Bilingual online boutique offering eco-chic clothing and accessories for men, women and children made from certified organic or reclaimed materials, all manufactured under fair labour conditions. Free shipping on orders over $100!

Ethics

The mission of Ecocentrik is to combat climate change and simultaneously strengthen the local economy by educating the population on the benefits of sustainable development. They sell chic, eco-friendly, fair trade clothing and accessories for men, women and children. All their clothing and accessories are made from sustainable materials such as organic and reclaimed fabrics.

Lines Carried

Ecocentrick carries a wide range of lines, for a complete list follow this link

Dear Lil’ Devas specializes in beautiful yoga wear. Their pants and tops for women and men look great and feel as soft as baby’s bottom.

Ethics

Dear Lil’ Devas uses organic bamboo, cotton, and hemp. The bamboo fabric is prepared for dye using hot water and a mechanical process only. They don’t mass produce so they are able to treat their sewers well and maintain close relationships with them. Ethics are clearly a priority for Dear Lil’ Devas

Lines Carried

You can find Dear Lil’ Devas’ duds at many yoga studios across Canada, the US, and Australia. Follow this link

ETHIK BGC is a social economy project of FEM International a Non for profit organization that empowers women to reach their potential through socially and ecologically responsible enterprising.

Ethics

ETHIK BGC is an incubator of ethical Fashion. It is at the same time:
a Boutique,
a Gallery, and
a Business Center

Lines Carried

ETHIK BGC showcases 34 designers from 18 nationalities that are are all committed either socially and or ecologically with their enterprise!

This video depicts the the relationship between the global fashion industry and biodiversity. It was produced with the Fem International and featured at the 2008 Modethik Fashion Show of Montreal.

Love, Me Boutique sells Canadian handmade, small-scale, independent clothing, jewelry, gifts and much more.

Ethics

This lovely boutique has a strong focus on the human side, supporting small-scale, independent artisans. I know that some of the lines they carry use environmentally friendly materials but it does not appear to be a requirement so if this is important to you, be sure to read the label.

Lines Carried

Love, me carries a lot of different crafty pieces, some of which are highlighted on their site but not all. To see all the products, you’ll have to check out the store itself.

This boutique is a true trailblazer in the world of ethical retailing, they started in 1992 with the idea to create “an environmental department store.” They’ve grown quite a bit since then, with 5 locations in Nova Scotia and Ontario. Beyond clothing they sell bedding, housewares, office supplies, books and I’m sure much more.

Ethics

They’re selection process appears quite vigorous, they buy local where possible and the materials seem to cover a good variety of eco-friendly options. Also, their site has loads of content regarding their philosophy and how they put that into practice. They use recycled materials where possible in their retail spaces and are active members of their community. But you don’t have to take my word for it, check out their site and see for yourself.

Lines Carried

Not listed on their site so you’ll have to check them out at one of their 5 locations.

This boutique is a true trailblazer in the world of ethical retailing, they started in 1992 with the idea to create “an environmental department store.” They’ve grown quite a bit since then, with 5 locations in Nova Scotia and Ontario. Beyond clothing they sell bedding, housewares, office supplies, books and I’m sure much more.

Ethics

They’re selection process appears quite vigorous, they buy local where possible and the materials seem to cover a good variety of eco-friendly options. Also, their site has loads of content regarding their philosophy and how they put that into practice. They use recycled materials where possible in their retail spaces and are active members of their community. But you don’t have to take my word for it, check out their site and see for yourself.

Lines Carried

Not listed on their site so you’ll have to check them out at one of their 5 locations.

This boutique is a true trailblazer in the world of ethical retailing, they started in 1992 with the idea to create “an environmental department store.” They’ve grown quite a bit since then, with 5 locations in Nova Scotia and Ontario. Beyond clothing they sell bedding, housewares, office supplies, books and I’m sure much more.

Ethics

They’re selection process appears quite vigorous, they buy local where possible and the materials seem to cover a good variety of eco-friendly options. Also, their site has loads of content regarding their philosophy and how they put that into practice. They use recycled materials where possible in their retail spaces and are active members of their community. But you don’t have to take my word for it, check out their site and see for yourself.

Lines Carried

Not listed on their site so you’ll have to check them out at one of their 5 locations.

This boutique is a true trailblazer in the world of ethical retailing, they started in 1992 with the idea to create “an environmental department store.” They’ve grown quite a bit since then, with 5 locations in Nova Scotia and Ontario. Beyond clothing they sell bedding, housewares, office supplies, books and I’m sure much more.

Ethics

They’re selection process appears quite vigorous, they buy local where possible and the materials seem to cover a good variety of eco-friendly options. Also, their site has loads of content regarding their philosophy and how they put that into practice. They use recycled materials where possible in their retail spaces and are active members of their community. But you don’t have to take my word for it, check out their site and see for yourself.

Lines Carried

Not listed on their site so you’ll have to check them out at one of their 5 locations.

This boutique is a true trailblazer in the world of ethical retailing, they started in 1992 with the idea to create “an environmental department store.” They’ve grown quite a bit since then, with 5 locations in Nova Scotia and Ontario. Beyond clothing they sell bedding, housewares, office supplies, books and I’m sure much more.

Ethics

They’re selection process appears quite vigorous, they buy local where possible and the materials seem to cover a good variety of eco-friendly options. Also, their site has loads of content regarding their philosophy and how they put that into practice. They use recycled materials where possible in their retail spaces and are active members of their community. But you don’t have to take my word for it, check out their site and see for yourself.

Lines Carried

Not listed on their site so you’ll have to check them out at one of their 5 locations.

Every boutique is unique but La Gaillarde in Montreal is perhaps one of the most unique boutiques in the country. Tucked in a quite corner in St. Henri, this non for profit boutique is a glimmering example of what hard work, cooperation, and love can do for the fashion industry.

The Boutique

The boutique is divided into three sections: second hand, vintage, and ethical creations. The second hand collection is Sally Ann cheap and sweet finds abound! The vintage section is a good collection of higher quality second hand stuff for all you vintage lovers willing to spend a bit more cash for the right piece. In the ethical creations section, they carry over 30 designers, mostly in recycled material but you can also find some of oom’s pieces in organic cotton

Boutique La Gaillarde

Events, Promotion, and Contracts

Being located far from the popular shopping spots of the city, La Gaillarde has had to work very hard to get people in the door. On top of that, selling the wears of emerging designers, sometimes lacking in experience, has forced this boutique to be creative and structured at the same time.

Events

La Gaillarde organizes about 10 fashion events a year to promote the store and their designers. The boutique coordinator, Annie de Grandmont, explained that the events “bring people here, people meet the designers, because a lot of designers come to the events, they can put a face on whoever’s behind the clothes, people really enjoy that.”

Promotion

They put a lot of effort into promotion, especially for the events. They send out press releases, emails, and flyers.

Contracts

In retail, image is more than critical and in order to maintain a high quality image while not excluding young designers, La Gaillarde introduced a contract, which stipulates things like seasonal deadlines, minimum number of pieces to a collection, tags, business cards, and quality control. They even provide support for designers who are new at the game and need some help with meeting the contract requirements. Annie explains that the contract and guidelines are there “so that the designers know what to do, yes sometimes it could slow them down a little bit but it’s for the good of everyone. It’s really too help the industry, help the designers, promote their collections better, make it look more professional”

Environment and Community

A lot of designers I’ve talked to in Montreal say they got their start at La Gaillarde and it’s not hard to believe, this boutique puts a lot of effort into helping the designers they carry. And it all started with an environmental mission: to reuse and recycle clothing, but as Annie explained, “helping the local economy is associated with the environment, it’s part of it.” I couldn’t agree with her more, the environment and the people who live in it are intrinsically connected, to truly help one; you have to help both. La Gaillarde even gets designers to give classes in the boutique on how recycled your wardrobe, they’re a real part of the community.

La Gaillarde is an inspiring example of what an ethical fashion boutique can be and as Annie explained “it’s no longer just for hippies, we have beautiful dresses out there that you wouldn’t even tell are made from recycled clothing. We have 50-year-old ladies who come and buy those clothes not even knowing it is recycled.”

Whatever your type or style, I recommend checking out this truly unique boutique.

Spend a few minutes reading through the directory on this site and you’ll see what I mean; from organic cotton to bamboo, from fair trade certification to recycled fabric, the spectrum of possibilities is vast. But don’t get discouraged, commonalities are beginning to reveal themselves upon which a cohesive understanding of what constitutes ethical fashion is emerging, allowing designers, manufactures, and retailers to move towards an integration that embraces the beauty of individual expression, the core and spirit of fashion.

The mission of ethicalfashion.ca is to help move the fashion industry toward this kind of integration. We therefore encourage everyone involved in the industry; producers, retailers, and consumers, to share their thoughts, goals, concerns, and whatever else might help to push the industry toward this integral direction.