The nights are drawing in, the temperature’s dropping and oh fun, there’s potentially another lockdown on the way!
That means only one thing (sartorially, at least): it’s in with the leisurewear and out with jeans.
But rather than slouching around in threads made by slave labour and virgin materials, why not ensure that your winter uniform is sustainable and ethical?
If there’s one little bit of good we can do in 2020, it’s committing to buying better – and the great thing is that more and more brands are starting to get an appetite for greener collections, which means that they’re becoming more accessible.
If you want a tracksuit to last you a long time, splash out on one that you know was made with great materials and by people who were paid fairly.
So, here are 9 of the best sustainable tracksuits to ride out the second wave in:
Primeblue relaxed wide-leg joggers, £42.95, Adidas
Primeblue is a fabric made with ocean plastic, created from recycled waste that’s collected on beaches by coastal communities before it hits the sea.
Adidas has worked closely with Parley for some time to turn ocean refuse into brilliant trainers and now they’ve expanded into clothing collections.
Made from 53% recycled polyester using ECONYL® regenerated yarn.
Organic cotton two-tone sweatpants, £120, Ninety Percent
Who doesn’t love a kind of harlequin-esque pair of trackies? Especially when they’re made entirely from organic cotton.
Ninety Percent guarantees that their cotton is grown on organic farms ‘with a solid value chain that monitors and protects human and planetary health’, while making sure not to contaminate water, soil or animal life with toxic chemicals.
90% of their distributable profits are divvied up between charities and the people who make their collections happen and you can choose which good causes proceeds go to.
Classic organic sweatpants, £60, Colorful Standard
PETA approved, organic and made in Portugal, Colorful Standard’s tracksuits are made to last in the most sustainable way.
The label is all about producing timeless classics, which means that fast fashion is totally irrelevant to them.
On top of their organic credentials, their tracksuits are ‘made by hardworking people who are treated as humans should be treated,’ CS says on its website. ‘That means fair wages, no discrimination and freely chosen employment.’
Oversized organic cotton jogger trousers, £55, & Other Stories
I can safely vouch for the fact that this tracksuit (a matching sweatshirt does exist) is the most cosy, soft outfit I own.
& Other Stories has made a commitment to be more eco-friendly by 2030 by using either 100% recycled or sustainable material.
That includes producing vegan shoes, bottles from recycled plastic, paper bag packaging and organic, 100% sustainably sourced cotton. So chic.
Mauve classic sweatshirt, £53.35, Girlfriend Collective
Girlfriend is the sustainable activewear brand and its just released a new line of sweatsuits. Available in a range of fab colours, they’re made from fabric scraps found on cutting room floors and 50% organic cotton – grown without chemical pesticides or insecticides.
The only issue is that it’s a US-based label so you’ve got to think about air miles.
Saying that, plenty of UK sites stock them – including Selfridges, Net-A-Porter and The Sports Edit – so hopefully this new range of comfies will be readily available here soon.
Lightweight recycled cotton hoodie, £120, Pangaia
Pangaia are the cool kids of the sustainability movement. Their tracksuits are legendary, coming in a rainbow of colours and shapes.
When it comes to eco credentials, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more impressive company. For every item bought, Pangaia will plant one mangrove tree which stores one tonne of CO2. That’s the same as a flight from London to New York!
Everything is dyed using environmentally friendly dye, created using a recycled water system and the fabric is made from organic cotton.
Dashka bamboo slacks, £42.95, Thought
If you’re looking for some super comfy, pocketed pants for your Sunday morning coffee-run, look no further. These slacks are made largely from bamboo-derived viscose and organic cotton.
Bamboo is the fastest-growing grass in the world; it doesn’t need fertiliser and it self-regenerates from its own roots so doesn’t need replanting.
Compared to cotton, it’s massively more sustainable because it needs far less water, chemicals and labour making it the perfect material. Oh, and it absorbs twice as much CO2 than trees.
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