As the fashion industry evolves, an increasing number of incredibly smart individuals (yes, I’m talking to you) are becoming conscious of the environmental and ethical impacts of their shopping choices. That desire to make a positive change has led many fashion enthusiasts like me to explore sustainable and ethical alternatives.
My personal journey with sustainability started eight years ago when I launched my own online store. I decided to start my business (which I’ll admit was a little ahead of its time), with a specially curated collection of incredible wardrobe basics – which spawned from an incident when I went onto a popular fashion site wanting to buy a white T-shirt.
The results page spat out over 19 pages of results (roughly 4000 styles) of various white tees… I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, so it prompted my journey for The Perfect One.
Sustainable and stylish T-shirts
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Every wardrobe needs a collection of comfortable and versatile T-shirts, and what better place to start than with organic cotton? High street ethical brands are embracing organic cotton, which is grown without harmful pesticides and requires less water than conventional cotton. Look for brands that prioritise fair trade practices and ensure their cotton is certified organic (‘GOTS’ is the industry gold-standard to look out for). Not only will you feel great in these soft tees, but you’ll also contribute to reducing the fashion industry’s environmental impact.
These are the ethical T-shirts to know now…
Where to buy sustainable T-shirts on the high street in 2023
Asket
ASKET is an amazing brand, which discloses a product’s entire journey ‘from farm to finish line,’ making their products completely traceable by customers.
Not only do its classic white tees come in a range of muted colours, but they’re each available in 16 different sizes – XS-XL – and in three different lengths per size, making them way more inclusive than your standard high street brand. They are even 99% recyclable (just the thread isn’t).
Sabinna
If you haven’t heard of Sabinna then you need to check them out. All of its tees are made using GOTS-certified cotton, use less water in the production, are vegan friendly and are developed in a circular way to reduce waste. They’re all made in the label’s East London studio, too.
Everlane
Looking for a great range of basics with a side of transparency? Then you need to try out Everlane. You can trace the brands cotton from the seed all the way to the final product, and its really great at listing the full production process in a clear and easy to understand way for regular shoppers. I have the waffle tee in my basket as we speak.
Rapanui
I’m relatively new to this brand but from what I’ve seen (and felt), the quality is incredible. I would recommend sizing up by one if you prefer a slouchy fit. The range is made using renewable energy sources, incorporates circular production and it uses plastic-free packaging. Big thumbs up.
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