9 Made to Order Clothing Brands for Sustainable Style
The world of fashion is constantly evolving, but one trend that is gaining momentum is the rise of made-to-order clothing.
Whether you're in the market for a bespoke suit or a handmade dress, small-batch clothing brands offer an eco-friendly and ethical alternative to the wasteful fast fashion industry.
Unfortunately, fast fashion isn't disappearing any time soon and greatly overproduces products, contributing heavily to excess waste.
However, the good news is that the made-to-order movement is projected to reach a market value of $4.3 billion by 2025 - it is only getting started and there is no stopping it now.
The result? Many small and medium-sized brands have started ditching the traditional model of mass production and instead, focus on creating a unique, personalized experience for their customers on a made-to-order basis.
Made-to-order clothes not only offer a greater degree of customization, but also emphasize quality, craftsmanship, and sustainability.
By producing garments only after a customer places an order, a made-to-order clothing brand is able to reduce waste and the environmental impact of overproduction.
Plus, the end result is a one-of-a-kind piece that is tailored to the customer's individual style and preferences. It promotes size inclusivity by allowing the customer to choose pieces that truly fit their body, instead of being confined to a standard size range.
Learn more about this slow fashion movement, get the best tips on how to shop, and check out some amazing small batch brands in this guide!
This post does contain some affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase The Honest Consumer may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.
What is made-to-order clothing?
Made-to-order clothing refers to outfits that are produced after a customer places an order, rather than being produced in advance and kept in stock.
Because of this, they have a greater degree of customization and personalization as the customer can specify the fabric, color, and other details of the garment that they like.
Plus, made-to-order clothing is often produced in smaller quantities, which makes them have a lower environmental impact due to less waste.
Here are a few more reasons why these brands are far superior to fast fashion options:
Personalization: small batches allow for a greater degree of customization and personalization. This means that the customer will end up with a unique, one-of-a-kind piece that is tailored to their individual style and preferences.
Quality: these clothes are often produced with a focus on quality, craftsmanship, and attention to detail. Brands will use high-quality fabrics and materials and may employ skilled artisans and craftspeople to produce the garments.
Sustainability: small batch clothing is a more sustainable choice as it reduces overproduction and textile waste, encourages slower fashion, supports local and ethical production, and reduces transportation emissions.
Supporting small businesses: By buying made-to-order clothing, you are supporting small businesses and local artisans. This makes a positive impact on the local community.
Investment: Investing in an article of made-to-order clothing is an investment in a piece that is well-made, unique, and long-lasting, which will stand the test of time.
Why is a made-to-order fashion brand a more sustainable choice?
Small batch clothing brands are a sustainable choice for consumers because they prioritize responsible manufacturing and reduce textile waste.
Most of these brands create garments only after a customer places an order, rather than mass-producing and stocking items that may not sell. This leads to less overproduction and fewer unsold items ending up in landfills.
Here are a few more reasons why buying made-to-order clothes is a sustainable choice:
They reduce overproduction and waste: this clothing is produced only after a customer places an order. Nothing needs to be produced in advance and kept in stock thanks to limited quantities.
By producing garments only when they are ordered, these clothing brands can minimize textile waste by using the exact amount of fabric required for each garment, without any excess.
They encourage slower fashion. Small batch clothing brands often produce garments in smaller quantities, which encourages consumers to think more carefully about their clothing purchases and invest in higher quality items that last a long time.
These clothing brands may work with local artisans and craftspeople, which supports the local economy and can help ensure that the manufacturing process ethical and done in a sustainable way. It also supports fair trade efforts and a living wage!
These clothing brands often have a shorter supply chain and produce items closer to their customers, which reduces transportation emissions, their carbon footprint and the environmental impact of shipping garments around the world.
9 Made-to-Order Brands to Shop
There are many made-to-order clothing brands in the market today.
Generally speaking, many of these brands prioritize sustainability and ethical production and often use high-quality, natural fabrics such as organic cotton and linen.
They also often employ skilled artisans and craftspeople to produce their garments with natural materials and may offer a range of customization options to customers.
Some small batch clothing brands may also engage in sustainable practices such as reducing textile waste and using eco-friendly dyes and production methods.
Here is a look at some sustainable fashion brands that you can buy from today:
Citizen Wolf’s Magic Fit Algorithm Made Custom Clothes
Citizen Wolf is a small batch brand that uses its Magic Fit algorithm to create tees, polos, and sweats that are custom-made to fit your body. All you have to do is provide your height, weight, and age and the algorithm takes care of the rest.
This means zero inventory, zero waste, and no garments sent to the landfill. The brand uses sustainable materials and production methods, and they also offer a recycling program for customers to send in old tees to be repurposed into new clothing.
86% of their fabric is made in Australia, Also, Citizen Wolf recycles the hundreds of pounds of offcut fabric wasted every month into their famous Zero Waste collection, instead of sending it to landfill like other factories do.
Almost all of their fabric is knitted in Melbourne and every Citizen Wolf garment is sewn in their purpose-built Sydney factory – which is open to the public and doubles as their shop.
They are proudly both B Corp and Ethical Clothing Australia certified. This means that their staff is paid Aussie award wages (or better), plus they've voluntarily opted-in to the Modern Slavery Act which encourages transparency in supply chains.
Their merino wool jersey is also certified cruelty-free by the Responsible Wool Standard, being sourced exclusively from non-mulesed Australian sheep.
Citizen Wolf makes womens and mens short-sleeve and long-sleeve tees and polos starting at $79.
Fite Fashion’s American Made Sustainable Fashion
Fite Fashion is based out of Philadelphia, PA and was founded in 2018 by Michelle and Thomas Fite, but their journey to create a sustainable fashion business started long before then.
For well over a decade, Michelle has been honing her design, patterning and sewing skills to fulfill her dream of launching a clothing line that does not compromise sustainable and ethical practices for design.
Every garment they sell is made to order in Philadelphia by people who are paid fairly. Fite Fashion sources the most sustainable fabrics available, and focuses on fabrics that are produced with clean dyeing techniques and non-exploitative labor.
Fite Fashion sells accessories, non--traditional wedding dresses and separates. Their pieces range from $125 to $2,250.
The Checkroom’s made to order coats
The Checkroom specializes in modern women’s outerwear that can be cherished for years because of its timeless style and quality craftsmanship.
All the coats and jackets made by this brand are made-to-order garments with a focus on minimal, high-quality design. They use sustainable materials and production methods, with everything being ethically made in Chicago.
Founded in 2014 by designer Liz Williams, The Checkroom was born after Williams realized that modern garment workers are being extremely undervalued and under-paid.
As a business owner, Liz pledged that her coats and jackets will always be sewn in the USA.
Being sewn in the USA, (to her) ensures that other women can have the opportunities that she has had here in this country and preserves her craft and tradition, along with ensuring the ideal wages, quality, and working conditions associated with slow fashion.
The Checkroom's pieces range from $545 to $995. Standard size options range from XS-3X and they offer petite size options for those who are sized XS-XL.
Nudie Jeans Custom Made to Order Denim
Nudie Jeans is a denim brand that offers a made-to-order service for their jeans. They use 100% organic, fair-trade, recycled cotton and sustainable production methods, and they also offer free repairs for customers to extend the life of their jeans.
Nudie Jeans is striving to be a leader within the textile industry by systematically working in areas where they have the highest environmental impact and focus their sustainability efforts where they are most needed.
Once a year, their most significant environmental aspects are analyzed, evaluated, and ranked in their environmental management system processes. They then set goals and action plans to execute the development.
Together with Fair Wear Foundation they ensure safe and ethical working conditions across the whole line of production.
To make a difference, they offer their customers smart ways to consume. They support and promote consumer behaviors that contribute to a circular business and ultimately to a circular economy.
Nudie Jeans offers a variety of mens and womens clothing options in addition to their jeans, and their items range from $40-$900.
Sister Organics Made to Order Custom Fit Dresses
Sister Organics is a brand that makes made-to-order dresses using beautiful organic and sustainable fabrics. The brand is based in Devon, UK, and specializes in the design and creation of wedding dresses, bridal wear, party dresses, and special occasion dresses.
They also offer a made-to-measure service for customers who need bespoke occasion wear.
In terms of style, their dresses are simple and feminine. Working with organic cotton, hemp/silk, organic silks and English-made cotton lace. Designed with laid-back style and comfort in mind, typically for outdoor, festival and casual weddings.
Everything is individually made to order and Natalie, founder and designer, is really happy to customize the styles she offers. She also makes one-off bespoke wedding dresses in sustainable fabrics.
Sister Organics creates separates, accessories, and sleepwear in addition to dresses and their standard sizing (outside of custom measured pieces) ranges from US 2 to US 14. Pricing ranges from 45 to 780 euros.
Lovanie’s Small Batch Dresses
Lovanie stands out because of its unique designs specifically for petite women.
Drawing inspiration from bohemian styles, vintage pieces, and travel destinations, the brand goes above and beyond when it comes to making thoughtful garments that will perfectly fit each customer, guaranteeing comfort and longevity.
All of Lovanie's pieces are cut & sewn in Seattle, USA. They work with a local production partner and seamstresses, who are located within an hour of where Lovanie is based.
Lovanie regularly visits them to ensure quality and that the workers have fair wages & working conditions.
Deadstock cotton are leftover fabrics from other fashion houses that would otherwise be discarded in landfills.
Lovanie rescues these deadstock fabrics before they are thrown away and makes them into beautiful limited edition pieces. Their deadstock supplier is based in California.
All of Lovanie's packages are shipped in 100% recycled Kraft mailers or 100% compostable mailers. They partner with Sendle to send packages in the US. Sendle is a B-Corp company that offsets carbon emissions on all its deliveries.
Thank you cards are printed on recycled materials and the stickers are printed with soy-based ink. The tissue paper is made in the USA from 100% recycled post-consumer Kraft paper.
Lovanie's hang tags are made from leftover fabric scraps during production and tied with natural hemp twine.
Lovanie makes womens' dresses, tops, and skirts in petite sizes XS to XL. Pieces range from $78 to $160. You can also use the discount code THEHONESTCONSUMER for 10% off your purchase.
Sandmaiden Sleepwear made from eco-friendly materials
Launched in 2007, Sandmaiden Sleepwear makes 100% handmade sleepwear, knitwear, and lingerie in their workshop in Bellingham, WA.
They offer made-to-order pieces made from sustainable materials like bamboo and linen. They also offer a wide range of sizes, including plus sizes.
Sandmaiden Sleepwear pieces range from $40 to $600.
Sotela’s Size Inclusive Clothing
Founded in 2016, Sotela is an ethical, inclusive, sustainable brand. They make made-to-order clothes in all sizes up to size 10.
The brand specializes in slow fashion, using natural and organic materials to create timeless, versatile clothing.
Through their small batch business model, Sotela has been able to reduce waste while also gaining the ability to customize orders and deepen its commitment to inclusivity for all body types and genders.
At their LA studio they design their collections, cut and sew each garment, and ship them out to customers. Managing production in house allows them to customize each garment, while ensuring they are paying a fair and living wage to all of their employees.
Sotela sources only materials made of natural fibers. They work with a local dye house in LA using nontoxic dyes to minimize their footprint while customizing their colors to the seasons and what’s inspiring them.
Further, their packaging is made of 100% recycled materials and is 100% recyclable.
Sotela makes tops, bottoms, dresses, accessories, outerwear, and more ranging from $4-$500.
Hackwith Design house made to order clothing
Hackwith Design House is a womens apparel and accessories brand that prides itself in making long-lasting versatile outfits that are unique to their wearers.
Launched in 2013, this brand offers made-to-order clothing with a focus on timeless, versatile designs. They use sustainable materials and production methods, and they also offer a "hack" program where customers can request custom designs.
They've grown to offer additional size-inclusive seasonal collections, swimwear, and a buyback program in The Sustain Shop.
Everything is made in-house in their Minnesota studio by their talented team of sewers. To reduce waste, the majority of Hackwith's items are not made until ordered.
Hackwith Design House's sizing ranges from XS to +4, and pieces cost from $12 to $325.
Tips when ordering made-to-order clothes
Don't let the process of selecting small batch clothing deter you from purchasing! While it may take a little getting used to, choosing to shop small-batch is well worth it both for yourself and the world around you in the long run.
Know your measurements. Sizing varies with each brand, and can differ depending on the fabric type and pattern as well. The seamstress will need your measurements in order to guarantee the best-fitting clothing for you, whether it's custom-sewn or according to pre-made sizing.
Check the retailer size guide. Depending on the fabric and region in which the clothing is primarily sold, your "typical" US sizing could equate to something totally different within this retailer's collection.
Review shipping and returns policies. These are especially unique with made-to-order pieces. You may have a very limited time frame in which to return or exchange an item, and shipping costs span a wide range due to these ethical brands being based worldwide. Bonus suggestion, if the brand offers returns: buy two sizes, and return the one that doesn't fit best!
Look for reliable clothing brands. Most made-to-order businesses will be a certified B corporation and provide thorough documentation or detailing of their sustainable manufacturing processes. This information is commonly located in an "About" section on their website.
Make a list of what you need. While shopping small batch is more sustainable, it's still shopping - focus on the clothing items you actually need to reduce unnecessary consumption.
Expect to wait longer for your order. Because these brands create pieces per order, they can't provide the same speedy turnaround as fast-fashion competitors. Depending on the maker, orders can take anywhere from two to eight weeks to ship - or longer, if it's an extensively customized piece.
Expect to pay more. You're paying for craftsmanship, quality materials, fairly-paid employees, ethical sourcing, and more positive attributes associated with the made-to-order model. Considering these values, plus the longevity of each item, the higher price point is certainly worth it! Plus, many small-batch clothing items are specifically designed to never go out of style and be a timeless piece in your wardrobe for years to come.
As you can see, made-to-order pieces are an excellent choice for anyone looking for sustainable and ethically-made outfits.
Additionally, many small batch fashion brands are often small or medium-sized businesses that prioritize quality, craftsmanship, and personalization.
They often use high-quality, natural fabrics such as organic cotton, linen, and other sustainable materials to make their timeless pieces.
You’ll love how these brands prioritize responsible manufacturing, reduce textile waste, and offer a wide range of clothing options to suit every body type and need.
It's a fun way to demonstrate social responsibility, support fair wages, and promote a low environmental impact!
It's an opportunity to curate a capsule wardrobe that best fits you, both literally and stylistically.
From luxury labels to indie designers, the made-to-order movement is giving consumers the opportunity to stand out from the crowd and make a statement with their fashion choices.
Hopefully, with the recommendations outlined here, you, too, can be a part of this movement - make a positive change with your new clothes!
And, if you need tips on how to sustainably get rid of clothing you no longer want, check out my blog post on textile recycling programs.
For more ethical & sustainable tips be sure to follow The Honest Consumer on social media, subscribe to our newsletter, & check out the Ethical & Sustainable Brand Directory.