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Sustainability has become one of the top priorities for consumers in the fashion industry. After decades of unchecked consumption dominated by fast fashion and short-lived trends, shoppers are ready to embrace brands that take a more considerate approach to their environmental and social impact. The Millennial and Gen Z demographics, in particular, have boosted the demand for sustainable fashion brands, setting the scene for a company like ABLE to serve the market with its catalog of ethical and sustainable products.

The ABLE Mission: Move Fashion Forward

ABLE was founded in 2010 with a simple aim—to take the fashion industry beyond its harmful practices and poor working conditions. The company’s founders, Barrett and Rachel Ward, envisioned setting up an organization that benefited women in the workforce while living in Ethiopia. The Wards saw that women from vulnerable communities wanted work opportunities much more than charity handouts, which led them to set up FashionABLE as a non-profit. In 2014, the company was converted to a for-profit entity but did not abandon its stated mission.

The ABLE brand evolved out of FashionABLE’s early projects, which involved working with Ethiopian women who produced handmade scarves. This was ABLE’s first product-manufacturer partnership. Since the company was founded, all of ABLE’s partners have shared its vision of providing women with employment opportunities and fair pay. Today, ABLE works with a global network of manufacturing partners based in Ethiopia, Mexico, Peru, and Brazil.

Closer to home, ABLE has its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee. The company has manufacturing operations in Nashville as well. This is another opportunity for ABLE to further its goals of uplifting women from vulnerable communities. In Nashville, ABLE works with women who have overcome substance addiction issues to manufacture their line of in-house jewelry. In the words of company co-founder Barrett Ward, “If we want to end poverty, we must do two things: Create jobs, and do so for women.”

Given that women make up 80% of the workforce in the fashion industry, ABLE’s goal of female empowerment is a natural fit. Every manufacturer is vetted based on their wage levels, treatment of women workers, as well as the quality of their products. The company’s own workforce also reflects this principle, since over 96% of all ABLE employees are women.

ABLE’s “Move Fashion Forward” mission statement seeks to create a better future, not just for women workers in the fashion industry but also for the planet. In a departure from the harmful trends of fast fashion, ABLE aims to make products that are environmentally friendly and long-lasting. From material choice to production quality, ABLE’s clothes, bags, and jewelry highlight how fashion can benefit buyers, sellers, and the planet itself.

ABLE Clothing: Good for Workers, the Planet, and You!

While ABLE has lofty business principles, the company would not have lasted this long or grown to this size if the products did not live up to their billing. Thankfully, ABLE’s catalog of women’s clothing, leather bags, and jewelry is well-crafted and worth the price.

While we're on the subject of pricing, it's worth noting that ABLE's products come at a higher price point compared to fast fashion brands. Still, the company’s loyal customers are happy to pay a premium for goods that will last them a long time and are aligned with their own beliefs about equality and sustainability. That said, ABLE's products remain more affordable than luxury brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton while offering great benefits to both the environment and the artisans who craft them.

ABLE’s commitment to sustainable and ethical fashion manifests in three key areas.

Sustainable Practices

The fashion industry doesn’t need to plunder the environment to generate output. ABLE is one of the companies leading the way in establishing an environmentally friendly way of manufacturing products. Some of the measures that ABLE has adopted to reduce the company’s environmental impact are:

Using organic and recyclable materials that have a lower environmental impact
Creating long-lasting products that do not need to be disposed of within a year or two of purchase
Reducing waste by reusing scrap materials left over from the production process
Curbing greenhouse gas emissions by forgoing heavy machinery in favor of handmade production methods.

Working Conditions

In 2018, ABLE was one of the first brands to publicly disclose its lowest wages. This showed the company’s commitment to fair pay practices in the fashion industry. ABLE also audits all its suppliers and manufacturers to ensure that they share a common approach to empowering workers. The company’s focus on job creation has given opportunities to women workers from vulnerable communities to earn a steady income.

Sustainable Materials

ABLE makes most of its products from materials that are eco-friendly as well as durable. This ensures that ABLE’s products have longevity and can be reused for many years. Many items from ABLE’s catalog are grown organically, without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. These organic natural fibers include cotton, tencel, lyocell, linen, and hemp.

Even though ABLE products are environmentally friendly, they are not vegan-friendly. The company does use some animal products in its manufacturing process, such as leather, wool, and pearls. However, all their animal products are responsibly sourced from ethical sources that follow sustainable, low-impact production methods.

What People are Saying About ABLE

ABLE has been around for a long time and has become the favored brand for many consumers who prefer ethical fashion over fast fashion. The company’s website has nearly 30,000 reviews, with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. The main question many shoppers will have after hearing about the brand’s mission is whether ABLE is truly sustainable or not.

On that front, the answer is a clear yes. It has received a “Good” rating from organizations that track sustainable brands, including Sustainable Review and Good On You. While there are certain areas that ABLE can still improve, such as its use of animal products, the company is definitely setting a good example for other fashion brands to follow.

If you’re interested in trying ABLE’s clothes and accessories for yourself, this is a great time to get started. ABLE is currently having a Friends & Family Sale, where items on the website are available for a great discount. The promo code “FRIENDS” will get you as much as 25% off! Additionally, signing up for the ABLE mailing list on your first purchase will also get you 20% off, and if your order is worth more than $100, you enjoy free shipping.

As a company, ABLE has realized that fashion doesn’t just have to look good; it has to feel good, too.

ABLE Review: Is ABLE a Sustainable Brand?