The 4 slow fashion brands I currently love

I recently posted a video on TikTok sharing my favorite slow fashion brands; it was the first of my videos that received nearly 100K views within a week.

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I was actually really happy to find out that more people are now interested in learning about the concept of slow fashion. (Click here to learn about fast fashion and click here for a brief explanation of what slow fashion means.)

Since the end of 2018, after watching a documentary called The True Cost, I decided to make a conscious effort to avoid buying from fast fashion brands. That was the first step I took because it was the simplest. And then when I started working with Italian made-on-demand brand Marta Scarampi, a client of my marketing agency, I learned what it really means when a brand is being sustainable, if something is ethically-made, and the beauty of slow fashion. I’m nothing close to an expert on this topic, and am still learning about it all, but I know I’m taking one step further away from indulging in fast fashion every day.

Today, I’m sharing 4 of my current favorite slow fashion brands that I’ve personally purchased products from and highly recommend!

1. Whimsy + Row

Founded in 2014 and based in Los Angeles, Whimsy + Row uses a lot of eco-friendly materials and recycled fabrics to limit the amount of chemicals, water and wastewater used in production. They manufacture locally in the U.S. to reduce its carbon footprint and their use recycled materials for their packaging, too. Its use of eco-friendly materials limits the amount of chemicals, water and wastewater used in production.

I really like that on every product page, the brand tells you how many hours of bulb energy or days of drinking water was just saved.

2. Marta Scarampi

I may be a little bias when it comes to Marta Scarampi because I work closely with the brand’s co-founders. But really, they opened my eyes to the world of slow fashion. The brand is known for making elegant capes and blazers, but most recently, they have received a ton of press coverage on travel jumpsuits they’ve designed for the “new normal”.

To reduce waste as much as they possibly can, the brand does not keep an inventory of any item lying around — every single piece is handmade by the order at their atelier in Torino, Italy. They re-purpose all the excess fabric and use it to create smaller items, including hair accessories, dog and baby capes, etc.

I love that Marta Scarampi’s designs are classic and elegant, yet they create relevant products that fit modern-day needs. Some of the innovative products they’ve launched since late April include a travel-safe jumpsuit that covers you from head to toe and 100% Italian organic dresses that are perfect for lounging now and picnics later. Both of them come with matching face masks!

3. Girlfriend Collective

Girlfriend Collective is my favorite activewear brand. Not only because it is a sustainable, ethical brand, but also because they cast real women to model their clothing. They celebrate young and old women of every shape and size — and I really love that!

The brand recycles old plastic bottles, fishing nets and other trash and turn them into chic activewear — cute bras and flattering leggings that I’m personally obsessed with. In fact, one of the main reasons why I have a soft spot for Girlfriend Collective is because they source their post-consumer water bottles from Taiwan — where my family is from. People in Taiwan value the importance of recycling (55% of waste are being recycled in Taiwan vs 35% in the U.S.), and it is so good to know that an amazing brand like Girlfriend Collective sees the beauty of the recycled waste and can transform it into something so stylish and wearable. There is so much more to the process and the brand is very transparent about all of it. You can learn more it here.

A lot of people think “recycled” materials are not as luxe — to be honest, I used to think that, too. But we’re so mistaken! Every single piece of clothing I’ve gotten from Girlfriend Collective have been so comfortable to wear. And they really last a long time, too! The first ever pair of legging I bought from them is about 3, 4 years old but it looks like-new. It’s also very sculpting so I feel confident in them.

4. Petite Studio

The dreamy Petite Studio dress has a modern Cinderella vibe which I absolutely adore.

I may not be the typical “petite” girl, but my legs are short and my shoulders are narrow, so I actually like searching for brands that offer petite sizes for certain items like coats, dresses and pants because they tend to fit me better! Designed by petites for petites, this NYC-based slow fashion brand offers a lot of romantic pieces with vintage vibes.

Recently, they created a collection called The 99 Club, which features pieces that are made with their dead stock fabrics. Instead of trashing excess material, the design team re-purposes the fabrics with aims to increase the brand’s sustainability effects and decrease their carbon footprint. I thought this was a really clever idea to approach what would’ve became “waste!”

Some of my recent favorite pieces by Petite Studio include this off-the-shoulder yellow top and this beautiful sheer blue dress. Last winter, I got a few of their coats and they were absolutely amazing, too — the quality is amazing, and they kept me warm and looking stylish even when I was all bundled up!