I remember the first time I strolled through the London & Other Stories store many years ago. I was instantly impressed by the minimal, Scandinavian division of the collection that looked much higher end than the price point suggested. Chic, well constructed affordable clothing is rare and so I instantly became a fan.
It wasn’t until a couple of years later that I realized this cool group of three ateliers was in fact under the umbrella of megabrand H&M. Pretty naive of me for sure but in my defense I had three small children so I wasn’t paying much attention to detail at the time. Although I was somewhat disappointed to discover this new information, I didn’t exactly hold it against & Other Stories. To be honest, it wasn’t clear to my foggy baby brain, what that actually meant.
Over the years and with little thought of the supply chain, I bought a few select pieces that I still wear to this day. Buying less, choosing carefully and taking care of my clothes means I love them and by definition my wardrobe is sustainable. However, times have changed in terms of sustainability and now we face a looming climate crisis that requires far more consciousness from consumers. Anyone who spends money on new apparel of any description must consider its impact on the environment. Moving forward I now ask myself this elaborate question before buying anything newly manufactured – What material is the garment made from, is it recycled, is it harmful to produce and does it continue to pollute by merely existing?
For this reason, I require important information from the company before I hand over my money. Thankfully consumers and watchdogs now demand brand transparency to provide these crucial facts. So it’s usually easy to find a sustainability report on the brands’ website. However, if that information is nonexistent, my answer is clear – Don’t go there girlfriend. If the information is offered but not up to par, again I keep walking. It gets complicated when a brand occasionally creates a small sustainable collection but the rest of the time commits crimes against the environment. As you probably know, this is greenwashing. Basically, the brand tricks the customer into thinking it’s moving towards 100% sustainability when in fact it has no intention of doing so.
WHY SHOULD I CONSIDER THE SUPPLY CHAIN BEFORE I BUY CLOTHES?
Recently I started to consider the supply chain of the clothing I buy. Since I learned about the complexities of brand ownership and because of the brilliant campaign Who Made My Clothes? I’m ever more aware of how important it is to put my money where my mouth is. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that is the key to changing a brands behaviour. When people stop shopping and sales drop, brands take notice and ask why. Of course, I’ve always worked on the assumption that the consumer ultimately controls how any company does business. Now, more than ever this applies to the fast fashion industry and it’s rampant abuse of Human Rights.
Make no mistake, this is a powerful protest known to work even on stubborn corporate shareholders. People who are only concerned with the bottom line will affect POSITIVE change when sales drop and their profits are at stake.
IS SOME SUSTAINABILITY BETTER THAN NONE?
Is it better to send the message that yes we like this, do more of it! Should I support small acts of sustainability in order to encourage bigger ones? Now with the best intentions and my facts straight, I’m faced with this fresh moral dilemma.
& Other Stories created a beautiful capsule of sustainable garments to compliment a recent Co-Lab with sustainable jeweller Mia Larsson. So lovely is this collection that I moved to further investigate its eco credentials. Raising more questions than I answered, I find myself unable to make a strong case for either side of this debate. Should I continue to shop at & Other Stories or boycott it like Mother H&M?
Let’s look at what we know. It’s true & Other Stories is comprised of three small in-house design teams. These are Stockholm, Paris and Los Angeles headquarters that create limited conceptual collections. They regularly collaborate with various creatives across the arts including young new talent. All this gives the impression of an ethical and sustainable ethos but is that feeling accurate or is it just a facade? The latest “Co-Lab” has a sustainable message and is aptly named The Sustainable Collection but is it? And what accurately constitutes “sustainable”?
Indeed as far as fabric is concerned the collection is 100% sustainable. This capsule is comprised of eco fabrics such as linen, Lyocell, recycled polyester, Organic cotton and cupro which is another wonderful material made from recycled cotton waste. The limited collection includes an amazing recycled polyester tulle dress and the billowy Lyocell linen blend top I’m wearing in today’s post. In addition, it’s worth noting that & Other Stories use these materials throughout the entire brand although not exclusively.
However, I have not been able to find information on where these pieces were manufactured so I assume it must be via the H&M factories. In any case, is that enough to negate its “sustainable” kudos?
The brand also boasts an impressive textile recycling program in-store. You can literally hand over any unwanted garment from any retailer in exchange for a 10% discount voucher. That’s great, no argument there but it hardly balances the humungous waste produced by H&M.
And here’s where I come unstuck. Whilst & Other Stories has a sustainability page on its website it doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence. There’s no information about supply chain, manufacturing or factories of any kind. Apart from details about the recycling program, the only other information is a link to H&M’s Sustainability Report. And that, my friends, is not so good. Peppered with lots of “ambition” and the ultimate goal of becoming climate positive by 2040 which is way too late in anyone’s terms. This report falls incredibly short on sustainability whilst being rather high on projected promises. I won’t bother going into detail because the best assessment of it has already been written by the wonderful Jennifer Nini of Eco Warrior Princess. I highly recommend reading her article for a better understanding of why H&M is constantly accused of Greenwashing.
This brings me back to the question of whether I should support & Other Stories as an entity on its own or lob it in with H&M? The label does appear to have a good grasp on sustainability and is heading in the right direction. But…perhaps I should wait until 100% of its stock is sustainably sourced?
Eeeek! Your thoughts?…
TOP – & Other Stories (gifted) | LINEN SHORTS – PPQ of Mayfair (bought secondhand on EBay 4 yrs ago) | SANDALS – Ancient Greek Sandals (Summer 2017 but still available) | BAG – Bell & Fox (gifted)
Au revoir Ecobabes xx
*DISCLOSURE – I actually went to the NYC store and spoke to the nice people at & Other Stories about its Sustainable Collection. As a consequence, a few days later I was kindly sent this beautiful top in the post. I’m under no obligation to say anything specific about the brand. This article is entirely my own opinion. I think you can tell? On a positive note, I will say, everyone I spoke to at & Other Stories is genuinely enthusiastic about moving to 100% sustainability. This article contains gifted items and affiliate links.
Comments ( 15 )
Jamie
VERY informative, Michelle. Thank you!
MT
My pleasure Jamie xx
Lisa
I’m of the opinion that since & Other Stories is part of the H&M parent company, a dollar to &OS is the same as a dollar to H&M. I liked &OS when they first emerged (and like you, I had no idea about their owner) and bought a few things in the Paris shop. When I went in store last summer, I noticed that every single item, without exception, was made out of a plastic or polyester variant. So, that made it is easy for me to walk on by. However, confronted with a seahorse on natural fabric like the top you’re wearing, I’d waver!!! It IS a beautiful top.
For me, the bottom line is that there are SO MANY FANTASTIC BRANDS who need my support and my money for doing the right thing all along, so why would I throw money at &OS to incentivise H&M to turn their nasty ship around? Just my 2 cents.
I love you for this brilliantly thought out conundrum that we all experience. xxx
MT
You know what Lisa, I have to agree. I think it comes down to the path of least resistance for me. If I have to question my motives so hard then my gut is telling me something isn’t quite right. Thank you xx
No Fear of Fashion
I know your doubts so well. It is such a difficult subject. I tend to go to the side of buying the sustainable stuff of f.i. &Other Stories. If they see profit, they will make more. And if bad big shops turn around it will make big progress. On the other hand, if the rest also keeps selling well and / or the supply chain behind these clothes is bad, then Indeed, as Lisa says, it will be supporting the bad and they will not learn. So difficult. As with for instance cotton. Nice fabric but how was it won? I bet there is a lot of bad stuff going on in growing and processing cotton. Sigh. I cannot offer a straight answer. But making people conscious about these things will eventually bring on change.
In the meantime I think this blouse is fabulous. And on those fantastic shorts with your legs, man… you will turn heads. Love the bag too.
Greetje
MT
Thank you Greetje, it’s truly a difficult one but I tend to agree with you and Lisa and Liz that not shopping there is the easiest answer. Your point about the big brands changing their ways is an excellent one. Gosh, I imagine the problem would be solved in half the time if just H&M & Zara became carbon neutral over night! The fact that they’re so slow to do this is beyond my basic logic. It makes economic sense to protect the environment in the long term and who else is in a better position to afford the changes than those two?
Catherine, Not Dressed As Lamb
Eco subject matter aside, that outfit is THE BOMB on you MT. Shorts + legs + that blouse = equals utter perfection, aaaargh!!!!!
But back to the subject in hand… that’s very interesting about Stories, I must admit I did NOT know they were under the H&M umbrella. My wavering love for the brand has faltered a little, I must admit.
Sustainability is such a minefield, isn’t it – you’re really wishing they’re not one of the bad guys when you’re researching them but who knows what information you’ll uncover (or not, as the case may be). But as always you’re right up there on my eco pedestal of People I Listen To. As always it’s something to ponder, but the more informed we are the better decisions we can make… thank you thank you 😀 xx
MT
Aw thanks Catherine, that’s really nice to hear. And yes, I do go into the research wishing and hoping I’ll find good news. In this case, the jury is still out for me. I believe & Other Stories genuinely want to be sustainable but as long as it’s tied to H&M I don’t think it can be. So I pose the question “Is buying from & Other Stories more important than protecting the Planet?”
After all there are other options, right?
Lizzy
What a conundrum. I too like the designs, layout and aesthetic of &OtherStories but have chosen to walk on by simply because it is part of H&M. Your top is beautiful though and I know you’ll wear it over and over. You look gorgeous MT xxx
MT
I admire you for that Liz. When push comes to shove I have absolutely no reason to shop at & Other Stories. Yes the fashion is fabulous but nothing I can’t live without, at least until H&M lifts its game.
Abby
These legs! OMG! I didn’t know this brand so thank you for introducing me to it. Plus, I see a lot of nice things in Lyocell and thought that it’s some kind of polyester (which is a no-no in my fashion vocabulary) so thank you for clarifying that Michelle. I will definitely tap into that. Great post as usual! Lots of ❤️ xx Abby
MT
Ah that’s interesting you thought Lyocell was a form of polyester (I hate it too btw) but I can see how because of the name. Also when we think “manmade” it’s usually a bad thing right? Fortunately there are a lot of new manmade fibres that are actally good for sustainability. Although I’m adverse to poly I do like that it’s now being recycled. Thanks for reading Abby, big kiss to you my love xx
Rozanne
I’m late to the discussion on this one, partly because I have been considering my thoughts on this really tricky subject. And I still don’t have a clear, intellectual answer to the conundrum, but my gut tells me to steer clear. Yes, if sustainable ranges prove particularly popular, that will incentivize H&M et al to do more sustainability but, at the end of the day, you can’t escape the greenwashing angle. I even feel a bit uncomfortable buying second-hand Zara etc.. Whilst I am a second-hand junkie, and to snub second-hand fast fashion is only adding to the problem, I can’t shake off the awareness that my 2nd-hand Zara t-shirt, fabulous though the design is, caused harm during its inception. Tainted goods? I appreciate that is an overly extreme reaction and, on balance, I still think it is best to give a new home to discarded fast fashion, because otherwise it just uselessly litters up our beautiful planet. But it is a rabbit hole for sure… We can all only do our best. On a related side note, I am tying myself in knots researching sustainable footwear brands at the moment – a future blog post, perhaps? ;O) As always, thank you for your invaluable guidance, sound research and thoughtful insights. X
emaly dickenson
The woman looks pretty gorgeous, but this short enhance her beauty.