Then and Now with Tonne Goodman: Celebrating Classic Utility-Wear With a Sustainable Twist

As a long-time champion of environmental causes and sustainable products, Tonne Goodman–legendary stylist, former Vogue fashion director, current Vogue Sustainability editor–has always been my north star on what to buy, where to buy it, when to buy it, and how to wear it. It doesn’t hurt that she is one of the chicest women I’ve ever met, and I idolize her personal style as much as I do her work for both Vogue and our planet. With Tonne’s book Point of View coming out last year, we thought a joyful way to talk about the future of fashion would be to look back to some of Tonne’s greatest shoots for Vogue and breathe new life into the looks by shopping them out from sustainable brands. This is a celebration of timelessness—good style is forever, as are great wardrobe basics—and we already know Tonne’s edit will stand the test of time.

Then:

Everyday fashion—a concept that evoked a clearer image pre-pandemic. Trying to shake off a bit of the outfit dust of Zoom tops and casual bottoms, I found myself looking through some of Vogue’s in-studio fashion shoots for some inspiration when I came across one of Tonne’s 2019 shoots celebrating personal style entitled “Suit Yourself,” from the May issue. I immediately called Tonne to talk through an update. “This was my first shoot with the beautiful Adut in Paris with Theo Scion, Adut has since become one of the most sought after models of the moment,” Tonne says, looking through the story with me over Zoom. We hover on an image of Adut in neutral layers and commute-ready sneakers. “This is just one of the eight characters that she inhabited alongside another star, Anok, and the story was menswear-inspired. Because of the range of designs and fabrics we got to play with creating personalities within this storyline,” Tonne shares her thinking behind the images.

Now:

Focusing on the image we’ve chosen, Tonne says: “This look is a celebration of cotton—comfort, casual, cotton. A boyfriend waist painter jean, an unbutton classic overshirt worn as a jacket, a layering knit slung effortlessly, and a forever belt. Capping off the look with a beanie on top and a white sneaker on the bottom, brought her fully into the persona of American unisex utility classics.”

Maison Margiela’s painter jeans are not only woven from upcycled denim, the waste from the production of the re-tooled cotton fabric is passed on as compost for specialist coffee farmers in Guatemala. If that’s not a celebration of cotton, I’m not sure what is. For another feel-good moment, we turn to the tank top here from Who Shirt Company—a zero-waste company specializing in tees and tanks with built-in bras. Founder Libby Haan started the company after undergoing breast cancer treatments that left her looking for comfortable and supportive tops.

Bode’s vintage, re-worked lace overshirts add the perfect amount of texture to this neutral look as does this chunky Loewe knit from their new Loewe/Nature collection that focuses on repurposing vintage military tents, jackets, jumpers, and flannel shirts into unique knits and other fashion pieces.

For the accessories, Tonne is famous around the Vogue accessories closet for her belt expertise, and this image shows off this strength. For a sustainable option, we’ve pulled this classic brown leather belt from Nisolo, a Certified B Corporation that not only offsets its carbon emissions 100 percent as a company but also focused on ethical business practices, including ensuring their staff is paid living wages. Last but not least? This Soludos sneaker is the perfect all-day, everyday white sneaker made from bio-based leather on the top and recycled rubber on the bottom. Even the laces are organic cotton.