Good On You is an app that rates a fashion brand based on its sustainability. The app’s criteria focus on where and how the brand sources its materials and how the brand pays its employees, so the consumer knows where their favorite fashion pieces come from. The app will also recommend similar brands that are a more sustainable option.
The practice is excellent. Everyone should know how to research how sustainable their favorite fashion brands are. For those who express themselves through fashion, this might present more problems than solutions – especially if their favorite brands aren’t sustainable and the recommended brands don’t match their style.
The brands that Good On You rates the highest tend to offer boxy, neutral-color styles. There are many timeless basics, but fashion girlies aren’t just rocking loose denim and cotton blouses. The Downtown Girls love their graphic tees and plaid skirts, and the athleisure lovers rock their moisture-wicking tops, leggings, hoodies, and jumpers—which are impossible to find on Good On You.
So what do we do when the only options available don’t fit our style? We make our own. If you know how to knit and crochet, you have the material and the means to reproduce the styles you want. Sites like Etsy allow people to sell homemade garments and patterns. They can make the items at home, so a shift is coming. If more people can see how much time, effort, and material goes into making clothing, they might be less likely to indulge in fast fashion. We can search for companies that ethically source materials and pay their employees a living wage.
Good On You may feature smaller indie companies catering to different styles five years from now. This could be an opportunity for small brands who put in the work to create sustainably to show off their products. Maybe that’s what these sustainability apps want. Good on them for highlighting a problem, and good on us for finding a solution.
