15 Eco-Friendly Little Black Dresses for Every Occasion

Wardrobe staples are one of the key to focuses of a sustainable wardrobe. Nothing is more basic than the black dress. That little thing that you have in your closet for when you have nothing to wear, is actually something you can wear all the time. Below are 15 of my favorite sustainable, ethical, and eco-friendly little black dresses. Let me know your favorite in the comments below.

Par En Par

Perfect for the resort and the office this wrap dress from Par en Par is made to be versatile, it’s a dress, it’s a robe, and it’s a beach coverup. Par en Par sources their fabrics from sustainable weavers in India. This dress is made with handwoven organic cotton.

 

SDress

From work to drinks this is the perfect professional dress. It’s from SDress, an eco friendly Italian brand that uses eco-certified fabrics and a production process that is certified by the World Wildlife Foundation.

The Wylde

The perfect little black beach dress. This dress is from The Wylde, a brand that uses certified organic fabrics and natural dyes. The black in this dress comes from indigo and umbrella leaf.

Reformation

Mini, sleeveless, but is still bra friendly, this little black dress is from Reformation and is made with Reformation’s ecoghost fabric. It’s then produced sustainably in Los Angeles with a production process that saves on waste, water, and carbon dioxide.

Fame & Partners

Show off your shoulders in this strapless mini from Fame & Partners. You can customize it to your size and tastes on their site. It’s made in L.A. with zero waste production and they produce made to order to reduce waste.

Everlane

Two essentials in one. A wrap dress and a little black dress. It’s made with Japanese GoWeave fabric from Everlane that lasts longer and reduces the amount of washes the dress needs and it’s produced ethically in Suzhou, China.

Tonle

Zero waste. This dress is a staple and the length and sleeves are universally flattering. It’s hand made with cotton jersey remnants and zero waste production that saves waste, water, and chemicals from entering the environment.

Symbology

This dress from Symbology is a mini and a maxi in one! It’s handcrafted by female artisans who use traditional techniques. Symbology works with artisans and small manufacturers to help create sustainable sources of income for women around the world. They also manufacture as sustainably as possible and use natural materials and eco-friendly dyes.

Sensi Studio

The perfect spring mini. This dress is from Sensi Studio, a brand founded by Stephany Sensi in 2010. It started out as a product lab and has expanded into a full brand that is a bit boho and based in the artisans of Ecuador who craft all the items in Sensi Studio’s collections. The goal of Sensi Studio is to create opportunities for Ecuadorian artisans to showcase their craft and abilities ethically.

Edun

Perfect for an elegant evening, this little black dress is from Edun, the sustainable luxury brand from Ali Hewson and Bono. They source and produce in different countries around Africa to help build long term community initiative and relationships with African artisans.

Tomcsanyi

This velvet black mini definitely embodies the motto of Tomcsanyi “Careless elegance with some arrogance.” The dress might look simple but 1 seamstress spent 7 hours making it. The brand is located in Budapest and produces sustainably. They source sustainable materials, focus on CSR and every piece gets put together locally.

Malaika New York

Malaika New York launched on Earth Day 2016 and makes their clothing using zero waste patterns and natural materials. They use upcycled fabrics and materials like recycled plastic. And every item that’s sold plants a tree with The Canopy Project.

Cleobella

Add some sparkle with this flirty mini from Cleobella. The sparkle elevates the dress but it’s also traditional Balinese craftwork from the ethically employed artisans that work for Cleobella. Every design uses traditional techniques like hand dying and tooling as well as traditional embroidery and beading.

Rakha

A great everyday black dress, it fits loosely so the sleeves catch the breeze in the summer. Rakha works with green manufacturers to limit their environmental impact and their materials are all biodegradable or recyclable. This dress is certified by the Global Recycle Standard.

Kotn

So simple, this dress can be dressed up or down and is really that basic you’ll have in your closet for years. It’s made with Egyptian cotton. Kotn produces their own fabrics and they purchase the raw materials directly from the farmer ensuring they get a fair price. The clothing is then produced responsibly by locals in Egypt.