What is the dictionary definition of the word “sustainability”? The definition is: the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level. What does that mean when it comes to our relationship to fashion and consumerism? I think it means that, as a whole, people are looking to brands and companies to think about their manufacturing practices and change them in a way that causes a minimal amount of damage on the environment and the people that work in the business. When a company becomes more sustainable, they operate in a way that is moving away from creating products that cause an excess amount of waste or leaves a large carbon footprint. This would allow the company to be maintained at this rate without causing harm.
In this blog post, I wanted to list a few brands and companies that I’ve seen make a real difference in the journey towards sustainability. I say the word “journey” deliberately because that’s what sustainability is. Every person who is working towards living a more sustainable life is doing their part in advocating for a future we can be proud of. Anne Marie Bonneau, author of ‘The Zero Waste Chef‘ once said “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly”. It’s the journey we set ourselves on and the effort we put in along the way that really counts. And, why wouldn’t you want to support a brand or person who is trying to make a difference for the better? Because, let’s be real… sustainability is sexy and sustainable products make us feel sexier too.
I love the topic of “sustainability” and I could go on about it… if you’d let me. But, without further ado, here are a few companies I’ve chosen to highlight. I wanted this list to be concise, but I have more recommendations, so let me know if you’d like a part 2!
CLOTHES:
- PANGAIA – They are a lounge wear company that teaches the importance of sustainability with every article of clothing they put out. Literally. On their sweatpants, crewnecks, shorts, etc, they have a little blurb that talks about what materials go in to making them. All of their clothing is made with botanical dyes, to give them a natural and vibrant pop of colour. Their clothing is made from recycled fibres and material made from recycled water bottles. It’s creative. It’s innovative. It’s cute as hell… and I can’t wait to own my own pieces from this company.
- KOTN – Kotn is a Toronto based company that makes cute, sustainable staple pieces (we love to support our local stores). Kotn donates parts of their proceeds to building schools in Nile Delta in Egypt, which is where they get their cotton to make their pieces. They’ve put in the work to make sure all of their labor practices are fair, providing resources to smallholder farms and impoverished communities. They are a company that practices what they preach!
- Uncle Studios – They are also a Toronto based clothing company (double yes) that is working on lowering their environmental impact. They also place a heavy emphasis on being transparent with their production practices and are encouraging other brands in the fashion industry to take a close look at the ways in which their operations negatively effect the environment. Transparency is the key to proving their sustainability!
- Bagatiba (jewelry) – They are a fine jewelry line, created by the iconic Jessie Andrews, and based out of Los Angeles. This company highlights the importance of ethically sourcing materials for jewelry through up-cycling and doing so in a sustainable way that has set a new standard in the fine jewelry industry. Bagatiba has taken Instagram by storm and is a company that produces pieces you can wear, guilt free.
HOME PRODUCTS:
- Kinsfolk Shop – They are another great Canadian brand run by one amazing woman named Tiu. After working in the retail industry, Tiu decided that she no longer wanted to support the “throw-away” culture that goes hand-in-hand with consumerism, as she eloquently puts it. Kinsfolk has a wide range of essential home tools that you can add to your routine (after using what you already have, of course) that are both better for the environment and aesthetically pleasing. PLUS, their packaging is 100% plastic free. And whenever I see that, I’m on board.
- Green Boheme – Green Boheme is an online retailer for home goods, utensils and ethically made products, much like Kinsfolk Shop! Their goal is to shift the way in which people think about their lifestyle and how it impacts the health of our planet. They are a champion of the zero-waste movement and they regularly discuss the ways in which single-use plastics are a detriment to environment and people in general. They are another small but amazing Canadian brand that we should be supporting.
- Eco + Amour – Is a sustainable home goods, beauty essentials and personal care shop that encourages their customers to use their products, save the packaging, and bring it back to the shop to refill. This eliminates the waste that comes from buying and throwing away products. Eco+Armour is a physical shop in Toronto where you can refill on your home essentials, like shampoo, conditioner, detergent, etc while also shopping for other personal goods. They have partnered with eco friendly companies to sell their products as long as it aligns with their initiative to be better for the planet.
- The Sunshine Series – The Sunshine Series is the only addition to this column that isn’t based out of Canada, but still well worth the mention! Their initiative started with a passion to decrease the amount of plastic that is being thrown out every year. They create long lasting products from 100% natural materials, like reusable bags and hemp napkin, that are compostable at the end of their life. They encourage their customers to use up the things they have in their homes before shopping with them.
SKINCARE:
- by Humankind – They are a carbon neutral personal goods company that is taking the initiative towards eliminating the need for single use plastics. If this is starting to sound repetitive, then good. Because this should be the norm and companies like By Humankind is how we make it a reality. They have products and containers that you can send back when you’re done and have them re-filled so that there is no excess waste. They also hope to reduce each persons single-use plastic footprint by 90%.
- Lesse – Lesse is an organic skincare brand that aims to mix high quality skincare with sustainable practices and they are working towards being carbon neutral by 2024. They use planet-conscious packing, carefully selected ingredients for their products and they verify the sustainability of everything they source. Lesse is hoping to shift the skincare industry towards more diversity without compromising on quality and their low-impact on the Earth. We love diversity and eco-conscious products!
- Necessaire – Aesthetically pleasing packaging mixed with high quality, non-toxic ingredients meets sustainability! Necessaire is a brand that can be spotted all over Instagram, and for good reason. When they initially launched, they were high lighting the importance of clean body care and sex care because they are both a form of self care. They have a long list of ingredients they have deemed to be of the highest quality and a long list of ingredients that they would never use. All of their packing is recyclable and they are transparent about the fact that they do not use any virgin forest materials, which is an environmental game changer when it comes to manufacturing practices.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you. You’re a real one and I appreciate you. Living a more sustainable life is an important topic to me and I hope to encourage the people around me to participate in better practices that help themselves, everyone else and the planet without having to miss out on the products they love. This has been fun and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing this piece and putting it together. Let me know what you think and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!
All my love,
Sy