Don’t just look good, feel good by buying from sustainable brands that sell recycled clothing.
On average, garments that are bought second-hand have an extended life of 2.2 years. And their water, waste, and carbon footprint are reduced by 73%.
Buying second-hand isn’t the only way you can positively impact the planet with your purchases. You can also buy clothing made of recycled materials, like scraps from other clothes, bottles, or even fishing nets.
Our Top 5 Picks for Buying Recycled Clothing
These brands sell second-hand clothing that’s high quality, either because it was sold to them in good condition or because they repaired and upcycled it themselves.
thredUp
A favorite second-hand clothing websites to buy from is thredUp because of their affordable prices. ThredUp discounts clothing up to 90% off their initial price and has a wide variety with over 35,000 brands in stock.
ThredUp was created with the goal to support a sustainable future by reducing fashion waste and redirecting people from purchasing directly from fast fashion brands. They even have an UpCycle collection called Refashion which features clothing made entirely from second-hand clothing and fabric scraps.
Poshmark
One of the most popular smartphone apps for buying and selling used clothing, accessories, and shoes is Poshmark. Users create their own profiles on Poshmark to sell or buy second-hand clothing.
Poshmark has revolutionized the second-hand industry by making shopping second-hand easy. And on Poshmark shopping is a social experience allowing users to share, design, like, and comment on looks.
Patagonia
Whether you are buying never before worn Patagonia clothing or second-hand clothing from their Worn Wear selection, an element of recycling has been involved in the product you’re purchasing.
Since 1993 Patagonia has been making polyester from recycled materials, like soda bottles, manufacturing waste, and worn-out apparel. They were the trailblazer who paved the way for all of the other companies who now turn trash into fleece.
They also sell second-hand Patagonia clothing that they received in good condition, repaired, or upcycled. Their Recrafted collection features clothing they made from other clothes. Their Used collection includes second-hand garments. And their Factory Second collection has discounted items that arrived at their warehouses with some kind of flaw.
REI Good & Used
Similar to Patagonia, REI is a high-quality outdoor brand that mostly sells new clothing. They recently added a second-hand section to their website. Their mission is to help more people enjoy the outdoors while keeping the outdoors beautiful through promoting sustainability and second-hand fashion.
They offer their second-hand clothing and products at a reduced rate so you can score some excellent, gently-used REI gear for an affordable price. REI repairs any damaged gear. So this pretty much guarantees what you get is high quality.
onelessmade
The mission of onelessmade is to defy fast fashion, promote waste-conscious shopping, and provide beautifully made t-shirts that have been salvaged and redesigned.
The sustainable tees offered are high quality, so they are made to last, extending their life outside of landfills. These classic, staple pieces are meant to be worn countless times. And because they are made entirely out of recycled clothing, the t-shirts are a good beginning to a conversation about sustainability.
Our Top 3 Picks for Clothes Made From Recycled Materials
Although upwards of 60% of clothing is made from polyester, there are so many other materials that are so much better for the planet. Specifically recycled materials. Recycled clothing can be created from used plastic bottles, tires, old clothing scraps, fishing nets, and even coffee grinds.
Ecoalf
Ecoalf is a ground-breaking brand that was founded in Spain with the goal of working against the low sustainability standards of so many other high-end fashion brands. They have made recycled fabrics chic. They incorporate fishing nets, used plastic bottles, worn-out tires, coffee grinds, and post-industrial cotton into their clothing’s materials.
Ecoalf sells outerwear, swimsuits, dresses, pants, and shoes for women, men, and kids. They take sustainability seriously by providing 100% transparency on their production process.
Girlfriend Collective
If you are looking for ethically made athleisure wear then you’ll love Girlfriend Collective. They turn materials like cotton industry waste, recycled fishing nets, used plastic bottles, and recycled polyester, into gorgeous and trendy clothing.
All of Girlfriend Collective’s products are high quality and inclusive of all shapes and body types. They sell leggings, tees, sweatshirts, shorts, underwear, bags, and other athleisure gear.
Veja
Based in France, Veja has created a global name for itself with its ethically produced footwear and accessories. They use a material they created called “B-mesh” which is a mesh made out of recycled water bottles to produce their products.
Three water bottles are used to make each pair of sneakers. The characteristics of water bottles make sneakers waterproof and breathable. And the rest of the materials used to make their shoes are also eco-friendly, including organic cotton and rubber sourced from farmers who are paid high, living wages.