20 Podcasts To Help You Learn About Sustainable Fashion Effortlessly

Do you want to know more about sustainable and ethical fashion, but you don’t have enough time to sit down and study? I got you! Here’s a list of 20 top-rated podcasts I recommend and that you can listen to on your way to work/school, while you’re doing chores, or whenever you want.

Whether you’re a newbie or a sustainable fashion advocate, I’m sure you’ll learn something new. Let’s get into it!

1. Wardrobe Crisis

Hosted by Clare Press – fashion journalist and sustainability editor – Wardrobe Crisis is a podcast that wants to make a difference in the world and raise awareness about sustainable and ethical fashion. Each week Clare interviews experts – brand owners and founders, designers, activists, and more – to bring their experience and voice directly to us.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• Sustainable Fashion is a Lie Without Garment Workers at the Table with Nazma Akter, founder of the Awaj Foundation. Nazma started out as a fashion worker when she was only 11 and has been fighting to improve fashion workers’ rights in Bangladesh for 30 years.
• Degendering Fashion with Alok Vaid-Menon, gender-nonconforming poet, author, artist, and designer. In this episode, questions that are as controversial as they are juicy are addressed, such as “Are we dressing to fit an idea of what women or men should be, or are we dressing for ourselves?”

2. Dressed: The History of Fashion

Cassidy Zachary and April Calahan are the hosts of Dressed: the History of Fashion, a podcast that has an archive of 250+ episodes and explores the social and cultural histories of fashion. If there’s one single thing that over 7 billion people in the world have in common is that every day we all get dressed. As such, we all need to understand who and what is behind the clothes we wear.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• The Red Dress Embroidery Project with Kirstie Macleod, the British artist who conceived the project. This episode reveals the stories behind the project that aimed at empowering women artisans around the world to share their stories through embroidery.
• Vintage Style Not Vintage Values with Dandy Wellington, bandleader and style activist who widely discusses the power and joy of vintage dressing today.

3. Business with Purpose

The fashion blogger Molly Stillman hosts Business with Purpose and interviews entrepreneurs who believe in changing the world through not only their personal lives, but also their professional careers. As we all vote with our money, this podcast gives inspiration for how we can all make an impact by supporting businesses that have a good purpose. The podcast isn’t all about fashion, but a couple of episodes are a must listen.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• Ethical Fashion, COVID19, & Pursuing a Dream with Paola Masperi, founder of Mayamiko, an ethical and zero-waste fashion brand. Paola explains how to create women’s clothing from pre-consumer waste and fabric deadstock by combining traditional Malawian and Italian craftsmanship techniques.
• Sustainably Growing a Sustainable Fashion Brand with Belinda Kazanci, founder of Bel Kazan, an ethical womenswear brand. Belinda started Bel Kazan after a life-changing journey to Bali. Listen in to find out how vibrant textiles and joyful Balinese people inspired her career.

4. Sustainably Influenced

Bianca Foley and Charlotte Williams are two influencers who host Sustainably Influenced, a podcast that wants to encourage people to make a difference. They interview experts in sustainability and ethical living both to shed a light on the many terms used across industries and also to discuss the different aspects of living a conscious lifestyle.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• Fixing Fashion with Josephine Phillips, founder of Sojo. After realizing that the second-hand clothes she felt in love with were never her size and there’s no convenient way to get them altered, Josephine created Sojo, the first UK app that simplifies clothing alteration and repair.
• Why sustainable fashion can’t be cheap with Harriet Saywood-Bellisario, designer and creative director of Saywood, an ethical womenswear brand. If you’ve ever wondered “Why is sustainable fashion so expensive?” this episode is meant for you.

5. The Sustainable Lifestyle Podcast

Thanks to their background as stylists, in The Sustainable Lifestyle Podcast Lauren Engelke and Kaitlynn Gee unveil styling tricks about how to dress sustainably without sacrificing style. They think that a minimalist wardrobe cannot only help the environment, but it can also help you find your best personal style ever.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• Style Yourself Sustainably and Ethically. We don’t need to pollute the environment or exploit people to dress. In this episode, Lauren and Kaitlynn share useful guidelines we can follow day by day.
• Cotton Farming in India – A Major Problem with Horrific Consequences. In this episode, an Indian cotton farmer talks about the terrible consequences – sometimes deadly – of cotton crops and the role of pesticides.

6. Conscious Chatter

Hosted by Kestrel Jenkins, Conscious Chatter explores the importance of resourcefulness, questions conscious consumerism, and works to deconstruct how oppressive systems impact the sustainable fashion space. On Conscious Chatter, you can listen to conversations about stories, meanings, and impacts connected to what we wear.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• Maggie Marilyn: Transparency, Responsibility And Accountability, the need to align Values with Business Models. Kestrel interviews Maggie Hewitt, founder and designer of Maggie Marilyn, a brand that is working towards a more transparent, circular, regenerative, and inclusive fashion industry.
• Selina Sanders: Upcycling, How Fashion Creates Culture, How Her Philippine Heritage Influences The Brand’s Aesthetic. Selina is a slow fashion artisan who after over a decade of working as a fashion designer has started her label to help reduce the industry’s carbon footprint through an environmentally responsible brand.

7. Common Threads

Common Threads is a podcast about a style that doesn’t compromise on sustainability, hosted by ethical fashion writer Ruth MacGilp and stylist Alice Cruickshank. Ruth and Alice believe that fashion should respect both people and the planet, as such they explore all the possible ways we have to build a better industry by talking to fashion insiders.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• How to Start an Ethical Fashion Brand with Lora Nikolaeva, owner of the ethical brand Lora Gene. After over 10 years, Lora has plenty of advice on how new brands can build a sustainable business of their own.
• How to Break Up with Fast Fashion with Lauren Bravo, the author of “How to Break up with Fast Fashion”. Lauren chats about her journey to a more sustainable wardrobe and has many helpful tips for people looking to quit fast fashion for good.

8. Style & Sustain – The podcast

Amma Aburam defines her Style & Sustain podcast as a place for people who want to wear clothes and also make the world a better place. Amma loves to share about her journey from fast-fashion addict to sustainable fashion advocate, plus she interviews trailblazers that have inspired her shift with the purpose to inspire others.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• 3 ways to inspire people to dress more consciously. It’s vital to know how to correctly inspire people to be more conscious and sustainable. Amma shares three DOs and DON’Ts based on her personal experience.
• Style & Omi Na-Na with Esha Ahmed, founder of Omi Na-Na. In this episode, Esha talks about the craftsmanship behind her brand, and also about the hidden realities of Indian garment workers.

9. Pre-Loved Podcast

Whether you want to know more about recycling, upcycling, reuse, vintage style, reselling, and more, Pre-Loved Podcast has what you need. Emily Stochl hosts the podcast and talks about rad vintage style with guests you’ll want to go thrifting with.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• Orsola de Castro: co-founder of Fashion Revolution Week. Emily and Orsola chat about how to upcycle, how to grow a sustainable fashion movement and, most importantly, how to love our clothes.
• Rory Westbrook of True Vintage. This episode is great! Are you curious to know the “secrets of success” of a sustainable business built from scratch? Listen to Rory’s story to find out how he went from reselling vintage in his university dorm room to becoming one of the biggest online retailers of iconic 90s vintage in Europe.

10. Spirit of 608

Spirit of 608 is a podcast hosted by the fashion journalist Lorraine Sanders where stories, tips, and advice from women who have a lot to say about fashion, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and tech are collected. Listen in to know more about facing business challenges, balancing life and entrepreneurship, and even empowering others through positive messages.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• From Food to Fashion with Nicole Rawling, co-founder of the Material Innovation Initiative, a nonprofit that partners with brands and manufacturers to develop innovative and sustainable materials. Lorraine and Nicole chat about the next generation of textiles and the future of fashion.
• Creating Better Sleep with Sustainable, Science-Backed Clothing in Switzerland with Catarina Dahlin, co-founder of Dagsmejan. This sleepwear brand has an international reach thanks to its ethically produced and sleep-promoting fabrics, which are great for regulating body temperature and reducing friction against the skin.

11. Love to Sew Podcast

Do you love to sew or would you like to start? I have the right podcast for you! Helen Wilkinson and Caroline Somos host Love to Sew, a weekly podcast about making clothes, the sewing community, and small businesses. Helen and Caroline talk about their passion for sewing a handmade wardrobe and also interview business owners and sewists to inspire others.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• Zero Waste Sewing delves into sewing practices and techniques to both reduce fabric waste and sustainably revolutionize habits.
• Beginner Q&A. Want to start but don’t know where? In this episode, all the beginner sewists’ questions – from machine threading to fitting muslins – are covered.

12. Sustainable Talks with N&N

Sustainable Talks with N&N is hosted by two friends who have been working for more than 15 years in the fashion supply chain. No one better than them can make some clarity together with the most sustainable players of the fashion industry, which is – according to the hosts – “a black hole”.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• Recycling Ocean Plastic with Thomas Schori, founder of Tide Ocean, a fashion brand that turns plastic waste into new fabrics. Many companies talk about recycled ocean plastic, but only a few do it for real. Thomas tells us how he managed to cover the whole chain, from picking up the bottle until the finished fabric.
• The Appleskin Material with Hannes Parth, entrepreneur and inventor of Appleskin, an innovative vegan leather made from apple by-product.

13. The Wardrobe Shift

Hosted by Jessica Ramoshaba – South African fashion editor, stylist, and fashion speaker – The Wardrobe Shift tackles wardrobe and style questions. Her “Styling Classes” are full of shopping tips intended to practically assist on how to be sustainable and on style.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• Styling Class: Tips on how to wear all your clothes in your closet. This episode focuses on style solutions for women for wearing all the clothes in your wardrobe, as such avoiding over shopping or duplication.
• Styling Class: How to plan your wardrobe like a Fashion Editor. This episode tries to solve the “I have nothing to wear syndrome” we all experience. Here is a fashion editor hack that will help you plan your wardrobe better and save money.

14. Big Closets Small Planet

Mike Schragger – founder of the Sustainable Fashion Academy – hosts Big Closets Small Planet and explores the challenges and solutions needed to rapidly transform the fashion industry. He talks with business leaders, activists, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and consumers who are striving to transform the industry, thus ensuring it operates for the benefit of people and the planet.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• Fact or Fiction: Does the apparel industry really create more greenhouse gases than flights and shipping combined? There’s only one way to find if it’s true or not: take a listen to this episode.
• Inspiring Innovation: apparel industry = waste. What are the most innovative solutions for turning mountains of textile waste into valuable resources and for reducing the amount of overall waste? Mike interviews three innovation experts.

15. Ethical Fashion Podcast

Ethical Fashion Podcast is powered by Ethical Fashion Initiative – a program that acts to connect marginalized artisan communities with some of the biggest international fashion brands – and is hosted by UN officer Simone Cipriani and sustainable fashion journalist Clare Press. Their episodes explore social and environmental justice, inclusivity, sustainable development, and mostly the issues driving the ethical fashion.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• Overproducing & Undervaluing Fashion – Slow Fashion Seasons. Fashion’s discount culture, sped-up sales cycles, and overproduction are out of control: let’s find out how we can consciously slow down and love what we buy.
• What is the Future of Fashion Weeks? In this episode, the hosts talk with their guests about what’s wrong with the old system of international fashion weeks, and about how we might redesign the format to make it less polluting and more inclusive.

16. D Sustainability Issue

Dessie Georgieva hosts D Sustainability Issue, a podcast about sustainable fashion and mindfulness. Dessie is on a mission to make sustainable and ethical fashion the new normal. As such, she talks to industry insiders and researches the best and worst practices of the industry while taking a mindful approach.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• 8 Ways To Make Your Wardrobe More Sustainable. A few simple tips for a more sustainable wardrobe – from renting to second-hand shopping – you can easily take away for your daily life.
• Racism and the Fashion Industry. In this episode, Dessie sheds some light on the many ways in which racism is embedded in the fashion system and explains how we can help.

17. Well Dressed with Gemma McLean

Gemma McLean – a Style Coach and sustainable fashion advocate – hosts Well Dressed, a podcast about fashion wellness, and how we can use our clothes to create positive changes in our life. Did you know that what we wear affects our everyday lives, moods, and cognitive processes? Gemma explains why and shares her knowledge on creating a wardrobe we truly love.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• Hoarder to Capsule Wardrobe – How to break up with Fast Fashion. If you’re looking to reduce your closet and dress more mindfully, Gemma’s journey from weekly shopper and hoarder to low-buyer will inspire you for sure.
• Are you dressing for the life you want or the life you have? Using your wardrobe to manifest! This episode is great! It’s about how we can use our everyday outfits to level up our lives and live as if we already have our dream life.

RELATED: Is A Capsule Wardrobe A Sustainable Wardrobe?

18. The Eco Warrior Princess Podcast

Jennifer Nini hosts The Eco Warrior Princess Podcast which isn’t all about ethical fashion, but also environmentalism, eco-living, and green living. Jennifer wants to redefine what it means to live sustainability.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• Sascha Camilli: Vilda Magazine, Vegan Fashion and Living Cruelty-Free. Sasha is the founder and editor of Vildamagazine.com, the first digital vegan fashion magazine. In this episode, you’ll learn about the sustainability benefits of a plant-based lifestyle and how to build a cruelty-free wardrobe.
• Jackie Ruddock: Entrepreneurship, Ethical Fashion and The Social Outfit. Jackie is the founder of The Social Outfit, a social enterprise and ethical fashion brand. In this episode, she shares precious pieces of advice for those keen to make a difference in the world.

19. Sustainable Fashion by Gaia & Dubos

Léonie Daignault-Leclerc hosts Sustainable Fashion by Gaia & Dubos, a podcast that is all about sustainable fashion and mindfulness. She strongly believes that together, we can change the fashion industry – one garment at a time, one person at a time. She explores the reasons why the industry is not sustainable and tells us how to stop buying cheap and trendy clothes.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• 7 reasons why recycled plastic fabrics are so eco-friendly. Léonie chats about why, according to her, the recycled plastic fabric is one of the most eco-friendly materials out there.
• Can wool be ethical & eco-friendly? What’s your opinion? Léonie decrypts everything we need to know about wool in this episode. Take a listen to it.

20. Style With Substance

Style With Substance is a sustainable lifestyle podcast hosted by Lucy Kebbell, fashion stylist and writer. Lucy explores greenwashing and the myths that surround sustainable fashion and she is joined by industry insider guests to discuss fashion habits that give back to the planet.

Episodes you can’t miss out:

• Support Garment Workers with Sophie Slater, co-founder of Birdsong, a London based fashion label. Sophie and Lucy talk about the role sexism and racism play in the unfair treatment of garment workers, historically underpaid and undervalued.
• What Makes Linen So Sustainable with Lea Wieser, co-founder of Arkitaip, a brand that creates timeless pieces from linen. In this episode, the secrets of linen and why it’s good for our skin as well as our planet are unveiled.