Ethical fashion is having a rebrand. And it's far more affordable.

It's official. Ethical fashion is cool. It's sexy. It's having a rebrand.

It's no longer elitist and über-expensive, like 'sustainable fashion'. 

For a long time now, the conversation around sustainable fashion has been not only green-washed, but beige-washed too. Basically, certain brands have implied their products are more environmentally friendly than they actually are, and then (of course) they've all looked like sad beige hessian sacks.

Ethical fashion is a breath of fresh air. It's about brands trying their best to make improvements in whatever space they feel passionate about. Yes, it can be about the environment, but it also goes beyond that.

Plus, the biggest bonus of them all — this vibe is far more accessible (and affordable) than it has ever been before.

Watch Fashion crimes, aka festival chaps. Post continues below.

Let's jump into some fun shopping examples, shall we?

Liandra does amazing things for Indigenous representation and uses 100 per cent authentic prints. They have lots of stunning clothing and swim pieces on sale for under $100, with sizes ranging from six to 20. A few standout affordable pieces include the Pipi Mini Skirt in their Rain Print and Reef Long Sarong.

If you're a fan of simple floral prints and casual but long-lasting pieces, All The Wild Roses could be up your alley. The Aussie brand uses 50 per cent deadstock fabric to create their pieces, and many are under $100, too.

If you need some new bras, Boody is a great option. Their bras start at $21 and they're crafted in organically grown bamboo viscose. It also reduces waste through their lower-waste cutting techniques.

The Iconic has a feature on their website called Considered, where you can tailor your online shopping to be 'ethical' if you vibe with it. 

H&M also has a feature on their website where you can see the exact materials used to make each garment, including the percentage of recycled materials used. You can also learn to repair, remake and refresh your clothes with easy tips, tricks and hacks from their Take Care initiative. Since I came across this, I've been using my old-school wool comb on my sweaters, and you bet those pieces will now last longer. 

UNIQLO is also deserving of a shout out. They have a bunch of items that are made from either recycled nylon, recycled polyester and even recycled cotton. By 2030, the brand aims to be using approximately 50 per cent recycled materials across the brand, and they're well on their way to that target.

The examples could go on and on. 

The use of recycled materials is one of the fastest growing markets in the ethical fashion game.

When 85 per cent of all the world's textiles go to the dump each year, it makes sense that more up-and-coming brands are embracing recycled materials in their products. 

Take VIVAIA, for example, which makes kickass comfy but stylish shoes (that offer similar price points to your general shoe retailers). Diving deep into their labels, you can see the brand collaborates with the certified supplier REPREVE, which is responsible for more than 25 billion plastic bottles being recycled. REPREVE is the only eco-performance fibre with verification to certify its recycled content claims. And VIVAIA's shoes are all made from this and other equally eco-friendly materials. 

Okay... but how do plastic bottles make shoes? 

The brand's Co-Founder Jeff Chan told us.

"After the plastic bottles are collected and cleaned, they are chipped into flakes and extruded into thread," Chan explained. "These threads are then knitted into the top of our shoes using a proprietary knitting machine. This material is innovative in women’s footwear, and each shoe design had to overcome various issues. After years of relentless effort, we have successfully utilised this material across all categories of our shoes."

Shoes made of plastic bottles... that are cool... that don't cost my weekly rent... awesome.

Their focus is for shoes to be worn to their fullest potential, rather than being discarded after a season's wear. Image: VIVAIA/Canva.

Australian swimwear and resort wear brand Bydee also embraces REPREVE in many of their garments too. 

"Collaborating closely with our fabric mill, we continue to develop customised fabrics that not only look and feel amazing but are also eco-friendly," said Bydee's Founder, Creative Director and CEO Dessy Hairis.

Their focus on packaging is also worth highlighting. 

More and more of us are getting that uncomfy feeling when find that our latest online purchase has arrived wrapped in copious amounts of plastic. How should brands tackle consumer guilt? Well, by alleviating it all together — axe the plastic, and put all our attention on the garment we've bought. Win/win.

Since 2019, Bydee has made a conscious effort to be a plastic free brand.

All orders are sent out in mailer bags made from 100 per cent biodegradable and compostable materials. Not only do they send orders packaged sustainably, they've partnered with ethical manufacturers to receive all shipments plastic free. That's no small effort for a small business.

"We use corn starch and compostable materials," Hairis explained. "This ensures minimal plastic usage in our imports and exports. Our journey in ethical fashion is ongoing, filled with learning opportunities to enhance our sustainable and ethical practices."

Another winner. Image: Bydee/Canva.

Given that most brands work with factories overseas, another key factor in the ethical fashion industry is fair work processes.

Fashion is one of the most labour-dependent industries around, because each piece must be handmade along a lengthy supply chain. This can mean that dodgy things happen (allegedly). 

One Aussie brand combatting this issue is jewellery brand Arms of Eve.

When researching their processes model, we found that the business uses SEDEX-accredited manufacturers, as they have all been audited by the largest global collaborative platform for sharing ethical supply chain data.

In plain English, this means: fair wages, safe working environments, development and culture policies, and generally treating workers as human beings. Nice, hey!

"There was no other way I would work — it's our moral obligation, even within my own business. It's about fair, happy and healthy workers and work environments," Arms of Eve's Founder Kerryn Langer told Mamamia.

"It ensures my suppliers adhere to high ethical standards. This transparency allows our suppliers to accurately report on their sustainability efforts and gain insights into the responsible practices, working conditions and environmental performance of their factories. This ultimately enables us as businesses to operate responsibly and build a trustworthy reputation."

"It's about fair, happy and healthy workers and work environments," Arms of Eve's Founder tells Mamamia. Image: Arms of Eve/Canva. 

Ultimately, every individual's understanding of what makes something ethical is... well... individual. 

What is ethical to one consumer, might not be the same for another. And that's okay! It's why any brands — particularly the smaller ones — that are trying to make a difference in some way, shape or form, ought to be celebrated.

We're currently in a cost of living crisis and yet it hasn't stopped consumers from spending big on online shopping. 

Australia Post's latest report revealed online spending grew in the past quarter, with a 4.4 per cent jump in online purchases compared to the same period last year. Fashion, apparel, health, beauty and recreational goods were the main things people bought.

So if ethical fashion is far more widely available than it used to be, and it makes people feel good while it scratches the shopping itch? Even better!

As Arms of Eve's Kerryn Langer said: "Perfection isn't that realistic, especially in ethical fashion. With small and steady progress, we can make meaningful changes along the journey while staying flexible and honest with our customers."

Feature Image: Instagram/bydee_aus; vivaia_official; official_liandra.

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