Shopping for a chic new button-up cardigan? These sweaters will keep you warm all winter long. Plus they’re from B Corps in Fair Trade factories, and from organic materials.
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Knowing who made your clothes and what your clothes are made from is one way to shop sustainably. These two questions can help avoid supporting brands that are complicit in supporting child labor or plastic-based materials (that can become microplastics). Take for instance the star staple this season- and pretty much every season- the button-up cardigan. When shopping for this staple check the label for natural materials and ethical certifications to ensure you’re adding a sustainable new staple to your wardrobe.
Made in soft organic cotton it can be draped over shoulders during cool summer evenings. Choose a thicker knit in ethically sourced alpaca or wool and you can layer it to stay snug and warm all winter long. Both materials are luxurious, soft to the touch, and have a smaller footprint compared to plastic-based polyester.
Recently, fast fashion retailer Shein’s sustainability report showed two instances of child labor across its supply chain in 2023. Reports like these are good reasons to support sustainable production. Look for brands that are Fair Trade Certified, BCorp, or have had their supply chain verified and certified by third-parties for ethical production, fair wages, and that human rights are upheld. Some brands will even list the factories and producers along their supply chain to transparently share with customers where they’re clothes are made.
Shopping for a new button-up cardigan? You’ll love these picks along with their verifications, certifications, and reports for using natural materials and working with certified ethical factories.
Cotton Blends
$68 Sale $48
$168 Sale $115
$85 Sale $55
$88 Sale $55
Since 2017 Kotn has been a certified B-Corp brand with an impressive score of 121.3. To reduce CO2 emissions, the sweater is ethically made in Egypt, close to where the cotton is sourced. You can read more about the farms and factories they partner with on the website.
Marine Layer is a B-Corp-certified brand spinning chunky knits and cardigans you’ll have in your wardrobe for years to come. Customers can read their latest impact reports to learn more about their materials and the third-party certifications of their partner factories.
Who doesn’t love a wear-with-everything and wear-everyday cardigan? Boden‘s is that wardrobe staple. With a dozen different colors- including some fun sherberts- there’s a hue for everyone. On a sustainable note, the cotton is sourced from farms that are a part of The Better Cotton Initiative and the brand is a part of the Ethical Trading Initiative to ensure that partner factories ensure workers’ rights are met.
Organic Cotton
$128 Sale $77
$69 Sale $55
Quince‘s viral campaigns have made its pieces wardrobe staples. But it’s its certifications that have caught environmental fashion advocates’ attention. This organic cotton button-up cardigan is certified by OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and the brand partners with Business Supply Chain Initiative (BSCI) certified factories.
Everlane‘s button-up cardigan isn’t just a pretty green color, it’s made from organic cotton which is a greener option for the planet than conventionally-grown cotton. For customers wanting to learn more about where their trending basics are made, the brand offers a list of partner factories that meet the International Labor Organization standards for human rights.
Just as the name suggests Organic Basics is all about offering customers organic basics. These sweaters are made from GOTS organic cotton and are ethically made in a factory in India.
Wool , Alpaca, Winter Knits
$168 Sale $67
$98 Sale $80
$275 Sale $137
Madewell is a heritage brand that has made progress over the last few years to … do well. They’ve joined the Sustainable Fibre Alliance to restore grasslands and promote animal welfare and have ethical certifications for their wool, cashmere, and alpaca products. When it comes to their factories, the brand has partnered with Fair Trade.
Amour Vert‘s roomy knits are the perfect winter layering staples. Crafted from plant-based fabrics like Tencel and organic cotton, they’re nice choices for vegans seeking heavy knits for winter. Each piece is hand-crafted by an in-house team of artisans based in San Francisco.