9 Sustainable Brands For French Girl Fashion
The Good Trade editors endorse products we’ve personally researched, tested, and genuinely love. Learn more about our methodology and business model here.
What is it about French-inspired fashion that we find so appealing? It always looks so put together, yet it’s comfortable. It’s high-quality, yet simple. It’s timeless, yet effortlessly chic and always of-the-moment. And French girl fashion and sustainability go hand in hand — both encouraging investment pieces made from quality materials and inspiring a minimalist wardrobe around essentials rather than focusing on the latest trends.
Here are nine sustainable brands to invest in and build your French-inspired wardrobe. If you need inspiration on putting together the seemingly effortless and undone looks, follow these steps. You’ll be in the French girl fashion mindset in no time.
1. Sézane
Best For | Dreamy investment pieces
Sustainability | Organic materials; boutiques powered by renewable energy; working to reduce carbon footprint
Size Range | 2–14, Denim 23–36
Price Range | $40–$485
Sézane’s colorful and timeless pieces are unique, yet versatile enough to wear everywhere from work to a night out with friends. Inspired by Paris, the brand’s collections are “a conversation with the city itself and an ode to liberty.” They have knitwear, blouses, dresses, skirts, accessories like purses and tights, and more. We love this staple button down shirt and the effortless feel of this knit dress. And their incredible selection of coats made from high-quality materials to last a long time, like this mid-length wool coat and this organic cotton trench. Sézane is actively working to reduce its carbon footprint, and the brand creates its products with organic materials and uses renewable energy in all its boutiques. Read our review of Sézane for more firsthand experience with this iconic brand.
2. Veja
Best For | Go-to sneakers
Sustainability | Made from recycled plastic water bottles and recycled polyester; upcycled materials; investing in the Amazon Rainforest
Size Range | 4–12.5
Price Range | $150–$255
The minimalist yet stylish sneakers from Veja are the epitome of French style — they’re effortless and match everything, yet they look elevated and cool. Made from sustainably sourced materials and recycled plastic water bottles, Vejas sneakers also use Amazonian rubber purchased at five times the market price for the soles. Why? To protect and enhance the economic value of the Amazon Rainforest. The company’s commitment to social responsibility doesn’t stop there, either. They also ensure Fair Trade practices, extensively breakdown exactly what their CO2 emissions look like, and more. We’re gravitating to the classic design of the Esplar Leather White sneakers, which would match almost anything in French girl style, but we also love these V-12 Leather White Parme Magenta for a simple pop of color.
3. Marcia
Best For | Little black dresses
Sustainability | Avoids overproduction; eco-friendly packaging; uses deadstock fabric
Size Range | 32–44
Price Range | $155–$1400
The little black dress is a must-have in French girl style, and Marcia has plenty for you to choose from, whether it’s the elegant and classic midi Taro Dress or the bold yet dainty La Nuit Mini Dress. Both are made from Italian fabric and made in France, like most of the brand’s dresses. Marcia is a Parisian brand focused on creating sustainable pieces that are both comfortable and sexy, inspired by the French artistic scene. Marcia recycles fabrics “endlessly to avoid creating any excess material” and creates regenerated nylon from waste rescued from landfills and the ocean, plus the company avoids overproduction by letting items sell out and listening to customers requests for restocking.
4. Amour Vert
Best For | Tees
Sustainability | Regenerated wool; artisan made; plants a tree for every tee purchase; circular fashion; offers “pre-loved” items
Size Range | XS–XL
Price Range | $38–$530
Finding a high-quality and comfortable tee that can be worn in a lot of ways is essential to French-inspired — and sustainable — style. The tees at Amour Vert are not only made from organic materials and soft, washable fabrics, the company also plants a tree in North America for every tee purchased as part of a partnership with American Forests. Since 2011, they’ve planted over 370,000 trees. We think the Cecelia Long Sleeve Reverie Slub Tee looks absolutely Parisian, and the Eleanor Baby Rib Tee looks like it could be styled as a comfy weekday fit with jeans or dressed up with a jacket for a night out. Beyond tees, Amour Vert has dresses, sweaters, blouses, and more to choose from, with lots of simple patterns and silhouettes.
5. Ancosti
Best For | Knits and sweaters
Sustainability | Organic cotton; recycled materials; eco-friendly packaging; in-house manufacturing
Size Range | S–L
Price Range | $50–$420
Inspired by the natural elements and the Ancosti Island in the Northern part of Côte-Nord region of Canada, Ancosti features sweaters, dresses, outerwear, and more. Most of their pieces come in contemporary neutrals, and while some have abstract patterns and unique silhouettes, they are all super wearable for many occasions. The Crochet Pullover could be worn in spring as a light sweater or layered with other pieces in the colder months, making it perfect for French girl style. We also love the Turtleneck Boxy Sweater, a simple yet chic sweater that is both practical for keeping warm and versatile for styling in many different outfits. Ancosti uses eco-friendly materials and in-house manufacturing for its products, exercising control over the process from sketches to the final products. The brand also uses eco-friendly materials like organic cotton, recycled polyester, and wool in a lot of their products and are working to find even more sustainable materials for their clothes.
6. Dressarte
Best For | Custom-made clothes
Sustainability | Zero waste; custom made; low carbon footprint; recycled, upcycled, and eco-friendly materials
Size Range | Custom made
Price Range | Varies
Dressarte is perfect for one-of-a-kind pieces that feel in alignment with your style and fit like a glove. One of the key elements of French girl fashion is having pieces that are well-fitting, which often means taking them to the tailor. Dressarte works with stylists and designers from Europe and the U.K. to create custom-made clothing based on exactly what you want right from the beginning. You share your vision, whether by talking with a stylist or designer, taking a style quiz, or buying a design package. Then the company chooses from their zero waste natural surplus fabrics and designs unique outfits for you. From there, it’s delivered right to your door. Dressarte designers can create dresses, blouses, tops, suits, bridal wear, and even capsule wardrobes, and the focus is to help you find your personal style and clothes that fit well, work with your lifestyle, and make you feel confident. If you need help crafting your personal style, consider these tips.
7. Loom
Best For | Basics
Sustainability | Clothes design to last a long time; locally manufactured; only uses organic cotton
Size Range | XS–3XL
Price Range | 25€–125€
Loom creates clothes made to last. The French company focuses on producing less clothing by testing their pieces and ensuring that they’re built to be staples in your wardrobe for years to come. Loom offers t-shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, jeans, and more, but they only have one to three options for each. For example, check out their three sweater options, The Classic Sweater, The Warm Sweater, and The Sweatshirt, each in only a few color options. They’re all made from high-quality and sustainable materials like merino wool and 100% cotton, and every product has information about how it will age and how to take care of it to make it last longer. We love that their white button down — a must in a French girl style wardrobe — is made of organic cotton and is naturally durable. And the single pair of jeans Loom offers are made from denim from Candiani, an Italian house known for its great environmental practices. Note: Loom doesn’t deliver to the U.S. yet, but they do deliver to France and some countries in the E.U.
8. Amara Studios
Best For | Vintage gems
Sustainability | Vintage store; handpicked garments; premium textiles
Size Range | Varies based on items
Price Range | $42–$325
An important part of French girl style is to keep statement pieces minimal, one per outfit. If you’re going to have a few statement pieces in your wardrobe, consider shopping vintage or secondhand. Amara Studios, a small business in Milwaukee, Wisconsin features hand-selected and curated vintage pieces. Nearly everything they stock is made of premium textiles, including cotton, silk, cashmere, linen, and leather, and the business model focuses on timelessness over trends. Shopping from a small business boosts the local economy and buying vintage is a great way to choose a more circular and sustainable model for your wardrobe than buying new. We love their selection of trench coats, wide leg pants, and ethereal 1960s little black dresses.
9. Thousand Fell
Best For | Long-lasting shoes
Sustainability | Crafted in a family-owned factory; focus on circular economy; recycling program; offsets carbon and water
Size Range | 5–10
Price Range | $145–$155
Thousand Fell’s mission is to never send another pair of sneakers to the landfill. The minimal design of the sneakers makes these shoes a great pick for French-inspired fashion. They’re versatile and made to last through a lot of wear and tear. The company ensures their designs have low energy, water, and carbon footprints by sourcing materials nearby their factories and designing their products to eventually be recycled, not thrown out. TF supports this with their own recycling program: If you send back your pair of sneakers, you get $20 to put toward the next pair you buy. For the classic French girl look, we’d go with the Lace Up white sneakers. See our review of Thousand Fell to hear more about why we love them.
