Recently on ‘What to Wear’, we featured some of our favorite holiday looks from staying warm in the wintertime to holiday gift guides and sequined dresses for New Year’s Eve. While that section of the site serves the purpose of quick inspiration, it’s also our intention to provide a little background information on all the brands we choose to feature so you can dive deep and find new companies to support with an ethos that resonates best with you.

For the holiday parties…

Reformation

RefScale tracks transparency of CO2, water, and waste savings
Factory ensures eco-friendly practices
Reusable totes, recycled hangers, and recycled clothing program
Carbon offsets available for purchase on site

Screen Shot 2019-10-05 at 4.28.27 PM.png — Fame and Partners

Designed with (almost) zero-waste sustainable manufacturing platform
Craft everything to order; eliminates need for excess stock (and air conditioned, CO2-draining warehouses where stored)

Mother of Pearl

Launched “no frills”- first fully sustainable line of core classics
Tries to use less water and source materials to the seed
Replant trees with each tree cut down used to make product
Traceability through entire supply chain
Summer 2020 line, 5% of their materials were synthetics-working to phase out entirely

61bxg-qIf9L._SX700_.jpg — Matt and Nat

Transparent company working towards becoming better in their production
Works with vegan leather and recycled materials
One of their factories is certified under SA8000 Standard meaning all workers are paid well in a safe work environment

Beachy vacations…

Fisch

Handmade from Italian ECONYL® fabrics
ECONYL® is 100% regenerated nylon fiber crafted from abandoned fishing nets and other nylon waste found in the ocean
Fabric mill is two hours from their factory; minimizes carbon dioxide waste from excessive shipping
Every year FISCH donates 10% of global profits to the Healthy Seas initiative

Hereu

Engages with local artisans to preserve mediterranean craft in Spain
Uses local materials for production
Hereu works with a local factory in Barcelona and artisans in Majorca to produce all of its Spanish leather and woven straw bags

Screen Shot 2019-10-05 at 12.19.12 PM.png — Vitamin A

Uses sustainable fabrics like EcoLux superfine jersey made from recycled nylon fiber
Choose factories that conserve water and energy use
Made in USA

Faithfull the Brand

Designed, sourced, produced in Bali
Hand-dying, hand-printing
Work with local factories, vendors and artisans in Bali and scaled factory growth over the past decade
Faithfull team visits factory weekly to ensure sustainable/ethical standards

Stay cozy this winter..

Ninety Percent

90% of distributed profits shared with charities and those who make collections
Consumers choose which charitable cause money goes to
Garments made in Bangladesh and Turkey in ethical factories
Use organic cotton and Tencel (working to find more sustainable solutions and fabrics)

Screen Shot 2019-10-05 at 12.34.39 PM.png — AG Jeans

Donates to Charity: Water
Made in own vertically integrated facilities; ensures quality control
Production facilities utilize Ozone Technology; cuts water consumption by 50%
Also minimizes use of chemicals and energy
Many (not all) fabrics eco-friendly
Excess scraps collected for recycling on weekly basis and repurposed as insulation
Conducts announced/unannounced audits of suppliers’ facilities

Boy Smells Candle

Developed, mixed at the founder’s home in LA
Fragrance and natural oils
All-natural coconut oil and beeswax
Hand-poured in reusable glass vessel

Screen Shot 2019-10-05 at 12.37.52 PM.png — Everlane

$5 of every Human collection purchase goes to ACLU
Hands-on relationships with factories
Transparent about costs with customers
Uses some natural fibers like recycled cotton

Patagonia

Promotes fair labor practices and safe working conditions
Protection and preservation of the environment
Takes responsibility for entire lifecycle of products
Works with outside auditor and an in-house corporate responsibility specialist to establish working conditions
1% of sales to grass-root activists
Goal to be carbon neutral across entire business including supply chain by 2025
As of 2018, 100% renewable electricity in retail stores in USA
Current practices/goals; measure impact, reduce impact, convert to renewable energy, capture carbon

Gift giving

Ilia Beauty

All cream lip products come in recycled packaging
Certified organic bio-active ingredients
Ethos: not all natural ingredients good for skin, not ever synthetic ingredients bad for skin, finds balance in using both
Ensures everything is safe for skin

Veja

Fair trade philosophy
Avoids retail markups by doing less advertising
Careful consideration of available materials

Soko

Uses technology to empower artisans
Working with artisans and connects them with international market
They're after an ethical fast fashion world
Their mobile-enabled virtual factory operates at a fraction of the cost of traditional production; gives more earnings to artisans

Stella McCartney x Parley

***Stella McCartney***
No leather or fur
First and only vegetarian luxury line
Transparent and always striving to be more sustainable

***Parley***
Yarn used from recycled and reclaimed ocean waste
Parley hosts talks to share state of the oceans and to get support for a related initiative or project
Work with companies on collaborative projects to better our oceans
Currently they have collaborations with American Express, Soma, Adidas, and Stella McCartney..

New Year’s Eve..

Rachel Comey

Uses fur/leather from animals that have died from natural causes
Conscious sourcing from tanneries in Peru
Small-scale batches

Fame and Partners

Designed with (almost) zero-waste sustainable manufacturing platform
Craft everything to order; eliminates need for excess stock (and air conditioned, CO2-draining warehouses where stored)

original (1).jpg — Reformation

RefScale tracks transparency of CO2, water, and waste savings
Factory ensures eco-friendly practices
Reusable totes, recycled hangers, and recycled clothing program
Working to become 100% sustainable (some materials still outsourced)
Offsets available for purchase on site, partner with Brazilian Rosewood Amazon Conservation Project and Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) Water Restoration Program

Brother Vellies

Creates and sustains artisanal jobs within Africa
Transparent about who makes shoes and factories they're made in
Most shoes made with Kudu leather; animal byproduct from government mandated culling due to overpopulation
Other materials sourced from local farmers in Kenya and South Africa and are entirely byproducts from edible food industry
Many pieces are vegetable-dyed
Schedule large batch cargo shipments to reduce carbon footprint

Affordable Finds

Boyish Jeans

Uses 1/3 of water typically needed to make denim
Recycled materials for hangtags, hardware, labels and polybags
Ensure suppliers meet standards for social responsibility
Yarn, fabric and manufacturing facility within thirty miles of each other- less C02 footprint
Recycle all cutting waste

241791025724c729afbfac336e578d4a_best (1).jpg — Threads 4 Thought

Uses sustainable materials like Organic Cotton, Recycled Polyester, and Lenzing Modal
Factories hold high certifications of ethical practices
Partners with International Rescue Committee

Screen Shot 2019-10-10 at 11.05.43 AM.png — Everlane

$5 of every Human collection purchase goes to ACLU
Hands-on relationships with factories
Transparent about costs with customers
Uses some natural fibers like recycled cotton

I came across Vitamin A swim when I was browsing for the perfect non-fussy bikini that was simple, stylish, but most importantly, sustainable.

I kept hearing about Vitamin A, a company that similarly believes sustainable can be sexy. They too, felt strongly that bathing suits should be effortless and that they shouldn’t harm the environment. It seems crazy to wear a bathing suit in the ocean that would add to the destruction of it, so Vitamin A ensures the suits they create leave a positive impact on this Earth. They’ve become a favorite swimwear brand of mine that openly share their sustainable practices with all of their customers and followers, not to mention the swimsuits fit beautifully. I had the pleasure of chatting with Enya, a member of the Vitamin A tribe, on all the ins and outs of this company so you too can see what goes into making this sexy, sustainable swimwear! Enjoy!

1. How do you think you tapped into markets beyond the sustainable world? How do you maintain the “cool” factor while being eco-friendly?

We believe that sustainability and style really go hand in hand! Our eco-conscious production practices are part of what make Vitamin A sexy and cool. This is the essence of the Vitamin A brand, and something that doesn’t change for us.

We were one of the first brands nearly 20 years ago, to come up with a new concept of sexy and bring about a new direction for color palettes. Prior to Vitamin A, we were only seeing bright colors - fuchsia, purple, turquoise, jade, and black - in the swim industry. Neutral palettes didn’t exist yet, so Vitamin A was one of the first to really introduce a softer and more simple aesthetic. So later, when we integrated the sustainability aspect into Vitamin A, it was another platform, but the aesthetic was already there - it became another point of association for our customers and others in the swim industry!

2. What criteria does the company have for choosing factories to work with?

All Vitamin A bikinis and bodysuits are produced locally in California, which dramatically reduces our emissions for transporting and delivering raw materials! And by keeping the vast majority of our work local, we’re able to closely monitor any of the processes we can’t do ourselves to ensure our sustainable standards are being met. We're able to take the time to get to know the people who make our goods, and we’re proud knowing that our manufacturing team maintains a high standard of ethics and environmental responsibility.

For some of our products that cannot be made here in California, we partner globally with fair trade artisans to produce our materials ethically, meaning Vitamin A production outside of the US is providing women with fair-wage jobs in safe working conditions! We also visit their factories and remain in constant contact with our partners to ensure that they are meeting our same high standards.

3. What can we do as consumers to prolong the life of our swimwear and is Vitamin A working on a way to close the loop on waste after use?

Our first fabric was actually created out of industry waste! Vitamin A’s EcoLux fabrication was the first in our industry and the model for all of our sustainable fabrics. So we‘re constantly working to close the loop on waste – this means keeping that waste out of landfills and recycling it within the industry, innovating with plant-based fabrics, and also looking for ways to recycle worn garments (we’re not quite there yet, but trust us, we’re working on it!).

Prolonging swimwear:

Wear More, Wash Less
When cared for properly, Vitamin A swimwear will last for years. We recommend a gentle, low-impact approach. Unfortunately, when you wash anything made from synthetics (even if its recycled) it sheds microfibers that can be pollutants if they wind up in the ocean. Here are some environmentally-conscious tips on how to care for your swimwear:

Swim Cycle
Rinse in cold water to shed fewer microfibers. We love hand washing with Bikinis Over Everything, an eco-friendly bikini cleanser.

Use an all-natural biodegradable soap, such as Dr. Bronners, to spot-clean only necessary areas (it’s much better for your bikini and the environment than chemical-packed detergents or bleach).

Slip your bikini into an eco-friendly bag (like GUPPYFRIEND) designed to keep any loose microfibers from entering the water in your washing machine. It keeps our ocean water clean and will help your suit receive more delicate care.

Make sure to cold rinse your swimsuit after each wear, even if you don’t go in the water.

Stay Dry
Skip the dryer (and the green house gas emissions) and hang dry your bikinis. Avoid direct sunlight and lay your suits flat in a cool, dry place for a drying method that requires zero energy.

Take Turns
We know you have a favorite bikini, but the key to making it last longer is to wait until it’s completely dry to wear it again. If you’re planning to spend a few days in a row dressed in a bikini (lucky!) plan on bringing a couple different suits to wear.

4. In your opinion, what is the most unsustainable part of the fashion industry? What is Vitamin A doing to combat this? What about ethically?

The least sustainable part of the fashion industry is the pure fact that it’s based on petroleum products, which are materials derived from fossil fuels. At Vitamin A, we’re working on utilizing plant-based swim fibers to create our designs, while also shifting all of our beachwear to biodegradable products, recycled cotton, organic cotton, tinsel, linen, and silks.

5. For someone new to the sustainable world, what are some key small steps they can look out for when shopping to ensure they’re investing in a good company?

Consumers should look out for certain environmental endorsements, partnerships, or support of certifiable organizations that will indicate if any certain company is dedicated to eco-causes. For example, Vitamin A is a member of 1% - meaning we pledge to donate one percent of our annual sales to environmental non-profits.

We should also be sure to read our labels! Keep an eye out for where products are being made and what kind of materials are being used. Swimwear that’s made domestically will have less of a carbon footprint.

6. What are the next steps for Vitamin A? How do you see yourselves evolving in the next five to ten years?

We recently launched our newest BioRib fabric this season, which is made from organic plant-based fibers – meaning there’s zero impact on the food chain, 20% less CO2 emissions, and lower water consumption! We’re currently working on expanding on this concept with more biodegradable fabrics and continuing to innovate with new sustainable options. We’re also excited to be launching exclusive product collaborations with some of favorite retailers with the concept of “sustainability is sexy", to further share our mission with other brands in the industry!