

“Somewhere between cottagecore and the version of yourself walking through a wheat field in slow motion, you’ll find Christy Dawn,” says photographer and sustainable style expert Marielle Elizabeth. This Los Angeles–based brand is best known for its vintage-inspired floral dresses, which are produced from dead-stock fabrics in sizes from 1XL to 3XL. If your main concern is responsibly sourced raw materials “Instead of trying to find the perfect company that’s accounting for everything,” Corsillo writes, “it’s easiest to think about what is most important to you - better labor practices, less waste, or renewable raw materials - and focus your purchasing power on a brand with similar aims.” With this in mind, we’ve organized the 16 recommended brands below by what sustainability practices the experts say they excel in where applicable, we’ve also noted the type of plus-size clothes - from jeans to bathing suits to spring dresses - that any brand came particularly recommended for. While all of this might sound straightforward enough, as Strategist writer Liza Corsillo wrote after reporting her story on the best sustainable fashion brands, “very few companies are able to achieve true sustainability at every stage of the process.” That’s why she and those in the sustainable fashion space suggest taking a more personal approach. In addition to environmental responsibility, many sustainable brands also work to ensure there are fair labor practices in place throughout their supply chains. In general, sustainable brands are ones that work to prioritize environmental responsibility, whether that’s investing in ways to reduce waste during the production process, using renewable or recyclable materials, making garments that will last, or, ideally, all three. To find the best plus-size sustainable brands, we spoke with 11 cool people - including plus-size stylists and fashion sustainability experts - about the ones they think make great clothing and do so in a way that’s better for the planet.

But, like their “straight-size” counterparts, it can be hard to differentiate from brands that are actually sustainable and brands that are just greenwashing. Many of these companies - both new and old - also claim to be sustainable. But, as we’ve learned in reporting on the best plus-size jeans, jumpsuits, coats, swimsuits, and lingerie, a new wave of size-inclusive brands has gone a long way in expanding the category over the last few years, inspiring some more established companies to revamp their own plus-size offerings in return. There was a time when most plus-size clothes could only be found at fast-fashion retailers.
