Guest Blogger: EcoBusiness Suit?

A Stylish and Sustainable Business Suit? Does it exist? The short answer is yes.

Many of us are starting to wake up, as consumers, to where our food comes from. Recent pathogen outbreaks, movies like Food, Inc., and bestsellers like Skinny Bitch and The Omnivore’s Dilemma have put a spotlight on factory farms, conventional vs. organic, and the benefits of buying local. How about those who wonder where our clothes come from? We have only the vaguest idea of where our cotton was grown, our hems sewn, or the fossil fuels blown during the production of the frock winking in the Nordie’s window. The journalists exposing the food chain should train an eye towards the opacity of the fashion chain.

For those who care, there are a few safe options:

First, you can buy your clothing used. At, well, Goodwill – or through the cottage industry of crafty alchemists, transforming former jackets into fresh-looking leather handbags, repurposing sweaters and other goodies. I, for one, am an avid consumer of such beautiful products, but I’ll never be a producer, nor do I have the time to root through a consignment store instead of my local mall.

Second, in mainstream shopping, we can look for brands with a green ethos. Sustainable specialists are easy to find for yoga clothes (Prana, Lululemon), lounge clothes (Under the Canopy), outdoor apparel (Patagonia), or casual fashion (American Apparel). For those of us who can wear tights and Tee-s all day, we are set!

But, how about your average business suit? There are no business suits on the Green America Shopping List! If you’re like me, you spend 50 + hours a week in Ann Taylor or Banana Republic…with a label that usually reads something like, “Made in China” and might include acetate, rayon, nylon, and other fakey sounding fabrics. While some companies spend a decent amount of time minimizing their global impact, others, like Kate Spade, are likely to turn up on your friend’s boycott list.

Fundamentally, opting out is not a great option either. The clothing industry provides jobs in developing economies all over the world, no matter how bad those jobs are. We still want to shop, but shop well.

How does the consumer signal that we care about the whole cloth, so to speak…to Anthropologie, Benneton, and others? Ideally, we’d like to do so waving our recycled pocketbook, not our handmade cardboard signs! This is imminently do-able, and while it will come at a cost, the cost is not great. According to estimates, the average seamstress in a massive clothing manufacturer makes 3 cents a shirt; doubling her wage should be a rounding error on a $69.99 sweater. Clothing retailers, according to researchers, are able to track their suppliers and can monitor labor practices through third party auditors. Studies have shown that increased attention, in the form of labor activism, generally has positive outcomes.

So... here is what we have found. This lovely pantsuit by Amana, above, is from the UK, yes, it's true, but is so fashionable. If you have the time and the means to wait for it from overseas, pay for shipping, etc., you have found your interview suit!

Here are some other alternatives that may not be exactly your blue or black interview suit, but are certainly professional enough for many offices.


This is a handsome hemp suit from Sandstone Hemp. They have many other clothing choices, but not a huge selection in terms of business suits.


Finally, we have this adorable men's suit from Rawganique, another excellent source for eco-friendly clothing.

In sum, it is possible to find an eco-friendly, sustainable business suit, but it is certainly not easy or cheap just yet. Hopefully, it is the wave of the future, and as consumers, we can put our money where our mouths are to support this happening. Honestly, it might be easier to buy fabric yourself and have a local tailor make you one to order! Incidentally, there is a great bespoke service at Green & Blue Boutique on 1350 Connecticut Avenue, right here in DC. It is not cheap, but it is certainly about as far away from a sweatshop as you can get. And if you have the time and inclination, you can always look for suiting at Goodwill, where I recently found several designer suits from names such as Armani (yes, for real), Calvin Klein, Tahari and many, many others.

Layne Morrison is a consultant in DC, who can be found in nonsustainable business attire during the week and sustainable yoga attire during the weekends. She can be reached at elaynemorrison@gmail.com.

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of Layne Morrison and do not necessarily reflect those of Goodwill of Greater Washington or the DCGF.