The 2024 Guide to Sustainable Commuting – Workwear

If you’re worried about the environmental impact of commuting to London, The 2024 Guide to Sustainable Commuting does the hard work for you, by researching planet-friendly options for everything involved with going to the office.  From recommending the most ethically produced work clothes and kit to the most sustainable (and hopefully independent)  places to buy coffee, snacks and lunch close to your London office locations.

This month we’re looking at the options for choosing sustainable work wear for commuters and whilst the definition of workwear these days is a moot point,  it turns out that – with a bit of research – there are both formal and informal options from a variety of sources.

Quality Lasts

Buying less, better quality clothes for work that will stand up to the commute long term is a great place to start, when trying to lessen the impact of your purchasing. Invest your budget wisely with clothes that fit well, you love wearing and are hard wearing.  If you dress formally for work look at Tranzend who create wearable, long lasting suits, or for more casual commuters try Finisterre – originally a surfing brand but now with a broad clothing line for men and women and great sustainability approach.

Second hand

Buying second hand is not something that you might have thought of when it comes to work clothes, but it allows you to buy higher quality suits and formal wear for your budget whilst helping the environment by giving clothes a longer life, reducing their impact.  Resale sites to look out for include Vestiaire Collective,  The Cirkel and Zeus Vintage.

Small can be best

Look out for clothing companies who produce clothes in small batches, minimising waste.  Another key word can be deadstock fabric, where designers buy up left over fabric and design a range specifically to use up another manufacturer’s waste fabric.  Look up Alchemy London.

The high street options

Unsurprisingly, some larger retailers are picking up on the need to review the environmental impact of their clothing as customers become more aware of the issues. Classic suit brand Moss now offers a men’s suit range which is 85% sourced from sustainable sources for example. Whilst Next offers a suit range which uses partly or completely recycled materials (read the descriptions carefully).

Vegan

Buying vegan clothing avoids the carbon impact of animal products, although the alternative materials used need to be carefully reviewed to ensure that you are buying a sustainable option. King and Allen offer vegan suits  in a variety of fabric options, including bamboo and hemp.

If you’re looking for a new London office, get in touch with our Sales team at LentaSpace.  With 13 London locations – all in walking distance of mainline or underground stations – we are sure to be able to help you make a sustainable commuting choice.