What do sustainability and style have in common? They both go hand in hand (no, what you heard about damaging the environment if you care about clothes was completely wrong), and they’re both passions of yours. Let’s first be clear about style and sustainability going together—although you’ve probably long believed shopping can’t ever be sustainable while feeling guilty for loving clothes, that’s not true. It is based on fact, however, when it concerns fast fashion; this type of clothing manufacturing cares more about mass production rather than fair worker labor and quality garments that don’t harm the planet.
Thankfully for all the fashionistas out there, shopping can be sustainable if you follow a few simple practices. You don’t have to choose between caring about the environment and caring about the newest style trends any longer, and you definitely don’t have to give up your love of your favorite staple piece, the black dress. In fact, what if we told you that you can even shop for new black dresses right now in a sustainable way? Well, it’s time to celebrate, because it’s true. You can find the perfect black dress that is both flattering and environmentally friendly.
How Do You Know You’ve Found the Perfect Black Dress?
The perfect black dress? All of them. Black dresses are versatile staples you can wear anytime. But you’ll know that dress is the perfect one for you if it makes you feel confident and is a piece you know you’ll wear over and over. Other key features to look for in a perfect black dress are that it has a shape that flatters you, is always comfy, and is wearable in multiple seasons.
And of course, it’s never the perfect black dress unless it is sustainably made in a way that doesn’t harm the environment or the workers behind its production.
Types of Black Dresses You Can Shop To Support Sustainability in Style
Reformation’s black dresses (among their other clothes) are eco-conscious pieces due to the company’s sustainability mission at the center of everything they do. When you shop Reformation, you participate in their pursuit to create stylish fashion pieces while focusing on environmental justice and climate action through the key areas of people, product, planet, and progress. This includes their safe and equitable working conditions, responsible purchasing practices, and 100 percent carbon-neutral production, among many other initiatives supporting sustainability.
Let’s look at a few types of dresses from Reformation that every person should own—and that look great in black.
Mini Dresses
- The Lux Dress in Black
The Lux Dress is sustainably made from a blend of organically grown cotton and viscose, a wood-based fiber sourced from the trees of protected forests. Its mini length is perfect for days with even a small peek of sun.
- The Noha Dress
How sporty you look in this trendy mini dress with side leg slit. Not only is it perfect for looking stylish on the go, but production of the Noha Dress led to 9 lbs of carbon dioxide savings and 144 gallons of water savings.
Maxi Dresses
- The Adler Dress in Black
With a rustling full body skirt and simple wrapped top, this maxi dress is the perfect silhouette for dressing up or down. It was sustainably made in Hong Kong and saved 8,318 gallons of water and 9 lbs of carbon dioxide savings in production.
Casual Dresses
- The Mariette Dress in Black
Why can’t every day be a casual dress day? With super chic, comfortable, and trendy black dresses like the button down Mariette Dress, they basically can. Lounge in comfort (and style) knowing your outfit saved 12 gallons of carbon dioxide savings, and 134 gallons of water savings.
- The Lyle Dress in Black
You look so comfortable in this dress that everyone is jealous. Not only are you wearing incredibly cozy and stretchy TENCEL™ Lyocell (Reformation’s “holy grail of fibers”), but you also know your dress’s material was sustainably made from Eucalyptus trees grown on half-acre plots of land per ton (an especially admirable feat compared to some of their land-consuming counterparts).
Upscale Dresses
- The Vecchio Linen Dress in Black
You look stunning in this floor length gown with ruffled strap sleeves and adorable oversized bow on the back. Plus, it’s made from flax linen which naturally keeps your temperature cool, saves a ton of water, and doesn’t require toxic chemicals in processing.
Sleeveless Dresses
- The Dominic Dress in Black
Let your shoulders get some attention in this upper body baring dress that still flatters all your curves and angles. The Dominic Dress was sustainably made in Los Angeles and is composed of TENCEL™ Modal, a fiber sourced from Northern and Central European beechwood trees from protected forests.
Takeaway
Every black dress is perfect when you wear it, you style queen. Not only do you have passion for fashion, you also have passion for protecting your beautiful planet. You go above and beyond to shop sustainably made dresses, but it’s not hard to go that extra mile when Reformation has built their sustainability mission into each of their products to ensure you can dress with more than just trends in mind. Keep doing you, bestie. And do it in (eco friendly!) style.
