Last week I wrote an article on easy ways to cut down on waste as a college student, and one of the steps I highlighted was cutting down on shopping and choosing to buy vintage or sustainable items instead. I've been a shopaholic all my life, but over the last few months, I've started paying more attention to the impact that my buying habits have on the world I live in. After oil and agriculture, the fashion industry is the third most polluting industry in the world, and small changes from everyone can make a huge difference. Just last week Emma Watson wore a dress made of recycled water bottles, designed in collaboration with Calvin Klein and Eco-Age, a sustainability consulting company.

"Demand quality, not just in the products you buy, but in the life of the person who made it." - Orsola de Castro

Although I'm a broke college student who unfortunately can't afford to collaborate with Calvin Klein on my wardrobe, I've compiled a list of some of my favorite fair-trade and sustainable fashion brands to help you make fashion choices that can have a more positive impact on the planet. Every time you spend money on something, you're making a statement about the kind of world you want to live in, so it's important to be conscious about what that statement is.

Alternative Apparel

Based in LA, Alternative Apparel offers a huge selection of basics in soft organic cottons. The best news of all? They offer a 20% discount for students.

People Tree

Founded in 1991 in Tokyo, with bases in London and Japan, People Tree was created by Safia Minney, a British entrepreneur who largely paved the way for modern fair-trade fashion. The company explicitly rejects the "fast fashion" model, and offers a beautiful selection of hand crafted garments made using organic and sustainable materials, created through a process that supports rural communities around the world. Emma Watson has also designed a couple of collections for the brand!

Loomstate

Offering a great variety of classic designs in organic cotton, Loomstate was founded in 2003 and aims to create a garment "that truly benefits the full supply chain," achieving true sustainability.

Sseko Designs

Sseko is one of the first ethical fashion companies I encountered, and I've been coveting their beautiful leather ribbon sandals and other products for a few years. Sseko uses their designs and production process to employ women in Uganda and encourage them to pursue their dreams and overcome poverty. So far they've enabled 71 women to attend university.

Nisolo

Nisolo, a shoe and leather accessory company, works with local artisans in Peru to design and produce flats, boots, heels, and more. Everything is made sustainably and their artisans are given fair wages and full-time work. I'm a big fan of their simple leather oxford shoes.

PACT Clothing

Pact offers a wonderful selection of basics and underwear in sustainable materials. All PACT garments are sweatshop free, produced ethically and super comfy. They also have a super helpful page about the benefits of shopping ethically, and the impact that fair-trade fashion has.

Braintree Clothing

Founded in the 1990s in Australia, Braintree later moved to the UK and grew as a simple and sustainable clothing brand, using hemp and organic cotton to produce beautiful garments. They aim to make beautiful and long-lasting products that don't negatively impact the environment.

Fair Indigo

US-based Fair Indigo stands for style with a conscience, and has a wonderful selection of unique and beautiful pieces made with care by artisans around the world. They also offer a Made in the USA collection to support local jobs. They believe that when fashion is done right, everyone profits, and so they ensure their workers are safe and earning fair wages that allow them to strengthen their communities.

Naja Lingerie

Naja offers a simple, elegant selection of sustainably produced lingerie. Two percent of each purchase is put toward supporting their entrepreneurial sewing program for women. Their Underwear for Hope program employs and trains single mothers in Colombia and they use digital printing instead of wasting water dying fabric. They even use fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles.

Everlane

Everlane was founded in 2010 in San Francisco. The brand is all about "radical transparency" and reveal the costs that go into each product and the story behind the factories where garments are produced. They offer beautiful, minimalist styles in silks, cottons and wools.

Noctu Sleepwear

Noctu is a family-run business based in the UK and Norway. They produce lightweight and minimalist sleep and loungewear, all sourced and made ethically and sustainably. They have a Global Organic Textile Standard certified cotton collection that is simply to die for.

PrAna

PrAna, a clothing company with a huge selection of yoga and workout gear, focuses on making sure their environmental impact is "confined to their aesthetic." They use a range of sustainable materials such as organic cotton, hemp, and recycled wool.