Womens Court Side Dress - Dewdrop Blue
12.05kg CO₂eEstimate · medium confidence
Carbon footprint of a dress
The median dress in our catalogue has a carbon footprint of 10.2 kg CO₂e over its whole life, from growing or making the materials to disposal. Half of the 3,536 dresses we have footprinted, from 99 brands, fall between 9.47 and 10.2 kg CO₂e.
10.2kg CO₂e, median whole life
6.92kg CO₂e, median cradle to gate
9.47–10.2kg CO₂e, middle half
3,536dresses in the catalogue
FIG. 01
Where the footprint of a dress comes from
In the typical split, production makes up about 49% of the total, followed by use at about 29%. The split shows where a maker's own data changes the result most: replacing published averages for the largest stages with your own figures moves the footprint far more than refining the small ones.
The split is the median share of each stage across the catalogue's dresses, rescaled to add up to 100%. Read cradle to gate versus cradle to grave for what each stage covers.
- Raw materials 17%
- Production 49%
- Packaging 2%
- Distribution 1%
- Use 29%
- End of life 2%
What dresses are made of
The main material is the biggest single choice in a dress's raw-material footprint. These are the main materials of the dresses in our catalogue, by share of products:
What lowers it
For each product, our calculator tests common changes and reports the one with the largest saving. For dresses, the changes that come out on top most often are:
Share of dresses for which each change gives the largest saving.
Dresses in the catalogue
Browse all products →
OPEN FLIGHT DRESS
9.61kg CO₂eEstimate · medium confidence
Thread Game A-Line White Khadi Dress
10.15kg CO₂eEstimate · medium confidence
Linen Cotton Classic - Brown Terra Kurta
9.47kg CO₂eEstimate · medium confidence
Cotton Shibori Dress
10.15kg CO₂eEstimate · medium confidence
A Fresh Strawberry- Unisex Nightdress
10.15kg CO₂eEstimate · medium confidence
Kimono Robe
10.32kg CO₂eEstimate · medium confidence
NADIA - Organic Bamboo Printed Kaftan Top
10.62kg CO₂eEstimate · medium confidence
How these figures are made
Each product's footprint is a screening estimate: we read the materials and weight from the product listing, apply emission factors from cited public sources, and follow the ISO 14067 method with every source shown. Without the maker's own energy and supplier data, these are typical values, not measurements of a particular factory.
To footprint your own dress, start with a free estimate from a product link, or enter your own factory data. See our methodology for the method and sources.
Questions
What is the carbon footprint of a dress?
Across 3,536 dresses in our catalogue, the median footprint is 10.2 kg CO₂e per item over its whole life, and half fall between 9.47 and 10.2 kg CO₂e. These are screening estimates from product listings; your own product's figure depends on its materials, weight and factory.
Which stage of a dress's life has the largest footprint?
In the typical split, production is the largest stage at about 49% of the total, followed by use at about 29%.
What is the cradle-to-gate footprint of a dress?
Counting only raw materials, production, inbound transport and packaging, up to the factory gate, the median is 6.92 kg CO₂e per item. Buyers often ask for this figure for their Scope 3 inventory.
How can a maker lower the footprint of a dress?
The change our calculator most often finds with the largest saving for dresses is “run the factory on solar electricity”. The best change for your product depends on your own materials and energy.
Can I use these figures for my own dress?
Use them to see the size of the footprint and where it comes from. For a figure to send a buyer, footprint your own product with your materials, weight and factory energy, so the result describes what you make.
Get buyer-ready product carbon footprintsISO 14067 method, a PACT v3 data file and a PDF report with every source. Join the waitlist for launch prices in your region.
Join the waitlist →