Environmentally Friendly Loungewear for Sustainable Comfort
Photo: @izzydilg
Now that we are dressing for comfort every day as most are still working from home, we are constantly on the lookout for new loungewear to spice up our sweats game. I love wearing colorful sweat sets and matching so that I feel somewhat put together. I also want to support brands that are promoting environmentally friendly clothing. Here are some great brands I discovered during the last couple of months.
Pangaia
Pangaia launched at the end of 2018 and has seen a spark in sales ever since the pandemic. Before launching, the team spent ten years researching and developing the brand. Their website describes Pangaia as a collective, aka a group of like-minded individuals all working towards the same goal. They are currently focusing on ocean plastic pollution by partnering with 5Gyres, a company that encourages us to take action to stop plastic pollution. They sell a wide range of lifestyle products and 1% of every sale is donated to 5Gyres. Pangaia is completely transparent about their journey with sustainable fabric. They use seaweed fiber, organic cotton, and natural dyes to make their clothing. Some materials, like recycled polyester, are sustainable but not 100% natural. Pangaia is very clear about the process of making their clothes and you can read about it on their website. However, they are doing the most to promote more brands to adopt similar ethics about sustainable clothing.
My favorite items from Pangaia are the crewneck and short sets. I have the “Lightweight Recycled Cotton Sweatshirt” and “Lightweight Recycled Cotton Shorts” in Persimmon Orange. I also purchased the “Lightweight Recycled Cotton Shorts” and “Organic Cotton Cropped Sweatshirt” in Flamingo Pink. I absolutely adore these sets and highly recommend that you invest in them too. I wear them every day - no joke. There is a wide range of colors and products, so I urge you to check out their website!
Everlane
Photo: @everlane
Another sustainable brand I love is Everlane. They partner with only ethical factories to produce their clothing. They are completely transparent about every step they take in the process and this betters the image of their brand. They also share how much the clothes cost to make, including the materials, labor, and transportation. For example, this is the cost breakdown for their denim: materials = $12.78, labor = $7.50, transport = $1.90, duties = $3.70, and hardware = $2.15. This equals a grand total of $28.02. After upping the retail price, their denim sells for $68. In comparison, other retailers mark up their products 5-6x, and the same pair of jeans would cost $140 for some brands.
Everlane is not a fast-changing, trendy brand. They focus on long-lasting classics that will be in your closet for decades. This is why they place such an emphasis on the quality of the materials they use to make their items. My favorite item from Everlane is their “Straight Leg Crop” - I have them in purple and white. I know this isn’t a loungewear piece, but I had to include the recommendation because I love them so much. They are incredibly soft and flattering on everyone and there’s a variety of color options. Now for loungewear, I would take a look at their sweaters, tees, leggings, and sweatpants. There is a page on their website titled: “The Cozy Edit” where you can find all of these items.