Choosing the right accessory has the power to transform and elevate your entire outfit, from a subtle pair of earrings to a show-stopping statement bag. With the arrival of summer, we’re looking to add fresh touches to our closet. Sleek clutch or chunky shoulder bag? Silk scarf or woven sun hat? These are the decisions we usually consider, but how often do we stop to wonder about how our accessories are made and their impact on the environment?
Investing in sustainability across all aspects of our lives is more important than ever before. Worth understands that navigating the world of high-end accessories with an eye on sustainability and impact can be challenging, so here are 7 ethical and environmentally friendly accessories to help spruce up your sustainable summer wardrobe.
1. Stella McCartney Crossbody Bag
Retail Price: $1,050
If you’re looking for a sleek, multipurpose summer bag, then look no further than the Stella McCartney Crossbody Bag. Coming in a variety of warm, pastel colors and made from recycled materials, the vegan Crossbody Bag is a fantastic sustainable alternative to a traditional leather bag. Stella McCartney’s label designs both ethical and sustainable luxury clothing and accessories, striving “to create the most beautiful, desirable products with the least impact on our environment.” Additionally, all of the brand’s accessories are made from non-leather materials as part of their cruelty-free ethos.
2. Champagne Tulle Scarf from Maison de Mode
Retail Price: $115
Maison de Mode is a brand created specifically for those who are interested in both luxury fashion and in maximizing their sustainable impact. Each Maison de Mode item is categorized with a set of symbols that “stand as a beacon for evolution in industry practices and a platform where commerce is a catalyst for ethical resolution,” allowing buyers to better understand exactly which aspects of each product are sustainable and why. This light embroidered tulle scarf is 100 percent vegan, organic, and hand-made by artisans working under fair wages and safe conditions.
3. Juliette Earrings from AGMES
Retail Price: $280
These statement earrings, combining either Sterling Silver or Gold Vermeil with unique freshwater pearls create a simultaneously sculptural and chic addition to any look. The sister duo behind the New York City based AGMES, Morgan and Jaclyn Solomon, focus on using recycled materials and production processes that “are purposeful, rooted in the knowledge that less—less waste, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, less mindless consumption—is always more.” Furthermore, each piece from AGMES is handcrafted by a team of local artisans, helping to minimize the brand’s carbon footprint.
4. Venezia Sunglasses from Mita
Retail Price: $139
These Venezia Sunglasses, available in three different color schemes, are a bold and elegant statement, reminiscent of smart historical looks worn by Jackie Onassis and Audrey Hepburn. Mita is a brand devoted to creating luxury eyewear out of sustainable, upcycled and recycled materials. The brand’s mission “is to play a significant part in solving the low recycling rates that exist in both the USA & Europe,” turning recycled bottles into refined pieces of eyewear. Moreover, all of their sunglasses provide 100 percent UVA/UVB protection in addition to being lightweight, high quality and eco-friendly.
5. Alphabet Long Wallet from Chloé
Retail Price: $590
This sky blue wallet is the perfect marriage of refined and practical. Made of soft and elegant calfskin, the wallet plays with subtle color and texture to create a sleek and sophisticated aesthetic. Chloé is a brand with a clear set of transparent goals and initiatives that aims to maximize their impact across the board, from gender equality to environmental impact. All of Chloé’s products adhere to their four pillars: “Fair & Equal Opportunities for our people, Responsible Sourcing, Positive Impact on Communities, and Impact on the Planet.”
6. Carron Visor from Gabriela Hearst
Retail Price: $590
Foregrounding a playful braided band against the calm canvas of woven straw, the Carron Visor brings to life summer’s elegant ease. Gabriela Hearst and her namesake brand have often been named a major competitor of Hermés for their rigorous attention to detail and quality. In all of her collections and couture shows, Hearst emphasizes sustainability, minimizing waste with a “no-plastic policy” and designing new clothes using the existing yarns and fabrics from her previous collections. Hearst is also the creative director of Chloé.
7. Marine Serre Reassembled Cutlery Bracelet
Retail Price: $483
Marrying aesthetics from across the past 60 years, from 1960’s dinner parties to punk, this Reassembled Cutlery Bracelet and the rest of Marine Serre’s Reassembled Cutlery Collection lie at the intersection of innovative couture and sustainability. French Haute couture designer Marine Serre launched her eponymous label in 2017 and received the prestigious LVMH Prize the same year. Her brand is one of the most sustainable in the luxury fashion industry—100 percent of its collections are composed of upcycled, organic and recycled materials.
