The Quest For Ethical/Sustainable Plus Sizes

I’ve been going over this white T-shirt purchase in my mind. Did I pull the trigger on the fast-fashion ASOS one too quickly? Should I have searched further for an ethical/sustainable brand to buy from? And so I started doing some research to see what my options would have been. I found two lists of plus-size ethical/sustainable brands online: one on a site called ecocult.com (the article is called Why Aren’t There More Ethical and Sustainable Plus-Size Brands?) and the other on a site called goodonyou.eco (8 Brands Bringing You Beautiful, Ethical, and Sustainable Plus-Size Clothing). Twenty-one listings in all with a few on both lists. I went to every single site in search of a crew-neck white T-shirt in a 2X. I eliminated brands which had no official claim to ethical/sustainable standards (Levi’s, for example) as well as some that just don’t make anything resembling a white T-shirt. I took into account which sizes were actually available as well as whether the style of T-shirt was what I had in mind (a relaxed fit). And of course, I looked at prices. Out of the 21 brands, I’ve come up with 4 options, 2 of which would be within my budget. I’ve ranked those four options here: In 4th place is a questionable one. For $12 at Marks and Spencer of the UK, I was surprised to find an option in size US 20. The Good On You site had Marks and Spencer listed (the Good On You app specifically rates companies based on their ethics/sustainability), so I kept it on the list, but I do wonder if it’s too good to be true. It is made of 65% polyester, which doesn’t sound very sustainable. In 3rd place is Eileen Fisher who does a beautiful boxy tee in organic cotton up to 3X, but that costs $88. Knowing how quickly I wear through T-shirts (especially white ones, ahem, pit stains), I could not justify or literally afford to spend almost $90 for one. Maybe one day. In 2nd place is another pricey one, the Mia T-shirt from Alice Alexander at $70. It comes in sizes up to 4X, but again, was out of my budget. And so in 1st place I’ve put the Cloud Tee in Nimbus (white) from And Comfort. It is ethically and sustainably made in Pima cotton and has a relaxed fit which I find ideal. It also appears to be relatively thick and not too see-through. I had never heard of this company before- they’re very small and only have a handful of styles- but I was pleasantly shocked at how affordable they are. Be sure to check out the site. Now if you want the gritty details of the other contenders, here is a list:

Elizabeth Suzann- Goes up to 4XL- White T-shirt: only silk or linen, $145-$175

Pact- Goes up to XXL in some items- White T-shirt: Only XL, $30

Encircled- Goes up to XXL- White T-shirt: no crew neck tee, V-neck is $88

*Marks and Spencer- Goes up to US 20- White T-shirt: $12*

Girlfriend Collective- Goes up to XXXL- White T-shirt: none

Ace & Jig- Goes up to 2X- White T-shirt: none

Alternative Apparel- Goes up to 2X- White T-shirt: no white tee, only prints $18-$28 Other style in white: only XL $38

Mara Hoffman- Goes up to 2X- White T-shirt: none

Conscious Clothing- Goes up to XXL- White T-shirt: only linen, $130

*Eileen Fisher- Goes up to 3X- White T-shirt: $88*

Day/Won- Goes up to 5X- White T-shirt: none

Hackwith Design House- Goes up to +4- White T-shirt: fitted tee $70, dolman sleeve tee $90- neither is the style I had in mind

Tuesday Bassen- Goes up to 5X- White T-shirt: Piped ringer tee (colored trim-no plain white) $45

Reformation- Goes up to US 24 in certain items- White T-shirt: none

Bud Press- Goes up to Unisex 5X- White T-shirt: none

Kirrin Finch- Goes up to XL in T-shirts- White T-shirt: Blue Patch pocket (sold out above XS) $45

Smart Glamour- Goes up to 12X- White T-shirt: cropped tee $30- not the style I had in mind

*And Comfort- Goes up to 4X- White T-shirt: $40*

*Alice Alexander- Goes up to 4X- White T-shirt: $70*

My first instinct when looking for a good, thick white T-shirt was to try Organic Basics, a brand that gets a lot of press from minimalists on YouTube and blogs. Since bras, underwear, and T-shirts are items which are tough to thrift and tend to wear out frequently, I thought it might be a good resource in my little quest. I was nonplussed to discover that their items come in sizes XS-XL, an improvement over their previous sizing: XS/S and M/L, but not enough to fit me. Size inclusivity is clearly not a priority for them, as I find with most ethical/sustainable brands I hear about. It’s a shame, because their thick white tee is exactly what I’m looking for, and goes for a reasonable $39.

Now if I had done this research before ordering an ASOS tee, I still don’t know if I could have justified $40 for a T-shirt when I’m still in the midst of losing weight. Knowing it would be too big in a matter of weeks or months might have swayed me to go with the $9.50 ASOS one anyway. Marks and Spencer does come in at a comparable $12, but I have no way of knowing how see-through that shirt is or what Marks and Spencer’s idea of a US 20 is. The polyester blend is kind of a deal-breaker anyway. While I’m glad to have more information for future shopping, I’m also unsure as to whether it would have changed my final decision this time.