers, many of whom
were young female immigrants.
 By the 1960s and ’70s, young people were creating new trends, and clothing became a
form of personal expression, but there was still a distinction between high fashion and high
street.

In the late 1990s and 2000s, low-cost fashion reached a peak. Online shopping took off,
and fast fashion retailers like H&M, Zara, and Topshop took over the high street. These
brands took the looks and design elements from the top fashion houses and reproduced
them quickly and cheaply. With everyone now able to shop for on-trend clothes whenever
they wanted, it’s easy to understand how the phenomenon caught on.

How to spot a fast fashion brand

Some key factors are common to fast fashion brands:

 Thousands of styles, which touch on all the latest trends.

 Extremely short turnaround time between when a trend or garment is seen on the catwalk
or in celebrity media and when it hits the shelves.

 Offshore manufacturing where labour is the cheapest, with the use of workers on low
wages without adequate rights or safety and complex supply chains with poor visibility
beyond the first tier.

 A limited quantity of a particular garment—this is an idea pioneered by Zara. With new

stock arriving in store every few days, shoppers know if they don’t buy something they like,
they’ll probably miss their chance.

 Cheap, low quality materials like polyester, causing clothes to degrade after just a few
wears and get thrown away—not to mention the microfibre shedding issue.
Why is fast fashion bad?

Polluting our planet

Fast fashion’s impact on the planet is immense. The pressure to reduce costs and speed
up production time means environmental corners are more likely to be cut. Fast fashion’s
negative impact includes its use of cheap, toxic textile dyes—making the fashion industry
the one of the largest polluters of clean water globally, right up there with agriculture.
That’s why Greenpeace has been pressuring brands to remove dangerous chemicals from
their supply chains through its detoxing fashion campaigns through the years.

Cheap textiles also increase fast fashion’s impact. Polyester is one of the most popular
fabrics. It is derived from fossil fuels, contributes to global warming, and can
shed microfibres that add to the increasing levels of plastic in our oceans when washed or
even worn. But even “natural” fabrics can be a problem at the scale fast fashion
demands. Conventional cotton requires enormous quantities of water and pesticides in
countries like India and China. This results in drought risks and creates extreme stress on
water basins and competition for resources between companies and local communities.

The speed at which garments are produced also means that more and more clothes are

disposed of by consumers, creating massive textile waste.

The constant speed and demand means increased stress on other environmental areas
such as land clearing, biodiversity, and soil quality. The processing of leather also impacts
the environment, with 300kg of chemicals added to every 900kg of animal hides tanned.

The speed at which garments are produced also means that more and more clothes are
disposed of by consumers, creating massive textile waste. According to some statistics, in
Australia alone, more than 500m kilos of unwanted clothing ends up in landfill every year.

Exploiting workers

As well as the environmental cost of fast fashion, there’s a human cost.

Fast fashion impacts garment workers who work in dangerous environments, for low
wages, and without fundamental human rights. Further down the supply chain, the farmers
may work with toxic chemicals and brutal practices that can have devastating impacts on
their physical and mental health, a plight highlighted by the documentary The True Cost.
Harming animals

Animals are also impacted by fast fashion. In the wild, the toxic dyes and microfibres
released in waterways are ingested by land and marine life alike through the food chain to
devastating effect. And when animal-derived products such as leather, fur, and even wool
are used in fashion directly, animal welfare is put at risk. As an example, numerous
scandals reveal that real fur, including cat and dog fur, is often being passed off as faux fur
to unknowing shoppers. The truth is that there is so much real fur being produced under
terrible conditions in fur farms that it’s become cheaper to produce and buy than faux fur.

Coercing consumers

Finally, fast fashion can impact consumers themselves, encouraging a “throw-away”

culture because of both the built-in obsolescence of the products and the speed at which
trends emerge. Fast fashion makes us believe we need to shop more and more to stay on
top of trends, creating a constant sense of need and ultimate dissatisfaction. The trend has
also been criticised on intellectual property grounds, with some designers alleging that
retailers have illegally mass-produced their designs.

Who are the big players?

Many retailers we know today as the fast fashion big players, like Zara or H&M, started as
smaller shops in Europe around the 1950s. Technically, H&M is the oldest of the fast
fashion giants, having opened as Hennes in Sweden in 1947, expanding to London in
1976, and before long, reaching the States in 2000.

Zara follows, which opened its first store in Northern Spain in 1975. When Zara landed in
New York at the beginning of the 1990s, people first heard the term “fast fashion”. It was
coined by the New York Times to describe Zara’s mission to take only 15 days for a
garment to go from the design stage to being sold in stores.

There are now even cheaper and faster brands like SHEIN, Missguided, Forever 21, Zaful,

Boohoo, and Fashion Nova. These brands are known as ultra fast fashion, a recent

phenomenon which is as bad as it sounds.

Other big names in fast fashion today include UNIQLO, GAP, Primark, and TopShop.
While these brands were once seen as radically cheap disruptors, there are now even
cheaper and faster alternatives like SHEIN, Missguided, Forever 21, Zaful, Boohoo, and
Fashion Nova. These brands are known as ultra fast fashion, a recent phenomenon which
is as bad as it sounds.

Is fast fashion going green? Think again

As an increasing number of consumers call out the true cost of the fashion industry, and
especially fast fashion, we’ve seen a growing number of retailers introduce so-called
sustainable and ethical fashion initiatives such as in-store recycling schemes. These
schemes allow customers to drop off unwanted items in “bins” in the brands’ stores. But
it’s been highlighted that only 0.1% of all clothing collected by charities and take-back
programs is recycled into new textile fibre.

The underlying issue with fast fashion is the speed at which it is produced, putting massive
pressure on people and the environment. Recycling and small eco or vegan clothing
ranges—when they are not only for greenwashing—are not enough to counter the throw-
away culture, the waste, the strain on natural resources, and the myriad of other issues
created by fast fashion. The whole system needs to be changed.

Will fast fashion ever go out of style?

We are starting to see some changes in the fashion industry. The anniversary of the Rana
Plaza collapse is now Fashion Revolution Week, where people all over the world ask
questions like, “Who made my clothes?” and “What’s in my clothes?”. Fashion Revolution
declares that “we don’t want our clothes to exploit people or destroy our planet”.

There is also a growing interest in moving towards a more circular textile production
model, reusing materials wherever and whenever possible. In 2018, both Vogue
Australia and Elle UK dedicated entire magazine issues to sustainable fashion, a trend
being taken up each year by more and more big names.
Pinning the hopes of a better future on each generation that emerges is nothing new—and

it’s our collective responsibility to acknowledge that waiting for future generations to solve

today's problems is not the answer.

Plus, younger people today are increasingly conscious of the climate emergency and
many are taking action accordingly. However, there’s a gap between intention and
reality. Millennials and gen Zers are the main drivers of the fast fashion economy
today. Ultra fast fashion brands like SHEIN are selling more than ever, and young
shoppers are still their target market.

Some analysts think up-and-coming generation Alpha could finally create a new status quo
for fashion in light of the climate crisis: “The signals are that Alphas are taking the
expectations and behaviours of previous generations even further,” says Dr. Gordon
Fletcher of Salford Business School. “They are the generation to ‘do’ something rather
than just ‘talk’ about it.”

But similar things were said of gen Y and Z before them. Pinning the hopes of a better
future on each generation that emerges is nothing new—and it’s our collective
responsibility to acknowledge that waiting for future generations to solve today’s problems
is not the answer.

In light of a looming climate catastrophe, industries like fashion that are responsible for

such alarming amounts of waste and carbon emissions must be regulated if we are to limit

global warming.
Of course, the onus doesn’t lie solely with shoppers. In fact, in recent years there has been
a push towards government and industry regulations that would call for fast fashion brands
to change their ways or face fines and persecution. In mid-2023, reports Vogue, “the
European Union has backed a raft of new regulations to ‘end fast fashion’, including
policies designed to make clothes more durable, easier to reuse, repairable and
recyclable.” In light of a looming climate catastrophe, industries like fashion that are
responsible for such alarming amounts of waste and carbon emissions must be regulated
if we are to limit global warming to 1.5°C by the end of this century as outlined by The
Paris Agreement in 2015. While these regulations are emerging and still don’t go far
enough, critics say, it’s a step in the right direction.
 What can we do?

Shift our consumption habits

This quote by British designer Vivienne Westwood says it best: “buy less, choose well,
make it last.”

Buying less is the first step—try to fall back in love with the clothes you already own by
styling them differently or even “flipping” them, or taking them along to a clothes swap with
friends so you each get pieces “new to you”. Creating a capsule wardrobe is also worth
considering on your ethical fashion journey, or even renting outfits for special events so
you’re not buying something new to wear once.

Choose well is the second step, and choosing high-quality garments made of lower-impact
materials is essential here. There are pros and cons to all fibre types, as seen in our
ultimate guide to clothing materials, but there is a helpful chart at the top to refer to when
purchasing. Choosing well could also mean committing to shopping your closet first, only
shopping second hand, or supporting more sustainable brands like those below.

Finally, we should make it last and look after our clothes by following the care
instructions, wearing them until they are worn out, mending them wherever possible,
then responsibly recycling them at the very end of their life.

Get educated on the big issues

Learning more about the issues with fast fashion and how moving towards more
sustainable fashion can make a real difference is key in any consumer’s journey. Here are
some resources to get you started:

 A Beginner’s Guide to More Sustainable Fashion

 How to Encourage Your Friends to Shop More Ethically and Sustainably

 Happy Listening: the Best Ethical Fashion Podcasts

 Must-Read Sustainable and Ethical Fashion Books

 Sustainable Fashion Documentaries You’ll Be Glad You Watched

Learn about fast fashion’s responsible alternative, slow fashion

Here are some of our favourite brands giving fast fashion the flick and embodying a slow,
circular, more sustainable way of wearing:

MUD Jeans

Rated: Great

Dutch denim brand MUD Jeans is all about sustainability. Not only does it offer a repair
service, but it also provides a rental service where you can lease a pair of jeans for up to a
year. MUD Jeans uses a combination of GOTS certified organic cotton and post-consumer
recycled cotton.

MUD Jeans are available in a range of sizes, usually from W25 L30-W33 L32 for women
and W28 L34-W36 L34 for men.

See the rating.

Shop MUD Jeans.

Whimsy + Row

Rated: Good

Whimsy + Row is a US-based lifestyle brand born out of a love for quality goods and
responsible practices. Since 2014, its mission has been to provide ease and elegance for
the modern woman. Whimsy + Row utilises deadstock fabric, and by limiting each garment
to short runs, the brand also reduces packaging waste and takes care of precious water
resources.

Find most products in XS-XL, with an extended sizing range up to 3XL.

See the rating.

Shop Whimsy + Row.

Shop Whimsy + Row @ Earthkind.

A.BCH

Rated: Great

A.BCH is a Melbourne-based, Australian-made fashion label for individuals who care

about garment provenance. It utilises renewable, organic, and recycled materials.

Find the range in sizes XS-XL, or customise to fit you.

See the rating.

Shop A.BCH.

Organic Basics

Rated: Great

Organic Basics offers high-quality more sustainable fashion basics for men and women in
organic materials. The Denmark-based brand puts sustainable thinking at the centre of
everything—it only chooses fabrics that care for our environment, and only ever partners
with factories that care about their impact.

Organic Basics' clothes are available in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Organic Basics.

Kings of Indigo

Rated: Good

Kings of Indigo makes quality denims, tops, and accessories inspired by American classics
with a Japanese eye for detail. The brand uses GOTS organic cotton as well as recycled
cotton and wool, and avoids all chemicals from the REACH chemical list.
Offered in sizes XS-L.

See the rating.

Shop Kings of Indigo.

Afends

Rated: Good

Offers

Afends – Essential Sets

3 is better than 1. Essentials made from hemp and organic cotton, in styles to suit you.
Classic, baby, oversized and more. Buy 3 Essentials for $150 on Afends Essential Sets.
Minimum spend $150. Sale items excluded. (Ends: 27 SEP)

Shop now

Afends – Mens Denim

Laid back and loosened up, discover your next favorite jeans, shirts and accessories in
edgy, modern cuts, from organic cotton and hemp. Exclusive 20% off Afends Mens Denim
with code GOODDENIM20. (Ends: 26 SEP)

Checkout code: GOODDENIM20

Shop now
Afends – Womens Denim

Its best denim pieces online now. Whether you like them loose, straight or super baggy.
Limited time only. Exclusive 20% off Afends Womens Denim with code GOODDENIM20.
(Ends: 26 SEP)

Checkout code: GOODDENIM20

Shop now
Born in Byron Bay, Afends is a responsible brand leading the way in hemp fashion.
Drawing inspiration from the environment, streetwear, and surf culture, Afends’ mission is
to create more sustainable clothing through innovation, action, and positive change. As
true hemp advocates, they purchased 100 acres of farmland called Sleepy Hollow to grow
their own hemp crops and ignite the hemp revolution.

Find most of the range in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Afends.

Artknit Studios

Rated: Good

Artknit Studios creates timeless knitwear in 100% lower-impact materials, made

responsibly by Italian makers. Its partners are committed to anti-waste practices using only
certified and locally-sourced fibres, true to the brand's motto of "buy less, buy better".

Find items offered in sizes XS-L.

See the rating.

Shop Artknit Studios.

Outland Denim

Rated: Great
Outland Denim makes premium denim jeans and clothes, and offers employment
opportunities for women rescued from human trafficking in Cambodia. This Australian
brand was founded as an avenue for the training and employment of women who have
experienced sex trafficking.

Find most of the brand's range in US sizes 22-34.

See the rating.

Shop Outland Denim.

Shop Outland Denim @ Good.

Harvest & Mill

Rated: Great

Harvest & Mill pieces are grown, milled, and sewn exclusively in the US, supporting
American organic cotton farmers and local sewing communities. The brand makes basics
for everyone, always ensuring they are not dyed or bleached, greatly reducing the use of
water, energy, and dye materials. Even better, by cultivating different varieties of cotton,
the brand is able to bolster biodiversity, which is essential for ensuring healthy ecosystems
and keeping our planet resilient in the face of climate change.

Shop the range in sizes S-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Harvest & Mill.

Mashu

Rated: Good

Offers
Mashu – Philippa Bag

Philippa is a versatile baguette bag ready for all of your day-to-night needs. Inspired by
organic forms found in nature, made from vegan bio leather. 30% off Philippa Bags. (Ends:
8 SEP)

Shop now
Mashu is a British more sustainable vegan accessories label specialising in handbags.
Mashu’s environmental rating is "Good", crafting its exterior with vegan leather alternatives
while its interiors feature vegan suede made from recycled polyester, ensuring you never
have to sacrifice your morals for style again.