Top Sustainable And Size-Inclusive Fashion Brands

The sustainable fashion scene has been exploding for a while now. The fashion industry is acknowledging and taking steps to address the issue of climate change, of which it’s a major contributing factor. Another movement that has been slowly gaining momentum is the size-inclusive movement. But rarely has the two movements overlapped until very recently. For most women, it’s harder to make the transition from fast fashion to sustainable ones because most labels fail to offer inclusive sizes. Majority of designers and brands go up to only XL size clothing and never beyond that. That leaves out a lot of consumers being unable to access these brands.

Since most sustainable brands are independently owned or medium-sized businesses, they are hesitant to indulge in size-inclusive clothes because of the sheer development cost of expanding the range of the collection. But with the demand for plus size clothing growing, many brands are listening to their customers and expanding their size range.

Here are some exciting brands that are changing the industry’s approach to fit and sustainability-

• Reformation– Founded in 2009, Reformation has been a leader sustainably and ethically since its inception. Their plus size collections offer up to 3X dress size. All their best sellers are available in sizes 14 to 24. True to their commitment to sustainability, Reformation calculates all its emissions and puts it in a yearly report to tabulate their carbon footprint and what they are doing to reduce it. 
• Eileen Fisher– Eileen Fisher is a board-certified Fair Trade brand that is dedicated to making fashion more sustainable. The brand used organic fibres and has a renewal program that works towards reducing clothing waste. The brand supports fair living wages for its garment factory workers. 
• Mara Hoffman– Mara Hoffman is known for her high quality understated styles that are feminine and also sustainable. The designer strives to create each collection responsibly using certified organic fibres and recycled fabrics. The brand uses tags made of 80% recycled paper, printed with soy-based ink. They also opt for compostable bags in contrast to plastics bags. 
• Birdsong– The British brand known for its sustainable practices recently created a successful crowdfunding campaign to gather the investment they needed to expand their collection to be more size-inclusive. They are creating a new range of size-inclusive dresses made completely out of the biodegradable and compostable material TENCEL. They pay their garment workers fair living wages and support women’s charities as part of their ethical and sustainable approach.
• Girlfriend Collective- Girlfriend Collective offers workout gear up to XXXL size. They offer transparency like no other- the whole process of development and production from start to finish can be viewed on their official website. All of their garments are made with recycled plastic in Taiwan. This sustainable brand uses 25 plastic bottles in every pair of its comfortable leggings and the dyes used on these leggings are environmentally friendly. 
• Universal Standard– Universal Standard is known for its wide range of sizes. With its high-end fabrics and minimal aesthetics, it is a hit with women of all sizes. The brand has set a new standard in plus size fashion by offering curvy women high-quality essentials and classics that exude elegance. Their clothes are made in China, Peru, France and the USA where all their factories are vetted to ensure that ethical standards of manufacturing and production are strictly adhered to.