Are you new to the sustainable fashion world, and in need of some advice on where to begin? Or maybe you’re a seasoned thrift shopper, looking to keep up with the latest research? Wherever you are on your journey, you’ll find something from The Good Goods: the leading media platform for responsible fashion.
Sustainable fashion is having a moment, to say the least. With the climate crisis growing more visible by the day, consumers are looking for more sustainable alternatives to everything and anything. And fashion, the clothes we put on our backs, is no exception. Unsurprisingly, the conversation around sustainable fashion has grown over the years. Leading the charge from France is The Good Goods, the media platform that’s all about responsible fashion. Boasting a wealth of online resources and learning content, The Good Goods is out to support citizens, consumers, and the industry, in the ecological transition.
Why The Good Goods?
We spoke to Thibault Satto, co-founder of The Good Goods, who told us that since its founding in 2017, The Good Goods has seen the fashion industry change. Satto shares that at the time, sustainable fashion was in desperate need of a style rebrand. Sustainable fashion had a real image problem. And there wasn’t very much information on how to care for garments. (Or much information on anything about sustainable fashion, really.)
Over the past years, Satto says that awareness has grown. Yet, he adds: “fashion remains one of the most polluting industries. Purchases will still have an impact. No brand is perfect. There are so many things we could do to make fashion more sustainable.” For example, “brands need to work on their business model: exaggerated margins, low quality and overproduction are still dominant practices within the industry. But this ancient model is not compatible with the societal challenges that we’re facing.”
And even though it might feel like sustainable fashion is somewhat mainstreamed at this point, Satto says that “we need to keep in mind that we only represent a small part of the population. We still need to spread the word.” Enter, The Good Goods…
What is The Good Goods?
The Good Goods has an array of different content types for anyone who wants to learn more about responsible fashion. From traditional to new media formats, they’ve got it all. Their online magazine, The Good Goods, presents accessible and informative articles (without a paywall) for any kind of reader. Where do you find masculine, responsible, plus-sized fashion brands? How do you recognise greenwashing online? Looking to start reading up on sustainable fashion? What books do you start with? These are the kinds of questions that you’ll find answers to on The Good Goods.
As Satto says, whether you’re still addicted to fast fashion, or if you call yourself an “eco-warrior”? Everyone will find something for them. The Good Goods, he shares, is “like a good fashion magazine that also provides tips for readers to limit the impact of their consumption.” And if reading isn’t for you, then the On(Ward) Fashion podcast might be something you want to tune into. The podcast, aimed at sharing best practices between all actors within the fashion industry, deep-dives into highly specific information. Within the various episodes, you’ll find something covering almost every step of the supply chain, and solutions to reduce the impact of these steps.
While it’s meant for an audience that has a background in fashion business, those who want to upgrade their sustainable fashion knowledge will benefit too. You’ll find episodes about sustainable materials, traceability, packaging solutions, logistics, and more. But if all of that sounds intimidating to you? The Good Goods has more to offer…
The Good Goods’ interactive map and online directory: 120 stores and brands to shop responsibly
Ever felt like you didn’t know where to go to shop responsibly? Even with the online guides on how to identify greenwashing, have you felt lost in trying to figure out what’s really sustainable or not? Then The Good Goods’ interactive map is the tool you’re going to want to bookmark.
In line with their goal to make responsible fashion more accessible, The Good Goods has recently launched an online map, which allows you to find eco-responsible fashion stores and secondhand shops in over 30 cities in France. And if you chance upon them in real life, you’ll be able to identify them with a “Referenced by The Good Goods” sticker.
Not your average interactive map
You might be asking: how do I know that this vetting process is credible? What work has gone into making sure that these stores are “eco-responsible”? Well, we had the same question, so we asked Satto all about the process.
Satto shares that first and foremost, their criteria for selection includes style. (Because, as he’s shared earlier, The Good Goods is all about giving sustainable fashion a good name!) So you know that whenever you find a The Good Goods approved store, you’ll be in for a visual treat. Then, the brands have to meet the social and environmental criteria. Brands have to sign a commitment charter, in which they declare a few things. They will have to ensure all employees in the production chain receive an appropriate wage, according to the International Labour Organization.
With regard to the environment, they will have to commit to consistently trying to reduce their ecological footprint and impact. And while doing so, disclose, with full transparency, the strengths and weaknesses of their production methods. To make doubly sure of these commitments, The Good Goods requires brands to provide documentation, in the form of labels, third-party audits, CSR reports, etc.
“Information and access to existing solutions are crucial to support the ecological transition of the fashion industry,” explains Victoire Satto, co-founder of The Good Goods. “This is why The Good Goods highlights concretely committed brands, in order to encourage more responsible consumption choices.”
The product of all this is an interactive map, integrated with an online directory. Where you’ll be able to see, at a glance, over 120 stores and brands that are actually doing responsible fashion. You’ll find brands that focus on upcycling, craftsmenship, slow design, vegan materials, social commitments—and more! (And you can sort the brands by these categories too.) When you click onto any of these, you’ll find a writeup from The Good Goods team explaining all about why they’re actually responsible.
The Good Goods’ La Bible du Vintage: a free e-book for all things secondhand
And if you thought that was all—The Good Goods has more for you. Available for download now is a La Bible du Vintage, The Vintage Bible: a guide for consumers new and old to the world of secondhand. From key and influential personalities and figures in the space to tidbits of fashion history, from tips for styling secondhand to how-tos on caring for vintage clothing, and of course a directory of the best physical and digital addresses for responsible fashion, The Vintage Bible is the online resource that you need to download right now. There’s never been a more comprehensive free e-book on all things secondhand—and it’s stylishly designed too.
Why The Vintage Bible? Well, The Good Goods is here to sharing the keys to responsible consumption with as many consumer-citizens as possible. They want to help you figure out how—and why—you should start shopping secondhand. And offer their expertise in the fashion industry to share a little about the history of it all too. Cheekily named The Vintage Bible, Satto says that the e-book is meant to be timeless, and a reference guide for all things sustainable fashion.
Prefer analogue? Satto says that they’ve been asked many times for a paper version.
“Some say that we’re working on it,” he shares. “Stay tuned!”
The Good Goods says that when the secondhand market exploded, quite recently, many found a lack of support for the transition. Consumers were at a loss, and so The Good Goods, with their knowledge and passion for vintage, co-created this book with a few special guests. That is: the online vintage marketplace CrushON, the graphic design and communication studio Aube Studio, and nine influential personalities in the vintage fashion space. You’ll have to download the e-book to find out who they are.
The Good Goods: the sustainable fashion expert and resource, accessible for all
With a variety of online articles, info-heavy podcast episodes, an online map and directory, and a free e-book? The Good Goods is becoming one of our sustainable fashion bookmarks too. Especially in a world where it’s hard to find credible, accessible information online. Check out The Good Goods today. PS: they’ll be at the MARKETPLACE of The Conscious Festival in Paris, and they’re also a media partner—so look forward to some special podcast episodes in time to come!