A round-up like this is a first for me on this blog, but since it was requested by a new reader I thought “Why not?” (so Dr. Nguyen, this one’s for you! lol). But actually I found this to be a fun exercise in really flexing my ethical brand knowledge. After years of personally reviewing ethical brands and reading other blogs that review these brands, I even surprised myself with how many great brands I could talk about here. Now I normally don’t feature items I haven’t tried on myself, however these are all ethical brands that I’m either familiar with or have seen other bloggers’ reviews of them and they have all been vouched for by trustworthy sources. I’m not much of a chambray shirt person myself (or a button-down shirt kind of person in general) but if I were in the market to buy one, these are the ones I’d look at:

Everlane

Duh, I have to start with what I know best. I haven’t personally tried this particular Relaxed Jean Shirt ($60) but I’ve tried a ton of other Everlane’s button-down tops and can vouch for their generally good quality (especially when it comes to their cotton and linen versions, not so much their old silk versions). This is a chambray shirt at its simplest and most classic form.

Tradlands

Another tried and true ethical company that gets a lot of attention in the ethical blogosphere is Tradlands and their version of the chambray shirt is called The Clare ($167). I’ve tried their items in the past and really loved the quality of their cotton button-down shirt (reviewed here). Yes the tops are pricey, but the quality is unbeatable and so is their attention to detail. Also here’s a great review of some of Tradlands tops from Andrea, one of my favorite bloggers. P.S. If you’re an XXS you can score a great used one on Slowre right now!

Power of My People

I haven’t personally tried this ethical Canadian brand but I’ve heard a lot of good things about them from numerous bloggers, and have been tempted get something from them myself. Their version of the chambray shirt, called The Wordsmith ($85.84), is a beautiful steel blue color though not a traditional chambray look. They also have a chambray-looking shirt called The Pillar ($139.30) that’s actually 100% linen and probably a great summer option. Though I can’t personally vouch for this brand, all these trustworthy and excellent bloggers can: Lee from Style Bee, Grechen from Grechen’s Closet, and again Andrea from Seasons+Salt.

Bridge and Burn

I really love this ethical, small-production Oregonian brand and I’ve been a past Bridge and Burn customer so I can vouch for the quality of their items. I personally purchased a dress in this material (reviewed here) and love it for the summer. It was super lightweight, soft, yet felt durable. It’s not your traditional chambray material but this Japan-made fabric is not only of premium quality but also a fun take on the usual chambray.

ABLE

If you’re looking for a short-sleeved version then look no further than ABLE’s (note: this referral link is for $20 off) classic chambray shirt called the Pilar Popover ($98) made in Mexico. I haven’t yet tried this brand though they’ve been on my radar for quite some time now and I’ve been itching to get something from them (I probably will this year, but since I’m on my one-new-item-only-per-month resolution, it’s probably going to be later in the year). I love that this company focuses on creating jobs for women in developing countries and their products are pretty classic as well. Some bloggers that have reviewed them include Caroline from Un-Fancy, Lee from Style Bee and Andrea from Seasons+Salt.

kowtow

If you’re looking for another untraditional take on the chambray shirt then kowtow has a really sleek looking black version for sale on their site right now ($109). Kowtow is an ethical brand I heard of through Grechen of Grechen’s closet and they’re a bit more obscure though upscale. You can also find their stuff on ASOS or on the Garmentory. They like to use high-quality organic materials and are very transparent about their production practices in other countries (mostly India). I can’t wait to add a kowtow piece to my wardrobe this year (like this dress or this dress) but probably post pregnancy!

Anyway I hope you enjoyed my first ever round-up. I know I enjoyed the challenge. I kind of felt like someone’s online ethical style consultant/online personal shopper. If you guys don’t have the time or just don’t want to do the research about an ethical option for an item, I’m open to suggestions for more round-ups! Just leave a comment below or let me know on Insta :)