7 Ethical & Sustainable Old Navy Alternatives
Old Navy is a popular "American" brand that sells casual clothes for men, women, and children through their stores or online.
Most of their clothes are relatively low-priced with basic long sleeved tees starting off at around $12 and most jeans ranging $30-$50.
Customers can find trendy pieces such as boots, sunglasses and scarves for only $10-$20.
However, these affordable deals can come at the cost of the environment and garment workers.
Let's explore the sustainability of Old Navy & learn about other ethical, eco-friendly brands that have a similar style and price point.
Is Old Navy Sustainable?
Old Navy focuses on mass producing, so even if they're using sustainable materials this brand can never be truly sustainable unless they slow down their production.
However, they do have a beautiful sustainability page on their website.
They have started a recent partnership with ThreadUp to encourage consumers to send back their used clothes.
As Old Navy is owned by Gap Inc., Gap Inc.’s sustainability page features a lot of “committed to” making it seem like their sustainability efforts are in a learning phase.
For example, Gap Inc. states they are "an active member of the Textile Exchange Recycled Polyester and Biosynthetics Working Groups, investigating industry innovations toward more sustainable fibers.
In addition, we have embarked on a collaboration with the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) that aims to innovate a process to separate spandex from other fibers in used garments to increase its recycling opportunities."
They also stated that they are working with the Ellen MacArthur foundation to explore textile shredding. So we will see if they actually take action.
Does Old Navy Use Sustainable Materials?
Kind of. Old Navy uses a very small percentage of recycled cotton and recycled polyester.
I went through every single item currently listed on their "Sustainable Clothing" section, all of which were denim products.
The highest percentage of recycled materials I found in a single pair of jeans were 13% recycled polyester, 5% recycled cotton the rest made up with conventional cotton and spandex.
Is Old Navy Greenwashing?
I'm going to say yes…Old Navy is greenwashing.
The incredibly low percentages of recycled materials in their denim lines labeled as sustainable or recycled is them doing the absolute bare minimum and just using the buzz words.
Their sustainable products are also featured at an incredibly low price which brings into question their ethics...who is making the clothes and are they paid fairly?
Is Old Navy Ethical?
As an “American” brand you’d think Old Navy clothes are made in America? Wrong.
Most Old Navy clothes are imported from overseas.
While researching I couldn’t find any information on their specific factories where their clothes are made or policies.
However, it’s reported that It’s reported that Gap Inc. (owner of Old Navy) was involved in the Rana Plaza tragedy and failed to take responsibility. Rana Plaza was a garment factory used by quite a few “American” companies that collapsed in 2013 killing over 1100 garment workers.
Along with Rana Plaza, back in 2007 Gap Inc. was accused on using child labor in sweatshops. Given the history…I’m not so sure Old Navy clothes are ethically made. If you’re looking for classic American style that is sweatshop free consider the alternatives below.
7 Ethical & Eco-friendly Alternatives to Old Navy
If you like the style of Old Navy clothes and price point, but aren't so thrilled about their ethics and lack of sustainable practices, I encourage you to check out these brands.
Fair Indigo’s Ethical Cotton Clothing
If you love Old Navy’s focus on cotton definitely try out Fair Indigo. Fair Indigo specializes in fair trade organic cotton clothing.
This socially conscious clothing brand uses organic materials to craft high quality garments crafted to last.
Fair Indigo also gives back to The Fair Indigo Foundation, a non-profit organization with the mission to improve educational opportunities for children in the Peruvian communities where their cotton is grown, alpacas are herded, and products are made.
Fair Indigo features cotton clothing for men and women ranging from $30-$90.
PACT’s ORGANIC COTTON CLOTHING FOR EVERYONE
If you appreciate how Old Navy carries clothing for the entire family…check out PACT! PACT’s affordable organic basics make it easy for consumers to start building their sustainable wardrobe.
PACT uses 100% Certified Organic Cotton to ensure high quality garments, clean materials on their customer’s skin, and to be conscious of the environment. PACT’s clothing is made in Fair Trade Certified factories in India.
This ensures livable wages and a positive work environment for garment workers.
PACT clothing for women, men, and children ranging from $20-$120. Use the the discount code HONESTCONSUMER20 for 20% off your first purchase.
THE GOOD TEE'S FAIR TRADE MINIMALIST CLOTHING
If you love comfy cotton, The Good Tee is an ethical clothing brand focusing on high quality Fairtrade Certified organic cotton basics.
This socially responsible brand allows ethical shoppers to easily learn about the transparent supply chain and trace the manufacturing process through videos and resources highlighting The Good Tee’s production processes and the materials used.
Not only are their garment factories, Fair-trade certified, but also the actual cotton is Fairtrade. That means they've gone the extra mile to ensure fair treatment and payment of the farmers AND garment workers.
The Good Tee's sustainable clothes feature organic cotton t-shirts, dresses, and basics for men, women, children, and babies, The Good Tee strives for sustainability with classic designs; low-impact dyes; the use of organic, fair trade cotton, and eco-conscious packaging.
Their minimalist pieces range in price from $17-$79.
KNOWN SUPPLY'S ORGANIC COTTON CLOTHING
If your Old Navy items are the fun patterns and prints check out what KNOWN SUPPLY has to offer. KNOWN SUPPLY is humanizing the apparel industry through collaborative partnerships.
This certified B Corporation is crafting ethical clothing while creating employment opportunities in Peru & Uganda through their partnership with Fair Trade Certified.
KNOWN SUPPLY’S collection is made with GOTS ertified organic cotton creating significant water savings during the production of their sustainable clothing.
KNOWN SUPPLY carries clothing for men and women with prices ranging from $35-$65 including pants, dresses, t-shirts, jumpsuits, and more.
TENTREE EARTH-FRIENDLY MINIMALIST FASHION BRAND
tentree makes Earth-First essentials using sustainable (and comfortable) materials such as TENCEL, recycled polyester, organic cotton, and hemp.
Every time you purchase an item, tentree plants 10 trees. tentree is proud to be a certified B-Corporation and ethically crafts their clothing around the world.
Consumers can learn more about the certifications for each individual factory on their Ethical Manufacturing page.
tentree featuring clothes for men, women, and children ranging from $20-$90. Ethical shoppers will find dresses, shorts, tops, and more when shopping this sustainable brand.
LOS ANGELES APPAREL ETHICALLY MADE IN THE USA
If you’re looking for classic American made denim, basic t-shirts, and Old Navy’s casual style at an affordable price point, Los Angeles Apparel is a good alternative for you! Los Angeles Apparel is a sweatshop-free American-made fashion brand whose manufacturing values are focused on sustainability, efficiency, and community.
All Los Angeles Apparel workers earn fair, livable wages that average at $20 an hour, with some expert garment workers making up to $35 an hour.
Their employees work in a safe, ethically managed space that prizes productivity and teamwork to create durable, quality, and affordable clothing.
Their "vertically integrated" system means that the brand is in charge of manufacturing from start to finish, never offshoring to increase competitiveness or lower costs. Plus, their focus on sustainable practices has offset over 36,000 pounds of CO2 emissions.
Los Angeles Apparel is great if you're on a budget offering a wide array of women and men’s clothing.
Los Angeles Apparel focuses on USA grown cotton and features items such as jeans, tops, shorts, pants, jackets, sweaters, and more.
This is the perfect place to find affordable basics as their prices range from $20-$80 with most items averaging in the $30-$50 range.
Hopefully this sustainable style guide helped guide you towards some ethical brands similar to Old Navy style and price!
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