The 5 Best Ethical Activewear Brands That are Way Better than Alo [2024]

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Is Alo Yoga Fast Fashion?

In short: yes. Allow me to explain.

Fast fashion is a business model used by many large clothing companies. Its essence is to design a lot of clothes, produce a lot of clothes, sell a lot of clothes and waste a lot of clothes. Its technical definition is ”an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers”. (I liked mine better.)

”Fast” is the operative word in fast fashion. It is for this word everything else in the clothing manufacturing process is often flagrantly disregarded. Because these mammoth companies design and produce clothes on a weekly or daily basis, their supply chain is often outsourced to countries in Asia.

And it’s rare to find a fast fashion company actually pay these outsourced workers their deserved wages (despite making around $25 billion in 2020.) H&M, for example only pays their workers 1/3 of a livable wage in countries like Turkey and India. Unfortunately in fast fashion, injustices like these are the trend, not the exception.

Fast fashion is wasteful by definition. Producing clothes on this scale from cheap materials means massive amounts of resources will be wasted on them only for the majority of them to be thrown away. It’s a ruthless cycle that must be broken.

While no brand will claim the “fast fashion” title, many fit its definition. Alo Yoga being one of them. An essential component of fast fashion is secrecy. Essentially, fast fashion means a brand is not transparent on factory conditions, workers’ wages, actions related sustainability, waste management, and plans for garments at the end of their usable life. Alo Yoga is one of many activewear brands that offers no solid information on where their clothing is made, who makes their clothing or how much their garment workers are paid.

We have a few options to research whether a brand offers information in any of those areas. There are great resources like Good On You which is a website dedicated to in-depth research on brands’ people, planet and animal practices. You can also research yourself by searching brands’ websites. Some potential questions to seek answers for include:

How much are factory workers paid? Is it by garment as is standard for fast fashion brands or by hour?
How often and by whom are your garment factories audited?

Do you have resources for employees to use in cases of harassment?
How do you combat textile waste?
How are you committed to reducing carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions?

Use your own values as a guide for what information to seek. You deserve brands that align with your principles. Not ones that are about their bottom line at the expense of other people and the environment. High-quality, stylish ethical activewear brands exist and we’re here to help you find them!

Why Buy Ethical?

Ethical clothing refers to clothing that has been produced in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. This includes fair treatment of workers, sustainable sourcing of materials, and minimal impact on the environment. By buying ethical clothing, you are supporting companies that prioritize the well-being of workers and the planet.

Living a conscious lifestyle involves being mindful of the impact of our choices on others and the environment. By purchasing ethical clothing, you are contributing to a more sustainable and equitable fashion industry. This can also extend to supporting local and small businesses, choosing clothing made from sustainable materials, and recycling or upcycling clothing whenever possible.
In addition to the social and environmental benefits, ethical clothing is often of higher quality and can last longer than fast fashion items. This can save you money in the long run and reduce your overall consumption.
Ultimately, buying ethical clothing is an important part of living a conscious lifestyle as it aligns with values of social responsibility, sustainability, and mindful consumption. While buying one shirt over another may seem inconsequential, it’s truly impactful. Your decision could persuade someone else to follow which could influence someone else. That kind of snowball effect is how word spreads and change happens. Buying ethically is a powerful way to make a positive difference in the world.

Whether this is your first ethical purchase or hundredth, buying from ethical activewear brands is a great step toward a more conscious lifestyle. It compliments the healthy lifestyle you sustain by working out!