A Complete Guide to the Best Fairtrade Fashion Brands

Forget shell suits or leg warmers, the real fashion faux pas these days is buying clothes from brands who don’t respect people and planet. And one way to ensure your clothes are made in an ethical way, is to buy Fairtrade fashion. The next two weeks are Fairtrade Fortnight. So, I thought I’d share with you all the Fairtrade fashion brands.

Why Buy Fairtrade Fashion?

We traditionally think of food when we think of Fairtrade, but certified Fairtrade cotton is also grown. Now, a cotton T Shirt is a summer wardrobe staple, yet the industry is one ridden with issues. Exploitation, workers rights, farmer debt, intensive water and toxic pesticide use are just a few of the problems that currently exist. It’s one reason why I try and buy Fairtrade clothing and organic cotton, wherever possible.

Fairtrade Farmers and Climate Change

Now this year the Fairtrade Foundation want to highlight the challenges that climate change brings to Fairtrade farmers. As these are the people who are bearing the brunt of the current climate crisis. Unpredictable and extreme weather patterns threaten their livelihoods. And I will tell you more about this in next week’s blog post. But if you’re interested, then there are a series of online events that you can check out here.

But before we start:

What is Fairtrade? And what does Fairtrade mean?

Fairtrade certification is the gold star standard for farming and production and sets out rigorous standards that must be followed. These include:

• Fair Payment
• Decent working conditions
• Transparency & Accountability
• No discrimination
• No forced or child labour
• Respect for the environment
• Opportunities for disadvantaged producers.

As the Fairtrade Foundation says:

“Fairtrade tackles the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the most vulnerable. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.”

What is Fairtrade fairtrade.org.uk

And we can make a difference by voting with our wallets & choosing to buy Fairtrade products.

What does the fairtrade logo look like?

The two Fairtrade logos you’ll commonly see in the UK are the Fairtrade Foundation and the World Fairtrade Organisation. Both companies independently check that throughout the supply chain these standards have been met. This is what the Fairtrade logos look like:

Fairtrade Fashion Brands

After a long preamble, we finally get to the good stuff. Here are the brands currently producing Fairtrade fashion. Drum roll please…..

People Tree

People Tree* really are the pioneers of Fairtrade fashion. In fact, they were the first fashion company to be awarded the World Fair Trade Organisation product label. And their seasonal collections of exclusive vintage V&A prints in wearable, flattering shapes have confirmed their status as a true fashion brand. Fabrics they use include; certified organic cotton, TENCEL™ Lyocell and responsible wool. I love their affordable styles that reflect the skill and craftmanship of the artists they work so closely with.

You can buy everything from underwear, to activewear and, of course, beautiful dresses. This is a brand with people and planet at it’s heart. It is one of my go to places to shop ethical and sustainable fashion.

Shop – People Tree*

Know the Origin

Home to over 150 sustainable brands Know the Origin is a one stop shop for everything from organic undies to Fairtrade gin. And note, they even have a section for menswear. Soooo important, because ethical menswear is hard to find. Not everything is certified Fairtrade, but if you type Fairtrade into the search bar you get a comprehensive list of all the certified items they stock. They have a good selection of Fairtrade cotton T shirts. And I was delighted to find a selection of organic Fairtrade lipstick from Odylique.

Shop – Know the Origin*

Kowtow

Kowtow are a New Zealand based ethical fashion brand. Their designs are modern but minimalist, stylish basics to elevate our wardrobes. Think, the ethical and sustainable version of Cos. All their cotton is certified by Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO). They embrace a slow production chain, design to production takes up to 18 months. And ensuring fair wages, workers rights and environmental protection is at the core of all they do. You can buy their designs in the UK through their European store or from online ethical boutique Sust Style.

Shop – Kowtow

Thought Clothing

Now, ethical fashion and sustainability have always been at the centre of Thought Clothing, a fashion brand for women and men. And last year they upped their game by releasing a capsule T shirt collection* of Fairtrade GOTS certified organic items. This is the place to go to get that perfect summer white cotton T.

Shop – Thought*

White Stuff

Definitely British, is how I’d describe White Stuff, with easy prints and styles for everyday life. They’re one of the few ‘high street’ brands who’re starting to tackle the issues of sustainability and ethics of fashion and not just within a ‘conscious’ range. Within their collections they are using organic cotton, Lenzing™ EcoVero™ viscose and have signed a three year agreement committing to the Fairtrade Sourced Cotton model . It basically means that they have agreed to source 100 metric tonnes of cotton in the first year and this will increase year on year. Not every cotton style is organic or Fairtrade but let’s hope that’d the direction of travel. They sell, womenswear, menswear and kids.

Shop – White Stuff

Dedicated

If you’re after a pop of colour and some seriously fun prints in your life then head over to Dedicated. A sustainable fashion brand from Sweden who, in their own words, are dedicated to creativity and sustainability. All their T shirts & sweats are made from organic and Fairtrade cotton. Though, within their collections all the fabrics used are sustainable. Shop menswear, womenswear and kids.

Shop – Dedicated

Little Green Radicals

Without a doubt, Little Green Radicals are one of my favourite children’s ethical fashion brands. And they source all their organic cotton from Fairtrade partners. I say favourite, because they really do create the most adorable affordable kids clothing, with fun prints, playful styles. Many of their styles are unisex. And all their clothes are well made so can easily be passed down between siblings, cousins and friends. The Fairtrade clothes, come in sizes 0-8 years. Now I know you love a few pictures, so above are my kids in a few of their past season’s collections.

Shop – Little Green Radicals

Ocean Bluu

For princesses and adventurers Ocean Bluu make pjs, undies and bedding for little ones aged 2-8 years. And all their products are made from certified organic and Fairtrade cotton. But it doesn’t stop there, for every product bought they give underwear to children who need it, with their one gives one scheme.

Shop – Ocean Bluu

KoolSkools

And finally, here is a school uniform shop that uses Fairtrade cotton, KoolSkools. However, the only small snag is that they make specifically for each school with the logo on. So, you need to get your school to sign up before you can order. That said, this is a great opportunity to be a Fairtrade advocate and get your school & other parents onboard with buying ethical school uniform.

Shop – KoolSkools

A Final Note on Fairtrade Fashion

There are obviously lots of other fashion brands who use fair trade practices. But for this blog post I’ve stuck to the ones that are Fairtrade certified. And, that’s it for now, but I do hope I have to up date this blog post soon with more Fairtrade fashion brands 🙂