Eco-friendly fashion is a niche, and when you add plus sizes, it becomes a double niche, which makes the search extremely difficult. Sustainable plus size fashion is also ethical fashion, which usually includes a garment design, production, and distribution that reduces harm to people and the environment. We’re here to take the challenge away and make shopping easier.
What exactly is sustainable plus size fashion?
The term sustainable fashion has been used frequently to describe what and how clothes are made.
It’s a movement and process of fostering change to fashion products and the fashion system towards greater ecological integrity and social justice. Sustainable fashion is also eco-fashion.
Eco-friendly fabrics are those that are safe for the environment, recycled, or biodegradable. The most popular ones are linen, cotton, wool, hemp, as well as anything that’s recycled and used in a new garment.
Mood Fabrics
Unsustainable fabrics are nylon and polyester, which are made from petrochemical and are non-biodegradable. Rayon is another artificial fiber.
If sustainable plus size fashion is extremely important to you, you need to pay extra attention when shopping online. Take the time to read the garment description and when shopping in-store, read the fabric content tag.
How to be more eco-friendly with your clothes?
- Don’t throw away your lightly used clothes. Take them to a secondary store
- Resell on websites like Poshmark
- Donate your softly used clothes to shelters and charities
- Give to an animal shelter
- Check out local textile recycling locations
- Give them away to a friend or family member
20 Sustainable Plus Size Friendly Brands to Shop!
"There’s a few dresses in this collection that could be granted the title THE dress of this summer and the Veronica is definitely up there. Flowy, puffy, full of the drama and the frills, this is the kind of dress that you’ll be able to wear for years to come and you will still feel special every single time you wear it."
Size Range: Up through a size 10X
"The Willow 2.0 is the second coming of our most- loved dress, now in a softer and more durable fabric with an improved fit to show off your shape. Made in our signature luxe fabric, this piece fits and flows in all the right places for a chic silhouette."
Made with: Recycled Cotton
Size Range: 14-28
I love that it can be worn so casually with jeans and a great t-shirt or styled as a wrap dress with a cute pair of worn-in leather sandals. I can easily see myself wearing it both ways through the warm seasons.
Made with silk Charmeuse
Size Range: XS-5X
"The Devon Twill Pencil Skirt is soft and sophisticated all in one. Made from a sustainable mock twill fabric that is as soft as it is lightweight. Designed for a skimming fit and with a center-front slit for complete ease of movement.
This pencil skirt is engineered with an encased elastic waistband for a fit that stays secure all day. Pair this skirt with something equally lightweight for an outfit you'll wear morning to evening."
Size Range: 00-40
"We use eco-friendly fabrics that have minimal environmental impacts such as tencel, modal, and linen. The versatility of our pieces allow for prolonged use and all of our packaging, stationery, and marketing materials are printed on recycled paper. We hand-make every piece from start to finish in our California studio."
Size Range: Unique sizing system of 0 – 10 fits traditional sizes 0 – 30
"AKALA was created to provide quality eco-friendly apparel with designs that fit every beautiful shape and size. The name AKALA is derived from the founder's initials, Ashley Klein (AK), combined with the brand’s manufacturing location in Los Angeles (@ LA).
We all deserve to have clothing that is designed thoughtfully, with eco-conscious and ethical practices at the core."
Size Range: XS-XXL
"It’s important to us that we sell ethically made clothing, which is why all of our manufacturing is done in Canada, by people employed under safe working conditions and paid above minimum wage. We visit our factories on a regular basis, both to inspect the premises and to meet with our team, and are focused on ensuring our supply chain, materials, and packaging are as sustainable as possible.
The Sleep Shirt is an ethical clothing company, dedicated to making high quality items that stand the test of time."
Size Range: XL-4X
"Free Label was founded in 2015 by Jess Sternberg in an effort to create beautiful, comfortable and sustainably focused clothing in a system where everyone gets paid fairly. We manufacture sizes XS-4X all in small batches."
Size Range: in size XS-4XL
"We believe we can make the world a more beautiful place by holding ourselves to a higher ethical standard. We call it being “ethically elevated.” It means we put artistry above efficiency. Fair wages above profits. Sustainability above mass production."
Size Range: S-5XL
"DL1961 is a family-owned brand, creating premium denim with sustainability at our core since 2008. Overseeing the entire process from fiber to finished garment, we pride ourselves on our leading fabric and sustainability technologies."
Size Range: 10-26
"We're like the earth's number one fan, so being eco-friendly is at the top of our priorities, as is giving you as much information as possible."
Size Range: XXS-6XL
"Miakoda is an eco-friendly, sustainable, and ethically made comfy clothing company. We use exclusively plant-based materials [with the addition of small percentages of spandex for comfort and movement]. You’ll never find animal fibers or synthetic [polyester, acrylic, etc] materials in a Miakoda garment."
Size Range: S- 4XL
"For over 35 years, we’ve been united in our efforts to support the environment, human rights and initiatives for women and girls—and we believe that this work is becoming more and more important. Our pledge is to expand our activism and outreach, to lend our voices, to help empower and protect."
Range Size: PP-3X
"At BAACAL we also believe you shouldn't have to compromise on style in the name of sustainability. Our dedication to sustainability doesn't stop there. 80% of our limited run collections are made in Los Angeles. We use upcycled, vintage, and existing materials – everything from fabric to buttons and trim."
Size Range: 10-22
"Let's make a change in the fashion industry. Let's support making women feel good about themselves rather than crying in fitting rooms. Let's drape ourselves in beautiful and sustainable fabrics. Let's pay sewers a living wage."
Size Range: XS-4X
"The Wrap Dress is an effortlessly styled piece where the cut does all the talking. It is soft, drapey and feminine and, like all Bamboo Body pieces, can be dressed up for night or worn more casually throughout the day. Simply add accessories to personalize your look! "
Size Range: XS-3XL
"To reduce waste, the majority of our items are not made until ordered by you. HDH's simple and clean aesthetic, quality fabrics, impeccable attention to detail, and sustainable practices have made it a favorite of style-conscious women around the world."
Size Range:XS-4XL
"Kinflyte is an inclusive brand that creates sustainable apparel to help everybody move better. Our Eco Jersey line of bras, tops, and bottoms is made from 79% recycled polyester (rPET), which is derived from single use plastic bottles. We source high quality polyester-spandex fabrics from Taiwan, a global leader in recycling."
Size Range: XS-5XL
"The Nellie Dress is a modern update on the classic plus size LBD that you'll want to put in heavy rotation this season; clean lines that shape an on-trend, A-line silhouette. Pair this beauty with a classic pump for work or strappy sandals for a night look!"
Size Range: 12-36
"Levi’s® SecondHand keeps coveted pieces in circulation. It’s all about connecting people to timeless styles they otherwise may not have found, and most importantly, saving clothing from going into a landfill. Old denim has never looked better."
Size Range: 14-26
Sustainable plus size fashion can be spotted in all fields. You can find it in your loungewear, workout clothes, undergarments, lingerie, swimwear, and everyday fashion. You can even find sustainable fashion in your shoes wear as well! Brands like Adidas pride themselves on being eco-friendly.
Have you been a big supporter of eco-friendly fashion? Who are your favorite plus size sustainable brands?
Did you see anything that loved? I can’t wait to read your comments!
I would like to have more sustainable garments in my wardrobe. Unfortunately, the prices for these materials are way out of my financial means. It’s hard to find inexpensive plus size clothing that isn’t complete trash (style wise or construction). Until the fashion industry decides to make all clothes available in all sizes (and dump the division between standard and plus size) or I win the lottery, (neither is likely to happen in my lifetime), I feel like my clothing choices are severely limited. It’s s depressing. I feel like being fat makes me unworthy to wear certain styles and labels.
WOW thank you so much!!! Shopping sustainably is really important to me, but finding sustainable plus sized clothes is so hard and I found so many fun brands here. I wish they were less expensive, but unfortunately, most sustainable fashion is expensive. I feel fortunate that I have the means to buy sustainable clothing and hope the entire industry will move that direction eventually.
Wow! sustainable plus-size clothes are hard to find, so thank you for this!
good article and information. thanks.
Thank you so much!