How to tell if your favorite fashion brand is really sustainable

Here at Bernardo, we take style seriously. As our customers grow more mindful of the environmental impacts of the fashion industry, many are seeking more sustainable options when shopping for clothes and outerwear. And we’re thrilled! But with so many companies touting themselves as sustainable fashion brands, it can be hard to know which ones to believe. This has left many with a general mistrust of fashion sustainability claims, and we totally get it. So we want to share some insider ways that you can be sure that the brands you shop are living up to their sustainability claims.

One tip is to look for third-party certifications or standards that the brand partners with and follows. A trusted source and partner with Bernardo is the bluesign® System, a certification that ensures the entire production process is environmentally friendly, from sourcing raw materials to the finished product. The Bluesign goal is to unite the entire textile supply chain to jointly reduce its impact on people and the environment. Here at Bernardo, starting in 2022, all our puffer jackets made with Ecoplume™ fill are bluesign® certified, accelerating sustainability and transparency in the industry.

Another certification system you can look for is the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), a standard that has six objectives from aligning definitions of "recycled" across multiple applications to tracking and tracing recycled input material and reducing the harmful impact of production on people and the environment.

What Are Some Ethical and Sustainable Clothing Brands?

Bernardo outerwear is on a continuous journey of sustainability and circularity that began in 1999 when the eco-friendly fashion company pioneered machine-washable (and dryable!) suede. Ten years later it introduced vegan leather, and in 2016 ceased production of goose and duck down, becoming the first fashion outerwear brand to use a synthetic-down alternative. This is the same year it went fur-free. In 2019, Bernardo introduced its trademarked Ecoplume fill made from 100% post-consumer plastic bottles. This resulted in saving 4,870,263 plastic bottles from landfills in 2022 alone. Shop cruelty-free jackets, puffers, vests, and raincoats with our Full Circle, Ecoplume, and Eco-Minded collections.

Looking for more sustainable fashion brands to pair with your favorite Bernardo outerwear? Check out popular luxury retailers like Stella McCartney, which is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative, the global forestry NGO Canopy, and the first to guarantee its viscose from verified sustainable sources. And Wolford, a legging and shapewear company that's gold-level certified by Cradle to Cradle and offers a special collection made from biodegradable fabrics. Customers seeking to shop sustainable fashion brands can also look to People Tree, a certified fair-trade company using organic and eco-friendly materials; Madewell, which has increased its use of sustainable cottons, partnering with Fair Trade USA Certified™ factories; Mara Hoffman; and Thought Clothing.

If shopping sustainable and supporting fashion companies with like-minded, eco-friendly practices is important to you, spend a little time conducting your own research before making a purchase. As you become a more conscious consumer, you’ll find the information is more readily available and easy to find than ever before.

To recap: Look for third-party certifications and standards, consider the materials used in the clothing, and pay attention to the production process and working conditions. By being informed and aware, we can all make a positive impact and contribute to more sustainable and ethical fashions. Now, let’s boldly bound toward a better planet together.