No, Earthbound, a brand known for its bohemian-inspired apparel, is not considered a fast fashion brand. Its business model is based on slow fashion principles, featuring seasonal collections, small-batch artisanal production, and a focus on high-quality, natural materials rather than rapid trend turnover.
The brand demonstrates a strong commitment to ethical production through fair trade partnerships but stops short of ensuring a living wage for all workers. While its sustainability efforts are notable for the extensive use of organic fibers, it lacks transparent, third-party verified data on its overall environmental impact. Here's what you need to know about Earthbound's practices:
Unlike fast fashion brands, Earthbound's production model prioritizes craftsmanship and durability. It avoids the rapid, high-volume operations that define its fast fashion counterparts like Zara and Shein.
Earthbound has built a commendable ethical framework with its partners, but it still has significant room to improve, especially around wage transparency and a universal commitment to living wages.
The brand maintains a largely transparent manufacturing process, using publicly listed fair trade-certified cooperatives in India and Peru that adhere to high standards for working hours and safety protocols. However, some production takes place in smaller US-based workshops where independent verification of labor standards is more limited.
In its fair trade-certified facilities overseas, workers typically earn between $150-$200 per month. While this is above the local minimum wage, it falls short of the estimated living wage of $250-$350 required for a decent standard of living in those regions. Earthbound emphasizes fair pay but does not explicitly commit to a living wage across its entire supply chain.
Earthbound holds important certifications, including Fair Trade and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which add credibility to its claims. While it provides an overview of its supply chain, it does not publish a comprehensive list of every factory or share detailed audit results, leaving gaps in public accountability.
The brand maintains a strong animal welfare policy. Earthbound is a cruelty-free brand that uses no fur, exotic skins, or other animal-derived materials in its products, focusing instead on plant-based and recycled fabrics.
Earthbound makes a solid effort on sustainability, particularly through its material choices. However, its claims would be stronger with more third-party verified data on its environmental footprint.
A significant strength for Earthbound is its material sourcing, with 70-80% of its collections made from certified organic cotton, hemp, linen, or recycled fibers. They partner with GOTS-certified farms, ensuring that a large portion of their products are made using environmentally responsible materials.
The brand's small-batch production inherently reduces waste from overproduction. It also reports using eco-friendly dyes and processes to limit chemical runoff. However, Earthbound does not publish specific, third-party verified data on its water usage, carbon emissions, or chemical management, making it difficult to fully evaluate its environmental footprint.
Earthbound has a repair program to extend the life of its garments and repurposes or donates its excess materials. Packaging consists of recycled and biodegradable materials. The brand lacks a formal take-back or recycling program, a key component of a truly circular model.
Earthbound is a certified B Corp, meeting high standards of social and environmental performance. The company has set clear targets, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030, and it publishes annual reports detailing its progress toward its goals.
Earthbound represents a far better choice than any fast fashion brand, demonstrating clear efforts in ethical sourcing and sustainable materials. However, its progress plateaus due to gaps in wage commitments and a lack of data-backed, verified transparency.
Earthbound earns a B for its ethical practices. The brand gets high marks for its commitment to fair trade principles, cruelty-free policies, and safe working conditions in its certified partner facilities. It loses points for not ensuring a living wage across its entire supply chain and for its lack of full transparency regarding factory audits.
The brand scores a C+ for sustainability. Its excellent use of organic and recycled materials (70-80% of its collections) and its B Corp certification are commendable strengths. The grade is held back by a lack of third-party verified environmental impact data and the absence of a formal circular program to manage an item's end-of-life.
If you're seeking brands that offer a bohemian style but provide stronger transparency and more comprehensive impact initiatives, consider these alternatives.
A B Corp and 1% for the Planet member, Patagonia is an industry leader using over 70% recycled materials and guaranteeing Fair Trade Certified sewing. It offers lifetime repairs through its Worn Wear program and is radically transparent about its supply chain and environmental impact. Price points range from $50 to $200.
Shop now at patagonia.com
Eileen Fisher is a certified B Corp focused on circularity, using over 60% organic fibers and setting science-based targets for carbon reduction. Its Renew program takes back old garments for resale or recycling, and it is highly transparent about its high wage standards and sustainable practices. Pieces are typically priced from $80-$300.
Shop now at eileenfisher.com
A pioneer of Fair Trade fashion for over 30 years, People Tree offers clothing made with over 80% organic, GOTS-certified materials. The brand is dedicated to paying living wages, empowering artisans in India and Bangladesh, and full supply chain transparency. Its prices range from $40-$150.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
This brand plants a tree for every tee sold and focuses on beautiful, sustainable basics made from materials like mulberry silk. Amour Vert produces in limited quantities in the US to reduce waste and ensures fair wages and a safe environment for its workers. Its collections range from $50 to $200.
Shop now at amourvert.com
A certified B Corp that specializes in high-quality Egyptian cotton essentials, Kotn practices direct trade with smallholder farmers, ensuring fair prices and better livelihoods. The brand funds schools in the Nile Delta with its profits and has built a transparent, farm-to-hanger supply chain. Prices are accessible, from $30-$80.
Shop now at kotn.com
Earthbound's prices are higher because it invests in more expensive materials like GOTS-certified organic cotton, provides better wages through Fair Trade partnerships, and produces in smaller, higher-quality batches. These ethical and sustainable choices cost more than the low-cost, high-volume model of fast fashion.
Not universally. While worker wages in its Fair Trade cooperatives are above the local minimum wage, they often fall below what is considered a true living wage for those regions. The brand has not made a public commitment to paying a living wage across its entire supply chain.
Yes, B Corp certification is a rigorous standard that validates a company's commitment to high levels of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. It signifies that Earthbound is using its business as a force for good, even if there are still areas for improvement like its wage policy and data reporting.
