6 Earth-Friendly Fashion Picks

With Earth Month in full swing and Earth Day coming up quick, we’re rounding up fashion brands and retailers that make the kind of conscious duds Mother Nature herself would be proud to wear. —Noa Nichol

frank and oak. This brand’s new Minimal collection keeps the environment top of mind by using organic cotton, recycled-from-plastic-water-bottles polyester and sustainably grown Tencel (a wood-based fibre made of pulp from harvested eucalyptus trees) to make stylish pieces for guys and gals. Additionally, "hydro-less" denim is produced with tech that use less energy, less water and fewer chemicals than standard methods. Well denim done!

saltwater collective. Just launched by this earth-minded swimwear company is a simplistic-yet-stunning SS18 collection comprised completely of garments handmade for women by women in Canada using an innovative sustainable fabric created from recycled ocean litter (think abandoned fishing nets and tossed-away plastic). One man’s trash really is our treasure!

arc apparel. For those of us who wish to shop for fashion-forward threads without concern for their impact on the world, ARC Apparel is a dream come true. The do-good duds offered by this Vancouver-based retailer are thoroughly researched by founder Sarah Stewart to ensure the brands behind them pay workers fairly and hold the environment in high regard—plus, they’re super stylish, to boot. From well-known clothing cos like Levi’s (which works with a strict code of employment ethics and does much in the realm of sustainable manufacturing) to Canadian designers like Emma Knudsen (her products, too, are made in a responsible and ethical manner), ARC is a rich source of wardrobe-filling garments we can wear in exceedingly good conscience.

simons. Here’s some buzz-worthy fashion news: this spring, Canadian fashion retailer Simons is installing urban beehives at three of its locations (Carrefour Laval, Quebec City and Square One in Ontario) and, come fall, will sell the resulting honey in store and online. Also, its in-house label, Twik, has launched a new Bee the Change collection (women’s T-shirts, sweaters, blouses, dresses and skirts) from which $8 from each item purchased will go toward stopping the decline of the honeybee population.

bia boro. Underwear that’s fun and earth minded? Meet Bia Boro—an intimates and loungewear label that makes its wares from sustainable, moisture-wicking, breathable and thermo-regulating bamboo (we’ve tried it, and it’s super-soft and comfy, too!). Best of all, these hand-cut-and-made designs do not skimp on sexy, and offer a good dose of bold colour and boho-leaning pattern to liven up your lingerie game.

call it spring. This brand is giving back in a big way this Earth Day via a partnership with social enterprise ME to WE that aims to empower people to be a force for change, locally and globally. The collab comes to life through a limited-edition line of hand-crafted, socially conscious accessories that will have positive and long-term impacts on developing communities in Kenya (plus a commitment from Call It Spring to match the net proceeds of every accessory purchase made up to $50K).