Expat Hub is a media for adventure-seeking expats that live in Prague. Join the Expat Hub on Facebook to connect with other expats and be the first one to read articles about life in Prague. For the Eco-conscious, the Facebook group Eco Expat will be the right platform to share your ideas about the Eco-friendly lifestyle and get to know sustainable local businesses that are striving to contribute to Ecology.

The clothes we wear express on the outside what we are about on the inside. The struggle comes from knowing that these clothes are often the source of pollution all through their life cycle. From the vast amounts of water required to grow the cotton to the release of micro-plastic during washing and the waste created by discarded clothing, expressing our personality and bringing joy to our lives through fashion can quickly become problematic.

With fashion there is more to consider than “reduce, reuse, recycle”, and constantly assessing the sources, materials, and manufacturers of the items we chose to wear can be overwhelming. If you live in Prague, read this article further to learn about eco-friendly fashion stores you can purchase your clothes from.

Thankfully, the growing awareness of the issues surrounding fashion prompted some brands and shops to be the forces of positive change. The number of eco-conscious fashion options in Prague and the Czech Republic is ever increasing. Hence, together they help making eco-friendly choices easier and more convenient for all of us. Here are some of the spots you can find eco-friendly fashion in Prague and beyond.

The Prague Based Shop that Went Global 

Eco Fashion Labels have been based in Prague since 2016. They are the real deal when it comes to sustainable, ethically sourced, vegan, organic, and recycled fashion. The popularity and success enabled them to expand globally and to support causes that align with their values. When you make your purchase you can directly add a donation to one of the environmental projects Eco Fashion Labels supports. Eco Fashion Labels also participates in the global reforestation program via The Pledgeling Environmental Fund and plants a tree for every item sold! Here, sustainability comes first.

Fashion with Integrity

Another local favorite is EtikButik. Here you can find, among others, vegan shoes and a range of clothing for children and babies. EtikButik strives to make the world a fair place for humans and animals alike. They offer items made of reused scrap materials or made under strict ethical conditions. EtikButik is a family shop based on the philosophy of ahimsa, no harm. Thus, they take extra care with selecting the materials the clothes are made of and are one of the few places that stocks items made of Piñatex, pineapple “leather”. You can find them online or at Rašínovo nábřeží 54.

Sustainably Hip 

Another way to make your wardrobe eco-friendly is to give clothes a second life. You can buy or sell original items at the pop up flea market at the MeetFactory. The MeetFactory flea market has a unique artistic charm and if weather permits you can enjoy finding your next staple piece in the open air with a live DJ and drinks available at the MeetFactory bar. Shopping for eco-friendly fashion in Prague can be an exciting social mixer! The next flea market is on the 28th of June 2020 from 12:00 to 17:00. You can find the MeetFactory at Ke Sklárně 3213/15 Prague 5.

There are many options when it comes to eco-friendly fashion in Prague. If you prefer finding your pieces online, several local online shops offer a selection of sustainable fashion ranges.

Find Your New Favourites in a Curated Selection

The online boutique Freshlables.cz features a section exclusively for sustainable fashion. They offer a variety of men’s and women’s sustainable fashion as well as a wide choice of clutches, bags, and backpacks. Freshlables.cz also has sustainable swimwear, which is a frequently overlooked item within the eco-friendly fashion world. To explore their rich selection go to Freshlables.cz and hit “Featured Sustainable Products” within the men’s and women’s categories. In addition, Freshlables has an entire sustainable store on Milady Horákové 11, Prague 7, which you can check out Monday through Saturday from 11:00 to 19:00.

Accessories Done Right 

Fashion is nothing without the right accessories. BeWooden is a Czech brand that creates bowties, jewelry, and adorable animal brooches out of excess wood from local woodworking shops. Every piece is handmade and comes with a lifetime warranty. If you are curious about their avant-garde accessories visit them at Kuráž, Veletržní 48, Prague 7 – Letná, where you can find a myriad of sustainable stylish accessories.

A Fresh Take on Footwear 

If you are on the lookout for stylish shoes, locally based Bohempia creates shoes from sustainably sourced hemp. They seek to create environmental and social sustainability in fashion, and chose to bring hemp back into the forefront of sustainable materials. Their shoes are made locally in small workshops around Europe, so Bohempia has control over the environment and conditions their workers work in.

The Progressive Project 

Finally, the Czech brand Snuggs created a line of “period panties” aimed at maximum comfort and security during menstruation. The reusable underwear helps reduce the amount of waste and waste packaging coming from single use period products. Snuggs combine the respect our bodies deserve with respect for the environment. The Snuggs project shows that what we wear can have a direct positive impact on the efforts to reduce resource consumption. To find them visit their website or check out @snuggswear on Instagram.

These local brands and shops are all contributing to reducing the global ecological impact of fast fashion.  Thanks to them, finding eco-friendly fashion in Prague has become a worthwhile pursuit. Small changes in our habits can lead to big differences in the fashion world, without compromising on style.