Where to Shop Sustainably - Twin Cities
Photo Cred: Grace Stillman
Spoils of Wear
http://www.spoilsofwear.com/
Spoils of Wear may look just like your favorite boutique clothing store through the window.
...but look closely and you’ll be happy to find the pieces are high-quality, surprisingly affordable, sustainable, and beautiful!
Located at Selby and Snelling in St. Paul, Owner Jill does the hard work of finding products that focus on local production, organic textiles, and fair trade practices so that we don’t have to. With brands like Loup, Grocery Apparel, and local darlings Global Mamas, you can feel good about supporting companies that believe in empowerment for both maker and consumer through sustainable practices in the fashion industry. The store is also dog friendly, and if you’re lucky you might be greeted by the shop pugs, Daisy and Ollie!
Arlee Park
https://arleepark.com
This south-Minneapolis newcomer is a rarity: an instagram-worthy shop with all vintage and secondhand items.
Twin sisters Ashley and Jamie opened Arlee Park when they outgrew their Etsy store and decided to set up physical shop in their hometown. Now you can walk through their beautiful and carefully curated store, try on a pair of hand-selected vintage Levis, and pick up a perfect little vintage addition for your bar cart instead of scouring through a giant, fluorescent-lit thrift megastore. We couldn’t agree more with their sentiment about buying vintage: “Vintage equals recycled, vintage equals sustainable, and we think that’s pretty great.”
Hazel & Rose
https://www.shophazelandrose.com/
A bit more upscale, Hazel & Rose is the “it” destination for one-of-a-kind handmade items, local designers, and sustainable high fashion in the Twin Cities.
Owners Emma and Bobbi take their responsibility for sustainable and ethical fashion very seriously. They have three requirements for goods carried in the shop: well made, sustainably made, and ethically made. The sleek and minimal store also has a great selection of cruelty-free and natural skin care and make-up products. Plus, they share a building with Spyhouse Coffee! So, grab a friend and make a fun morning out of it. Remember to bring your reusable mug if you’re taking your tea to-go!
Junket: Tossed & Found
Located in the heart of the Minnehaha Mile vintage and antique shops, Junket takes the saying “one person’s junk is another person’s treasure” to heart!
From vintage goods and secondhand creative supply to local art made using castoff elements, this two story shop gives a second chance to tons (literally - they weigh and classify purchases made at Junket to understand how our individual day-to-day consumption habits impact global issues such as climate disruption and waste diversion) of “junk” from ending up in landfills. Need help figuring out what to do with this stuff? They also offer sustainably-minded classes throughout the year, like art-journaling and collaging with recycled materials or learning to mend your favorite items of clothing.
Moss Envy
For sustainable home goods, furniture, mattresses and more (think gifts, jewelry, and bath and body), Moss Envy has the widest collection in the cities.
Self-proclaimed “eco-entrepreneurs” Tina and Ryan North vet every product in their Minneapolis storefront and online shop to ensure they aren’t just “green-washed” (claiming to be earth-friendly with no clear definition of what that means). They’ve even developed their own "eco-labels" so customers could quickly identify what makes a particular product eco-friendly (such as fair trade, vegan, reclaimed, or organic).
Written by Natasha Brownlee.