Sustainable Summer Shopping: 8 Places to Buy Sustainable Clothing for the Upcoming Season

Fast fashion has a massive impact on the environment, so it’s important to shop sustainably for clothing. Photo by Your North County.

Spring has sprung, which means everyone is already looking forward to summer. For many people, that includes buying a new summer wardrobe. However, purchasing new clothing can have an extremely negative environmental impact. Fast fashion is the second-largest user of the world’s water, produces 10% of the world’s carbon emissions, and generates vast amounts of pollution such as microplastics. Therefore, it’s vital that people start shopping sustainably for clothing. It can be hard to find places to buy eco-friendly clothing, but luckily there are a surprisingly large number of clothing stores that prioritize the planet! Here are 8 wonderful online shops to check out for some sustainable summer shopping.

LACAUSA

Sustainable features: mostly made in the United States, low waste design, recycled materials, organic materials, deadstock materials

Other pluses: living wages, humane working conditions, donates to partner organizations

LACAUSA is a Los Angeles brand with a very West Coast, bohemian style. They have a broad range of pieces for a variety of occasions, from a fun night out to lounging with friends, and even carry other items such as reusable grocery bags and water bottles. LACAUSA also has swimsuits, which are perfect for summer. Most of their pieces are produced in the United States and they heavily emphasize ethical labor practices in the production of their products. On top of that, certain pieces are made with recycled, organic, or deadstock materials, making them even more sustainable. In addition, LACAUSA has a donation program and has donated to organizations including the ACLU, LA Family Housing, Inner City Arts, and the National Resource Defense Council.

The Vintage Scene

Sustainable features: vintage

If you’re a fan of vintage styles, especially things from the 80s, 90s, and y2k, this is absolutely the store for you. With a wide range of vintage pieces sourced from the United States and European Union, The Vintage Scene has unique items that will definitely make you stand out this summer. Buying secondhand and vintage prevents clothing from going into the landfill, does not require the use of any new materials, and generates no new pollution, so it is a wonderful option for anyone looking to shop sustainably.

Recover

Sustainable features: mostly made in the USA, recycled materials, organic materials, sustainable production practices, closed-loop, 1% For The Planet member, clean water initiatives, Protect Our Parks initiative

Other pluses: fair labor practices, support local initiative, Recover Artist Development program

This North Carolina brand is perfect for anyone who loves hiking, exercising, or just wearing cozy clothing. All of their pieces are either made of 100% recycled plastic bottles, 50% recycled plastic and 50% recycled cotton, or 100% organic cotton grown within 250 miles of their headquarters. Most of their production is done within that same radius and Recover is working to develop a 100% made in the USA supply chain. Recover has a closed-loop initiative where you can send any of their products you no longer want back to them for them to use to make new clothing. The company has also created multiple initiatives supporting a range of causes, such as clean water and protecting public lands, and are members of 1% For The Planet, which means 1% of their annual sales are donated to environmental nonprofits.

The Vintage Twin

Sustainable features: vintage

The Vintage Twin is a great place to shop if you’re looking for specific vintage items. Another sustainable second-hand store, The Vintage Twin specializes in T-shirts, sweatshirts, silk button downs, and belts. They also have a variety of tie-dyed pieces perfect for anyone looking for bright summer pieces.

Natalia Trevino Amaro

Sustainable features: deadstock materials, natural fiber materials, thrifted materials, uses fabric scraps, sustainable packaging, optional carbon offsets for shipping

Other pluses: handmade

Natalia Trevino Amaro’s handmade pieces balance timeless with trendy. Her collections are small but frequently rotate and she also sells accessories such as headbands, tote bags, and scrunchies. In addition, Natalia Trevino Amaro offers custom pieces for all kinds of occasions. She uses a wide range of sustainable materials along with sustainable packaging to reduce the environmental impact of her brand. At checkout, customers can also opt to give money to a carbon offset project in order to cancel out emissions from shipping.

Highway Robbery Vintage

Sustainable features: vintage

Other pluses: work with independent artists and local businesses

The Pittsburgh store Highway Robbery Vintage sells all kinds of vintage pieces, including T-shirts, sweatshirts, bottoms, and dresses. They have numerous reworked pieces, most of which are T-shirts that have been cropped or modified in some other way. On the more unique side, Highway Robbery Vintage also sells prints of collages made using vintage magazines. Additionally, they offer items such as candles and stickers made by local artists.

PANGAIA

Sustainable features: collaborates with other environmental organizations, recycled materials, plant-based materials, organic materials, environmentally-friendly dyes, dyes made of air pollution, peppermint antimicrobial and odor-control treatment, compostable packaging, offsets some emissions

Other pluses: donates to charities and other organizations, took the Juneteenth Pledge

PANGAIA is probably the most innovative brand on this list. Their clothing has a casual and laid-back style, perfect for working out or lounging. What makes PANGAIA so special is their materials. Not only do they make fabrics using things like recycled cotton, recycled wool, and organic cotton, but they also have created many unique materials such as down made of wildflowers and biopolymer and vegan leather made using grapes. They created inks made out of air pollution and use peppermint oil as an antibacterial treatment on some of their clothing to control odor, allowing you to wash it less often and save water. On top of that, PANGAIA has partnered with a wide range of sustainability groups for collections and initiatives, such as fighting the Australian wildfires and supporting an Australian wildlife hospital. They also support a range of other causes, have donated to organizations such as Black Lives Matter and the NAACP, and took the Juneteenth Pledge, giving their workers Juneteenth off as a paid holiday and supporting pushes to make it a national holiday.

Marine Layer

Sustainable features: recycled materials, plant-based materials, organic materials, vintage, donates to environmental organizations

Other pluses: responsible supply chain, donates to charities and other organizations

Marine Layer has a very casual, California coast style and a wide range of different pieces. While not as sustainable as the other brands on this list, they include at least 30% sustainable materials in 40% of their products and plan to up that to 60% of their products by 2022. These sustainable materials include recycled nylon, upcycled cotton, hemp, and organic cotton. Marine Layer recycles old T-shirts into some of their pieces and has diverted 250,000 T-shirts from landfills so far. In addition, they focus on ethical production of their products and have donated to organizations such as Sierra Club, The Bail Project, and The Trevor Project.