10 Sustainable Minimalist Fashion Brands

Minimalism is not just a trend. The minimalistic lifestyle movement has taken the world by storm helping individuals cleanse their belongings and shift to a more sustainable mindset.

Let’s explore how minimalism can impact consumer’s closets and explore a few sustainable minimalist clothing brands.

What is Minimalism?

Minimalism is a way of life that encourages consumers to live with less. In other words, as consumers, we tend to be mentally tied to 'stuff', but minimalism explores ways to detach and evaluate which items in your life have meaning.

minimalist closet

Like it or not, our clothes can play a significant role in over consumption as consumers we often fall victim to fast fashion & trends. However, learning about a minimalistic style wardrobe may be one way to grip on our constant buying habits while helping the planet. 

What is minimalist fashion?

Minimalist fashion can refer to both a certain style of clothing and a lifestyle. When we hear minimalist fashion we think of neutral colors, timeless pieces, and articles of clothing that are versatile enough to be styled a variety of ways.

The style of this clothing has become a lifestyle for some people who chose to have a minimalist closet.

People with a minimalist closet usually chose quality of quantity, purchase pieces crafted to last, and choose timeless pieces instead of constantly buying to keep up with trends.

We commonly see the phrase capsule wardrobe used in minimalist fashion. A capsule wardrobe is defined as a reduced wardrobe of 30 – 40 items (including accessories) that you use all year round.

However, it consists of good quality, meaningful pieces that are long-lasting. Minimalists usually chose pieces that can easily be paired with each other, dressed up/down for any occasion, and transition well throughout a variety of seasons.

What are the benefits of a minimalist closet?

Buy less and invest in quality clothes

By taking a more minimalistic approach, consumers spend less on wanted items and only purchase items needed. Instead of buying to keep up with trends minimalists focus on quality.

Quality is an essential within the buying process because this allows consumers to pay a bit more up-front for quality clothes that will last longer without the feat of having to replace clothes due to poor quality.

Minimalism is better for the environment 

Taking a minimalistic style encourages consumers to buy less which is better for the environment. It is no secret we live in a disposable world due to the desire to keep up with perpetual trends.

However, introducing a capsule or a minimalistic wardrobe means simple looks, natural colours, so toxic dyes are reduced, less manufacturing processing, overall, less impact on the environment. Additionally, purchasing less often on plant-based and biodegradable products results to less waste and a pressure on the planet.           

how to start a capsule wardrobe

A minimalist closet encourages freedom from clutter

After clearing out less meaningful items, consumers tend to enjoy the space and spend less time organizing & searching for specific items. Minimalism creates a cleaner closet and freer mind

Tips to Start Your Minimalist Capsule Closet

  • Before buying new meaningful garments, review your existing closet.

  • The organizing queen Marie Kondo suggests that instead of diving into your existing wardrobe without a strategy, take a step back and review it in stages. 

  • Start your journey by creating three piles, one meaningful pile, the other 'not so meaningful’. Then the not so meaningful move on to a thrift or goodwill which promotes circularity in fashion supporting sustainability.  

  • If you decide to purchase new pieces choose timeless pieces that can easily transition between seasons & last for years to come.

10 Sustainable Clothing Brands for Minimalist Style

If you decide to purchase some pieces to get your minimalist closet started consider these brands who celebrate sustainability with eco-friendly practices through out their business models.

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Malaika’s Bold Style with Minimalist Fabrics

Malaika New York is an ethical fashion brand that focuses on zero waste design and seasonless style. Their eco-friendly clothing is ethically made in partnership with a Turkish factory focused on sustainable production, fair wages, and safe working conditions.

Malaika New York uses sustainable materials such as GOTS or OEKO certificated cottons, deadstock fabric, ECONYL, and RWS certified wool.

Malaika New York offers sustainable tops and dresses that feature minimalist style.

You can use the discount code MHonest15 for 15% off your order.

Tradlands Timeless Clothing for Minimalists

Tradlands focuses on creating pieces customers can wear with everything and live in for years to come. Their timeless pieces are ethically made with natural materials like cotton, silk, and TENCEL.

Tradlands carries both a variety of neutral style perfect for a minimalist wardrobe. They also have a few fun colors and prints that are great for adding a pop of color to any capsule wardrobe! Use the discount code HONESTCONSUMER15 for 15% off your purchase.

Ministry of Supply: Sustainable Minimalist Clothing

Ministry of Supply creates clothes for motion, comfort, easy care, and the planet. This sustainable clothing brands features minimalist style workwear for men and women. Their clothes are made with recycled and bio-based fabrics through 3D Print-Knit production, an on-demand, zero waste production technique.

Along with these sustainable production initiatives Ministry of Supply’s Aero Zero dress shirt is 100% Recycled, 100% Recyclable, for Infinite Uses. Customers are able to return this garment to be recycled in exchange for a store credit.

This sustainable clothing brand is also Climate Neutral Certified and gives back. Ministry of Supply’s circular clothing is made for men and women which is great.

ABLE: Minimalist Clothing for Women

ABLE is an ethical fashion brand believes that the solution to end poverty is to employ and empower women. ABLE invests in and trains women encouraging them to earn a livable wage & lift themselves out of poverty.

ABLE’s minimalist clothing features ethically made denim, basic tops, dresses, and more. Their clothing is great for discovering versatile pieces that can easily transition between seasons.

Encircled’s Versatile Minimalist Basics

Encircled’s modern basics are consciously crafted in Canada using sustainable materials such as TENCEL modal, organic cotton, rayon from bamboo, and more.

This ethical clothing brand focuses on versatile multi-way clothing encouraging consumers to invest in high quality pieces that can be worn for years to come.

While Encircled’s clothing can be expensive, it is high quality and crafted to last.

Eileen Fisher: Luxury Fashion for Minimalists

Sustainability is at the heart of Eileen Fisher as they create clothes that last a lifetime. The clothes are well-made and created to be timeless.

Eileen Fisher has multiple circular fashion programs, Renew and Waste No More, where second-hand clothes are brought to life and transformed into new designs. Overall, their designs are simple shapes with signature fits, so you can find the clothes that work for your body shape. 

Fair Indigo: Affordable Minimalist Fashion

Fair Indigo’s fair trade fashion only uses premium-quality organic clothing to respect the environment by using fewer resources. From tops to jumpsuits, there is a range of fair trade fashion for all minimalists.

Sustain: Plant Dyed Natural Clothing

Sustain by Kat creates high-quality, timeless basics made from 100% natural materials including organic cotton and linen. They source and craft all of their products ethically and with care, ensuring that each naturally-dyed piece contributes to helping both our planet and the people in it. Their colorful clothing is ethically made in India.

FOR DAYS CIRCULAR FASHION

For Days cares deeply about creating a good product with high quality, sustainable materials. This sustainable clothing brand works with GOTS materials, recycled materials that meet the Global Recycling Standards, and Cradle to Cradle certified dyes.

This brand also ensures that every item is 100% recyclable and minimizes waste with reusable packaging and company-wide carbon offsets.

LA Relaxed Minimalist Style with Natural Fibers

LA Relaxed uses sustainable natural fibers to craft high quality clothing. All of their clothing is made in their own factory in Los Angeles and they pay garment workers a livable wage and have healthy work conditions.

This ethical minimalist brand aims to minimize waste in the production process by making in small batches, reducing fabric consumption, and using leftover fabric for other goods.

Discover minimalist tops, dresses, bottoms, and more for women. Use HONEST20 for 20% off your purchase.

Ultimately minimalistic styles are all based on quality, sustainability, and longevity. Although leaping a minimalistic wardrobe may seem different, remember you are not all helping your mind, body, and pockets but the environment too!

We hope our minimalistic fashion brands suggestion can help you start your journey as well as given you further insight of how a minimalistic wardrobe is both beneficial to you and the environment. 


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