To all the sustainability-conscious bookworms out there, this one’s for you. Learning about sustainable fashion and the ecological revolutions of the industry is more accessible than ever. It’s easy to keep yourself up-to-date on everything that is going on in the movement, be it on the go throughout the week on your e-reader or on a cosy Sunday evening at home with a paperback. But we know sifting through the countless options can be overwhelming. so we’ve put curated a list of our favourite must-read sustainable and ethical fashion books.
Sustainable fashion books for your reading list
It’s Not That Radical and Climate is Just the Start (Preorder) – Mikaela Loach
Activist Mikaela Loach is one of the most prolific young voices in the broader fight for climate justice. In her first book, It’s Not That Radical, Loach offers a fresh and radical perspective for real climate action that could drastically change the world as we know it for the benefit of us all. And in her forthcoming book for kids, titled Climate is Just the Start, Loach gives a hopeful and informative perspective on climate justice for little ones. It is an “urgent and inspiring message for kids who want to stop the climate crisis and start building a better world for everyone,” says the book’s publisher, Penguin Random House.
You can read Mikaela’s Q&A and follow her on Instagram.
Wasteland – Oliver Franklin-Wallis
Award-winning journalist Oliver Franklin-Wallis finds out what happens to the things we throw away in his first book, Wasteland, which covers everything from Ghana’s second-hand clothing markets to sewers and landfills around the world. It’s a shocking and fascinating look at the world’s “waste crisis”, to which fashion is a major contributor.
Look @ The Labels – Jennifer Countess von Walderdorff
Experienced fashion buyer and merchandiser Jennifer Countess von Walderdorff is on a mission to help consumers find more sustainable options when they need to shop for something new. This is a useful, straightforward take on how to buy good clothes that actually suit you, so that you’ll want to keep them in your wardrobe for years to come.
Keep up to date with Walderdorff’s growing Look @ The Labels movement on her website or Instagram.
To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World? – Lucy Siegle
Lucy Siegle is an ethical columnist at The Guardian and a passionate journalist on environmental topics, so it’s no surprise that one of the most straightforward pieces of literature on this list comes from her pen. To Die For sheds light on the reality of workers in countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Uzbekistan, who are still struggling every day under the pressure of the fast fashion industry. Based on dense and intense research and fieldwork, this book will make you want to have a deep look into your wardrobe—moral dilemma intended.
Want more? Enjoy some of her work for the Guardian here or follow her around on Instagram.
How to Break Up With Fast Fashion – Lauren Bravo
London-based journalist Lauren Bravo strives to make issues of sustainability and ethics accessible to a mainstream, fashion-loving audience. In her book, she tells the story of her search for a slower, saner way of dressing, and helps you do the same. How To Break Up With Fast Fashion will help you to change your mindset, fall back in love with your wardrobe, and embrace more sustainable ways of shopping.
You can read Bravo’s article on traceability for Good On You, and follow her on Twitter or Instagram.
Consumed: The Need for Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change, and Consumerism – Aja Barber
Aja Barber is a writer, stylist, and sustainable fashion consultant. She does an incredible job of educating people on race, ethics, intersectional feminism and how systems of power affect our buying habits. Consumed is a call to action for consumers everywhere, that asks us to look at how and why we buy what we buy, how it’s created, who it benefits, and how we can solve the problems created by a wasteful system.
You can follow Aja on Instagram or subscribe to her Patreon.
Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes – Dana Thomas
Having spent her entire career writing about fashion for some of the world’s foremost publications, Dana Thomas was perfectly placed to unravel the story behind fast fashion in her third book, Fashionopolis. The book offers hope through insights into the people around the world who are striving to create a better, more sustainable future for the industry. It makes a great read for fashion lovers who want to understand the industry better, and there’s a young readers edition, too.
Subscribe to Dana’s newsletter or listen to her podcast.
Less Is More – Jason Hickel
“By taking less, we can become more,” is the theme of this book by economic anthropologist Jason Hickel. In it, Hickel explains the complexities of capitalism, growth, and development in an accessible way, and puts forward the case for degrowth, introducing a picture of a more sustainable future that is based on rebalancing society and the living world.
Follow Jason on X.
Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment – Maxine Bédat
Denim production can have serious social and environmental consequences, from high water usage to sludge-ridden rivers and serious labour concerns. In Unraveled, Maxine Bédat—an entrepreneur, researcher, and advocate—follows the life of a pair of jeans, from a Texan cotton farm all the way to the sewing floors in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, before ending up in the Amazon warehouse where the jeans will ship out from.
Keep up with Maxine on Instagram.
The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet – Leah Thomas
Leah Thomas, a 2022 TIME100 Next honouree and the activist who coined the term “Intersectional Environmentalism,” and Thomas’ book is a call to action and guide that examines the inextricable link between environmentalism, racism, and privilege. It promotes awareness of the fundamental truth that we cannot save the planet without uplifting the voices of its people, especially those most often unheard.
Follow Leah on Instagram to keep up with her work.
How Veganism Can Save Us – Emma Hakansson
Can veganism really save us? Emma Hakansson, founder of the non-profit Collective Fashion Justice, says yes. Hakansson has made it her mission to spread the word about collective liberation in the fashion industry—mainly focusing on the rights of non-human animals. How Veganism Can Save Us takes a wide-angle look at the world of veganism—a growing movement that both abstains from animal products across food, fashion, and entertainment, and rejects the commodity status of animals.
Read Emma’s interview with Good On You, check out her articles, and follow her on Instagram.
Wardrobe Crisis – Clare Press
A list of ethical fashion books wouldn’t be complete without Clare Press. Press is a podcaster, author, consultant, and speaker working in the sustainable fashion space. Her book Wardrobe Crisis: How We Went From Sunday Best to Fast Fashion was named one of the best books of 2016 and is an eye-opening look at the state of the fashion industry—it should be compulsory reading for anyone interested in fashion. Diving deep into the history and ethics behind what we wear, Press puts her insider knowledge to good use, and we highly recommend taking a look.
Follow Clare on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Loved Clothes Last – Orsola de Castro
Loved Clothes Last is the ultimate guide on how to love, mend, and repair your clothes in the fight against fast fashion, from Fashion Revolution activist Orsola de Castro. Learn simple tips and tricks to help you breathe new life into your wardrobe and fall back in love with the clothes you already own—the most sustainable thing you can do with your fashion choices.
Follow her on Instagram, and check out Fashion Revolution while you’re there.
The Conscious Closet – Elizabeth L. Cline
Journalist, fashionista, and clothing resale expert Elizabeth L. Cline’s book The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good is a definitive guide to building an ethical, sustainable wardrobe you’ll love. This book is full of valuable tools you’ll need to revolutionise your relationship with fashion, but it’s also a call to action to transform one of the most polluting industries on earth into a force for good.
Keep up to date with Elizabeth over on Instagram.
This is a Good Guide – Marieke Eyskoot
As the title suggests, this is a good guide to a sustainable lifestyle. Author Marieke Eyskoot is a sustainable fashion and lifestyle expert, speaker, and presenter. Her book is full of practical and positive tips that make your transition to more sustainable living fun and easy. What more could you ask for?
Follow her over on Instagram for more helpful sustainability content.
Foot Work – What Your Shoes Tell You About Globalisation – Tansy E. Hoskins
Journalist Tansy E. Hoskins investigates the global fashion industry and has previously penned Stitched Up: The Anti-Capitalist Book of Fashion. In her second book, Foot Work – What Your Shoes Tell You About Globalisation (2022), Hoskins traces the global footwear supply chain and details how it is lagging behind the rest of the fashion industry in terms of transparency and human rights.
Follow Tansy on X.
A Life Less Throwaway: The Lost Art of Buying for Life – Tara Button
Instead of surrounding ourselves with throwaway stuff and appliances with built-in obsolescence, Button advocates a life that celebrates what lasts, what is classic, and what really suits a person. Check this one out to discover the ten steps to master mindful curation, which will see you leading a happier and healthier life that saves the planet, too.
Button is the founder of the minimalist eco webshop Buy Me Once.
