What’s Made-to-Order Clothing? Brands to Slow Down, Style Up

Overproduction and overconsumption are some of the biggest fast fashion problems. 

So, most ethical clothing companies have already been reducing them by creating durable garments and marketing them as such.

The best made-to-order clothing brands, though? They're taking it one step further.

Discover the benefits of this approach and some of the most sustainable made-to-order brands.

What is made to order clothing?

Made-to-order clothing means that a garment is only made once a new order comes in.

It’s the opposite of producing clothes in bulk, which is what most fashion companies do. And what happens to their leftover stock? It gets incinerated or sent to landfills. In other words, it’s terrible for the planet. 

Instead, made-to-order clothing brands only produce the quantities you request (as little as one piece!) and don’t keep any inventory.

What are the benefits of made-to-order clothing?

Made-to-order clothing is much better for the planet:

• Reducing waste – Fashion already generates 92 million tonnes of textile waste every year, but made-to-order clothing doesn’t add to it. Instead, it helps reduce it
• Using less resources – The most polluting stage of a product’s lifecycle tends to be the initial production phase. So, because they’re only producing what they actually need, these brands have a much lower environmental impact
• Fewer returns – Consumers often purchase items in different styles or sizes and then return whichever doesn’t fit, ignoring the high cost behind free returns. But when you’ve invested in a made-to-order garment and waited for it to be ready? You’re more likely to keep it! So, by discouraging returns, made-to-order brands are reducing their environmental impact even further 
• Lower carbon emissions – For all these reasons, made-to-order clothes tend to result in lower CO2 emissions
• More conscious purchases – Made-to-order clothing inspires consumers to be more conscious with their shopping habits. Instead of ordering dozens of £5 items (and only wearing them a couple of times before repeating that), you’re investing in fewer and higher-quality pieces that are made to last and… for you!

Sure, this means you need to be a liiiiiittle more patient. Made-to-order clothing can take 3-6 weeks to arrive at your doorstep. But once it’s there, we bet it’s going to stay in your wardrobe for YEARS. 

Best and most sustainable made-to-order clothing brands

Even though it’s not that common (yet), more and more ethical companies are starting to offer made-to-order clothing. Here are some of our current favourites. 

AmourLinen 

They certainly picked a fitting name! 

AmourLinen focuses on timeless linen garments rooted in Lithuanian history and handcrafted with love. 

Their clothes and linen sheets are produced in their own factory, and their team often uses fabric scraps to reduce waste even further.

AmourLinen also supports Blue/Yellow, which sends supplies, clothes, and medicines to Ukrainian soldiers and volunteers.

Infinit Denim

This made-to-order brand produces recycled and recyclable, vegan, and organic clothes—all from their workshop in Spain, which is entirely run by women.

So, bonus eco-friendly and ethical points!

We especially love their focus on circularity. They even have an agreement with Levi’s Spain so that they can use and recycle their denim waste.

As for style, you can find both timeless and quirky garments, ranging from casualwear to more elegant pieces. 

LOGOCOMO

They describe their range as “fabric waste turned dopamine dressing” but we’d add another word: showstoppers. 

Their pieces are proper conversation-starters and bound to turn heads. 

So, if you want to make a big statement, LOGOCOMO is the best made-to-order clothing brand for you.

They handcraft all their garments in Amsterdam and strive to be as eco-friendly as possible.

IZZI Label

This is a fairly new brand that offers some made-to-order clothing and accessories too, like their beautiful earrings. 

Their bold and colourful items are made by the founder herself in her studio in Arnhem, here in the Netherlands.

She prioritises leftover and second-hand materials and the most eco-friendly options she can find.

Start embracing made-to-order clothing

These made-to-order brands are just some of our favourites.

But at Project Cece, we’re always looking for new partners (did you know we’re like a search engine for sustainable fashion, bringing hundreds of fair trade companies in one place?). So, you might find even more made-to-order clothing brands soon.

In an industry that’s plagued by overconsumption and waste, made-to-order clothing is definitely a step in the right direction. We just hope more companies follow suit.

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