"Where are people shopping?"
Addressing a question I'm seeing pop up everywhere...
I’m seeing a common question on social media lately, especially among women in their 30s-40s. I opened up Threads the other day and in my feed was at least 3 posts all asking relatively the same thing, observe-
And if you explore further into the comments and replies, many of these women lament that they are tired of clothes that are too trendy, fall apart quickly, or don’t represent their style or season of life well.
And I have to say if you are shopping at Target, Old Navy, SHEIN, H&M, or even Loft…I can absolutely see what the complaint is. These clothes lack quality, personality, and timelessness. (Yes occasionally you can find a good piece from those brands that might be more classic and higher quality, but this is rare, and definitely not in their business model. And imo, not worth trying to find because of their poor labor practices and declining quality.)
So in order to address this question/problem, I’m compiling a list of where I shop or I recommend ladies in my generation shop. I will try to update this as I discover new brands or if anything changes. Most of these brands are ethical/fair fashion brands. Some are marketed as sustainable but I’m unsure of the ethics as far as treatment of garment workers. Others put out collections I consider to be slow fashion and use high quality fabrics making them a better investment but again because they are not “fair trade certified” I can’t guarantee the ethics of the factory. Some of these brands I’ve not tried for myself, but I until I feel otherwise, I’m including them on the list because if I bought from every brand, my closet wouldn’t be intentional ;)
And one more thing to note…we can only use the information given to us online. It has happened a few times that brands deceive us by claiming they have ethical practices, fair treatment of workers, etc. Very few of us in America or even the UK will have the opportunity to go abroad and cooroberate their claims. So I hope the brands I’m bringing before you are honest. But I, like the majority of you, can only use the information given to me on websites and articles.
**I’ve had many comments about how second hand is better and how this list is unnecessary. And while I’m a HUGE proponent of thrifting (you can look at pretty much any post and see that), thrifting isn’t the point of this post. People will always buy clothes brand new. It’s an unavoidable reality. And I would rather point consumers to brands that do good in those cases as there are SO MANY of them. We do have alternatives to fast fashion when it comes to purchasing new and I will advocate for those brands all day. Especially the ones that rescue individuals from the evils of human trafficking and then train them and give them employment. So IF the time comes that you need something new, please reference this list :)
Without further ado, here is my Intentional Closet Brand List: *some links are affiliate links*
Clothing: (many of these brands also make shoes/purses/accessories)
A-D
Able (also leather goods & shoes)
Anian (committed to recycled/circular pieces but no mention of factories/where garments are made)
Beachwood Baby (maternity, postpartum, and baby items as well as standard women’s clothing)
Bytavi (closing their shop June 2025)
Carly Jean LA (Has a line of ethically made pieces)
Cozy Earth (also makes home goods)
Downeast Style (they recently became a B-Corp Certified company so they seem to be making steps in the right direction.)
E-J
Fair Indigo (use code JAIMISTEWART for 10% off)
Hey Gang (clothes for the entire fam)
Jessica Rey (also makes swimwear, use this link to get 20% off!)
If this post is becoming too overwhelming, check out this shortener version!
K-P
Loeffler Randall (also shoes & bridal)
Madewell (the Do Well line is made in a FTC factory)
The Main Street Exchange (use code jaimis10 for 10% off)
Marketplace: Handwork of India
Oliver Logan (get 20% off with that link!)
Pact (also mens & home items)
Q-T
Q for Quinn (organic cotton socks, underwear for the whole family)
I’ve had a lot of questions about why I don’t include Quince on my list…here’s an article I suggest you read and you can decide for yourself :)
Saint & Sofia (UK based, also makes purses/bags and shoes)
Splendid (also kids & home items)
Some Target jeans are FTC
Toad & Co (can’t find info on website about factory/labor practices, but they use high quality, natural materials and are a sustainable brand.)
Tradlands (use this link to save $30 on your first purchase!)
U-Z
Wull & Oak (also items for the home)
Z Supply (not sure of labor practices, but many of their pieces are natural materials and they give proceeds to anti-trafficking causes.)
Activewear/Swimwear:
REI (not necessarily the REI brand, but they carry MANY ethically made brands in store)
Siena & Co (use code Jaimi10 for 10% off)
Sierra Trading (no link for this one but sometimes you can score ethical brands here but it takes time to search through racks! I’ve found Cariuma shoes, Faherty clothes, and Patagonia gear to name a few)
Shoes:
Saola (Use code INF-THANKYOUJAIMI for your discount!)
Thursday Boot Co (mostly mens, as well as some clothes, but also has some women’s options)
Jewelry & Accessories:
Sela Designs (some limited edition clothing too, use code JAIMISTEWART for 10% off)
Online thrifting:
ThredUp (use this link for a first time order discount!)
Clothing rental:
Armoire (use code jaimis for a discount!)
Well if you made it this far, high fives all around! 😅 I hope this is a useful list! Feel free to bookmark this, Pin it to a Pinterest board…something so you can come back when you need a recommendation for a new brand to try when you have something in your closet to replace. And don’t forget to check out this post with my top ten favorite ethical brands.
I would absolutely appreciate any feedback on this post! If you used a link, if a link isn’t working, if you are looking for a coupon code that’s not listed (I’m always seeking new partnerships so I may not have updated coupon codes, so please feel free to always ask!), or if you are looking for specific type of clothing I can point you in the right direction on the list.
Thanks! And as always, let’s dress and SHOP with intention!
Check out Wool&, WoolX, and Simply Merino for quality slow fashion merino wool items. Also Julahas for wool capes, for those who like that style. Many Zuri and Portland Leather Goods fans buy these brands.
I am glad you included online thrifting, but in person thrifting is also amazing. It takes time to build a closet this way, but being able to feel the construction or the fabrics will eventually gone your skill of seeking out quality in the rack. I am at the point now where I can just scan the rack and I can see real silk, wool, leather with my eyes. Sometimes I am fooled (especially by a really good vegan leather) but usually I am right. Thrifting also gives you pieces that gives your wardrobe a unique to you spin that you can't buy at Target