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This post is done in collaboration with Universal Standard
Universal Standard was created in 2015 by two women Alex and Polina with a goal – to provide stylish clothing for women of all shapes and sizes.
…which insanely enough, most fashion brands today don’t think about (and the ones that do – don’t always produce ethically).
With a melted heart, I discovered US was a brand by women, for women, strictly working with factories able to present certifications on ethical standards. The founders personally visit and vet every factory US works with (in China, Peru, France, and the USA) and only approve factories determined to be ethical.
Universal Standard has a strong focus on quality of fabrics and garments, essentially ensuring the items will survive many washes and still look great – my #1 rule for a sustainable wardrobe.
Another solid rule to follow – investment in classic styles that’ll complement your existing wardrobe season after season, so there’s no need to re-purchase or replace what you already own. Browsing the Universal Standard website, I realized you’d be able to build a full versatile wardrobe out of US items alone: a wide variety of miniature prints and gorgeous deep solid shades, classic silhouettes, complementary textures like wool and vegan leather, modern outerwear pieces and high quality denim – the collection had it all. Plus, fair prices for the quality you get.
The dress I’m wearing in this post is the Geneva – sold in 7 different colors, made from a Peruvian cotton blend and so endlessly comfortable, I can live in it. Finally bringing me to my favorite sustainability rule: comfort. Deserving of a spotlight in an industry typically driven by fleeting trends, comfort ensures ultimate longevity for our clothes.
Style the Geneva with a coat or blazer, a clutch or a belt bag, boots or sneakers and wear it for literally any occasion – versatility factor is also at the forefront for this dress.
About 3 years ago, before I started learning about the brands I invested in, I had a post here featuring a fast fashion sweater embroidered with #mychoice. I thought “wow, this must be so empowering, I’m supporting a brand taking a stand for women’s rights!” Well… no. Fast fashion items (no matter what the slogan might be) made in sweat shops by women who aren’t paid fairly and are forced to work unrealistic hours in horrible conditions – cannot support women. More people today talk about fast fashion brands’ clear disconnect between seeming to support women and actually doing so – a sharp contrast to Universal Standard: a brand doing this right.
Universal Standard creates pieces in sizes ranging from XXXS to XXXL, allowing women to shop clothing they actually LIKE vs. stressing whether the retailer offers a proper size range. US created a program called Fit Liberty “a revolutionary shopping program that allows you to buy for the size you are right now, in this moment. If your size changes, we’ll replace your clothes and send your new size – for free.” In one of my posts on smart shopping, I mentioned the importance of purchasing for your size and fit – avoid trendy items too big or small, projecting weight and body shape fluctuations, because there’s risk of… just never wearing it. A program like Fit Liberty is instrumental in alleviating stress. The item you exchange will get donated to either First Step or Dress for Success, keeping it safe from landfill.
Universal Standard also has a collection in collaboration with Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black) – comfortable and stretchy enough to be worn during pregnancy & anytime before or after. Which is another incredible sustainability move.
Let’s start a conversation. Tell me a little about yourself and what you thought about the post!
I approach this blog as a diary – taking you on my honest sustainable fashion & lifestyle journey, with sustainability aspects I slowly adopt, struggle with and feel passionate about. I’m building INNABOSE.COM to be an informative, visual & creative resource inspiring even the smallest changes in the world.
GENERAL BLOGGING TOPICS YOU’LL FIND HERE INCLUDE
#sustainablefashion
I’m also a Ukrainian New Yorker – having strong pride and patriotism for both: my homeland 
and my current home 
. For years, I’ve been on a side mission to capture my stunning NYC and elevate the depth and beauty of my Ukrainian culture, fashion and language (some of my posts are in Ukrainian!)
February 24, 2022 – my digital space shifted to include information about russia’s war on Ukraine, the devastation and destruction my home country is dealing with and the bravery, strength and inspiring spirit they are facing it with. A large portion of my posts today highlight Ukrainian brands, fashion, culture & the strong, incredible Ukrainians making gorgeous clothes you can buy & support local businesses, economy & people fighting for freedom every day. We are also a community who donates to Ukrainian organizations found in any of my recent posts!
#standwithukraine
Inna Bose
COPYRIGHT © 2024 INNA BOSE. ANY USE OF IMAGES MUST BE PROPERLY LINKED BACK TO INNABOSE.COM
3 Responses
Hi there! I’m a university student in Canada and I’m currently working on a project for my Fashion Industries class where I chose to feature Universal Standard. A big part of the project is to evaluate a company’s sustainability. At the beginning of your post, you mention that US only works with “factories able to present certifications on ethical standards.” This is the first time I’ve heard this about US and this post is also the first place I’ve seen a list of the countries where they produce clothing. Do you happen to know specifically which certifications the factories need to have? Everything else I’ve seen so far has shown a lack of transparency in Universal Standard, which has been kind of disappointing, but if you know where I could go to see that information and would be willing to share, that would be really helpful!
Hi! Hmmm, interesting and disappointing indeed – I wrote this post in 2019 and haven’t checked in to update – so I’m not sure where the brand stands today or what its production process looks like 3 years later. The information I included here came directly from the US representative I was talking to before agreeing to collaborate. When asked about brand sustainability, here’s what their answer was:
“With regards to sustainability US believes in ethical working conditions + wages, and only works with factories that are able to present certifications such as Bureau Veritas, WRAP, and Intertek. The Founders Alex + Polina personally visit and vet every factory US works with (in China, Peru, France, and the USA). They also only approve factories where they’ve personally determined those working in them are offered fair wages and ethical working conditions. US also donates clothes returned via the Fit Liberty program to Dress for Success, and is committed to plastic-free packaging.”
Have you reached out to the brand directly? They might be able to do a Q&A – I remember I did projects like this in college and usually got the most answers directly from the source. Looks like these emails are the ones to reach out to: pr@universalstandard.net & us@universalstandard.net. Hope this helps, but if you do find out more information, I would love to hear back. I will also see what else I can find out myself.
Thanks so much for getting back to me! That’s really helpful information, so thank you so much for sharing it.