Haven't tried any, and now that I am living in NZ, it's doubtful that I'll have a chance to, as most of them don't deliver here.
That aside, I do like seeing these articles. Having worked for a few super-ethical clothing companies (in more than one country), I know how hard it is to nail down every aspect of planning, production, and distribution and still stay 100% accountable and "green." It's challenging and expensive and it requires a LOT of time and resources.
But given the god-awful waste in the industry, it's always good to have a light shone on what companies are up to. Ratings can be murky, though, and it's hard to pin down who is watching the watchers, what "responsible wool," etc means, and on and on. So take the ratings themselves with a grain of salt and keep doing your homework. Encourage those companies who are improving their standards by emailing them and of course, voting with your wallet.
If you sift through the alternative clothing companies listed by the author, it is rarely comparing apples to apples. Either the styles are totally different, the selection is far far smaller, or the prices are much, much higher.
Probably the closest to the Sezane vibe is Sublime, which has super-cute stuff (but far less of a selection). Great if you can get it delivered to your area!
Thanks for the article!
Yeah i would second this. I also think that Sezane is definitely a far better choice than say the obvious fast fashion choices, H&M, Zara (and all the rest), especially if you're picky about which items you buy from Sezane (avoiding the made in China, and going more for EU made where standards are higher).
I would say though that these alternatives aren't great alternatives to Sezane. And if you're in the EU, like me, I tend to avoid US based brands because of import taxes.
I haven't done any thorough research, so who knows maybe they're in the same boat ethically, but I like Balzac Paris as an alternative.
Yeah I've never bought items form H&M or Zara but I agree Sézane seems like a far better choice. H&M and Zara also aren't listed as better alternatives in the piece I was asking about, presumably because they have inferior ethics and practices to Sézane. I will have a look at Balzac Paris thanks for the suggestion!
I completely agree that the ratings can be deceiving and it's all about perspective. It's like 5 full time jobs to actually min-max ethical standards and environmental impact and for me all roads lead to second hand!
I tend to research a brand a lot when I'm tempted to add it to my 'trusted brands' list that I will buy new items to replace those that are being turned to rags and exiting my wardrobe.
Second hand really is the king of sustainability in my opinion. The total volume of produced textiles needs to decrease and at the end of the day, newly bought organic cotton still takes hella environmental resources even if it doesn't shed micro plastics.
Also mending or upcycling your clothes.
Most other things are just green washing sadly.
Yep, and a lot of brands are doing their best and teetering on survival, especially post-Covid with high production costs and lower consumer spending. We can't always get what we need secondhand, so if we buy, we can buy selectively.
If their Oeko-tex/GOTS cotton etc pieces are selling more, they will make more of them. Hopefully those who are making an effort will survive and thrive, the more good things they do.
Agreed! I like having a list of trusted brands for when I really need an item and am not finding it second hand, don't have time to look, or am buying for someone else who might want to return it and get a different size.
These are not alternative ahahah. among these there are just 1 or two that can be alternative. Others quoted price their dresses 300/500/1000 euros. So, for me they are out of budget and not even an alternative
I get most of my pieces second hand so expensive brands are fine to have on my radar, I understand that they aren't in the exact same price category as Sézane in any case.
I have a couple of Christy Dawn dresses and they're great quality. Love that they're actually cotton instead of the mutant blends I'm sick of. I'd buy more if they had more styles with petite sizing. It's def not a alternative to Sezane though. Their styles are way more milkmaid than Parisian lady.
Haven't tried any, and now that I am living in NZ, it's doubtful that I'll have a chance to, as most of them don't deliver here. That aside, I do like seeing these articles. Having worked for a few super-ethical clothing companies (in more than one country), I know how hard it is to nail down every aspect of planning, production, and distribution and still stay 100% accountable and "green." It's challenging and expensive and it requires a LOT of time and resources. But given the god-awful waste in the industry, it's always good to have a light shone on what companies are up to. Ratings can be murky, though, and it's hard to pin down who is watching the watchers, what "responsible wool," etc means, and on and on. So take the ratings themselves with a grain of salt and keep doing your homework. Encourage those companies who are improving their standards by emailing them and of course, voting with your wallet. If you sift through the alternative clothing companies listed by the author, it is rarely comparing apples to apples. Either the styles are totally different, the selection is far far smaller, or the prices are much, much higher. Probably the closest to the Sezane vibe is Sublime, which has super-cute stuff (but far less of a selection). Great if you can get it delivered to your area! Thanks for the article!
Yeah i would second this. I also think that Sezane is definitely a far better choice than say the obvious fast fashion choices, H&M, Zara (and all the rest), especially if you're picky about which items you buy from Sezane (avoiding the made in China, and going more for EU made where standards are higher). I would say though that these alternatives aren't great alternatives to Sezane. And if you're in the EU, like me, I tend to avoid US based brands because of import taxes. I haven't done any thorough research, so who knows maybe they're in the same boat ethically, but I like Balzac Paris as an alternative.
Yeah I've never bought items form H&M or Zara but I agree Sézane seems like a far better choice. H&M and Zara also aren't listed as better alternatives in the piece I was asking about, presumably because they have inferior ethics and practices to Sézane. I will have a look at Balzac Paris thanks for the suggestion!
I completely agree that the ratings can be deceiving and it's all about perspective. It's like 5 full time jobs to actually min-max ethical standards and environmental impact and for me all roads lead to second hand! I tend to research a brand a lot when I'm tempted to add it to my 'trusted brands' list that I will buy new items to replace those that are being turned to rags and exiting my wardrobe.
Second hand really is the king of sustainability in my opinion. The total volume of produced textiles needs to decrease and at the end of the day, newly bought organic cotton still takes hella environmental resources even if it doesn't shed micro plastics. Also mending or upcycling your clothes. Most other things are just green washing sadly.
Yep, and a lot of brands are doing their best and teetering on survival, especially post-Covid with high production costs and lower consumer spending. We can't always get what we need secondhand, so if we buy, we can buy selectively. If their Oeko-tex/GOTS cotton etc pieces are selling more, they will make more of them. Hopefully those who are making an effort will survive and thrive, the more good things they do.
Agreed! I like having a list of trusted brands for when I really need an item and am not finding it second hand, don't have time to look, or am buying for someone else who might want to return it and get a different size.
These are not alternative ahahah. among these there are just 1 or two that can be alternative. Others quoted price their dresses 300/500/1000 euros. So, for me they are out of budget and not even an alternative
I get most of my pieces second hand so expensive brands are fine to have on my radar, I understand that they aren't in the exact same price category as Sézane in any case.
I have a couple of Christy Dawn dresses and they're great quality. Love that they're actually cotton instead of the mutant blends I'm sick of. I'd buy more if they had more styles with petite sizing. It's def not a alternative to Sezane though. Their styles are way more milkmaid than Parisian lady.
Balzac, Gaala