A Guide to Sustainable Canadian Work-From-Home Athleisure Wear

Looking for ethical options for athleisure wear? Here's A Guide to Sustainable Canadian Work-From-Home Athleisure Wear!

Don't judge but I've spent the last seven weeks rotating through my go-to athletic wear, clothing I normally put on after a long day of work, now the days are melting into each other and I am pretty sick of my comfy clothing! LOL!

The idea is to FEEL good while you shelter in place. I also wanted to highlight some smaller, local and sustainable brands, they could really use the love right now.

How to shop for sustainable athleisure wear?

1. Pick the right materials: Avoid synthetic fabrics like polyester, acrylic, nylon, rayon, acetate, spandex, latex, and Kevlar. Synthetic (chemically produced) fabrics are made by joining monomers into polymers, through a process called polymerization.

Synthetic fabrics contain plastic which causes major issues with our waterways thanks to the microplastics that break off during the wash cycle.

Opt for natural fibers like organic cotton, hemp, merino wool, and linen.

2. Pick pieces you can wear again: At some point we are going to be let out of the house, so make sure to pick pieces that you can wear again, outside of the home.

3. Pick the right brands: It’s important to choose brands that are sustainable right from the manufacturing process to how they treat and pay their workers.

The fashion industry has a very large footprint in terms of water, chemicals, dyes, and energy used in the manufacturing process.

Talk to the brand directly if you are not sure. To ensure the people making the clothes are paid and treated fairly, look for companies that produce here in Canada, they are less likely to be using sweatshops, and look for third-party certification as well. Especially if there are claims being made you are not sure about. Fair Trade and SA8000 are both good ones to look out for.

Our top picks for Sustainable Canadian Work-From-Home Athleisure Wear

Sit back, relax and get ready to "add to cart"!

1. Ace Athletics

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Ace Athletics is made for women who love to move but still want a stylish, feminine, and sustainable brand to choose from. If you love tennis and want a winning serve Ace offers a gorgeous range of tennis gear including tops, skirts, and leggings! Female-owned Ace was created on the belief that you can have a dual-function design that can "not only keep up with you on the court but be an everyday staple no matter your pursuit". Sustainability is at the heart of Ace Athletics, all of their fabrics are made from nearly 100% recycled fibers, including recycled plastic bottles and containers (rPET) which "uses 33-53% less energy than regular polyester and can be re-recycled".

All of the cotton they use is rain-fed which means no artificial irrigation is used, only rainwater! From farm to fashion, gotta love that!

You don't have to compromise style or comfort with Ace. All of their garments are made mindfully and designed in Vancouver, BC, with a strong commitment to eco-friendly processes and sustainable practices. By keeping their entire process local, they are able to maintain premium quality control in every detail and ensure all of their design and production work meets their standards for sustainability.

2. Seed

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How hip is Seed? These cute pieces are made with hemp and organic cotton. I love the fact that 80 percent of the dyes used are from the roots and leaves of plants.

By leading the way in local hemp manufacturing, "crop to top" as they call it, they have created a fun way for people to join the movement toward a 100% local supply chain. Seed’s way of life is local to the bone. Because what’s more communal than growing clothing together right in your own black dirt? From crop to top, in Cochrane, Alberta. This edgy brand carries statement pants, tops, and jumpers.

3. Public Myth

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All of their garments are designed and manufactured in North America, predominantly Canada, just a few blocks away from Vancouver, B.C. HQ. This ensures products come from a safe working environment with fair treatment and pay for everyone involved.

They use Organic Cotton Bamboo Fleece. This ethically made fabric is a blend of 60% organic cotton and 40% bamboo viscose. Milled in Montreal, it is fully sustainable and ecologically friendly.

Although organic cotton is already softer than conventional cotton, the bamboo added to this fleece makes it stand out. Because of how soft and eco-friendly this fabric is, it’s incomparable to traditional fleece.

4. Daub & Design

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Canadian designed and manufactured, every piece is hand-dyed or printed in Canada. Each piece is unique and focuses on performance, quality, and sustainable fabrics for core pieces. Everything is designed and manufactured with OEKO-TEX Standard fabrics. They are also made to last, which is an important aspect of the slow fashion movement. They use a dye process called “exhausting the dye bath” which the brand says "means that our clothes are made using only the correct amount of water, non-toxic dyes, and fixatives required to achieve the desired results. All the water we use is re-used as much as possible in an effort to reduce waste, and each fabric chosen in the collections has been carefully considered with this in mind." You will find leggings, undies and other basics to suit your needs.

5. Inner Fire

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Made in Canada! In Vancouver, BC. Made from Recycled Bottles, and eco-friendly inks. Their antimicrobial material is made from shellfish! Shellfish allergies? No worries! Shellfish allergies come from proteins, and no proteins are contained in this Chitosante!

Also, no shellfish are harmed in the process. Inner Fire uses shells recycled from the Food industry – this is their best way of avoiding harsh chemicals. So cool! You can shop for sports bras, tops, bottoms, dresses, rompers, swimsuits and rompers and joggers.

6. Smash + Tess

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Smash + Tess creates signature Rompers made from an incredibly soft and high-quality fabric that is a Rayon from Bamboo and Cotton blend. Each romper is made to order which helps to slow down the fashion cycle and make smaller batch quantities, reducing waste.

They produce in their backyard under our watchful eyes to ensure that clothing is made in the very best working conditions by skilled and talented seamsters. Gotta love that! Look for the Shorty Romper and the Romperalls! Also, love the fact that they make some of the BEST eco-friendly T-shirts on the market!

7. Nominou

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NoMiNoU brings our Canadian heritage to life. Working with local native artists, NoMiNoU gives a portion of sales back to them, the brand adds:

"The artists we partner with receive above industry average commission fees for their art and royalties for each garment sold, and they are honored through all marketing channels."

High-waisted, and made from recycled plastic bottles, this Canadian brand is definitely one of my favorites.

Every collection I create embodies a love of life, learning, and growing through kindness and awareness. All nourishing to our minds, bodies, and souls, while keeping us grounded in the importance of living life with purpose and grace. That is the spirit of NoMiNoU. Shop for sports bras, capris, shorts, leggings, dresses, and much more. Each item is so unique and so beautiful!

8. Tentree

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Each product tells a story of tentree and its mission: to protect the world we play in. For each item sold a tree is planted. They use responsibly sourced materials and give the guarantee of safe and respectful work environments.

So, by the time your tentree product arrives to you, you know that its journey was defined by the smallest environmental footprint, and made proudly by people treated fairly and with dignity. I love their transparency, you can read more on their website. And you can find them in SO many blogs here on The Hub including sustainable bras, ethical winter hats, slow fashion brands, warm winter sweaters, sustainable men's clothing, eco-friendly socks, eco-friendly t-shirts, ethical PJs, and even sustainable backpacks!

9. Yoga Jeans

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Yoga Jeans prides itself on responsible, eco-friendly, and sustainable materials and methods of production.

They have built a high-quality, eco-conscious brand with jeans 100-per-cent made in their own Canadian factory using the latest laser and wash technologies to reduce their environmental footprint. Style is always on point - from vintage vibes to hipster chic.

All of their suppliers are "carefully screened for quality, traceability, sustainability, and social responsibility. We only work with a handful of trusted sources that share these same values that define our brand."

Their collection of sustainable denim is truly impressive. Find a wide range of colors, sweatshirts, shorts, and joggers. I want them all!

The majority of their denim is certified BCI (Better Cotton Initiative), Cotton Leads, organic, recycled, Repreve, and/or Eco T-400. They use innovative green technology in laser form to distress their jeans, this means they reduce water consumption, use less energy, and have fewer chemicals.

A final word on Work-From-Home Athleisure Wear

We have strict rules when it comes to the brands that we featured here on The Eco Hub. 

If you are looking for affordable ethical brands on a budget, we've got you covered and make sure you check out our curated brand directory. And remember you can find a great selection of jeans and other activewear in thrift stores across the county and if you are new to thrifting these 10 tips will help!

If you found this post helpful, please help someone by sharing this article – sharing is caring 🙂!

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