What makes a brand ethical? Why choose “local“? I place local in quotes because local can mean the local boutique down the street or maker in the next town over or it could mean sourcing from within the U.S. so it’s really all relative.

Good On You is a platform that ranks brands’ ethical standing, such as it’s impact on the planet, people (employees) and animals along with a description of their rating. It also takes note of the price point and the location of the brand. Good On You takes many practices into account such as a brand’s treatment of workers across all elements of their supply chain and includes policies on child and forced labor, worker safety, union rights and living wages. When rating a brand’s impact on the planet, Good On You looks at its carbon emission, impact on waterways and usage of chemicals in a safe manner. They also look at a brand’s use of animal products and aim for brands to be 100% vegan - they also recommend putting in the work to look at brands on our own as well!

I’ve had a lot of fun with the app looking up brands I have in my closet and discovering their ethical rating! While Good On You is based in Australia, they also rounded up their top 26 ethical brands based in the U.S. and Canada. Check out the entire list here. I picked out five of the U.S.-based brands that spoke to me, see them below!

Photos belong to each brand listed.