The Best Ethical and Sustainable Summer Dresses You'll Want to Live In
These sustainable and ethical summer dresses will help you keep cool in style with their flowy fits and lightweight fabrics like linen and organic cotton.
As always, we advocate for checking out pre-loved options first at your local thrift store or an online secondhand store. But if you're looking to invest in a new piece, these brands are pretty amazing!
This guide contains affiliate links, which means we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you choose to purchase through some of these links. This helps us continue to create these free resources for you! As always, we only feature brands we love (and that we think you'll love too!) and that meet CFC's strict sustainability criteria.
Christy Dawn
Christy Dawn's flowy vintage-inspired sustainable dresses have been made from reclaimed deadstock fabric since they were founded. But now, the brand is also working with Oshadi Collective in India to invest in regenerative cotton, which will help to restore soil health, heal the earth, and reconnect farmers to their land. In addition to using eco-friendly fabrics, Christy Dawn's dresses are made ethically in California by makers earning fair wages.
Size Range: XS-3XL; Extended Sizing Collection | Petite Collection
Highlights: Deadstock and Regenerative Fabrics, Ethical Production
Luna + Sun
Made with earth- and people-friendly practices from start to finish, we're big fans of Luna + Sun's dreamy sustainable summer dresses. The dresses are made with linen fabric, biodegradable elastic made from natural materials, and earthy-hued dyes that all meet the Oeko-Tex 100 Standard. Luna + Sun's garments are cut and sewn responsibly in Brisbane and they are an Ethical Clothing Australia accredited brand.
Size Range: 6-18 AU
Highlights: Natural Eco Fabrics, Ethically & Locally Made
Tentree
Tentree is a Canadian, earth-first brand with a wide variety of dresses to suit just about every occasion on your summer social calendar. Whether it’s a laidback tank dress or a strappy tiered number, don’t let the solid-hued simplicity of these one-pieces have you fooled — they can easily be dressed up or down with the right kind of accessories and shoes.
Crafted from breathable materials like TENCEL™ Lyocell and organic cotton, these dresses will not only help you feel good when you wear them but also remind you that your purchase helped make a difference. For every item sold, tentree plants 10 trees while allowing you to see where they will be planted through the unique tag present on the item purchased.
Size Range: XS–XL
Highlights: sustainable materials, climate neutral, ethically manufactured, supply chain transparency, plants trees, circular take-back scheme
Rare & Fair
This UK-based slow fashion label has gorgeous dresses for summertime special occasions! Each piece from Rare & Fair is made from undyed, naturally dyed, organic handloomed or sustainable silk sourced from local small-scale sericulture farms located across villages in Thailand that use traditional techniques.
Size Range: XXS-XL
Highlights: Slow Made, Natural Fibers Sourced from Small-Scale Farms, Naturally-Dyed and Undyed Fabrics, Cultural Preservation
Harebell Sustainable Shop
Harebell Sustainable Shop's mission is to connect their customers with the best Latin-American sustainable brands. This soft silky dress was made from upcycled satin and reclaimed silk fabrics. Every garment of this brand is handmade by a group of creative women in Buenos Aires, Argentina, making each piece unique!
Size Range: S-XL + Made-To-Order Options
Highlights: Latin-American Sustainable Fashion, Genderless, Net-Zero Carbon Footprint, Cruelty-Free, B-Corp Pending, Made-to-Order Available
Made Trade
Made Trade is an online sustainable fashion (and home) store with a wide selection of choices in nearly every category — including dresses. You'll find everything from casual to formal dresses, from house dresses to wedding gowns. Rest assured that all of the pieces have been carefully vetted for sustainability and ethics, but if you want to shop by your top values, you can filter by criteria like POC-Owned, Woman-Owned, Vegan, Sustainable, and more.
Size Range: XS-6XL
Highlights: Shop By Your Values, Carbon-Offset Shipping & 1% for the Planet Member
Studio 189
Co-founded by Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah, Studio 189 is an artisan fashion brand celebrating African design, heritage, and artistry. With the vibrant colors and unique prints of their pieces, Studio 189's dresses will instantly transport you to a summer state of mind! The striking prints are created by artisans in West Africa using traditional techniques, like hand batiking in Ghana and Bogolanfini mud cloth in Mali or Burkina Faso.
Size Range: XS-3XL
Highlights: Black Women-Owned, Cultural Preservation, Ethical Production
ourCommonplace
Another great conscious retailer to check out is ourCommonplace. This ethical marketplace curates plenty of sustainable dresses too, whether you need a piece for the beach, the office, a wedding, or just to wear around the house. And these dresses are made from thoughtful materials such as reclaimed textiles, hemp, and organic cotton.
Size Range: XS-XL + custom sizing
Highlights: WOC-Owned, 1% For the Planet Member, Shop By Your Values
Lemlem
Founded by supermodel Liya Kebede, lemlem is an artisan-driven brand with goods ethically made in Africa. The fashion and lifestyle label is dedicated to "elevating artisanship and expanding production and jobs across Africa." Most of lemlem's ethical, resort-ready dresses are made from cotton in Ethiopia, though the brand is expanding into working with other artisan groups in Africa.
Size Range: XS-L
Highlights: Ethically Made in Ethiopia, Black Woman-Owned
Míe
Míe is a slow fashion brand based in Nigeria with clothing made thoughtfully by artisans and seamstresses locally in Lagos, Nigeria. Their flowing dresses are made from natural biodegradable fibers with a commitment to quality.
Size Range: XS-3XL
Highlights: Artisan-Made in Nigeria, Black-Owned Brand, Natural Fibers
LOUD BODIES
Sustainable summer dresses should be for every body, and that's what LOUD BODIES is out to do. Not only do their dresses — made from eco fabrics like linen and organic cotton — come in a wide range of sizes, but they offer free-of-charge custom orders as well!
Size Range: XXS-10XL
Highlights: OEKO-TEX 100 certified Eco-Conscious Fabrics, Size Inclusive, Recycled Packaging
Beaumont Organic
British sustainable fashion label Beaumont Organic has midi and maxi dresses crafted from natural and eco-minded fibers like linen that are perfect for warmer weather. Each piece is ethically made in Portugal. [Check out more sustainable fashion from the UK]
Size Range: XS-L
Highlights: Eco-Friendly Fabrics, Produced Fairly in the EU