Summertime, the time of year that you can finally ditch those tights and put on something floaty and flattering! If you’ve been looking to give your summer wardrobe a refresh, we’re here to help you seek out some ethical brands for your next favourite summer dress!
But where can you find sustainable summer dresses in the UK, without breaking the bank?
If supporting eco-friendly brands and ethical factories is important to you, here’s how you can spot truly sustainable clothing brands and get your hands on a holiday-worthy sustainable summer dress!
Quick links
What makes a fashion brand sustainable?
A sustainable fashion brand will use eco-friendly fabrics and often showcase its third-party certifications, including GOTS certifications for organic materials, GRS certifications for recycled fabrics, and OEKO-TEX and/or Bluesign certifications for dyes and fabric finishes.
These certifications attest that no toxic chemicals have been used during the treating of the fabrics, a key point when looking for brands that don’t put their workers’ health and the environment at risk for the sake of stylish pieces!
The mainstream fashion industry is also infamous for unfair labour standards, so you can expect sustainable brands to also be transparent about working conditions under their supply chain.
Conscious companies will often have their factories audited by third parties like the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) and SEDEX, or be part of Fairtrade or other ethical trade organizations such as Fair Wear or WRAP.
Our guides to child free labour brands and brands that pay a living wage will help you find more great ethical brands.
The best sustainable summer dresses for UK shoppers
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So, what are our top picks for sustainable summer dresses in the UK?
Top picks
1. Beyond Retro
Based: London
Price: £16 – £65
Sustainability creds: Sells 100% pre-loved clothing.
If you’re looking for the most affordable and unique vintage dresses to step into the summer with, look no further than Beyond Retro.
Arguably the biggest online retailer for vintage pieces, this is the perfect stop for finding pre-loved dresses and supporting second-hand fashion — a great alternative for reducing your carbon footprint without adding to the demand for new clothes, no matter how sustainable they might be!
2. Joanie Clothing
Based: Manchester
Made in: China, India
Price: £48 – £55
Sustainability creds: SEDEX audited factories, B Corp certified, uses organic cotton, recycled materials, and sustainable viscose.
Joanie offers some of the best vintage-style and sustainable summer dresses in the UK, all very affordable.
The brand is very transparent about what items in the collection are made from sustainable materials like organic cotton and recycled synthetics.
Joanie is a member of SEDEX and has now audited 100% of its factories through the initiative.
3. Albaray
Based: UK
Made in: China, Vietnam, Greece, India
Price: £29 – £95
Sustainability creds: GOTS cotton, sustainable fabrics, factories using standards such as SMETA, GOTs and Oeko-Tex, sustainable packaging and labels
UK based Albaray has a great range of sustainable summer dresses from t shirt dresses to midi dresses. They come in linen, organic cotton and sustainable viscose, and designs are anything from floral to spotty to animal print. Something for everyone.
The brand regularly visits its factories to ensure standards are upheld and states that they use a range of ethical standards.
4. Seasalt
Based: Penzance, Cornwall
Made in: India
Price: £32 – £85
Sustainability creds: Uses GOTS-certified cotton, closed-loop viscose, and recycled fabrics.
Inspired by the beauty of Cornwall, Seasalt offers lightweight, sustainable summer dresses for UK shoppers who want to support sustainable and ethical manufacturing.
The brand uses GOTS-certified organic cotton, linen, and Tencel, and only works with factories that adhere to the Ethical Trading Initiative base code, of which Seasalt is also a member.
5. Nobody’s Child
Based: London
Made in: Bangladesh, China, Morocco, Ukraine
Price: £35 – £95
Sustainability creds: Uses certified organic cotton, GRS-certified recycled synthetics, and Bluesign certified chemicals.
London-based brand Nobody’s Child offers affordable mini, midi and maxi dresses in classic floral patterns and colourful prints.
The company uses eco-friendly fabrics for most garments, including organic cotton and LENZING ECOVERO viscose, as well as recycled polyester.
When it comes to the finishing process, all chemicals must be either GOTS, OEKO-TEX, or Bluesign-certified.
6. Linen Tales
Based: Lithuania
Made in: Lithuania
Price: £93 – £153
Sustainability creds: OEKO-TEX Standard 100, handmade products, use of natural materials
As the name may suggest, Linen Tales are the linen clothing specialists. Utilising this wonderful material, Linen Tales has crafted a range of effortlessly chic summer dresses. Embracing earthy tones and simplified designs, this amazing company has redefined minimalistic summer fashion.
Making quality pieces, Linen Tales operates with the ethos that pieces that last longer create less waste and promote an attitude of conscious consumption. The company also fosters a slow production approach with products made by hand and created with naturally derived materials.
7. Magic Linen
Based: Vilnius, Lithuania Ships to: USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Europe
Made in: Lithuania
Price: £44 – £117
Sustainability creds: OEKO-TEX® certified, fabric sourced and produced in Lithuania & surrounding countries, biodegradable packaging
Magic Linen offers a range of gorgeous dresses for all body types. In fact Meghan Markle wore their ROYAL TUSCANA white linen dress around town in Beverly Hills and it instantly sold out! Luckily now it’s back in stock in a range of colours.
As well as their dresses, this ethical clothing brand produces a selection of beautiful linen clothing from jumpsuits to pyjamas, and stunning homewares from curtains to bedding to tablecloths.
Made from the most eco-friendly natural fibre linen, their products are also OEKO-TEX® certified, meaning no nasty chemical residues against your skin. We love this exquisite brand!
And to make it even better MagicLinen are offering Good Maker Tales readers an exclusive 10% off everything with the code GOODMAKERLINEN10.
For more on this great brand, check out our review: Clothes that keep you cool: MagicLinen review.8. This is Unfolded
Based: UK
Price: £48
Sustainability creds: Zero waste philosophy, slow fashion approach, recycled and biodegradable packaging, SEDEX certified factory partners, plastic free tags, use of sustainable materials
Proving that fashion doesn’t have to be a wasteful industry, This is Unfolded takes a slower approach to fashion production. The label uses a preorder system to eliminate overproduction, incorporates sustainable materials and even has an innovative system where customers are encouraged to swap clothes amongst themselves.
The brand’s designs are sweet and feminine with a fresh and casual feel. Crafted from recycled polyester, the Nena Pleated Dress has a versatile colour palette and incorporates a dreamy vibe.
9. Omnes
Based: London
Made in: China, Portugal, Romania, Turkey, India
Price: £39 – £75
Sustainability creds: Uses FSC-certified viscose, organic cotton, BCI cotton, and OEKO-TEX certified finishes, B Corp certified
Omnes is another affordable brand creating beautiful and sustainable summer dresses in the UK. Their designs range from gorgeous floaty everyday dresses to those reserved for special occasions.
The company has partnered with Earthly, a carbon-offsetting project, to become carbon positive, and it exclusively uses eco-conscious materials for all garments, including LENZING ECOVERO (made from wood sourced from responsible forests) and organic cotton.
The brand also shares the wages and working hours of its factory workers in full transparency. We’d love to see more brands with such transparent and ethical practices!
10. Anorak
Based: London
Made in: UK, China, India, Portugal, Turkey
Price: £69 – £89
Sustainability creds: Uses organic cotton, REACH-certified dyes, sustainable viscose, and recycled synthetics.
Anorak offers a limited range of colourful summer dresses, all made with sustainable fabrics (including ECOVERO and organic cotton) and REACH-certified dyes, coming in biodegradable packaging.
The company is also a member of the Made In Britain initiative and exclusively works with ethically audited factories.
11. Jenerous
Based: London
Made in: India
Price: £75 – £100
Sustainability creds: Uses deadstock fabrics and organic cotton. Offers a recycling scheme.
Jenerous is a Fair Trade apparel brand offering everyday wear and occasion dresses for women and girls, featuring some really eye-catching prints.
The company is registered as a social enterprise, giving back part of all earnings to charities in India and providing all local workers with fair wages and training opportunities.
Jenerous uses Fair Trade organic cotton for dresses and deadstock fabrics to create its girls’ collection, as well as using eco-friendly dyes for printing.
12. Komodo
Based: London
Made in: Nepal, Indonesia, India, China
Price: £55 – £110
Sustainability creds: Uses GOTS-certified materials, recycled PU and PET plastics, and sustainable fibres.
Established in the late 80s, Komodo is a pioneer in the world of ethical dresses.
The brand uses recycled plastics to create unique and versatile dresses, all made from sustainable and natural fabrics including GOTS-certified organic cotton, Tencel, hemp, and bamboo fibre.
13. Organic Basics
Based: Copenhagen, Denmark. Has a dedicated UK website and stocks at Liberty, London.
Made in: Turkey, Italy, UK, Portugal
Price: £55 – £110
Sustainability creds: B-Corp certified, uses organic cotton and sustainable fabrics like Tencel.
B-Corp fashion brand Organic Basics features a great collection of everyday dresses and basic pieces made with eco-friendly materials, including GOTS organic cotton and Tencel.
The company exclusively works with ethical European factories that allow no forced or child labour, pay a living wage, and ensure a safe working space.
14. Son de Flor
Based: Lithuania
Made in: Lithuania
Price: £88 – £230
Sustainability creds: European linen, made to order range, OEKO-TEX certified fabric, One Tree Planted, recyclable packaging
Son de Flor offers a wide and versatile range of feminine summer-ready dresses, all made with sustainable linen. If you want a dress to twirl in, Son de Flor is the place for you.
The sustainable linen brand sources the flax to make its linen in Europe and makes its dresses locally in Lithuania using the highest quality local craftmanship.
Linen is a super sustainable fabric requiring very little additional watering to grow and it’s super strong meaning you’ll love your dress for a long time. The brand’s fabrics are also OEKO-TEX certified.
For an exclusive 10% off, use code GOOD10 at checkout.
15. Boody
Based: Australia & UK
Made in: China, Vietnam, India
Price: £38 – £43
Sustainability creds: WRAP certified factories, PeTA Cruelty-Free, Certified B Corporation
While B-Corp Boody is mainly known for its silky soft bamboo underwear and loungewear, they do have a small range of simple but very stylish dresses and jumpsuits made from a blend of organic cotton and bamboo viscose.
Boody has a range of sustainable accreditations and is scored as “Good” by Good On You. It also does really well on the animal welfare front and are PeTA accreditated. It also ensures ethical supply chains for its products.
16. Lounge
Based: UK
Price: £45 – £70
Sustainability creds: Give back programs, transparent supply chain, use of recycled materials, renewable energy in supply chain
Embracing sophisticated elegance, Lounge dresses have a timeless style. The label features a minimalistic colour palette and uses high-quality materials to create versatile dresses while exuding a classic, chic charm that always stands out.
Lounge operates with the understanding that sustainability is an ongoing journey and has an attitude of continual improvement over perfection. The label is transparent about its carbon footprint and uses renewable energy in its supply chain.
17. Dedicated
Based: Germany Ships to: Worldwide
Price: £44 – £129
Sustainability creds: Fairtrade cotton, GOTS, GRS, SA8000, WRAP certified suppliers, use of organic and sustainable materials.
With both feminine designs and contemporary edgy styles, Dedicated’s range of summer dresses has something for every taste. The label uses both bright hues and monochromatic colour palettes to bring its designs to life.
Dedicated uses sustainable materials, including Tencel and organic cotton in its collections. It has ethical and sustainable certifications to give consumers peace of mind and supports an attitude of ethical production.
18. Saint + Sofia
Based: London
Made in: Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria, Turkey
Price: £69 – £179
Sustainability creds: Uses exclusively GOTS organic cotton and sustainable fabrics.
Saint + Sofia is the place to go for a classic floral dress!
The brand uses 100% GOTS cotton for all designs, as well as Tencel and eco-friendly viscose.
It also participates in carbon-offsetting initiatives and employs smart transporting to cut carbon emissions, choosing road freight and electric vehicles throughout.
19. Baukjen
Based: London
Made in: Portugal, Romania, Bulgaria
Price: £79 – £179
Sustainability creds: B-Corp certified, uses sustainable viscose, recycled fabrics, and organic cotton.
Baukjen is another B-Corp certified brand offering a wide range of light and flowy summer dresses, relying on organic cotton and LENZING ECOVERO for most designs.
Rated in the top 5% of all B-Corps worldwide, Baukjen is a proud Living Wage employer and requires all factories to sign a strict code of conduct, based on the ETI code.
20. Blonde Gone Rogue
Based: London
Made in: Bulgaria
Price: £88 – £158
Sustainability creds: B-Corp certified, uses organic cotton and deadstock fabrics.
Blonde Gone Rogue is a B-Corp company making some of the very best sustainable summer dresses in the UK — think feel-good prints for the day and backless mini dresses for a great night out!
The brand uses either end-of-roll cotton or organic cotton for dress designs, and manufactures all products in a small factory in the Bulgarian owner’s hometown.
21. Ninety Percent
Based: London
Made in: Bangladesh
Price: £65 – £195
Sustainability creds: Uses organic cotton and sustainable fabrics like Tencel.
Ninety Percent is the master of essential designs, featuring a wide range of summer dresses for all occasions.
The brand uses exclusively GOTS cotton and Tencel for its dresses, and manufactures all products in traceable factories, audited for health and safety by an undisclosed third party.
22. Anou Anou @ Wolf & Badger
Based: Turkey
Made in: Turkey
Price: £79 – £221
Sustainability creds: Use of some natural materials
Taking inspiration from nature, Anou Anou creates designs that are classic in their style without losing an element of fun. The brand uses quality fabrics in earthy hues or printed with bold and playful designs to bring its eclectic range of clothing to life. Styles like the Halter Neck Back Maxi Dress are versatile and timeless while still incorporating undertones of individuality.
While more information on the Anou Anou website about its sustainable policies would be great to see, the brand does use some natural materials. Styles are available through the Wolf & Badger platform.
23. Beaumont Organic
Based: Manchester
Made in: Portugal
Price: £85 – £250
Sustainability creds: Uses GOTS-certified organic cotton and OEKO-TEX certified materials.
Beaumont Organic offers maxi and midi sustainable dresses for all occasions, using GOTS-certified cotton for the majority of its collection as well as linen pieces.
On top of offering a pre-loved collection packed with affordable dresses, the brand also offers a repair and resale scheme to ensure products are made to last, easing the pressure on our landfills!
24. Mirla Beane
Based: UK
Price: £119 – £169
Sustainability creds: Use of some FSC certified materials, use of some natural materials, use of some recycled fibres
Embracing vintage vibes, dresses from Mirla Beane are classic and versatile. Designed to take you from day to night, these dresses are feminine in their design while still capturing an element of sophistication. In rich yellow tones, the Saffron High Neck Dress is one made to stand out in the crowd.
While Mirla Beane has started to adopt a more sustainable approach, it still has work to do. It uses some materials that have base components that are FSC sourced and uses some recycled materials. However, the brand doesn’t seem to have an animal welfare policy in place nor does it seem to have taken any meaningful, concrete steps to reducing its overall environmental impact. Greater supply chain transparency would also be beneficial.
25. Reformation
Based: USA Ships to: Worldwide and has stores in London
Made in: China, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Turkey, USA
Price: £70 – £705
Sustainability creds: Climate-neutral certified, aim to be climate positive by 2025, use of sustainable fabrics, use of deadstock materials
Based in the US but with stores in London, Reformation’s mission is to ‘bring sustainable fashion to everyone’. They make beautiful pieces that create elegant silhouettes and effortlessly celebrate the feminine form. Their dresses range from mini dresses to silk wedding dresses, with everything in between including linen styles and kids’ dresses.
Utilising low-impact fabrics, deadstock and repurposed vintage clothing, Reformation has given classic, timeless style a modern edge.
While it started as a small vintage store in LA, it now designs its own cute styles. They offer free express shipping and returns worldwide.
Building a sustainable summer-ready wardrobe
If you want to start building a capsule wardrobe to last for many summers to come, it’s worth taking a closer look at how your dream dresses are made and what sustainable practices manufacturers have to ensure that the entire supply chain adheres to truly eco-friendly and ethical standards.
Thankfully, from pre-loved clothing to pieces made from low-impact fabrics, online shoppers are really spoiled for choice when it comes to finding sustainable summer dresses in the UK!
To complement your sustainable summer dress, check out our articles on eco-friendly sunglasses for some sustainable shades. If you’re looking for summer footwear, our guide on ethical sandals could help!
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