Nothing gets me more excited for spring and summer than thinking about bringing out my favorite sustainable dresses. From casual t-shirt dresses and house dresses to chic midi frocks and fun mini’s for a night out, I love ’em all!
And what’s not to love? The perfect sustainable dress can be dressed up (or down), layered (or not), and is arguably the easiest outfit to put together, even when it’s boiling hot outside and you have *no idea* what to wear.
So if you’re looking for that perfect eco-friendly dress to complement your wardrobe this year, I’ve got you covered with this guide to sustainably and ethically-made dresses. This guide has brands with both casual and fancier dresses, but if you’re shopping for exclusively special occasion dresses, I would recommend checking out this guide to ethical formal dresses.
What Qualifies As (More) Sustainable Dresses?
Wearing what we have in our closets is the most sustainable approach! But if you’re here, you probably already evaluated that option and you’re looking to add something to your closet for whatever reason.
The second most sustainable option is to look secondhand. thredUP is a solid option for lower priced items and Vestiaire Collective is a great choice for premium and more luxury brands. Online secondhand marketplaces like Poshmark or Depop are also good options — just something to watch out for peer-led secondhand marketplaces, is that they can contain new items sometimes too so it can require some additional digging or questioning.
If you’re looking for a new sustainably-made dress, here are some considerations:
- Materials: what is it made from? Is it made with a natural fabric like hemp, linen, or organic cotton? Perhaps made from deadstock or upcycled materials?
- Production Practices: does the brand take efforts to not overproduce? (no matter how “eco” the material is, if a brand is throwing away 30% of their stock, that’s not sustainable!)
- Timelessness Over Trends: this doesn’t mean boring! it just means: does the brand constantly hop on every single trend and push you to buy more and more? or do they encourage slow mindful consumption with well-designed dresses?
- Manufacturing: most brands do not produce their own clothing, but are they sourcing from facilities that use renewable energy? how about their shipping emissions?
- Quality: is the sustainable dress made to last? (fashion instructor Zoe Hong shared some tips for spotting high quality clothing on the podcast)
- Ethical Production: who made the dress? were they paid fairly and were they working in safe conditions? do they have worker’s rights, such as the right to organize? how does the brand ensure this?
- Ownership: is it a small sustainable business or big fashion brand owned by billionaires? is the brand marginalized owned? what are your values when it comes to where your money is going?
I know that’s a lot of questions! But these are just things to start looking for as you browse through brands. This isn’t about perfection — it’s just about learning and doing the best we can.
The Best Ethical and Sustainable Dresses
To help you out (because I get it — it’s complicated!) I’ve curated 20 retailers and brands with sustainable and ethical dresses. These brands aren’t necessarily perfect, but they’re doing things better for people and the planet. I’ve included “Conscious Qualities” by each brand or retailer, so you can get an idea about why the brand is on the list and which sustainability criteria they meet.
Price Range Key: $ = Under $100 | $$ = $100 – $180 | $$$ = $180+
This article features affiliates and partners. As always, we only feature brands that meet high standards for sustainability that we love — and that we think you’ll love too!
1. Made Trade
Trans-seasonal shift dresses, block-printed midis, silky slip dresses, comfy sweater dresses, effortless maxis: no matter the season or the style you’re shopping for, it’s probably on Made Trade.
You can also shop by your values on this sustainable retailer’s site. Sort through the sustainable dresses on Made Trade with filters like Vegan, Fair Trade, Sustainable, Women Owned, and BIPOC Owned to find something that fits your style and your values.
Conscious Qualities: Sustainable Materials, Fair Trade, Size Inclusive, Ethical Production, Woman-Owned, Climate Neutral
Size Range: XS – 4XL
Price Range: $ – $$$
Use code CONSCIOUSSTYLE for $20 off your first order of $150+
2. Christy Dawn
Christy Dawn’s dresses are a fairytale come true with their flowy fit and dreamy prints. This ethical dress brand uses deadstock (i.e. leftover fabric) or regenerative organic cotton grown by Oshadi Collective. And each dress is produced ethically in California by dressmakers earning living wages.
Conscious Qualities: Reclaimed & Regenerative Fabrics, Local & Ethical Production
Size Range: XS-3XL
Price Range: $$$
3. Rare & Fair
Made thoughtfully with time-honored practices by master artisans and craftspeople in small batches, Rare & Fair has truly exceptional sustainable dresses. Each piece is made in a fully transparent, traceable process from fiber to final stitch.
Conscious Qualities: Sustainable Fabrics & Processes, Artisan Made, Cultural Preservation
Size Range: XXS-XL
Price Range: $$$
4. tentree
When warm weather approaches, all you want is a dress you can throw on. And if your style skews minimalist, all you desire is a dress that has interesting details but doesn’t make too much of a fuss or song and dance about itself. Lucky for you, tentree has an array of simple dresses that fit the bill.
Button-down, wrap, cami, or even hooded, these pieces make everyday dressing feel like a breeze. Made from breathable materials like modal, hemp, TENCEL™ Lyocell, linen, and organic cotton, these dresses come in a range of solid colors, making them an ideal investment for the long haul.
Conscious Qualities: Eco Materials, Supply Chain Transparency, Plants Trees, Circularity Programs
Size Range: XS–XL
Price Range: $$-$$$
Check out tentree (CA)
5. Valani
With flowy fits in feminine cuts, Valani’s dreamy dresses check off all of the boxes for an eco-minded fashion lover. The conscious fashion label uses only sustainably-sourced natural fabrics and non-toxic, low-impact dyes for their swoon-worthy frocks. Valani’s vegan dresses are made from banana fabric — a fiber created from banana stems discarded by the agricultural banana industry — or a hemp/Tencel blend. Both fabrics are breathable, biodegradable, and of course, beautiful!
Conscious Qualities: Eco-Friendly, Vegan, WOC-Owned, Gives Back
Size Range: 0 – 12
Price Range: $$-$$$
6. Whimsy + Row
Los Angeles-based sustainable fashion brand Whimsy + Row manufacturers their clothing in limited batches just a few miles away from their office. The brand sources upcycled fabrics (i.e. deadstock) and eco-minded materials (such as linen and organic cotton) for their flirty, feminine clothing.
Conscious Qualities: Eco Fabrics, Local & Ethical Production
Size Range: XS-XL
Price Range: $$-$$$
7. Girlfriend
Finally — an eco-friendly activewear dress! Whether you’re looking for a unique workout piece for light to moderate movement, a tennis dress, or just want a comfy & stretchy go-to for running errands, Girlfriend has the sustainable dresses you’re looking for. The dresses are made from 80-90% recycled PET and are recyclable with ReGirlfriend.
Conscious Qualities: Extended Sizing, Uses Recycled Materials, Recyclable Pieces
Size Range: XXS-6XL
Price Range: $
8. Velvety
Following the philosophy of fewer, better, Velvety is an online ethical fashion store curating timeless garments made from earth-minded quality fabrics, such as linen and LENZING™ ECOVERO™ — including ethical and sustainable dresses.
Conscious Qualities: Eco Fabrics, Ethical Production, 100% Vegan
Size Range: XS-XXL
Price Range: $$
9. Amour Vert
Amour Vert not only has an on-point aesthetic, but their clothing is comfy and effortless too. The earth-minded label uses fabrics like silk, cupro, deadstock, organic cotton, and their signature responsibly-sourced Beachwood fabric for their eco-friendly dresses. 97% of their products are made in California, too.
Conscious Qualities: Eco Fabrics, Locally-Made
Size Range: XS-XL
Price Range: $$
10. OhSevenDays
All of OhSevenDays’ dreamy sustainable dresses are made from deadstock fabrics sourced from Istanbul, Turkey. The slow fashion brand also offers a transparent behind the scenes look at their production process, all done in-house by a team of four tailors.
Conscious Qualities: Reclaimed Fabrics, Transparent Production
Size Range: S-L + custom sizing
Price Range: $
11. People Tree
People Tree is a UK-based sustainable and ethical fashion brand with vibrant dresses perfect for brightening up your wardrobe consciously. I adore the colors and fun prints that the label uses for their sustainable dresses — and I really love the fact that they make these dresses using eco-conscious fabrics like organic cotton, Tencel, and linen!
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade-certified, Sustainable
Size Range: 8-16 UK
Price Range: £-££
12. No Nasties
No Nasties creates 100% organic cotton fair trade dresses perfect for wearing to the beach with flip flops or pairing with heeled sandals for date night. Their versatile sustainable dresses are comfy, organic, and affordable with most pieces priced at under $100.
Conscious Qualities: Organic Fabrics, Traceable Supply Chain, Fair Trade
Size Range: XS-L
Price Range: $
13. ABLE
ABLE is a fair trade fashion brand that prioritizes living wages and responsible production practices. This ethical fashion label has recently expanded their size range (with commitments for further extensions) and offers pieces that can transition to maternity wear.
Another unique feature from ABLE is their “try before you buy” feature so you can make sure your purchase is one you’ll love for years to come.
Conscious Qualities: Ethical Production, Size Inclusive, Natural Fabrics
Size Range: XXS-3XL
Price Range: $ – $$
14. ourCommonplace
ourCommonplace is a conscious fashion and lifestyle marketplace with striking, sustainable dresses made from reclaimed fabrics, organic fibers, and other mindful materials. The marketplace curates a variety of brands with everything from flowy house dresses to elegant formal frocks.
Conscious Qualities: Sustainable Materials & Processes, WOC-Owned
Size Range: XS-XL
Price Range: $-$$$
Use code CONSCIOUS10 for 10% off!
15. LOUD BODIES
Crafting pieces in small batches using Oeko-Tex 100 certified natural fibers in 15 different sizes, LOUD BODIES’ creates some of the best eco-friendly size inclusive dresses. The brand will even produce pieces in custom sizes at no extra charge!
Size Range: XXS-10XL
Conscious Qualities: Eco Fabrics, Size Inclusive
Price Range: $$
16. Eileen Fisher
Classic designs in neutral hues, Eileen Fisher is a minimalist’s dream. Even as someone not drawn to the minimalistic aesthetic, I really appreciate the simple, clean lines of Eileen Fisher’s pieces. This sustainable designer brand uses earth-friendly fabrics like Tencel and organic cotton for their eco-luxe dresses.
Conscious Qualities: Sustainable Fabrics, Take-Back Program, Timeless Designs
Size Range: XXS-3XL + petite sizes
Price Range: $$ – $$$
17. PACT
PACT is an affordable sustainable fashion brand with affordable eco and ethical dresses. Their dresses are made in Fair Trade-certified factories from GOTS-certified organic cotton (GOTS is the highest certification available for organic materials). The dresses are pretty basic but are perfect for more casual outings.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade-Certified, Organic Fabrics
Size Range: XS-XXL
Price Range: $
Use code CONSCIOUSSTYLE20 for 20% off
18. TAMGA Designs
TAMGA Designs’ free-flowing dresses make the perfect summertime and vacation-ready dresses! The conscious fashion brand traces their entire supply chain, from farm to mill to factory, which is really impressive. TAMGA Designs’ vibrant clothing is crafted in ethical factories using responsibly-sourced eco fabrics such as Tencel, Lenzing Modal and organic cotton.
Conscious Qualities: Eco Fabrics, Traceable Supply Chain, Ethical Production
Size Range: XS-XXL
Price Range: $ – $$ CAD
19. tonlé
tonlé is a zero waste fashion brand creating uniquely printed garments out of reclaimed fabric that has been discarded by garment factories in Cambodia. Not only does tonlé upcycle these materials, but the brand’s artisan partners use every last scrap in production too.
Conscious Qualities: Zero Waste, Fair Trade, Gender Neutral
Size Range: XS-3XL
Price Range: $
20. Míe
Defying typical design boundaries, Míe’s ethical dresses have a loose, comfortable fit but feature unique design elements like off-the-shoulder puff sleeves, making them the ultimate summer staples. And every dress is crafted consciously in Nigeria using breathable, natural fibers like linen.
Conscious Qualities: Natural Fibers, Black Woman-Owned
Size Range: XS-3XL
Price Range: $$$
21. Thought Clothing
Another UK-based brand with printed sustainable dresses is Thought Clothing. The fit of Thought’s pieces is pretty modest while the fun colors and patterns keep their clothing from looking matronly. The label uses eco-friendly fabrics like Tencel and organic cotton for their pieces.
Conscious Qualities: Eco Materials
Size Range: 6-18 UK
Price Range: £-££
Need Accessories For Your Sustainable Dresses?
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