Weddings are all about celebrating love. Along with celebrating the happy couple, we can show our love for people and the planet by wearing sustainable wedding guest dresses that don’t just look good but do good, too.
The fashion industry as a whole has a lot to answer for. Carbon emissions, water pollution, and clothing waste piling up faster than a shotgun-wedding. Enter: wedding guest dresses that consider ethics as well as aesthetics.
Kick off your sustainable heels and dance the night away in a wedding guest dress that is not only made responsibly with sustainable fabrics and ethical labor but is also colored with low-impact dyes.
Soon, we’re going to launch our Brand Rating System, which will assess brands against an array of sustainability-related criteria, including their climate impact and chemical use. For a deeper understanding of how the system works, visit our explainer.
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Ethical Wedding Guest Dresses We’d Wear to Any Reception
Passion Lilie’s fair trade range of dresses includes various cuts, prints, and colors. Many of their flattering styles are beautifully hand-printed with a block stamp (including our favorite wrap-style dress). Passion Lilie is one of our top-rated brands.
Fair Labor Association member Reformation is reforming fashion by ensuring their stunning, ethical formal dresses are made by people who are paid a fair wage.
MagicLinen helps us get ready for the summer wedding season with OEKO-TEX-certified linen dresses lovingly handmade in their small Lithuanian studio. We love their breezy designs and attention to detail, which makes their more formal styles our go-to dresses for special occasions.
Index: Sustainable Dresses For Wedding Guests
- Passion Lilie Jump to brand
- Amour Vert Jump to brand
- Reformation Jump to brand
- Linen Handmade Studio Jump to brand
- MagicLinen Jump to brand
- Rent The Runway Jump to brand
- Whimsey + Row Jump to brand
Passion Lilie
Ethical Sourcing
Raw materials have been sourced ethically with people and planet in mind.Handcrafted
Products have been made by hand, typically by an artisan or group of artisans.Non-toxic
All products are made with ingredients or materials that are currently considered non-toxicOrganic
Products are made from organic materials.Plastic-free
All products are entirely plastic-freeSmall business
This brand is a small business run by less than 15 peopleSustainable Materials
Either all or most products are made with sustainable materialsThoughtful packaging
Product packaging has been designed and created with the end of life outcome in mind and can be easily recycled or composted.Traceable Supply Chain
Brand is able to fully trace their entire supply chain from end to end.Vegan
This brand does not use any animal products or by-products in their productsWoman Owned
This brand is owned by a woman or a group of women.Passion Lilie has been rated by Sustainable Jungle. Find the full rating here.
Bring some eco-passion to the special occasion with one of Passion Lille’s fair trade dresses. A wrap-style dress makes for a versatile wardrobe essential, and Passion Lilie has an extensive collection of cuts, prints, and colors to choose from.
Dresses are made from 100% GOTS-certified cotton, a linen/cotton blend, and GOTS-certified organic modal. Only non-toxic dyes are used.
My Personal Review of Passion Lilie’s Coastal Organic Wrap Dress:
“The Coastal Organic Wrap Dress is my favorite of their two dresses I own. Fun fact: It’s actually a really similar wrap style to a dress I once had as part of a job uniform that had to be returned. In a rare instance of actually loving my uniform, I’ve been trying to find another ever since, so to say I was 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 Wyoming day where I live (which is most of them).”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Amour Vert
About Amour Vert
Price Range: $102–$298
There’s a lot to love about Amour Vert—which fittingly means “green love” in French.
From washable silk maxi dresses to above-the-knee floral prints, the brand curates a collection of sustainable dresses for weddings and most other occasions.
Their Olive Midi Dress is an occasion-ready sustainable wardrobe staple. Available in a choice of fabrics (silky cupro, floaty TENCEL™, and washable silk), it features a classic v-neck and comes in a sleeveless or 3/4 length sleeve version for summer and winter weddings alike.
Amour Vert’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
With a silk dress, wedding guests might be worried about spillage (champagne flutes and all…), Amour Vert’s washable silk fabric changes all that. It’s fully traceable and sourced from bluesign® approved factories in China and dyed using OEKO-TEX® certified dyes.
Vegan materials include organic cotton, cupro fabric from repurposed cotton waste, FSC-certified sustainable wood TENCEL™, and FSC-certified ECOVERO™ viscose. The Dream Knit and Dream Rib fabrics are made in the USA from TENCEL™ modal fiber.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Most of Amour Vert’s collection (97%) is made in one of six Californian factories.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
All orders are shipped in recycled and compostable packaging.
Inclusivity:
Each eco-friendly wedding guest dress is available in sizes XS–XL.
Reformation
About Reformation
Price Range: $98–$748
We can all agree that the fashion industry needs some major reformation, and Reformation is here to do just that with fashionable and ethical wedding guest dresses—and much more.
From floaty floral-printed maxis to silky strappy numbers and one-shoulder midis, there’s an impressive line of styles, fabrics, and prints to choose from.
Get summer wedding ready with their Tagliatelle Linen Dress. This midi-length dress features a corset bodice and scalloped neckline. You can select one of two floral prints, or a neutral check, black, and white—obviously avoid the latter for a wedding, unless you’re the bride, then by all means have a peruse of these sustainable wedding dresses for a better Big Day!
Reformations’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The majority of Reformation’s guest dresses are made from 100% silk or viscose, but you’ll also find a few made from linen, organically grown cotton (usually blended with a small amount of spandex), and TENCEL™ Lyocell.
Supply chain & labor practices:
In addition to its own LA factory which crafts the majority of their line, Reformation works with several manufacturing partners in the USA, China, Turkey, Pakistan, India, and Mexico.
Their Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers are third-party audited to ensure fair and safe working conditions.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Reformation is Climate Neutral Certified and is working to be Climate Positive by 2025 by reducing scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 42% by 2030. You can read more about their climate goals and progress in their annual sustainability report.
They’re also 100% water neutral, recycle 75% of their waste (and working to increase this), and use compostable and recycled LDPE packaging.
Inclusivity:
One of our favorite plus-size clothing brands, Reformation’s extended size collection runs 14–24. Regular sizing is 0–12.
Linen Handmade Studio
About Linen Handmade Studio
Price Range: $90–$177
Beach wedding to attend? Let a linen dress from Linen Handmade Studio be your plus one. This women-owned Lithuanian brand turns its love of linen into beautiful beach-ready attire for your next holiday in the sun (or warmer months at home).
If you’re looking for a guest wrap dress for a wedding, this brand has several to choose from, including JOSEPHINE, a summer-ready halter-neck dress available in 30(!) different colors. If you’re more of a two-piece toast-to-the-happy-couple kind of gal, they also offer wedding guest tops and matching pants and skirts.
Linen Handmade Studio’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
100% European linen that’s OEKO-TEX-certified is what you’ll find from this 100% linen clothing brand.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Each garment is handmade in a Lithuanian studio by a small team of seamstresses.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Small-scale production keeps their carbon footprint small, aided by Etsy’s 100% carbon offset shipping and renewable energy powered website.
Inclusivity:
This plus-size linen clothing brand offers sizes 2-18.
MagicLinen
About MagicLinen
Price Range: $84–$119
MagicLinen knows how to put the pixie dust into your special day.
Flowy gowns like the Long Linen Dress Boracay are perfect for their stunning fit and ties that can be strung at the front, back, or wrapped around. It usually comes in white, clay pink, teal blue, and black, but you can select from 17 custom colors to suit your wedding theme.
The collared v-neck and double-breasted button front of the Trench Linen Dress LISBON also makes it a stunning choice for more formal summer events.
MagicLinen’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
MagicLinen utilizes high-quality, OEKO-TEX-certified European-grown linen for all its products, whether they’re organic curtains, bedding, or evening gowns.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Each of MagicLinen’s garments is designed and handcrafted in a small family-run facility in Vilnius, Lithuania. A small supply chain and pre-shipping of products to nearby warehouses help minimize the environmental impact of transportation.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Most of the dresses are shipped in 100% compostable cornstarch and PBAT (bio-based polymer) packaging. Other items are delivered in handcrafted, reusable linen bags. They have careful oversight over the design and manufacturing process, allowing them to repurpose textile waste into totes and seasonal goods.
Inclusivity:
MagicLinen provides women’s wedding guest dresses in sizes XS-XL.
My Personal Review of MagicLinen’s Trench Linen Dress LISBON:
“Picture this: you’re at a summer garden party, sipping Pimms with your friends, and everyone’s swooning over how fabulous you look. That’s the vibe I get from this dress—it takes me right back to my Oxford days, sipping cocktails and soaking up the spring sunshine. Not only is it top-notch in quality with lots of amazing little details, but every time I wear it, it gives me a real confidence boost. Hence it’s now my go-to dress for more formal summer events.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Rent The Runway
About Rent the Runway
Price Range: $149–$2,190 (buy) or $35–$325 (rent)
You’ll feel runway ready in a sustainable wedding guest dress from Rent the Runway.
And what’s more low-impact than a dress that supports the circular fashion economy via an online clothing and dress rental service and pre-loved purchasing?
Filter your search by formality, weather, color, occasion, designer, and more to find your perfect eco-fit for the event. With hundreds of designers to choose from, it’s also one of the best ways to find affordable dresses for a wedding. Rent one time or choose a subscription plan that suits.
Whimsey + Row
About Whimsey + Row
Price Range: $218–$278
With a dedicated wedding collection, Whimsey + Row is an ideal place to find wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and guest dresses. For vegan silk dresses AKA TENCEL™ and cupro fabric, their collection is hard to beat.
Bring some ethical elegance to the special day with the Fiona Dress. This classically cut mid-length slip dress is available in 7 colors and features adjustable straps and a cowl back.
Whimsey + Row ’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Their wedding guest dresses are made with either a 51% TENCEL™/49% Cupro blend or a 50% ECOVERA™ viscose/50% viscose LENZING™ blend. Both are made from sustainably-sourced certified wood, are biodegradable, and bear OEKO-TEX certification.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All garments are made in LA, a short distance from their office. They drop by the facility regularly to ensure fair labor practices.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Whimsey + Row are carbon-neutral. A small supply chain = fewer transport emissions, and the brand offsets its emissions via Carbonfund.org Limited runs mean less waste and any scrap fabric is turned into accessories.
Inclusivity:
Dress sizing runs 0-12, or XXS–XL.