Organic & Fair Fashion – Metal Edition
When talking about fair fashion I am often confronted with the critique “but there’s not much to choose from”. And while the fair wear market is constantly growing, it is truly not easy to find something appealing to the taste of the metal head.
Fair Fashion – more than a trend.
Since I watched the fashion industry documentary ‘‘The True Cost’, I’ve become more and more aware of the negative consequences of fast fashion on our planet and the modern slavery going on in the conventional fashion industry. As a result, I’ve been buying my clothes from second-hand shops, clothes-swapping websites and from certified fair fashion brands for a couple of years.
And yes, organic, fair-trade clothes are more expensive, so my shopping habits have changed drastically. Nowadays I’d rather spend more on one piece of clothing and buy fewer items, knowing that the people who made them are being paid and treated better and that not as many chemicals are being spilled into rivers. Quality over quantity, you know!
Nevertheless, I know how difficult it is to find clothes that would make an outfit for a concert or festival. But don’t despair! For this article, I’ve hand-picked more than eight pieces of clothing that will fit in your black wardrobe perfectly and will boost your environmental awareness. You can always combine simple garments in a dark color and turn them into a rocking outfit – like NAPALM DEATH’s Barney Greenway, who was recently seen wearing shorts made from recycling materials on stage from the German brand bleed:
8+ fair fashion items for metal heads:
1. Vegan Biker Jacket from Bleed:
Nothing says Metal like a biker style leather jacket. What if you’re a vegan metal head, though? The German fair fashion brand Bleed Organic Clothing has you covered with these cork jackets, belts, and t-shirts:
2. St. Pauli Pin-up Tank Top:
Sometimes it’s not enough that a garment is black for it to be metal. But a lot of the designs by Bidges & Sons from Hamburg rock on their own while being fairly produced – like this fair tank top with pin-up print:
3. Fair black bottoms:
It feels like all the fair fashion brands started producing t-shirts, so finding fair trousers used to be a bit more difficult, but not anymore. Brands have stepped up, for example, UK-based Thought Clothing with this pair of organic cotton trousers that look totally comfy.
The German fair wear brand Armed Angels is one of the better known in Europe and has made a name for itself with simple and discreet designs and transparent policies. Check out Armed Angels jeans and more importantly, this pair of black shorts for the metal festival summer.
4. Black dresses and jumpsuits:
Some occasions and/or styles really call for a chic dress – don’t worry, here are some! Just picture this casual black dress by green fashion label SkunkFunk with a leather (or cork, right?) jacket and flat boots! Or fair fashion brand People Tree‘s black jumpsuit or black dress, as shown on this post by German online shop for fair and organic fashion Greenality:
5. Casual Skirts from Recolution:
For a more casual but feminine look, search no further than this fair-trade skirt “Salt N’ Pepper” from Recolution and style it to your liking.
6. Eco-friendly tights:
Talking about dresses and skirts, turn then into a winter outfit with some eco-friendly tights from the German brand Hessnatur, for example.
7. Fair band shirts from dna Merch:
The German start-up dna Merch produces band merch under fair circumstances and with transparent production chains. Besides that, dna Merch sells their own print designs for their fair-trade t-shirts and tote bags – like this bold statement:
8. TOMS Black Boots:
The only thing that is missing now from our fair and eco-friendly outfits are shoes. And fairly produced shoes are the trickiest to come by. This is why I chose the socially-oriented brand TOMS for this list. Their designs are trendy and their shoes are pretty comfortable, but most importantly, with every pair of shoes you buy, you also give a pair of shoes to someone in need without making any extra effort. These flat black lace-up boots complete every rock n’ roll outfit:
Done and you’re welcome! Now you can put together several outfits and make the world a better place with your purchases. I know that most of the brands I have featured come from Germany or Europe, but those are the ones that have come to my attention since I live in Germany and all.
Do you wear fair fashion? What’s your favorite brand? Tell us in the comments!