Sustainable Black Friday discounts and boycotts 2024: UK deals from independent brands
Finding activewear that is both practical and comfortable, all while making you feel and look good, isn’t easy at the best of times – let alone when you add the criteria of sustainability on top.
Recycled plastics are everywhere in sportswear these days, and arguably, there’s a place for them – but not on this list. Whether you’re after a new pair of leggings for yoga, a hoodie for the gym or perhaps a lightweight jacket for hiking, below we’ve compiled a list of some of our favourite sustainable activewear items for women that tick all the right boxes. All prove that you don’t need to be wearing plastic to achieve your work-out and lifestyle goals.
Each of the brands we feature offer better quality, longer-lasting and sleeker looking alternative apparel to the fast fashion sportswear industry. They prove that on-trend, stylish and functional design doesn’t need to come at the cost of the earth.
They have all completed a comprehensive questionnaire about their ethical standards from workers in the supply chain to the materials.
The Live Frankly seal of approval:
These are really good brands, doing good things. To be included in this list, each brand has been given the Live Frankly seal of approval. We are not a certification, but we talk with every brand and ask them to complete a comprehensive questionnaire about their ethical standards before we feature them. No brand is perfect – we’re all operating in an imperfect world – but only purpose-driven brands that are working to change things for the better are allowed on Live Frankly.
We ask that workers’ rights and pay are ensured across the supply chain, that brands use sustainable materials and want to know about their governance structures. This means you can be confident these brands are some of the most ethical and sustainable around. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
Sustainable activewear brands UK: 12 ethical brands you can trust
Best women’s activewear brands at a glance:
- Wellicious: Sustainable yoga and activewear
- AYA: Plastic-free sportswear staples
- The Revivas: Sustainable UK marketplace
- Silverstick: Clothing for the great outdoors
- Not Basics: Organic Cotton Sportswear
- Peachaus: Sustainable athleisure
- Arms of Andes: Alpaca wool activewear
- Pitod: Genderless sportswear
- Rapanui: Adventure wear for the beach
- WAWWA: Street style for an active lifestyle
- Shop Like You Give a Damn: Vegan sustainable marketplace
- Project Cece: European-wide sustainable marketplace
Wellicious | Sustainable yoga and activewear
Why we love Wellicious:
- Wellicious creates chic yoga and activewear that looks, feels and performs fantastically.
- It is a Cradle to Cradle Certified® brand specialising in stylish and sustainable yoga fashion, including sports bras, leggings and tank tops.
- Their flattering modern, minimalist designs are crafted with care and designed to last, so they will hold their shape, wear-after-wear, season-after-season.
- Made from sustainable lightweight yet strong silhouette-smoothing fabrics, their garments let you move freely and with confidence through every pose.
Wellicious’ best-sellers:
Best Yoga Pants
Opaque, Caviar Black.
£129.00
Easy Pocket Leggings
Caviar Black.
£119.00
7/8 Dynamic Leggings
Caviar Black/Sea Green.
£109.00
Why Wellicious is a better choice:
- Ensuring a transparent system is upheld at every stage of production, all of their yarns, fabrics, and supply chain, from suppliers to production facilities, are Cradle to Cradle Certified®.
- Clothing is made from GOTS Certified Organic Cotton and biodegradable elastane.
- Wellicious offers 10% off your next purchase when you send your well-loved Wellicious clothes back to them for composting.
SHOP WELLICIOUS NOW
AYA | Plastic-free sportswear staples
Why we love AYA:
- AYA is the sister brand of Arms of Andes and creates high quality, all-natural and plastic-free bras, leggings and shorts for active lifestyles.
- Even their elastic bands (for stretch) are made from Tree Rubber and Cotton.
- This clothing brand is all about putting people and the environment first.
- Made from luxury materials like royal alpaca wool and organic Pima cotton, their garments are not only super soft on your skin, but gentle on the planet, too.
- The quality of their materials also ensures a more long-lasting design, so you can really get the most out of these everyday items.
AYA’s best-sellers:
Organic Pima Cotton Bralette
Available in different colours.
£27
Organic Pima Cotton Leggings
Available in different colours.
£40
Organic Pima Cotton Shorts
Available in different colours.
£28
What makes AYA a better choice:
- Unusually, everything from the fibre to the finished garment, is done in just one country, Peru, making it a single origin manufacturing brand.
- The garments are made in AYA’s own studio, which allows for more innovation and traceability in their production.
SHOP AYA NOW
The Revivas | Online sustainable marketplace
Why we love The Revivas:
- The Revivas‘ USP is to make sustainable fashion the norm so it creates a positive social and environmental impact. This extends to their activewear.
- They bring together really cool and stylish brands that meet their sustainable and ethical standards.
- The collection is super encompassing: beachwear, activewear, plus accessories such as yoga mats
The Revivas best-sellers:
Chakra
Bomber
£105
Astrology
Yoga Mat
£85
Easy Colour Block Leggings
£129
Why The Revivas is a better choice:
- You can filter your shopping experience by sustainability values: People Conscious (ethically made, artisan pieces and support good causes), Planet Conscious (organic, responsibly sourced, uses toxic free and recycled materials) and Animal Conscious (vegan and cruelty-free).
- To be featured on the site, a product must meet a minimum of being ethically made from the People Conscious category, and meet at least one other value from Planet Conscious and Animal Conscious.
- For each order, one mangrove tree is planted in Madagascar by Eden Reforestation Projects in partnership with thegoodapi.com.
- Workers are paid at least the national minimum wage.
SHOP THE REVIVAS NOW
Silverstick | Clothing for the great outdoors
Why we love Silverstick:
- Silverstick is an outdoor clothing brand that embodies the spirit of adventure.
- Their contemporary athleisure wear includes staple hoodies and relaxed joggers, graphic tees and light polo shirts.
- Available in a range of colours and featuring creative artwork, their designs are stylish, durable and comfortable – and they’re fairly-priced, too.
- Inspired by the Silverstick bird, which represents the roving spirit of adventure, it encourages wearers to spread their wings.
Silverstick’s best-sellers:
Happy Hiking Wool Sock
£15.00
Organic Cotton
Tee
£26.00
Unisex Matt Sewell Bobble Hat
£30.00
Why Silverstick is a better choice:
- The clothing is designed to ‘leave only footprints’ as it uses GOTS certified Aegean organic cotton, low impact certified non-toxic natural dyes, and water based inks for printing.
- The brand’s accessories, including hats and socks, are made in Britain, reducing the brand’s carbon footprint.
- Only premium fabrics are used and to ensure durability, the brand stress-tests every garment so they know it can cope with anything the outdoors can throw at it.
Not Basics | Organic Cotton Sportswear
Why we love Not Basics:
- For Not Basics, comfort is key: we’re talking no underwires or tight straps, no constricting fits or designs, just well-made clothing.
- What started as an underwear company has now grown into sportswear staples, including t-shirts, bodysuits, sweatshirts, joggers, underwear and socks.
- They have re-imagined the basics with a versatile, neutral range that offers comfort and support for those on-the-go days and nights.
- Everything can be mixed and matched – you’re not restricted by sets being a certain size, so you can find your perfect pairing.
- Their models are very diverse and represent real women.
Not Basics‘ best-sellers:
Crew neck crop t-shirt
£25
Cycling Shorts
£26.00
High-neck Bodysuit
£39.00
Why Not Basics is a better choice:
- Not Basics is female founded and run, and they pride themselves on ‘progress and transparency’.
- Their garments are cut and sewn in a small-scale sample room in Bangladesh, where Not Basics maintains a personable relationship with its owner.
- Their workers are guaranteed safe working conditions, paid above average living wage, paid maternity leave and earn bi-yearly bonuses.
- Roughly 85% of their materials are sustainably sourced deadstock. They use 95% organic cotton with 5% elastane (to provide the stretch needed for underwear).
- They source the elastics and trims on their underwear sets from a local stock market in Bangladesh, making sure to buy the exact amount of trims and elastics needed to avoid producing their own deadstock.
- Their packaging is 100% recycled and recyclable.
- Not Basics is also a 1% For The Planet member, which means it has committed to giving one per cent of gross annual sales to certified non-profit organisations.
SHOP NOT BASICS NOW
Peachaus | Sustainable athleisure
Why we love Peachaus:
- Peachaus is an all-round fab women’s lifestyle brand that sells cute and comfy athleisure as well as sleepwear and underwear in understated soft colours.
- Peachaus aims to empower, to help women feel comfortable in their own skin and have the courage to be themselves in their everyday, every day.
- The collections’ effortless, comfortable and contemporary feminine style is perfect for stretching and low-key exercise
- Peachaus’ innovative simple sized system means their garments are designed to have an enhanced, fluid fit, making it easier for women to dress for how they want to feel.
Peachaus’ best-sellers:
Shobu cotton twist-front top
£45.00
Sitka blossom joggers
£70.00
Pandorea twist-back vest
£45.00
Why Peachaus is a better choice:
- Peachaus’ manufacturers each demonstrate a commitment to sustainable production, minimising their environmental impact.
- They produce high-quality products made to last.
- They use ethically sourced cotton and recycled Italian lace.
- They’ve chosen partners with best-in-class ethics and transparent value chains. Everything’s made in Portugal with raw materials sourced in Europe except for their small sleepwear range which is crafted in Bandana Ltd’s gold-standard Indian factory.
- The Peachaus team visits schools and colleges to raise awareness of Circular Design and the problems with fast fashion to help the next generation shop and live more consciously.
- All employees in the Peachaus team and further supply chain are paid a living wage.
You can visit their new store on 55 Monmouth St, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9DG. Discover their full collection as well as store only exclusive styles and colour ways!
SHOP PEACHAUS NOW
Arms of Andes | Alpaca wool activewear
Why we love Arms of Andes:
- Arms of Andes makes outdoor clothing from high-quality natural Alpaca Wool, including t-shirts, hoodies, thermals, jackets, underwear and more.
- Their designs stand out for their comfort, style and performance.
- Alpaca wool is naturally thermal and moisture-wicking, so it keeps your body warm and protected in extreme weather.
- It is also great for summer – lightweight, breathable and sweat-resistant and even has naturally antibacterial and odour resistant properties which help you and your clothes stay clean.
Arms of Andes’ best-sellers:
Alpaca Wool
Shirt
Available in various colours…
£58.90
Alpaca Wool Lightweight Leggings
£82.46
Alpaca Wool Sports Bra
Available in various colours…
£51.05
Why Arms of Andes is a better choice:
- They use 100% Alpaca wool from family-run Alpaca farms in the Peruvian Andes.
- The wool is washed with biodegradable detergent, and they use natural/low impact fabric-dyes, 100% cotton threads and labels, and OEKO-TEX certified fabric finishing.
- The brand has developed plastic-free zippers, switched to 100% natural fabric finishing and removed all traces of petrochemicals in their supply chain.
- It is a single origin manufacturing brand, meaning everything from making the fibre through to the finished garment and packaging happens in Peru.
- Having a single origin improves the traceability and carbon footprint of their supply chain.
- They even have their own manufacturing studio there, where production is overseen by one of the brand’s co-founders.
- All employees receive a living wage and benefits in line with Peruvian law.
SHOP ARMS OF ANDES NOW
Pitod | Genderless sportswear
Why we love Pitod:
- Pitod is a fashion brand that believes “the frame we are born in does not define who or what we are”.
- They produce genderless everyday clothing that is designed to be worn by anyone, regardless of their gender identity.
- Producing high-quality casual and inclusive wardrobe staples, from graphic tees to hoodies, t-shirt dresses to joggers, Pitod’s garments are timeless, versatile and made to last from organic and recycled materials.
Pitod’s best-sellers:
Genderless Joggers
Available in multiple colours.
£69.00
Genderless T-Shirt
Available in white.
£32.00
Genderless Shorts
Available in multiple colours.
£49.00
Why Pitod is a better choice:
- Pitod’s mission is to give back to the planet and empower the people that work on it.
- Their items are produced in a single factory, Stanley Stella in Bangladesh, which was carefully selected for their high sustainable, fair trade and ethical standards as well as their use of only organic and/or recycled materials.
- The factory is audited yearly and is certified to pay employees at least a living wage.
- Pitod are also 1% for the planet members.
SHOP PITOD NOW
Rapanui | Adventure wear for the beach
Why we love Rapanui:
- Rapanui is a great brand for organic cotton essentials, especially for lovers of the ocean and great outdoors – even Sir David Attenborough gives the brand his seal of approval.
- They have you covered for heading to the beach in all weather
- Plus, they offer all the basics, such as t-shirts, jumpers, knickers and socks, which are even sold in bundles making them slightly cheaper too.
Rapanui’s best-sellers:
Seaward Lightweight Jacket
£60.00
Limited Edition Surf Towel
£60.00
Shorebreak Changing Robe
£119.50 (sale price)
Why Rapanui is a better choice:
- Rapanui use a closed-loop water system for dyeing clothes that filters water so well it’s pure enough to drink.
- The factories where the clothes are made are powered by renewables and all fabric printing is done using non-toxic inks.
- Every organic cotton product is designed to be sent back for remanufacturing, which is made easy by free postage and a £5 credit towards the next purchase.
- They’ve almost removed single-use plastic from their supply chain.
WAWWA | Street style for an active lifestyle
Why we love WAWWA:
- WAWWA is a fashionable unisex clothing brand that sells a range of outerwear and streetwear.
- Their contemporary style marries practicality and comfort with a trendy, cool edge that’s also high quality wardrobe essentials, like t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, hoodies, across body bags, trousers and even the odd bucket hat.
- From the offset, WAWWA’s founders have focused on creating clothes in a more planet and people friendly manner.
Wawwa’s best-sellers:
Why WAWWA is a better choice:
- They have established a transparent, ethical and eco-friendly supply-chain.
- Items made in Manchester pay workers above a living wage, and one factory in Bolton refuses to work with fast fashion brands.
- Around 95% of the materials used are sustainably sourced, including GOTS certified organic cotton, recycled yarn and recycled denim.
- Any plastic in the packaging is recyclable, and all the shipping bags and some of the garment bags are compostable.
- WAWWA is authentic in their goal to do good in the world. They have a 1+1 commitment, where they donate socks and hats to homeless shelters and organisations across the UK.
SHOP WAWWA NOW
Shop Like You Give a Damn | Sustainable vegan online marketplace
Why we love Shop Like You Give a Damn:
- Shop Like You Give A Damn is an online marketplace that, as the name quite literally suggests, makes ethical shopping easy for those who give a damn.
- Whether you’re looking for your activewear, you’re sure to find plenty to add to your basket.
- Shoppers can filter products by criteria that matter most to them. So, you can easily shop inline with your values – or those of the person you’re buying for – whether that’s supporting a social enterprise, or gifts made from recycled or plastic-free materials.
- Shop Like You Give A Damn say: “We give a damn about the world and invite you to do the same. Shop with compassion. No more than you need. And always vegan, fair and as sustainable as possible.”
- NOTE: Shop Like You Give a Damn list a lot of European brands, so always check delivery taxes and customs duties
Shop Like You Give a Damn’s best-sellers:
Why Shop Like You Give A Damn is a better choice:
- Everything it sells is 100% vegan, fair and sustainable, while it also champions being inclusive as well as mission-driven businesses.
- They encourage customers to shop with passion, and buy consciously rather than making rash purchases.
- The brand’s staff are all paid a living wage along with benefits.
SHOP SHOP LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN NOW
Project Cece | Online sustainable European marketplace
Why we love Project Cece:
- All female founded brand Project Cece is the largest online marketplace for stylish and ethical clothing in Europe, featuring 400 brands – and growing.
- Project Cece does all the hard work of researching and curating a collection of feel-good sportswear, by bringing together lots of different sustainable brands into one platform.
Project Cece’s best-sellers:
Hemp & Cotton Yoga Pants
£55.00
Royal Bruise Yoga Bra
£20.00
Pocket Play Harems
£40.00
Why Project Cece is a better choice:
- Brands listed on Project Cece fall into at least one of five main categories: fair trade; use eco-friendly practices and/or materials; vegan; support a good cause; produced in Europe.
- Each brand is vetted and must meet Project Cece’s criteria (with a minimum of being fair trade and environmentally friendly) to be featured on the website.
- If a brand’s standards slip, it is removed from the platform.
SHOP PROJECT CECE NOW
Side note: Free returns really hit small brands hard because they’re not actually free. It takes time to pack and unpack clothes and costs money to send packages back. Did you know that sometimes big brands send your returns straight to landfill? So, help them out. Try only to order what you really want, and return items when absolutely necessary.
Main image: Wellicious
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