9 Sustainable Dresses For Ethical, Effortless Style
You’re invited to the planet-friendly party of the century.
And the slow fashion dress code is simple: ethical and sustainable dresses!
There’s a world of fashion-forward flowing skirts that promise all style and fewer faux pas behind that sweetheart neckline—with ethical heels to match.
Fair Trade summer dresses made from 100% organic materials?
Everything we recommend to you on Sustainable Jungle is independently researched and we ask all brands to confirm their claims. To avoid waste, we test products on an as needed basis. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about why we do this here.
The Best Sustainable Dresses On Our Responsible Runway
Say hello to Passion Lillie, who uses hand washing and sun-drying techniques to save energy.
Or step into the dresses in MagicLinen’s magical minimalist wardrobe, all of which are made locally in Lithuania from 100% OEKO-TEX Certified European-grown linen.
It’s not just Untouched World’s dress collection that’s thoughtfully-made with unmatched quality—it’s everything about the brand, down to their carbon neutral garment bags made of 100% recycled ocean-bound plastic.
If you want to know how we pirouetted through the options, twirl to the bottom.
The Full List Of Sustainable & Ethical Dress Brands
- Passion Lilie | Visit Store
- Untouched World | Visit Store
- MagicLinen | Visit Store
- LA Relaxed | Visit Store
- Reformation | Visit Store
- Amour Vert | Visit Store
- Christy Dawn | Visit Store
- prAna | Visit Store
- HarperSage | Visit Store
1. Passion Lilie
About Passion Lilie
Price Range: $84–$120
New Orleans-based Passion Lilie is a member of the Fair Trade Federation and the Ethical Fashion Forum Fellowship 50.
Their designs blend the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s class with fashion inspiration from ancient Indian artisanal techniques.
With long sleeves for winter, short skirts for summer, and elegant cuts—like the Coastal Organic Wrap Dress —Passion Lilie has something for all style passions.
That particular style is our favorite of their two dresses we own.
Fun fact: It’s actually a really similar wrap style to a dress we once had as part of a job uniform that had to be returned. We’ve been trying to find another ever since, so to say we were ecstatic when it arrived is an understatement.
With an inner hole to thread one of the ties through before wrapping around, it’s super secure and comfortable, even when in motion. No need to worry about it coming untied, even on a windy day on the coast.
Passion Lilie’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Passion Lilie uses only 100% organic, non-GMO cotton.
Traditional techniques like block printing with sustainable dyes bestow them with their fun patterns.
Supply chain & labor practices:
These fair trade cotton dresses are made in Fair Trade Labeling Organization-certified or family factories in India.
They provide disadvantaged workers with long-term, meaningful employment opportunities, fair wages, health care, and loans.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Manufacturing is almost entirely non-mechanized, including hand ikat weaving and block printing.
The fabrics are hand-washed and dried in the sun, and leftover fabric scraps are reused for accessories and other handicrafts.
Inclusivity:
These sustainable women’s dresses run XS-XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
Passion Lillie also invests in their community, working with Indian partners to provide artisans with more job skills, knowledge, and resources.
2. Untouched World
About Untouched World
Price Range: $205–$490
New Zealand-based Untouched World is known for exceptional Merino wool tops, bottoms, jackets, sweaters, and accessories.
In everything they do, they go above and beyond.
We had the opportunity to test a couple styles, including the all-around staple Ava Dress.
It’s 100% TENCEL™ body drapes like silk while still being vegan friendly. Wear it with the included wrap-around belt as we like to for a more form fit, or without for a more homestead-chic look.
Either way, trust us when we say this classy, pocketed dress has already become a staple in our spring wardrobe for any and all occasions.
Untouched World’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Untouched World primarily uses ZQ™ certified Merino ethical wool, organic cotton, and Ecopossum™ (a signature blend of merino, brushtail possum fiber, and silk) in their collections.
If you’re worried about the ethics of possum fiber, know that the brushtail possum is an invasive species and is currently New Zealand’s biggest ecological threat. It’s legally classified as a pest and UW uses the fiber from existing extermination efforts to ensure it doesn’t go to waste.
Some garments feature cashmere, linen, and TENCEL™.
Supply chain & labor practices:
94% of Untouched World’s garments are made in New Zealand.
The rest of their pieces are sourced offshore from responsible partners, ensuring living wages, safe working conditions, and additional benefits.
90% of the brand’s Merino wool is sourced from ZQ™ Certified farm, Glenthorne Station in Canterbury.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Untouched World measures its water, energy, gas, and waste, documenting all of it in its annual Impact Report.
They use traceable, carbon-neutral POLLAST!C garment bags made from 100% ocean-bound plastic.
The Certified B Corp also repurposes offcuts, recycling them into home insulation and other products.
Inclusivity:
These sustainable fashion dresses are available in sizes XS–XL.
Community & charitable giving:
The Untouched World Foundation empowers youth through hands-on field work and teachings from experts.
They partner with Business For Good and have released not-for-profit capsule collections, like ProjectU™.
3. MagicLinen
About MagicLinen
Price Range: $86–$139
MagicLinen says bibbidi bobbidi boo with its collection of linen dresses for any occasion.
The Lithuanian-based brand respects the breathability of linen, creating high-quality tops, bottoms, and accessories.
We personally love the Royal Toscana dress for its simplicity and versatile A-line cut.It can be worn as a midi dress on its own or paired with some leggings during cooler weather.
We’re currently wearing it like that as a Wyoming-ready sustainable winter dress, but we can’t wait to frolic around in our garden in it this summer.
Did we mention it has pockets?!
MagicLinen’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
MagicLinen takes the road dress traveled, using only OEKO-TEX-certified European-grown linen in every single one of their cute sustainable dresses.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All of MagicLinen’s clothing and homewares are produced in a family-operated studio in Vilnius, Lithuania.
They have a small, local supply chain down to the Lithuanian-grown linen, and partner with third-party auditing agencies.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Ethically-made dresses are shipped in 100% compostable cornstarch and bio-based packaging.
This linen clothing brand also uses offcuts and fabric scraps in other products, like seasonal tote bags.
Inclusivity:
They offer women’s sizes XS–XL.
Community & charitable giving:
MagicLinen works with local organizations, donating products, resources, and time.
4. LA Relaxed
About LA Relaxed
Price Range: $128–$148
Looking for alternatives to fast fashion dresses that hardly last beyond the after party?
Relax! La Relaxed has your back (er, whole body).
Their well-made and durable styles are designed to keep adorning your special events for years and years.
Their slow fashion focused collections are small and limited, which means they’re always changing—so if you find a style you love, act fact.
We personally ADORE our 100% organic cotton Jacinta Dress. This sustainable maxi dress is so darn comfortable, easy to get into (and out of!), and perfectly blends a modest, professional look with a little flirtatious edge via the lower back cutout.
LA Relaxed’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
LA Relaxed’s eco-friendly dresses feature fabrics like GOTS-certified organic cotton, linen, recycled nylon, EcoViscose, and TENCEL™ modal
They’re dyed in a blueSign™ certified local dye house that uses non-toxic dyestuffs.
Supply chain & labor practices:
LA Relaxed takes small, sustainable fashion to new levels, since their whole supply chain (manufacturers and suppliers alike!) is located within 10 square miles in the Los Angeles garment district.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Everything from LA Relaxed is limited run to reduce deadstock waste.
No plastic is used in packaging, shipping, storage, hang tags, or any stage of production (except the recycled plastics used in some fabrics).
Instead, they use mostly compostable materials.
Inclusivity:
LA Relaxed carried dresses in XS–XXL.
5. Reformation
About Reformation
Price Range: $98–$848
Reformation’s eco-credentials are extensive.
As is their dress selection, which includes more formal options like ethical evening dresses, prom dresses, and wedding dresses.
If you need a new little (sustainable) black dress, we love the flirty look of the Ezra Cotton Knit Mini dress almost as much as we love that it’s 100% organic cotton.
Reformation’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Our favorite Reformation dresses are made with either TENCEL™ lyocell, linen fabric, organically-grown cotton, and REPREVE® or other recycled poly.
Others predominantly feature either 100% silk or viscose, and we’re not huge fans of either, so avoid these styles.
For finishing, 56% of their dyeing partners are bluesign® or OEKO-TEX-certified.
Supply chain & labor practices:
For most of these sustainable dresses, USA factories are responsible for fair manufacturing.
Ref owns 32 factories in LA and others in India, Turkey, and China. While not fair trade certified, their code of conduct is based on fair trade equivalent criteria.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
As part of the Circular Fashion System Commitment, their goal is to recirculate 500,000 garments by 2025.
In addition to being Water Neutral and Climate Neutral, they sell climate credits through Native Energy and incentivize others to switch to wind energy by offering store credit.
They use bio-based or recycled LDPE packaging, zero waste office supplies, wind power suppliers, and Green Business-certified buildings.
Inclusivity:
Most fair trade dresses come in 0-12 or XS-XL sizes, but Ref also offers an extended size collection of sizes 14-24.
Community & charitable giving:
Reformation encourages staff to participate in their community, providing paid volunteer time, organized volunteer days, and other incentives.
Additionally, they fund team members facing hardship and donate to organizations like the ACLU and Planned Parenthood.
6. Amour Vert
About Amour Vert
Price Range: $128–$295
Amour Vert is French for “green love,” if there’s anything we love, it’s green.
Their fashionable collection includes a wide selection of dresses in various chic cuts.
From bright floral gowns to simple, ethical cocktail dresses—like the versatile Castile Reverie Knit Dress with its flattering body-hugging design—Amour Vert is out to help you dress for style and success.
Amour Vert’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
You’ll find various combinations of sustainable fabrics like organic cotton, GRS-certified recycled sateen, regenerated wool, cottonseed Cupro, and Merino wool.
This TENCEL clothing brand also utilizes FSC-certified TENCEL™ lyocell, modal, and ECOVERO™.
They use bluesign®-approved silk, too, but we always recommend avoiding virgin silk for ethical reasons.
Supply chain & labor practices:
97% of all Amour Vert products are made at one of six factories within a few miles of their San Francisco offices.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Garments are shipped in recycled or compostable materials; unwanted ones can be passed on through ReAmour.
Inclusivity:
Eco-friendly women’s dresses come in sizes XXS-XL sizes.
Community & charitable giving:
Tees = Trees, which is their way of saying they plant a tree through American Forests for every t-shirt purchased.
7. Christy Dawn
About Christy Dawn
Price Range: $68–$498
Christy Dawn embodies breezy Bohemian styles to modestly flaunt your feminine wiles.
Various free-spirited, flowy skirts, floral patterns, and solid colors are available.
The Scarlet Dress is a sustainable maxi dress with a breathable, summery design made from entirely upcycled fabric.
Christy Dawn’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Christy Dawn’s entire boho collection is crafted using deadstock fabric or organic/regenerative cotton dyed with plant-based dyes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
While they can’t control the deadstock fabric they source, they ensure ethical manufacturing at the LA-based factories, including the wages they pay that are 3x higher than average.
They co-created a regenerative agriculture initiative in India (that supplies their organic cotton).
Carbon commitments & green practices:
You can further support this regenerative Farm-to-Closet project by buying your regenerative cotton plot.
At the end of harvest, your plot’s yields will be paid to you through store credit. Think of it as growing your own dress!
Inclusivity:
These sustainable sundresses run XS to XL.
Community & charitable giving:
This ethical brand gets involved with different community fundraisers and grassroots programs.
8. prAna
About prAna
Price Range: $69–$120
If sporty-spice had to pick a brand from this list, we’d bet this would be it.
prAna combines its expertise in sustainable outdoor clothing and style in creating its range of active-friendly dresses that are versatile enough for a summer BBQ kickball game.
Their stretchy, breezy, and supportive Cantine Dress is our go-to summer staple—for hiking, gardening, literally everything!—but it looks like it might become unavailable soon.
For a newer style in case our Cantine finally wears out, we’re eyeing the Jewel Lake Summer Dress, with its subtle patterned fabric, modest high neck that we love, and flirty window back.
prAna’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
prAna’s lighter, ethical summer dresses are made of materials like TENCEL™ lyocell or modal, hemp, recycled fabrics, and small percentages of spandex or elastane.
Warmer options are either made of 100% organic cotton or a blend of that with ethically-sourced merino wool and recycled polyester.
As a bluesign® systems partner, most are tested for toxic chemicals.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Each prAna partner bears a Textile Exchange membership and opts for fair trade certified factories wherever possible (moving toward a 100% goal).
You can filter for only their fair trade dresses on their website.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Founders of the Responsible Packaging Movement, prAna succeeded in their goal of eliminating all consumer plastic packaging waste.
Their new project is the OIA Climate Action Corp and a pledge to reduce emissions by 30%.
From 2016–2021, they recycled and repurposed 56,000 pounds of textiles through the Renewal Workshop.
Inclusivity:
prAna dresses currently only come in sizes XS–XL (US 1-14/16).
Community & charitable giving:
prAna supports Outdoor Outreach, a program designed to help disenfranchised urban youth experience the great outdoors.
Their sponsored athletes get additional support for individual charitable endeavors.
9. HarperSage
About HarperSage
Price Range: $68–$198
HarperSage’s fun and flirty floral dress designs are some of our favorite ethical sundresses.
With various hem and sleeve lengths, you’ll also find some warmer options to mirror the change of seasons—like the Sage Essential Shirt Dress.
Made of a light wash chambray denim, its long-sleeved and midi-cut design is still suitable for warmer and cool weather alike.
HarperSage’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Each eco-friendly dress is made of either (in order of our eco-friendly fabrics preferences) 100% cotton, a linen/viscose blend, or straight viscose.
They also use variable percentages of deadstock fabrics, depending on availability.
Supply chain & labor practices:
These gorgeous dresses are made in woman-owned SEDEX partner factories in Delhi, India, where they are sourced materials.
They vet partners for ethical manufacturing practices by visiting in person.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
HarperSage manufactures its dresses, sustainable jumpsuits, and more in small batches to prevent waste.
Digitally printed patterns ensure only the exact amount of ink and water needed is used.
Inclusivity:
HarperSage and its manufacturing partners are woman-owned and operated.
XS–XL sizes are available, with custom sizing available upon request.
Community & charitable giving:
They partner with nonprofits on products and special buy-one-give-one initiatives that raise funds for and awareness of human trafficking.
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How We Found The Best Eco-Friendly Dresses
How did we determine which brands are the real deal and which are blowing smoke up your skirt?
As we did with sustainable suits, we said yes to the best sustainable dress (and no to the mess) by referring to our sustainable fashion criteria.
Materials:
Sustainable materials are any low-impact fabrics, from raw production to end-of-life.
100% natural fabric dresses—namely those made of organic cotton, hemp fabric, linen, ethically sourced wool, and peace silk—should be your first choice as they’re also compostable at end-of-life.
You can still get that flattering drape with semi-synthetic silk substitutes like closed-loop fabrics from the TENCEL™ lineup (lyocell fabric, modal fabric, and EcoVero) and Cupro fabric, which may be compostable depending on how they’re processed.
We look for those processed in a closed loop system with non-toxic solvents.
Lastly, we consider recycled synthetic materials made of things like deadstock or plastic waste. These may not be biodegradable, but they put material already in existence to a second use.
- Certifications: bluesign®, OEKO-TEX®, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Global Recycle Standard (GRS), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), ZQ Merino
Supply chain & labor practices:
Certified fair trade dresses, USA manufacturing, and small controlled supply chains are some ways companies can show they care about treating workers fairly.
That’s why we also look for brand transparency, so we can see where and how the clothes were made and if the workers are treated fairly.
- Certifications: B Corporation (B Corp), Sedex, fair trade, Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Brands should take steps to actively reduce their carbon footprint (and carbon offset what they can’t), through things like clean energy powered manufacturing, resource recycling, garment recycling programs, low-waste packaging, and slow, sustainable manufacturing.
Inclusivity:
We look for sustainable plus-size clothing options that promote diversity and a healthy body image.
Admittedly, the world of eco-friendly dresses (and clothing in general) could still work on this.
Community & charitable giving:
We curtsy brands that give back through charitable endeavors or cultivate an empowered, involved community of wearers.
Final Thoughts On Ethical & Sustainable Dresses
Whenever you don a dress, you model the world you want to live in.
These sustainable and ethical dresses will not only help you look good but feel good—and isn’t that the secret to beauty?
But before you cat-walk away in a head-turning number, remember using what you have, borrowing, renting, or shopping second hand is always more sustainable.
If you know someone looking for sustainable formal dresses for an upcoming gala, share this article to help support alternatives to fast fashion changing the industry for the better.
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