Sustainable clothing brands and ethical fashion aren’t buzzwords anymore, but the pandemic has certainly thrust them high up the agenda. Designers such as Alessandro Michele at Gucci have called for a slower pace, to avoid flooding consumers with clothes they won’t wear – or will be bored of come next season.

There is a lot of confusion between the terms "sustainable" and "ethical", and while UK brands often try to address both keywords, the two aren’t the same. There are many different ways to produce ethical clothing, and according to the Ethical Fashion Forum, businesses fall into three categories - commercial, social and environmental, with these issues:

Developing or promoting sustainability standards for fashion.
Addressing toxic pesticide and chemical use, using and/or developing eco- friendly fabrics and components.
Minimising water use.
Protecting animal rights.
Providing resources, training and/or awareness raising initiatives.
Recycling and addressing energy efficiency and waste.
Countering fast, cheap fashion and damaging patterns of fashion consumption.
Defending fair wages, working conditions and workers’ rights, and supporting sustainable livelihoods.

However there is still a lot of greenwashing going on, making it difficult to know labels really are making a step in the right direction, and which questions to ask them. Scroll down for our complete sustainable guide, and to shop our favourite sustainable clothing brand, and the businesses to shop with to help you live sustainably.