Your ultimate guide to sustainable style

By Elizabeth Winding

March 27, 2023

Dress to make a difference, from eco-friendly denim to miraculous mending.

The planet can’t keep up with fast fashion. What we wear – and how we shop – has huge repercussions. The new luxury? Beautiful clothes bought from brands that treat their workers fairly, made with materials and processes that leave a lighter footprint. Instead of buying disposable pieces that will barely last a season, it’s time to take a more thoughtful approach to fashion. That might mean finally getting a treasured cashmere jumper repaired, investing in a one-off vintage find, or hiring a high-fashion frock to wear (like Cinderella) for a night. With Earth Day approaching, we’ve rounded up our favourite shops, services and brands, with big benefits for the planet and zero compromise on style.

The 7ème Ciel second-hand concessions floor at Printemps in Paris

Do vintage like a Parisian

French fashionistas have long known that vintage is chic. How else to snap up a tasselled YSL clutch, or butter-soft Alaïa leather coat? Now, even Paris’s grande dame department stores are in on the act, with sleek secondhand concessions: drop by Galeries Lafayette’s Le (Re)Store or Printemp’s 7ème Ciel. After something really special? Consult Marie Blanchett, the eagle-eyed founder of Mon Vintage, who has tracked down museum-worthy pieces for many an A-lister.

A client being measured for repairs and alterations courtesy of The Seam

Restore and repair

The art of mending is making a comeback – check out the waiting list on mini-darning looms at the hip Ministry of Mending. Prefer to call in the experts? First, check if repairs are offered by the original maker. Mulberry and Barbour do this. Otherwise, turn to specialists such as The Seam, which – as Net-A-Porter’s official partner – works on the most upscale pieces. There’s an expert for absolutely everything, says founder Layla Sargent: “A customer might come to us for an invisible cashmere mend, then remember us when their sneakers become too grimy, or their go-to handbag starts to show signs of scuffing.”

The sleek interior of Kind by M.O. shop at Mandarin Oriental, Dubai

Embrace sustainable swimwear

At Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai, Kind by M.O. is a concept store with a difference, being stocked with sustainable resort and swimwear. “Swimwear is a natural focus for us, being sea-facing,” explains Senior Director of Spa & Wellness Sara Codner, the hotel’s designated Sustainability Champion. “Our swimwear highlights the part single-use plastics play in marine pollution. Each brand has an element of giving back or raising awareness about the environment, the community and wildlife conservation – like repurposing discarded fishing nets and other ocean waste.”

Highlights include men’s activewear from Parisian label True Tribe, with a QR code to trace each piece’s journey, and sleek swimwear made from ocean plastics from former Vogue stylist Talia Collins. And the finishing touch? A pair of cool, bio-acetate cat’s-eye shades from Pala Eyewear, which funds eyecare projects in Africa.

A client wearing rented high-end garments borrowed from My Wardrobe HQ

Borrow like an A-lister

If you’ve got a big event coming up, think like a stylist and borrow rather than buy. If you don’t have your favourite designer on speed dial, use high-end rental service such as My Wardrobe HQ or Selfridges Rental, whose pieces run from playful Jacquemus bags to sequinned evening gowns. In New York, clothes-sharing platform Tulerie sees a surge every fashion week, as savvy fashionistas borrow key pieces (a vintage McQueen coat, perhaps, or casual Céline tote). Staying at Mandarin Oriental, Paris, and heading somewhere special? Une Robe, Un Soir has everything you need, from Chanel bags to Valentino frocks.

Do denim differently

When it comes to environmental impact, denim can be a big offender, with its resource-heavy cotton production, and chemical pesticides and dyes. Shop more sustainably, though, and jeans are a hard-wearing classic. Nudie Jeans pay fair wages and use fair trade, organic-certified cotton, as well as offering a lifetime of free repairs. Keen on a stretch jean, minus the plastic fibres? Slip into a pair of LA brand Triarchy’s couldn’t-be-cooler Hepburn skinnies, made with all-organic cotton and natural rubber.

Invest in your existing wardrobe

We’ve all got something in our wardrobe that’s perfect, bar one tiny detail – the sleeves are a fraction too short, say, or the shoulders don’t sit right. Instead of writing a garment off, consider getting it altered. Even tiny customisations, says The Seam’s Layla Fraser, can transform how pieces look and feel, whether it’s by altering the waist on a pair of jeans or tailoring a too-big blazer. She sees it as part of a bigger shift away from throwaway, fast fashion: “Rather than buying endless disposable garments, it makes sense to invest in higher quality, better-made pieces, and care for them for years to come.”

Specialists at The Seam working on repairs across an array of clothes, bags and shoes

Focus on facts

In a world of eco-greenwashing and buzzwords, aim for concrete facts and commitments, whether that means choosing GOTS-certified cotton or buying from B Corps-recognised brands (an accreditation given to the best ethical all-rounders). Confused about a company’s credentials? Free tools such as the Good on You app will give you the real lowdown.

About the Author

Elizabeth Winding

Elizabeth is a lifestyle and travel journalist, whose work has appeared in Times Travel, Condé Nast Traveler and The Telegraph.