Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the impact of what they eat, drive, and wear on the environment, people, and animals and are looking for options for ethical fashion in Australia.
However, many 'ethically-made' women's clothing brands may not be as responsible as you would expect. So, when choosing a brand of conscious clothing, make sure they meet your high standards regarding ethical practices, sustainability, and respect for the planet and its inhabitants.
An authentically ethical and environmentally-friendly clothing brand must offer:
Sustainable textiles:We use natural plant-based fabrics compliant with the Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex®. Our compliance means we manufacture our clothing without dangerous dyes and other carcinogens, making them safe for you and the planet. We also only use organic cotton, Tencel and linen in our garments and design details. Although these considerations cost us more, we are comfortable knowing that our products align with our values.
Ethical and respectful manufacturing:Only eight percent of garments sold in Australia are actually made in the country. Unfortunately, the majority of clothes made overseas by fast-fashion companies continue to exploit their workers and the majority of these workers are women. We are proud to have all our clothes made in Brisbane, Australia and we have the Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation, and we only use accredited manufacturers who respect their employee’s legal and safety entitlements supply chain-wide.
Vegan and cruelty-free materials:We care about our environment, people and animals. So, to ensure we don't harm any creatures in the making of our fashion range, we avoid using any animal products. We use no leather, wool, cashmere, or silk, and we are proud of our 100 percent vegan-friendly, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)-accredited label.
Supporting Mother Nature:Each year, to help safeguard our planet, we donate one percent of our net profits to a charity promoting the well-being of people and the environment. Our 2021 selection is the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), one of Australia's and the world's more reputable conservation organisations. So, with each of your Luna + Sun purchases, you can celebrate your support of this dedicated and trusted charity.
A contribution to a greener world:In addition, for every one tree you plant with us, you contribute to planting two trees via our partnership with One Tree Planted, a worldwide non-profit organisation working hard on Global Reforestation. This worthy organisation has planted over four million trees in 2021, helping clean our air, filter our water and provide homes for countless animal species.
Substantially reduced waste:An essential element of sustainability is avoiding waste or reusing, upcycling, or recycling. As such, we are careful only to take what we need and to use it wisely. For example, we utilise the minimum amount of materials and limited runs because we choose Australian-made clothing. Our ethically accredited patternmaker further cleverly lays out the designs to significantly reduce wastage. We use the few off-cuts to make our delightful scrunchies, unique gifts, and any scraps that can't be reused will be home composted. In addition, we donate larger unused rolls to local charity The Social Studio to assist refugees and migrants, women training in clothing manufacturing and help them secure employment. Not least of all, as ethical linen clothing from Australia, is biodegradable, we offer take-back reward programmes, where we collect our customers' used garments for reuse or recycling in collaboration with Upparel.
We're committed to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and take seriously our role in addressing gender equality, climate issues, and poverty, respecting and protecting life on land and in water, and responsible production and consumption.
While many compassionate consumers prefer ethical products, a substantial proportion also believes that buying conscious fashion is too expensive. However, while ethical clothing may cost you more, the benefits to you and others and the resulting peace of mind are priceless.
Primarily and vitally, garment makers working in ethical conditions receive what their time and efforts are worth in the form of a proper living wage. This pay rate helps these workers buy food for themselves and their families and afford safe accommodation, education, healthcare, and transportation. It also allows your garment worker to put away some savings to safeguard their families in the future.
To ensure this happens, we provide only Australian-made garments from Ethical Clothing Australia accredited manufacturers. But, of course, providing fair remuneration costs more. As an illustration, and in our ongoing spirit of transparency, the associated payments are as follows:
• Materials:100 percent linen costs between AUS$22 and AUS$14 per metre, depending on whether the fabric is plain or printed. Add to that our environmentally kind, biodegradable elastic, which costs around AUS$3 per product.
• Packaging:We ensure you receive your conscious clothing in plant-based, 100 percent compostable packaging. These eco-friendly labelling and packing components range from AUS$0.20 to AUS$10 per item.
• Patterns and production:We also use an ethical accredited patternmaker and manufacturer, paid AUS$70 per hour and AUS$30 to AUS$55 per product, respectively.
Hence, each product can cost us between AUS$100 to AUS$170, excluding our marketing and transaction costs. In addition, like any other business, we add a margin, albeit lower than the retail average, at only twice the total cost (versus three to ten times the production cost or more).
Although ethically made clothing in Australia is more expensive to purchase, the actual cost to humans, animals, and the planet of less mindful and cheaper materials and manufacturing is enormous. So, why not choose responsible fashion?
We are passionate about protecting the environment, people and animals, and have been educating and creating clothing you love since 2019. Not only are our garments well designed, good quality, and luxurious, but they are also sustainable and, if taken care of, long-lasting.
Our range of beautiful, ethical, and Australian-made women's clothing is available now, perfect for your spring and summer wardrobe.
So, sign up for our mailing list, follow our social media channels, blog and check back often to stay updated about our new collections and products, special offers, and promotions. And, when you're ready to be stylish, summery, and sustainable, place your order online, visit one of our stockists, or contact us for more detail.
