Not only does Patagonia create products that last a lifetime, reinvest into local communities and support charities, but it also runs its Worn Wear programme. Worn Wear allows customers to trade in their pre-loved and unwanted Patagonia garments for credit, which will then be upcycled, repaired and repurposed for resale.

Image Credit. This initiative helps close the loop, minimising the amount of fashion waste that would otherwise be thrown away. In the two years since its launch in , Patagonia sold , products through Worn Wear.

Vintage fashion has long been at the heart of the upcycling movement, with the demand creating many brands as a result.

Beyond Retro is one of them. Starting in East London, Beyond Retro has grown to be one of the UK's most popular vintage clothing brands. The brand goes on to upcycle and repurpose this stock into new collections. Through their numerous initiatives, not only does Beyond Retro promote upcycling, but it also celebrates the success of a circular fashion model.

A high street staple for many, Urban Outfitters is playing its part in the upcycling revolution through its sustainable sub-brand, Urban Renewal.

Urban Renewal gives a new life to vintage, recycled and upcycled garments customers can purchase online and in its high street stores. This has a positive impact on the planet.

It reduces the amount of fashion waste going to landfill and makes sustainable, upcycled fashion more accessible for the average customer.

Created by a group of Brazilian creatives in , Farm Rio is dedicated to the sustainable fashion movement. One of the most successful fashion brands to come out of Brazil, Farm Rio pays homage to its heritage by mixing traditional Brazilian styles, designs and colours with upcycled and responsibly sourced materials.

For every purchase, it plants one tree in the Amazon Rainforest or Atlantic forest — the brand has currently donated , to date — as well as investing into local communities.

It has also expanded its sustainability horizons beyond upcycling, collaborating with eco-conscious suppliers to produce reduced-water denim and with local Italian craftsmen that create handmade trainers. Focusing on upcycling since day one, the brand has created clothes from repurposed and reconditioned garments and accessories.

A zero-waste denim brand, E. Denim produces products that are upcycled from unwanted post-consumer waste denim. It works closely with a London-based atelier to produce the garments locally, reducing the brand's carbon footprint. Its signature two-tone styles are created from waste denim to minimise the amount of raw materials used and garments heading to landfill.

It takes 10, litres of water to make a new pair of jeans. To put that into perspective, it would take one person 13 years to drink that amount. V Denim only uses seven litres to wash the post-consumer denim waste before turning it into new garments. To do this, it helps extend the lifecycle of products through upcycling.

Outerknown is another brand committed to circularity. Wolven focuses on making upcycled clothing not from textile waste, but from plastic waste. Not only does this produce significantly fewer carbon emissions than synthetic fibers made using virgin plastic, but it also helps to keep plastic waste out of our rivers and oceans.

Now some upcycled and recycled clothing brands tend to sacrifice the design in favor of the scoring eco-points. Not so Wolven. Their range is amazing, these are clothes you'll want to wear again and again. They have a wide range of women's wear, catering to all body shapes, sizes, and tastes. I absolutely love the flares, leggings, swimwear, and shorts.

The menswear range is less extensive, but they do have some pretty cool joggers and shorts my brother looks quite cool in these, though I'd never tell him that! What's more, there's a pre-loved section where you can buy lightly used clothes, or sell your own in return for store credit.

Wolven is an ethical fashion brand that is fully transparent about its human and environmental impact. I love what they're doing, and I'm pretty sure you will too They Say : Most of our goods are made from recycled or repurposed materials.

Instead of creating new threads, our partners find discarded yarns and plastics, then melt them down and spin them into new fibers. Our Trailhead Shorts, Pants, and Kachula Adventure Blanket are just a few of our items made this way.

We Say : Coalatree Organics is a well-established upcycled brand, making great-looking, long-lasting outdoor clothing for men and women. As well as scraps of recycled fabrics and textile waste, Coaltree also makes use of less conventional upcycled materials such as used plastic and coffee. To date, they have saved over , bottles and 80, cups of coffee grounds from going to landfill.

The eco-friendly production process takes place in water-saving factories, powered by renewable energy. It uses zero hash chemicals , and the finished product ships in recycled packaging.

The result is a range of pants, sweatshirts, hoodies, jackets, tops, and shorts that look and feel extremely well-made. I personally loved the designs, with the hoodies being my favorites.

The choice of colors also means that Coalatree Organics upcycled clothes will appeal to everybody. If you want to look and feel great outdoors, safe in the knowledge that what you're wearing has not harmed the environment, then Coalatree Organics is a great choice.

From design to production, distribution, and charitable partnerships - Vitamin A is the sustainable choice. We Say : Vitamin A isn't just about swimwear although that is awesome , it's a complete range of organic, recycled, and upcycled clothing for women.

They also have dresses, t-shirts, tops, bottoms, loungewear, and more - all of which look absolutely stunning. Sustainability is also at the heart of the manufacturing, packaging, and distribution of the Vitamin A range, much of which is made locally in California.

My personal favorites are the Bandeau Top and the Strapless West Dress. But I'll be honest, if I had the money and closet space, I'd seriously consider buying the whole range! Ladies - if you're looking for new upcycled fashion brands to make you look incredible this summer, then Vitamin A should be near the top of your list.

They Say : Our Recycled Leather uses scraps which would otherwise be waste and modern technology to create supple, luscious leather for our beautifully-crafted garments. We Say : If leather is your thing then AS by DF could be just what you're looking for. Here you'll find the very best leather clothing, including tops, skirts, tees, leggings, dresses, blazers, jackets, and much more.

But you absolutely won't compromise on quality or choice. In fact, just the opposite - the AS by DF recycled leather collection is some of the best leather casual wear I have ever seen.

These striking designs are guaranteed to make an impression. I also love the curve range, which underlines the body-positive side of the brand. They Say : We are constantly exploring new materials and manufacturing processes that have a lower environmental impact, and we are committed to using these resources whenever possible.

We Say : Keep Nature Wild is a sustainable brand that clearly cares about the outdoors, which is one of the reasons they also feature in our eco-friendly clothing brands roundup.

Typically they use a mix of organic cotton, plus polyester from upcycled plastic bottles. Each garment can save around 6 plastic water bottles from ending up in landfill or oceans. Your purchase makes a difference. KNW hosts nationwide cleanups in the community and uses these to pick up 1lb of trash for every product sold.

They also ship a biodegradable trash bag with every order so you can use it to go out and do a cleanup of your own.

We Say : If you're looking for a men's clothing brand that genuinely closes the loop through upcycling, then check out Taylor Stitch.

Many of their items are made from Taylor Stich's "heavy bag" blend. This is a mix of upcycled cotton and recycled polyester, and amazingly uses zero water to make. What I really like is the commitment to keeping the clothes they make out of landfill. Not only are their garments extremely durable and long-lasting, they also offer to repair or replace any damaged items for life.

Any deadstock materials are reused, and if you have an old garment that you feel is no longer serviceable, you can return it for store credit, and they'll turn it into new recycled clothing for someone else to enjoy. There's a wide range of menswear on offer, and my brother loves them.

They're not cheap to buy, but when you consider the lifetime guarantee and spread the cost over a number of years, the whole range is actually a bit of a bargain. They Say : AVRE was born out of necessity to transform the industry with the inspiration to pursue a sustainable footwear brand for the empowered woman.

AVRE does exactly that by using recycled plastics bottles in our quest to craft trendy and comfy footwear. We Say : Finally I get to turn my attention to shoes, and a brand aimed squarely at eco-conscious empowered women! There are a few good sustainable footwear brands around, but AVRE makes theirs from yarn made out of upcycled plastic water bottles.

Each pair sold keeps between 8 and 10 of them out of our oceans. Even the insoles are made from sustainable materials. The resulting sneakers are flexible, moisture-wicking, machine washable, and above all - incredibly comfortable.

With free shipping, free returns, and recycled packaging, I'm certainly glad I decided that my sustainable clothing choices should extend all the way down to my feet! Go check them out. That material is made from recycling plastic water bottles, fishing nets, fabric excess from cutting patterns, and other items otherwise destined for the waste stream.

We Say : Everlane is doing a great job making virtually all of their nylon and polyester out of upcycled plastics and deadstock fabric.

We've recommended them before for their sustainable backpacks , and here they are again - so they must be doing something right! There are plenty of great contemporary styles here for men and women, all made with sustainability and environmental responsibility in mind.

Most of their collection is very affordably priced, and there are often some bargains to be had in the sale section of the website. It's well worth checking out!

I also like their transparent pricing. For each item they show you exactly how much it cost to make, broken down into Materials, Hardware, Labor, Duties, and Transport.

So you can check for yourself and have confidence that you're not getting ripped off. They Say : By processing PET bottles into polyester fibers, we're able to keep those bottles away from waterways and landfills.

Not to mention, this production process uses less energy than conventional manufacturing. We Say : Tentree is a well-known eco-fashion brand that uses a range of sustainable fibers. As well as hemp, organic cotton, and Tencel Lyocell, their upcycled polyester made from PET plastic makes them a worthy addition to this list of the top upcycled brands.

I find Tentree to be quite affordable when compared to other sustainable fashion brands, but that doesn't mean you need to compromise on quality, style, choice, or environmental standards. These guys have it all. As a B-Corp and Carbon Neutral Certified brand, with full transparency regarding its sustainability, you can be confident that any upcycled clothing you buy here is the real deal.

Websters defines upcycling as:. To reuse discarded objects or material in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original. The best upcycled clothing brands take textiles from fashion waste or other discarded materials, most of which may have been heading for landfill, and turn them into high-quality garments that are made to last.

Strictly speaking, upcycled fashion and recycled fashion are different. However, in practice, they are often used interchangeably and technically incorrectly - even within the fashion industry itself! So if you take a piece of vintage clothing and repurpose it as something else, that is recycling.

If you take post-consumer waste materials and turn them into fabrics that can be used to make clothes, that is upcycling. But don't get upset if some people or brands confuse the two terms. At the end of the day, both are forms of circular fashion and that means good news for the environment!

The main reason that people buy upcycled fashion is that it has a far lower environmental impact. But there are plenty of other less obvious benefits to consider.

Discover the captivating world of upcycled fashion at jav-way.siteENT. Explore our Shop All page and find a curated collection of sustainable and stylish Get highly-coveted, sustainability-conscious, pieces at unbelievable prices. ; Rebag · Rebag ; Coach Re(Loved) · Coach ; ThredUp · ThredUp ; Urban The Full List Of Upcycled Fashion Designers. Paneros | Visit Store; Rentrayage | Visit Store; Broken Ghost Clothing | Visit Store; Green Market

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Browse upcycled fashion - Zero Waste Daniel bring an innovation in the garment industry with upcycled clothing and accessories. Providing unique dresses, bags, masks and much more Discover the captivating world of upcycled fashion at jav-way.siteENT. Explore our Shop All page and find a curated collection of sustainable and stylish Get highly-coveted, sustainability-conscious, pieces at unbelievable prices. ; Rebag · Rebag ; Coach Re(Loved) · Coach ; ThredUp · ThredUp ; Urban The Full List Of Upcycled Fashion Designers. Paneros | Visit Store; Rentrayage | Visit Store; Broken Ghost Clothing | Visit Store; Green Market

The resulting sneakers are flexible, moisture-wicking, machine washable, and above all - incredibly comfortable. With free shipping, free returns, and recycled packaging, I'm certainly glad I decided that my sustainable clothing choices should extend all the way down to my feet!

Go check them out. That material is made from recycling plastic water bottles, fishing nets, fabric excess from cutting patterns, and other items otherwise destined for the waste stream. We Say : Everlane is doing a great job making virtually all of their nylon and polyester out of upcycled plastics and deadstock fabric.

We've recommended them before for their sustainable backpacks , and here they are again - so they must be doing something right! There are plenty of great contemporary styles here for men and women, all made with sustainability and environmental responsibility in mind.

Most of their collection is very affordably priced, and there are often some bargains to be had in the sale section of the website. It's well worth checking out! I also like their transparent pricing. For each item they show you exactly how much it cost to make, broken down into Materials, Hardware, Labor, Duties, and Transport.

So you can check for yourself and have confidence that you're not getting ripped off. They Say : By processing PET bottles into polyester fibers, we're able to keep those bottles away from waterways and landfills.

Not to mention, this production process uses less energy than conventional manufacturing. We Say : Tentree is a well-known eco-fashion brand that uses a range of sustainable fibers. As well as hemp, organic cotton, and Tencel Lyocell, their upcycled polyester made from PET plastic makes them a worthy addition to this list of the top upcycled brands.

I find Tentree to be quite affordable when compared to other sustainable fashion brands, but that doesn't mean you need to compromise on quality, style, choice, or environmental standards. These guys have it all. As a B-Corp and Carbon Neutral Certified brand, with full transparency regarding its sustainability, you can be confident that any upcycled clothing you buy here is the real deal.

Websters defines upcycling as:. To reuse discarded objects or material in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original. The best upcycled clothing brands take textiles from fashion waste or other discarded materials, most of which may have been heading for landfill, and turn them into high-quality garments that are made to last.

Strictly speaking, upcycled fashion and recycled fashion are different. However, in practice, they are often used interchangeably and technically incorrectly - even within the fashion industry itself!

So if you take a piece of vintage clothing and repurpose it as something else, that is recycling. If you take post-consumer waste materials and turn them into fabrics that can be used to make clothes, that is upcycling.

But don't get upset if some people or brands confuse the two terms. At the end of the day, both are forms of circular fashion and that means good news for the environment!

The main reason that people buy upcycled fashion is that it has a far lower environmental impact. But there are plenty of other less obvious benefits to consider.

By its very definition, upcycling seeks to reduce waste by reusing raw materials that would otherwise be thrown away. It also generally uses far less energy and water than the fast fashion industry. What's more, when brands upcycle, the clothing they produce is usually of far better quality.

It's made to last, not to be thrown away. You will get much better value for money, and reduce textile waste at the same time. Have you ever turned up at a party to find that one or more others are wearing the same dress or shirt? That's conventional fast fashion for you.

When clothes are mass-produced, it's no surprise to find others have bought the same item as you. But upcycled bohemian clothing is the opposite. Sometimes the garments are entirely unique, especially those that have been handmade from upcycled vintage fabrics.

Even if they're from a line, the fact that most brands upcycling clothes are less well-known means it is far less likely that other people will have bought the same item you have.

As you'll have seen, many of the brands I recommended above offer the option to return their items when you no longer want them. They can either be re-sold in a pre-loved collection, repaired, or recycled. And you get store credit in return!

Websters defines downcycling as:. To recycle something in such a way that the resulting product is of a lower value than the original item: to create an object of lesser value from a discarded object of higher value.

So in terms of recycled clothing, upcycling results in repurposed clothing which is of higher quality than the original source materials.

If the process created a garment that was of lower quality than the original, it could be described as having been downcycled. Upcycled clothes are certainly sustainable. For as long as there are waste materials or used vintage clothing, there will be the opportunity to give them a new life, turning them into something new and beautiful instead of throwing them away.

Yes, whether it be upcycled denim clothing, leather, cotton, or polyester made from upcycled PET, more and more consumers are buying upcycled clothing than ever before.

Any fashion brand that creates all or part of its clothing range using waste materials can be described as an upcycling brand. It is not easy to start an upcycled clothing brand, but those designers who do it well and manage to combine style with sustainability have the potential to be profitable.

The companies I have recommended above all use upcycling for all or a significant part of their range, and have strong environmental credentials overall. If you are looking for more ideas, Etsy is an upcycled clothing marketplace that has many sellers of authentic vintage clothing and accessories.

It depends on the brand, their designs and what materials they choose to upcycle. These days people buy a wide range of clothing, shoes, bags, and accessories. If you have some basic sewing skills and a creative eye, you can easily create your own handmade upcycled clothing at home.

Using any fabric that would otherwise go to waste and turning it into handmade clothing for yourself or your family to wear. I'm guessing that you found this article because you are already convinced of the damage done by fast fashion , and are looking for a more responsible way of looking and feeling great.

If you've read this far then hopefully you're convinced that upcycled fashion could be the solution. I've hand-picked the upcycled clothing brands for this list and they all deserve to be here on merit, because each one is producing an amazing-looking fashion range using upcycled and recycled materials, with minimal impact on the environment.

There's something here to suit everyone, so all that's left for you to do is to browse their websites and find your new upcycled style.

Our core values mean we always prioritize sustainability over profit. We carefully evaluate and personally test every product to ensure they meet our high standards.

All products recommended in this article were tested in accordance with our Review Methodology. Search The Site. Search for:. With her Master of Science in Renewable Energy Engineering MSREE from Oregon Tech, Steph is supremely well qualified to write on all aspects of renewable energy.

She has already achieved a zero carbon footprint and her goal is to help as many other people as possible do the same.

Her other hobbies include music, yoga, swimming and horror movies. Stephanie Cole. Updated: September 11, But in it's cool to wear sustainable fashion. Best Upcycled Fashion Brands of The quality of these garments is first-rate. So for all these reasons, Taylor Stitch is a worthy addition to the upcycling brands list.

What are Upcycled Clothes? Websters defines upcycling as: To reuse discarded objects or material in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original.

Benefits of Buying Upcycled Fashion The main reason that people buy upcycled fashion is that it has a far lower environmental impact. Better for the Planet By its very definition, upcycling seeks to reduce waste by reusing raw materials that would otherwise be thrown away.

Lasts Longer What's more, when brands upcycle, the clothing they produce is usually of far better quality. Unique Have you ever turned up at a party to find that one or more others are wearing the same dress or shirt? Recyclable As you'll have seen, many of the brands I recommended above offer the option to return their items when you no longer want them.

Upcycling vs Downcycling: What's the Difference? Websters defines downcycling as: To recycle something in such a way that the resulting product is of a lower value than the original item: to create an object of lesser value from a discarded object of higher value So in terms of recycled clothing, upcycling results in repurposed clothing which is of higher quality than the original source materials.

Is upcycling fabric sustainable fashion? Is there a market for upcycled clothing? Crew , Ann Taylor LOFT , and Lilly Pulitzer. If you love shopping at Urban Outfitters , check out Urban Renewal , which is their "way of making old new again.

Every single piece is special and one of a kind. Specifically, we're loving this wrap-around top made from recycled materials. We love how Shopbop has given us multiple ways to shop. Of course, we adore the selection on the Shopbop site.

We recently discovered Shopbop's curated Amazon collection , which has so many fashionable pieces at great prices. Those aren't the only ways to get styles from Shopbop though. Shopbop's What Goes Around Comes Around has a selection of pre-owned pieces that are typically hard to find from Chanel, Hermes, Celine, and Louis Vuitton among other designers.

If you just missed out on a sneaker drop or if you regret not buying a piece that you had your eye on, you need to head over to StockX. At this moment, we're obsessing over these pink Nike Air Force Ones. StockX is also a must-shop site for handbags, streetwear, watches, collectibles, and electronics.

Surf legend Kelly Slater started Outerknown , which is a clothing brand that prioritizes sustainability and style. Warning: you may become obsessed with Vestiaire Collective. The site adds more than 3, items to its selection every single day. All of the highly-coveted items are carefully curated and quality checked by a team of experts to guarantee authenticity.

You can buy and sell clothes, bags, and jewelry from Tory Burch, Balenciaga, Gucci, and Michael Kors among others. The site also has hour flash deals. If you're looking for cashmere pieces and you want to keep sustainability in mind, shop at Naadam. We all know that Ebay is a resale site, but you if you're looking for items from your favorite fashion brands , Ebay is the place to go.

You can set alerts to receive notifications whenever there are new items on sale from your favorite brands in your size s , which is such a game-changer because that means you don't need to keep logging in all the time and hitting refresh. We love Etsy for so many reasons. They have amazing pop culture-inspired gifts and made-to-order items , but have you checked out Etsy's vintage section?

There are some truly special, one-of-a-kind finds, including modern fashion and pieces from decades ago. Specifically, we're loving this peach wrap dress from the s.

Stay active this winter with these cold-weather workout sets. These Sneakers Have the Lowest Carbon Footprint Ever. Rebag Rebag is the destination to buy, sell, and exchange highly-coveted designer handbags and accessories.

Coach Re Loved E! Trending Stories. Blake Lively Reacts to Ryan Reynolds Trolling Her Super Bowl BFF Date. Tom Brady Defends Travis Kelce After Andy Reid Super Bowl Exchange. ThredUp If you are looking for amazing deals on pre-owned clothes, handbags, and accessories, thredUP is worth checking out.

Urban Renewal If you love shopping at Urban Outfitters , check out Urban Renewal , which is their "way of making old new again.