A UK Slow & Sustainable Clothing Directory
I have previous working relationships with some of the brands featured in this directory, but this is not an advertisement.
I first wrote this article at the beginning of 2020, and mentioned in the opening paragraph that ‘British clothing have a lot of catching up to do with the rest of the world.’ At the time, I only knew of a handful of British brands that offered slow, sustainable and ethical garments, and in the last couple of years it seems like the industry is flourishing. New brands are appearing all the time, and it’s great to see a wider range of price points, styles and sizes appearing. I still find myself being drawn to brands based in North America, Canada, Australia and elsewhere in Europe (more of an issue nowadays, with the import fees as a result of Brexit), but I’m pleased to find that the UK now has a wealth of slow, sustainable and ethical brands to choose from. This list below is by no means exhaustive, these are just my picks of brands that adhere to a slow and simple aesthetic, championing repeat wear and a timeless wardrobe, ethical and sustainable practices, and a sense of style that I appreciate and can see adding to my own wardrobe.
If you’re committed to embracing a slow and sustainable life, you need to consider where the goods that you purchase come from. There’s little point buying from a brand with low carbon emissions if you’re paying to have their garments loaded on a plane and sent halfway around the world for you to wear. I’m definitely guilty of this, with garments in my wardrobe from North American and Canadian brands, but I am now trying to focus on buying from brands that are based here, in the UK.
You can view my other slow and sustainable clothing directories here:
NADINOO
I’ve been an admirer of Nadinoo since my early blogging days. Nadia may now be concentrating on a different aesthetic but her passion for making beautiful, long-lasting clothes has stayed a constant in her designs. I love her focus on a slow philosophy to dressing, focusing on simple, comfortable and effortless garments that encourage a slower pace of life. You won’t find trends and fads here, rather a capsule collection of styles that can be worn all year round. Every garment is made to order from Nadia’s shop and studio in Rutland, allowing her to offer a bespoke service if you’d like to adjust a hemline or try a different fabric.
STALF
Stalf make contemporary wardrobe staples such as jumpsuits and joggers from their Lincolnshire studio. Focusing on perfecting a capsule collection of garments, available in a selection of pastel and neutral colours, owner Paris casts aside current trends in favor of hard-wearing, functional clothing. Stalf is named after her grandparents, Stella and Alf, who hailed from a time when people owned less clothing and looked after the few garments in their wardrobes. All of Stalf’s collections are handmade in small quantities with a focus on reducing waste.
REN LONDON
I love the simplicity and timelessness of Ren’s designs; over-sized shirts, slip dresses and robes crafted from natural textiles including European linen, organic cotton and raw silk. These are the kind of garments that you can imagine wearing on a lazy Sunday at home, reading the paper and cooking brunch - or when travelling to far off, exotic beaches. Based in London, Ren is committed to small-scale production and each collection is available in limited runs, reducing waste while keeping all elements of the manufacturing process in the city.
THE SIMPLE FOLK
The Simple Folk was set up by two mothers and friends who wanted to create children’s clothing that was natural, organic and eco-friendly. After failing to find garments for their own children that were timeless and versatile, made using non-toxic dyes and created in an environmentally and social conscious way, they decided to set up their own brand that adhered to these principles. Their womenswear capsule collection followed, with two seasonal ranges each year that offer adult versions of their best-selling children’s clothes. Expect slouchy knitwear, flowing linen dresses, cosy thermals and stylish linen separates that can be dressed up or dressed down.
KAELY RUSSELL
Kaely Russell’s eponymous brand offers a selection of everyday staples such as shirts, dresses and trousers, crafted from Oeko-tex certified linen and organic cotton. Everything is made in-house in Kaely’s Devon-based studio, produced in limited runs or as made-to-order to reduce waste. Garments are easy-to-wear and simply designed, adhering to Kaely’s slow fashion principles.
JAGGERY LONDON
Jaggery is a wonderful slow knitwear brand who focus on producing small, slow runs of stylish knitwear (as well as organic cotton shirts and dresses) that is designed to be treasured for years to come. Garments are manufactured in three locations - a sustainable knitting project in Peru focusing on community development and local handicrafts, a knitting workshop that supports local women in Tamil Nadu, India and their handloom cottons and linens are made in an ethical studio in Bangalore, India.
RILEY STUDIO
Riley Studio offer everyday wardrobe staples such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, track pants and anoraks with a commitment to eco-innovation and sustainability. Their collection focuses on gender-neutral garments that break down the boundaries of the fashion industry, showing that quality, stylish clothing doesn’t have to be male/female specific. They understand that even ethical and sustainable practices (such as using recycled materials including Lyocell and ECONYL yarn) impact the environment, creating clothing that is made to stand the test of time to encourage consumers to buy less but buy better.
MARAZUL
I love how Marazul describe themselves as ‘creating an ethically and sustainably conscious uniform for the women who refuse to live uniformly.” Their collection currently focuses on a beautifully simple jumpsuit, available in four colours, that looks effortless to wear. I love the idea of wearing their jumpsuits at the beach, throwing on a jumper in the evening or wearing them in your day-to-day life. Owner and designer, Harri created her first jumpsuit for herself when living in Costa Rica, now running Marazul between the city and the coast of England. She works with ethical producers in Bali and the UK to source materials, uses natural dying processes and sends out orders using reusable and recyclable packaging.
BUG
Bug is the brainchild of fashion designer, Amy Ward who cuts and sews some of her garments in her rural studio (the majority of her manufacturing is carried out by Fabrika in London). Her belief that all clothing should be comfortable and purposeful carries over to her easy-to-wear designs. All materials used are either deadstock or sourced from a OEKO-tex certified cotton and linen supplier.
LAW DESIGN STUDIO
All of Law Design Studio’s garments are made to order in owner, Gill’s studio in Glasgow. There is a focus on size inclusivity, with sizes running from a 4 to a 24, and fabrics are all natural. Gill also offers a circular system, where customers can return garments that they no longer use and receive a voucher code. Gill then gives the garment a little TLC before listing it on the website at a reduced price, helping to reduce waste.
EAST BY EAST WEST
Founder of East by East West, Sunu, draws inspiration for her designs from her MA studies at the London College of Fashion and her parent’s business selling traditional Korean fabric during her childhood. In the early days of her label, she worked on every part of the manufacturing process herself, but as the brand has grown she now outsources manufacturing to ethical companies in the UK, India and South Korea. She works with natural materials to make beautiful garments that are designed to be treasured.
COLOURFUL STANDARD
Colourful Standard is the place to go for long-lasting, classic wardrobe staples that you’ll wear over and over again. They offer a wide selection of basic garments such as Tshirts, shorts and shirts in a variety of colours. All garments are manufactured in Portugal, with employees working fair hours and being paid fair wages. The dyes they use to achieve their wide spectrum of colours are all Oeko-Tex Certified, and they use 100% organic cotton an 100% recycled merino wool.
COLENIMO
I’ve completely fallen in love with the aesthetics of this London based brand, so was pleased to discover their sustainable credentials. Aiming to create timeless, elegant and quality clothing, there’s a distinct ethereal aesthetic to Colenimo’s collections that makes each piece feel special. Founder Aya Nakagawa fuses the design skills she learnt in Tokyo with British-sourced fabric and a feminine aesthetic to create covetable garments that will can make everyday dressing feel that little bit more special. I love how she fuses contemporary silhouettes and vintage-inspired touches to make dresses that I can’t stop thinking about.
PHAEDRA
Phaedra’s beautifully simple wardrobe staples are available in a gorgeous array of colours - classic blues, greens and greys punctuated with ochre and terracotta shades that remind me of warm summers days. A one-woman business, Phaedra was born from owner, Deva’s constant hunt to find simple, sustainable clothing to fit her tall frame. The result is a stunning collection of everyday staple garments that are practical and comfortable, while also being a joy to wear. Deva strives to be as environmentally conscious and ethical as possible, using Lithuanian linen, British and Japanese cotton and paper packaging.
BY SARAH JOHNSON
Sarah Johnson launches one batch of garments per month, with a limited amount available for pre-order, made especially for each customer while minimising waste. Her designs are timeless, intended to sit in your wardrobe for years to come and be passed down through generations - overalls, trousers, shirts and gilets crafted from linen, corduroy, tencel and twill. Her philosophy allows a wonderful approach to aftercare - she will patch your garment, replace a button or redip it in a dye bath if it needs a little TLC in the future, helping to ensure that it will remain treasured in your wardrobe.
PAJOTTEN
I’ve only recently stumbled across Pajotten, a simple and sustainable brand that offers a small capsule collection of everyday garments such as shirt dresses and chore jackets. Garments are made to order using UK sourced, organic, recycled and deadbolt cloth. I love their dedication to reducing waste, using leftover cloth to make bags or give to charities. Influences for their designs come from workwear and utilitarian clothing, creating garments that are practical and easy to wear in a neutral colour palette.
ELLA GRIFFEE
Ella Griffee’s collection predominantly focuses on easy-to-wear shirts constructed from materials such as organic denim, linen and corduroy. She creates each individual garment herself using a made-to-order system which eliminates waste and allows for bespoke orders. Her garments are designed to be worn everyday and to have a long, loved life.
SETTLE
Emily Settle began her career as a costume designer, and working on Toast’s Renewal project that promoted repairing existing garments. Her own clothing brand, SETTLE, focuses on shirts constructed from deadstock and vintage material. The design of the shirts is inspired by one she stole from her dad, with each shirt made by Emily herself.
Most images are the brand’s own.
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