Where to Find Organic, Fair Trade, and Sustainable Fabric Online
When I sewed my first blouse back in 2011, I was very conscientious about the fabric that I used. After all, I started this as an ethical fashion blog, not necessarily a sewing blog, so it was important that I stick to my ethos. As I've leaned in to sewing over the years, though, I've gotten a little lax about my fabric sourcing. It's not always fair trade, not always organic — and I tend to prioritize a a fabric's print or texture over its ethical credentials. Fortunately I buy most of my fabric at Britex, where the country of origin is usually stated on the spool. I know that Made in the USA/ UK is always a good sign, and that Made in Italy should rule out child labor and ensure basic worker protections.
But I also know I should be digging deeper, which is why I've been scouring other sewing blogs and online retailers to find high quality, highly ethical fabrics. Here's what I found...
Where to shop for ethical fabric:
Britex Fabrics (Search for “made in Japan” or “made in Italy”)
Fabric.com (Search for “organic” or “fair trade”)
Mood (Search for “organic” or “fair trade”)
Resources
These are a few of the wonderful posts that informed my research...
We the Sewing: Who makes our fabric? Sourcing organic fabric online
This roundup includes online sources of ethical fabric in Europe and North America, and informed many my selections below.
Seamwork Magazine: VAVA Lingerie talks sustainable underthings
This article shares the story of VAVA , and ethically-produced, sustainable lingerie brand. Owner Alyssa Woods goes into detail about choosing sustainable fibers and her recommendations for home sewers.
Ginger Makes: New Adventures
In which Sonja shares her newest project: Hell Gate Fabrics, a collection of responsibly manufactured fabrics sourced from Japan. The plaids are kind of dreamy, and I'm definitely bookmarking Hell Gate (also, awesome name) for future fabric orders.
What Katie Sews: Planning an eco Autumn capsule wardrobe
Katie shares her sewing plans using several sustainable fabric selections, including a beautiful handwoven crossweave.
Fashionhedge: Ethical fasion: it all starts with the fabric
Ethical fashion blogger Yarina interviews Charlie Ross, the founder of Offset Warehouse.
Tilly and the Buttons: Love fashion, hate sweatshops
This is an older post by Tilly, but because she's become such an influential voice in the sewing world I think it's worth reading.