Elizabeth Suzann Closes
With the shuttering of ethical label, Elizabeth Suzann, earlier this year, the brand’s hundreds of thousands of devoted followers, customers, and fans may be yearning to fill the ES-shaped hole in their line-up of trusted companies.
ES was, and is still, known for their commitment to pricing and wage transparency, quality fabrics, domestic production, size inclusivity, and focus on both racial representation and radical justice in the sustainable fashion space.
The woman behind the brand, Elizabeth (Liz Pape) herself, enforced only a thin line between the brand and her own identity, bringing people into the conversation with her kindness and clear dedication to her team and customer community.
While I briefly owned a few ES pieces I managed to snatch up in a rare sample sale, her styles never spoke to me the way they did to so many others. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t appreciate the way the brand pushed other ethical companies to embrace the hard thing rather than the easy thing.
ES ultimately closed because Pape could not see a sustainable way forward for the company in light of Covid interruptions. Now, she is offering fabric by the yard on the site, and will eventually be making her patterns available (I think they were temporarily available through some kind of fundraising project, but I’m kind of out of the loop when it comes to Instagram these days).
If you’re yearning for classic, sustainable garments in the vein of Elizabeth Suzann, read on for my picks…
6 Sustainable + Ethical Brands Like Elizabeth Suzann
1 | Sotela
With a focus on size and gender inclusivity, Sotela is Latinx-owned, and offers a range of garments in natural fibers.
2 | Mata Traders
While Mata Traders’ line skews more print-friendly than ES, they have some linen separates this season that have that ES vibe. Plus sizes available in several styles.
3 | Conscious Clothing
Offering sizes XS to 2XL (and customization options during non-Covid times), Conscious Clothing is ethically produced using natural fibers.
4 | Only Child
Offering sizes XS to 4X, Only Child is woman-owned and produced in Oakland, CA using natural fibers.
5 | Eileen Fisher
I used to get ES confused with Eileen Fisher due to their similar names and styles. Eileen Fisher uses ethical factories to produce their line, which includes both Petites and Plus size options.
6 | Hackwith Design House
Woman-owned and domestically produced, HDH uses natural and deadstock fabrics to produce its line, which includes plus sizes.
TIPS:
- Shop secondhand ES pieces on Ebay and Poshmark.
- Buy from independent linen brands on Etsy.
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Leah Wise is the founder of StyleWise Blog. She has been writing, speaking, and consulting on sustainable fashion, the fair trade and secondhand supply chain, and digital marketing for over ten years. An Episcopal priest, Leah holds a B.A. in Religion from Florida State University and an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School. When not working, you can find her looking for treasures at the thrift store.