17 Ethical and Sustainable Dresses
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If you’re looking for a gorgeous sustainable summer dress or ethical formal dress, you’re in the right place.
We’ve selected the best brands creating beautiful ethical and sustainable dresses which are guaranteed to look good all year round.
Let’s jump in.
The Best Sustainable Summer Dresses
1. Christy Dawn
Sustainability: Ethically made dresses created using sustainably up-cycled materials and fabrics, including organic cotton and regeneratively grown cotton.
Styles: Flowing maxi dresses, mini dress styles, midi dresses, maternity friendly dresses
Sizes: Petite XS-XL, XS-XL, Extended 1X-3X
Ships to: U.S. & International
creates handmade timeless, versatile dresses designed to be cherished for years to come.
Dresses are created from organic cotton, or regeneratively grown cotton, without harmful chemicals or pesticides, making their fabric luxuriously soft and perfect for sensitive skin. In addition, their gorgeous prints and beautiful colors are responsibly created using organically certified dyes.
Christy Dawn is transparent about the dressmakers behind your clothes and has full price transparency for each dress.
2. Reformation
Sustainability: Climate positive company, creating ethically made dresses from gorgeous low impact materials, including recycled and deadstock fabric.
Styles: mini dresses, midi dresses, maxi dresses, cocktail dresses, sundresses
Sizes: US sizes 0-24 / UK sizes 4-24 petite sizes available
Ships to: Worldwide
Ecothes Rating: 4.5/5
Reformation designs some of the most gorgeous sustainable dresses right now, with styles to suit every occasion.
From midi dresses that compliment your curves to chic mini dresses, you’re pretty much guaranteed to look good in Reformation.
Ref creates and ships all of its products ethically, using environmentally sustainable production techniques. Reformation is a climate-neutral company, meaning it offsets all CO2 created in its supply chain. Ref is on track to be a carbon-positive company, meaning it will remove more CO2 from the atmosphere than it creates by 2025.
3. Cuyana
Sustainability: Sustainable dresses made from responsible materials and an ethical supply chain
Styles: Sustainable slip dresses, mini dresses, and shirtdress styles
Sizes: XS-XL
Ships to: U.S. & International
Less is more with Cuyana, a sustainable clothing brand creating beautiful designs in small batches from sustainable materials. Whatever the season, Cuyana creates a range of casual dresses and head-turning dresses you can dress up or down.
The women-led brand focuses on only creating what it can sell, which reduces textile waste. In addition, Cuyana partners only with ethical suppliers who ensure fair and safe treatment of workers.
4. Baukjen
Sustainability: Certified B corporation, creating ethical and sustainable womenswear
Styles: Maxi dress and midi dress styles, wrap dresses, mini dresses
Sizes: US 2-14 / UK 6-18
Ships to: U.K., U.S., EU
Baukjen is a British designer creating chic ethical, and eco-conscious clothing, including stylish, sustainable dresses. Each of Baukjen’s delightfully designed dresses can be worn casually or dressed up and make the perfect addition to your sustainable wardrobe.
Baukjen also offers a clothes rental service, excellent if you’re looking for the perfect dress for a special occasion; simply rent the dress for a specified period, and return once the big day is over. Clothes rental is a great way to lower our clothing consumption, and it means clothes aren’t thrown away or hidden at the back of a closet once worn.
5. Whimsy + Row
Sustainability: Carbon neutral, sustainable, and ethical clothing brand, creating all designs in their Los Angeles studio
Styles: Party dresses, silk slip dresses, summer dresses, wedding dresses and wedding guest dress styles
Sizes: XS-XL
Ships to: Free U.S. Shipping & International shipping (taxes may apply)
Whimsy + Row is an American sustainable clothing brand, producing its chic clothes ethically in their Los Angeles studio.
Their designs are brought to life with responsible and sustainable fabrics, including GRISOCARE, a blend of ECOVERA™ VISCOSE, derived from certified renewable wood sources using an eco-responsible production process. This eco-friendly fabric is OEKOTEX STANDARD 100 certified and completely biodegradable.
Whimsy + Row also produces dresses from materials including organic cotton, linen, and deadstock fabric.
6. Son de Flor
Sustainability: Handmade to order Oeko-Tex certified linen dresses, created ethically in Lithuania
Styles: Linen wrap dresses, mini dress styles, midi dresses, maternity-friendly dresses
Sizes: US 2 - 18
Ships to: Worldwide
Linen dresses aren’t only for the summer as The Linen Handmade Studio proves.
The Linen Handmade Studio creates a collection of dreamy dresses you can wear all year round. The brand crafts its bespoke dresses from Oeko-tex-certified linen, meaning they’re free from any chemical nasties. You can choose from a range of colours and styles, and each dress is hand made to your unique order.
The slow fashion brand works on a handmade-to-order model to reduce waste and ships its timeless designs in compostable packaging.
7. Alohas
Sustainability: Zero-waste clothing created ethically in small batches from sustainable materials
Styles: Sustainable summer dresses
Sizes: XS-XL
Ships to: Worldwide
You may already be a fan of Alohas chic footwear, but did you know the brand also creates jaw-dropping dresses?
The zero-waste brand designs minimalist dresses perfect for a hot summer date with the beach.
Alohas offers an on-demand way of shopping to prevent overproduction and fashion waste in landfills - an essential step as it’s expected that there will be 148 million tons of fashion waste worldwide.
Each sustainable dress is created ethically using non-toxic dyes.
8. Monsoon
Sustainability: S.E.W. collection creates beautiful designs from sustainable fabrics, including recycled polyester and LENZING ECOVER.
Styles: Midi dresses, formal dresses, cocktail dresses, work dresses.
Sizes: U.K. 6-24
Ships to: U.K. & International
collection delivers beautiful designs from sustainable fabric alternatives, including organic cotton, recycled polyester, and LENZING ECOVERO, a planet-friendly alternative to viscose.
The S.E.W. collection is a step in the right direction for Monsoon, committed to re-engineering their clothing practices to be more environmentally friendly.
9. Araks Silk Slip Dress
Sustainability: Handmade in N.Y.C., lingerie and slip dresses from eco-friendly fabrics
Styles: Silk slip dresses
Sizes: XS-XL
Ships to: U.S. & International
Araks is a sustainable brand specializing in consciously crafted lingerie and swimwear. We’ve showcased them here because their gorgeous Cadel silk slip dress is too good not to include.
If you’re looking for the perfect slip dress for summer days or to dress up for a formal occasion, the Cadel slip, created from 100% silk, comes in seven gorgeous colors and has been spotted on some famous faces, including Zoe Isabelle Kravitz.
10. Datura
Sustainability: Dresses from natural fabrics, ethically made in N.Y.C.
Styles: Slip dresses, maxi dresses, and jumpsuits
Sizes: XS-XL
Ships to: U.S. & International (customers outside the U.S. must pay customs duty)
Datura creates timeless, hand-crafted dresses from consciously selected natural fabrics, including silk. Datura makes all of its designs ethically in its N.Y.C. studio.
This slow fashion brand creates versatile, classic, and season-less pieces, promoting the ethos of buying high-quality items that can be worn all year round instead of investing in low-quality pieces that fall apart after one season.
11. Paneros
Sustainability: Small batch fashion, sustainable materials, responsible manufacturing
Styles: Maxi dresses, mini dresses, sustainable wrap dresses
Sizes: XS-XL
Ships to: the US & International
Paneros is a sustainable fashion brand creating its flattering dresses ethically from sustainable materials. The brand designs stylish dresses in Los Angeles and partners with an ethical supplier in Indonesia who brings their designs to life.
Paneros is perfect if you want to keep up with the latest styles and ensure you’re supporting a sustainable brand.
12. Aligne
Sustainability: Sustainable dresses created with eco-friendly and low-impact materials.
Styles: Mini dresses, midi dresses, slips, and formal dresses
Sizes: UK 6-22
Ships to: the UK only
Sustainable UK-based clothing brand Aligne creates dreamy dresses and clothing from eco-conscious materials, including organic cotton, recycled polyester, and EcoVero™.
The UK brand creates on-trend, playful mini dresses and stylish midi dresses, perfect for all seasons.
Aligne offers free UK shipping on all orders, and every product is protected by a biodegradable poly bag and shipped in a box made from sustainably sourced, recycled cardboard.
13. Girl of the Earth
Sustainability: Handmade in NYC dresses from deadstock fabric
Styles: Vintage-inspired dresses
Sizes: XS-XL
Ships to: Worldwide
Are you looking for vintage-inspired dresses with a modern twist? Then check out Girl of the Earth. The NYC-based brand sources deadstock materials from 1930-1990 and uses them to bring its vintage-inspired designs to life.
The brand handcrafts and curates its collections between its NYC studio and Lisbon, where vintage lover Ruby Sinclair spends her time. Each bespoke style is made in limited amounts, so make sure you snap yours up fast!
14. Ninety Percent
Sustainability: Sustainable clothing brand using ethical production and responsible fabrics. Ninety Percent donates 90% of profits to charity organizations
Styles: Minimalist dresses, knitted dresses
Sizes: XXS-XXL
Ships to: Worldwide
London-based sustainable fashion brand creates minimalist-inspired luxury basics from responsible materials, including organic cotton, Tencel, and other eco-friendly fabrics.
Ninety Percent creates ethical clothing in two Industry changing ethical factories in Bangladesh. The brand’s main partner factory is the first factory in the country to offer health insurance, fair wages, and a free lunch every day for all workers.
The brand donates 90% of its profits to charity organizations, which you can vote for on their website. Organizations include charities that empower women living in poverty to reach their potential and non-profit organizations which protect and sustain wildlife.
15. Stella McCartney
Sustainability: Luxury ethical and sustainable clothing brand using sustainable materials
Styles: Sustainable formal dresses, designer dresses
Sizes: US 0-8 / UK 6-12
Ships to: Worldwide
Luxury fashion brand has been passionate about sustainable and ethical clothing for over two decades. The designer has pioneered vegan fashion and is committed to promoting good labor standards and protecting human rights.
The designer’s R.T.W. sustainable dress collection features a gorgeous selection of sustainable and ethical dresses, including unique maxi dresses perfect for a formal occasion and chic mini dresses created from responsible materials, including organic cotton and recycled fabrics.
16. Pact
Sustainability: Affordable, sustainable dresses created in Fair Trade Certified Factories from organic cotton.
Styles: Sustainable summer dresses, minimalist dresses, maxi dresses
Sizes: XXS-XXL
Ships to: Worldwide
Pact is your go-to brand for minimalist, easy-to-throw-on organic cotton dresses, perfect for warm summer days.
Pact’s comfortable and breathable dresses are available in stylish colors and prints to suit every occasion.
The brand creates its ethical dresses in Fair Trade certified factories from organic cotton, which is grown without the use of harmful pesticides or toxic chemicals. Plus, by switching to organic cotton clothing, we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by up to 49%.
17. Nobody’s Child
Sustainability: Affordable eco-friendly dresses created in audited factories from sustainable materials.
Styles: Sustainable summer dresses
Sizes: UK 6-18
Ships to: the UK & International
Meet , a climate-positive sustainable women’s clothing brand creating on-trend dresses from sustainable materials.
Omnes ethically creates affordable clothing in fully audited factories and is transparent about where your clothes are made. In addition, the brand designs its stylish dresses using responsible materials, including organic cotton, recycled materials, and eco-friendly fabrics, including Tencel and more.
Wrapping Up: Sustainable and Ethical Dresses
We hope you enjoyed the article and you’ve found the perfect eco friendly dress. If you have any sustainable dress brands you think we should add to the list, please let us know in the comments below.
We think you’ll also like our sustainable jumpsuit, sustainable skirt, and ethical blazer guides.
Make sure to also check out our guide on sustainable heels, to pair with your new dress!
You might also need…
Need the perfect pair of sustainable heels to complete your look? Check out the perfect brand if you’re looking for on-trend, sustainable vegan heels.
