5 Affordably Ethical Alternatives to H&M—Updated for 2022
Stylish and affordable conscious clothing brands to break your ‘fast fashion’ habit.
Considered one of the original pioneers of ‘fast fashion,’ the planet’s second-largest clothing retailer has recently started to dip its financial and marketing toe into sustainable apparel. But with nearly all of Hennes & Mauritz’s (H&M) cheap and trendy clothing sourced unsustainably and only a fraction of their factories offering workers a living wage, the $200 billion-a-year leader of fast fashion is moving pretty slowly.
They are gradually making changes, but in the meantime, there are many other fashionable, affordable, and sustainable brands for men and women that can help you get your fashion fix and be sure you’re not contributing to unsafe working conditions or environmental damage.
Before we dig into the list, if you like learning about brands that are changing the way the world does business, want to be the first to know about new arrivals on DoneGood, and get exclusive discounts delivered right to your inbox, sign up for email from DoneGood below. We'll start you off with over a dozen ways to save on ethically-made products!
Now, let's get into it...
WVN
WOMEN'S CLOTHES
Sustainable clothing approved by just about every eco-friendly and fair labor certification out there
WVN goes above and beyond to make sure their clothes and their brand are the most sustainable they can possibly be—from their home base in Santa Cruz to their sewing centers in Nepal. Their organic cotton is GOTS certified, they use low impact dyes, their factories are Fair Trade Certified, and their entire company is a B Corp.
All this attention they put into their company means quality, stylish clothing that you'll love. Browse around their collection to find a variety of casual styles that you can look and feel great in.
Toad&Co
Toad&Co is going the extra mile to ensure sustainability in the clothing industry- the 4th largest polluter of air and water globally. Not only do they produce clothes made from eco materials like organic cotton, hemp, Tencel, Lenzing modal, sustainable stretch polyester, and recycled fabrics, but they also ship orders in reusable mailers and repair gently used clothes to be loved again. But even all that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Toad&Co doesn’t limit its impact to environmental causes only. It also co-founded the Planet Access Company, a warehouse that employs and trains adults with learning disabilities AND Search for Adventure, a program that facilitates unforgettable vacations for adults with disabilities. Toad&Co sells a wide range of clothing and outerwear for women and men that can take you from the trail to the theater. These products are technical as well as comfortable, but none of that comes at the expense of style—or sustainability.
Hathorway
JEWELRY & ACCESSORIES • HOME GOODS
Handcrafted, one-of-a-kind, zero-waste jewelry, accessories, and home goods that give back to empower women.
Use code HATHORWAY20 and get 20% off your first purchase
While we primarily think of them as selling clothes, H&M offers way more—like jewelry, bags, and home goods. And if you're looking for similar styles to H&M's accessories, look no further than Hathorway!
Hathorway is serious about creating the most ethical, high-quality, beautiful accessories you can find. They source only natural materials from all over the world and use them to make trendy products with love in Redwood City, California. One of their most commonly used natural materials? Buffalo horns. Often discarded by the food industry in Vietnam, Hathorway repurposes buffalo horns to make beautiful and durable jewelry (see the buffalo horn bracelet in the picture above?)
Browse around Hathorway's collection and you'll find a variety of zero-waste jewelry, bags, pillows, planters, and much more that you're sure to love! Need even more reason to shop Hathorway? They give back 10% of their profits to causes and organizations that empower women!
Elegantees
WOMEN'S CLOTHES
Classy, casual, comfortable clothes—sewn and signed by women overcoming sex trafficking.
PACT Apparel
MEN'S CLOTHES • WOMEN'S CLOTHES • KIDS' CLOTHES • BEDDING
High-quality organic, GMO-free, sweatshop-free clothes
Pact Apparel makes organic, fair trade, sustainably-made apparel that feels ridiculously good against the skin. Seriously, once you try on their undies, you will be ruined for other brands. Fair warning.
But they do much more than base layers. They have full lines for men, women, and kids, as well as sumptuous organic cotton bedding that feels like sleeping in a silk cloud, and soft thick waffle towels that you'll love!
Head of Good Community, DoneGood Reformed Hollywood agent turned digital strategist who went on to nurse his karma in the world of philanthropy.
Leave a comment