Photo: Courtesy of One Mango Tree.While we may have H&M's Conscious Collection to thank for bringing environmentally sound fashion to the attention of a very mass market, let's say it's just one little tick off a whole checklist of what's possible as far as ethical fashion goes. In fact, there are plenty of smaller and lesser-known brands that are shaking things up in a much more profound way when it comes to changing how we're producing, marketing, and selling products people actually want to buy.
As College Fashion points out, ethical fashion brands actively eschew labor exploitation, unfair wages for their employees, and environmentally harmful production and distribution practices. But, just because a brand says it's eco-friendly doesn't mean that it's not just a marketing gimmick. Sometimes, it takes a bit of research (and a guiding hand from someone who's done their research) to help you differentiate between an actually green item and something that's just been greenwashed.
So, to start buying smarter (especially since tomorrow's Earth Day), we contacted College Fashion to reveal its five sworn brands who do green well. These companies not only provide safe workplaces and decent salaries for citizens of impoverished countries, but also hold themselves to best business practices while offering designs that are just as attractive as their ethics. Need proof? Click on. (College Fashion)