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Updated: Feb 25, 2021 22 Comments · by

8 Slow Fashion Workwear Brands to Try

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In honor of Earth Day today, we're sharing an update to our Guide to Slow Fashion: more slow fashion workwear brands. We'll talk about brands that emphasize quality craftsmanship, ethical practices, and eco-friendly production.

As of 2024: If you're hunting for eco-friendly clothes to wear to work, check out major brands like Boden, Eileen Fisher, Hobbs, LK Bennett, Karen Kane, Ministry of Supply, Reformation, Ted Baker, Theory, and Treasure & Bond (by Nordstrom). Sustainable luxury brands include Acne Studios, Chloé, Gucci, Loeffler Randall, Mara Hoffman, Stella McCartney, and Vivienne Westwood. Nordstrom has a big section devoted to sustainable style!

Also try smaller eco-friendly workwear brands like these:

Where to Find Eco-Friendly Suits for Women

Wondering where to find eco-friendly suits for women? As of 2024, check out Theory, Ministry of Supply, LK Bennett, and Aday — and for more gender-neutral suiting, try Kirrin Finch and Wildfang, both of which offer extended sizes. NET-A-PORTER has some pricey options like Stella McCartney in their NET SUSTAIN section.

Eco-friendly plus-size workwear can be even harder to find! As of 2024, these are the ones we know about — you might also want to check our roundup of made-to-measure clothing.

If you haven't yet checked out the series, here's what we've covered so far:

Small, independent brands are on one side of the spectrum, while on the other side are big fast-fashion companies such as H&M, Zara, and ASOS that are trying to be more responsible and sustainable — for example, we featured H&M Conscious in a previous post in the series.

A couple of years ago, Fashionista featured a piece that asked, “Do the H&M Conscious and ASOS Made in Kenya Collections Count as Ethical Fashion?” When you're seeking out slow fashion/ethical fashion, are you more likely to buy from a smaller independent brand with a sole focus on those practices, or a mainstream retailer with an ethical/sustainable line?

I'll note that the brands below offer a lot of items that are definitely more on the casual side (low necklines, high hemlines, more casual styles in general), but you can find office-appropriate pieces from all of them. Also, the entirety of the size ranges we mention for the brands aren't always available for every item they offer.

Here are some slow fashion workwear brands worth checking out: 

Theory's “Good Fabrics”

Good Wool and Good Linen are Theory's environmentally-conscious lines, available at their own website (linen/wool) as well as Nordstrom (wool only — including Nordstrom exclusives) and Neiman Marcus (wool only). The merino wool comes from sheep in Tasmania and is ethically and responsibly farmed, while the flax that produces the stretch linen is grown in China without chemicals in a process that produces no waste. The fabrics are woven in Italy using renewable energy and other sustainable practices. Sizes are 00–16.

collage of Theory Good Wool

pictured above: one / two / three

Pure Collection

Pure Collection sources its sustainable cashmere from goats in Mongolia, where the company works directly with herders to avoid overgrazing — a big contributor to desertification — by encouraging them to give their goats healthy feed. They have a focus on slow fashion as well; as Pure's website notes, “Each one of our cashmere garments undergoes 40 different hand processes.” The clothing is available on the brand's own website and from John Lewis. Sizes are 2–22. 

collage of Pure Collection items

pictured above: one / two / three

Amour Vert 

Amour Vert makes its clothing in limited quantities from sustainable fabrics — and 97% of it is produced in factories near its San Francisco office. The fabrics used include a sustainable, pesticide-free, biodegradable modal; GOTS-certified organic cotton; ethical merino wool; and more. Also, with every t-shirt purchased, the company will plant a tree in California's Sierra National Forest. After all, the brand's name means “green love” in French. (And now I have Jody Watley's “Real Love” stuck in my head, and oh yes I am old.) Sizes are XXS–XL.

collage of Amour Vert items

pictured above: one / two / three

Emerson Fry 

Emerson Fry clothing focuses on “limited production runs each week of new and existing products” made in the U.S.A. and also offers its India Collection, made by artisans in India who use heirloom hand print and dye techniques on organic natural fabrics using low-impact and natural dyes. For its U.S.-made line, the company takes orders before producing the items, and you can sign up here to get updates. Sizes are XXS–XL. 

collage of Amour Vert

pictured above: one / two / three

Reformation

Reformation tries to keep 75% of its fabrics either (1) natural fibers that are rapidly renewable and plant-based and have a potential for circularity, and (2) almost all natural or recycled fibers. They prioritize energy-efficiency, recycling, locally/domestically-sourced materials, green building practices for stores, and ethical/sustainable practices in general. Most of Reformation's clothing is made in the U.S., and you can actually tour the factory in L.A.) Sizes are XS–3X; you can also find the brand at Nordstrom. 

collage of workwear from Reformation

pictured above: one / two / three

No.6 Store

No.6 Store says it “takes great pride in its manufacturing practices” — and it makes its signature clothing line and handmade clogs in the U.S. In contrast to typical fast fashion practices of selling inexpensive, trendy items for customers to only wear for a short time, No.6 Store says its goal is to “create pieces that can be worn over and over.” In addition to its own designs, No.6's site also offers dozens of other designers. Sizes are XS–L.

collage of No. 6 items

pictured above: one / two / three

Grana 

On its website, Grana states that it wants to “fight fast-fashion one item at a time.” The site shares details about the origin and production of the various fabrics used; for example, its Tencel™ is made from sustainable forest wood pulp, and the chemicals used to make it are reused, not released as pollutants. Note that Grana's wool comes from Tasmania, the source of Theory's Good Wool, and that it's woven at the same Italian mill, Tollegno 1900. (Sound good? Get 10% off with our referral code!) Sizes are XXS–XL.

collage of Grana items

pictured above: one / two / three

Emilia George 

pictured above: one / two / three 

Emilia George is a new, high-end workwear brand based in NYC — and mostly made in NYC — that's designed for moms and moms-to-be. Their pieces use soft, breathable, sustainably produced fabrics (such as bamboo and cupro), nearly all of which are OEKO-TEX® certified for safety.

The brand has a wide selection of dresses and a smaller number of tops, blazers, and pants available. Their Fabrics Matter collection offers several dresses that are meant to help women transition from work-from-home life to office life and to provide comfort in warm weather. 

Readers, do tell: What are your favorite slow fashion brands for workwear? When you buy clothes, how important is it to you to support sustainable and ethical practices? 

Further reading: 

  • When “Made In China” Means Sustainable, Ethical, And Expert [Fast Company] 
  • 14 of the Best Resources for Becoming a More Ethical (and Educated) Fashion Consumer [Fashionista]
  • Favorites: Colorful & Patterned Responsible Clothing [Grechen's Closet]
  • We Need to Change the Way We Think About Sustainable Fashion [i-D]
pin with collage of slow fashion workwear brands and text: "7 Stylish Slow Fashion Brands for Work & Beyond"

About Kate Antoniades

Editor of Corporette since 2014, Kate Antoniades lives in her hometown of Rochester, NY. A cat person and Oxford comma loyalist, she loves thrift shopping and has too many craft supplies.

Comments

  2. Anon

    I’ve caught the dreaded spring cold. My nose is fire engine red and very sore. Any kind of makeup is impossible, and the only source of relief that I know of is Aquaphor. While I’m at home and not contaminating the general population, this is an entirely suitable solution, but I will have to return to work while my nose is still recovering. Am I missing a holy grail product that won’t leave my nose red and shiny until it heals? What does everyone else do? For context, I’m a family law attorney in a small firm/town, so I have to be in court and meeting with clients on a day-to-day basis.

    • Go for it

      Awwh~ My go to tissue is puffs plus with lotion.
      Vaseline or triple antibiotic cream on your nose at night.

    • Vj

      That sucks! If you get this every spring it could be allergies and preventable by starting OTC meds a couple of weeks before pollen season starts. At least this has worked well for me.

    • Anonymous

      I will often put moisturizer on my nose and cover it with a layer of vaseline to seal it.

    • FFS

      I really like the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. It absorbs well and makes my nose feel better overnight. Also, second the Puffs Plus.

    • anonshmanon

      I’ve just had a cold last week, I hope you feel better soon! I like to use a creme/ointment with zinc oxide while I am at home. It works against inflammation, so I apply it to my nose and faithfully reapply when I’ve wiped my nose, so just 3 million times or so a day. I believe it’s not so different from diaper cream if I’m honest, but it means my nose only needs to heal for one or two days when I stop attacking it with tissues every five minutes.
      I also recently found out that trader joe’s tissues are terrible, and the costco brand is much more fluffy.

  3. West LA

    I love this series. I’m trying really hard to shop more sustainably (Including thrifting when I can), and it’s so helpful to have resources like this for work clothes specifically. Since I have the means to avoid fast fashion, I feel an obligation to do so.

    • West LA

      I hit publish too soon. I meant to add — thank you for putting this together!

  4. clementine

    I’m sure this will be unpopular, but I prefer to shop “fast fashion” because my color/fit preferences change so much. I just can’t stomach the idea of spending a lot on pieces that I might get tired of by next year. One example, I bought a bunch of bold colored work blouses last year, and this year I can’t stand them — all I want to wear is black and white. My wardrobe is decently small, and I wear the heck out of everything and end up donating most of it by the end of the season because it starts to show wear.

    • Anonny

      It’s definitely a sh*tty thing to do both in terms of the human cost and environmental cost. You are obviously allowed to do as you please but your cheap fun clothes come at great expense to others.

      • Anon

        I find the sanctimony on this s*te to be weird. If you buy fast fashion, own a gun, or vote Republican, you’re a horrible evil person. But have an abortion, screw around, dump men for their hair, or clean out the bank account before a divorce – that’s all good and who are we to judge, amirite?

        • anonymous

          having abortions doesn’t hurt anyone

          “screwing around” (whatever that vague, judgmental phrase means) doesn’t hurt anyone

          choosing not to go on a date with a man because of his hair (because that’s actually what the post was about) doesn’t hurt anyone.

          Really never seen anyone advocating for clearing out the bank account, much less a hive mind of agreement, but sure, fine, you win that one.

          Can’t understand why this is difficult for you to figure out, or why you don’t want to be honest about it.

          • journo

            Primarily, abortion hurts the baby. But it also hurts women by victimizing them . And it hurts men by ensuring they never need to take responsibility for their actions.

        • Anonny

          Oh yes so sanctimonious, I won’t poison the plant or exploit the poor. So preachy of me…

          And I vote NDP tyvm.

    • Anon

      I also shop fast fashion, but I do it because my clothes regularly get ruined at work. My job straddles disciplines, so I have to dress office-appropriate, despite often ending up on a dirty worksite. I simply can’t afford to buy better clothing and constantly replace it.

      • pugsnbourbon

        I struggle with the same – plus I am a huge klutz and we have hard water.

        I try to buy less overall and buy pieces that show wear less – darker colors, patterns, etc. I have a black/gray capsule which helps. I need to finally get around to ordering a fabric shaver so I can rescue a couple sweaters that are otherwise fine. This $ite actually made me more conscious of fabric content – an acrylic sweater is going to be soft, but it’ll pill in a season; a cotton blend will do better. I’m also going to try to re-dye a couple faded pairs of black pants to try to get at least another season out of them.

      • Anonymous

        I generally shop fast fashion because I’m plus sized, and there are not very many high quality/sustainable brands that cater to my size. I view it as a necessary evil and try to do trade-offs (I don’t drive, limit meat intake, etc.).

    • Alexis

      One solution would be to buy your fast-fashion clothes second-hand, which is what I do. You’re reducing the environmental cost and not supporting the market that exploits workers.

      • Idea

        “second” the second-hand or consignment option! A lot of times you’ll see very new or even current pieces already on consignment sites or sold secondhand through individual or retailers. Most people get the fashion bug before me and they’re already tired of it. I’ll benefit.

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