Last Updated on January 31, 2024
These Sustainable Clothing Brands are fashionable, eco-friendly, and a great step in embracing the Going Zero Waste lifestyle. You’ll be helping the environment by choosing these ethical clothing brands and will look great too!
Several of the links in the blog post below are affiliate links. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.
The key to choosing the best fair trade clothing is choosing brands that are made with sustainable materials, are organic, and support human rights for the employees. Sustainable clothing can be affordable and stylish while still fitting your needs.
I recently wrote a post, What is Fast Fashion? Where I go over a lot of the problems in the fast fashion industry. In response to that post, I wanted to round up a few ethical clothing brands that you might want to shop at instead.
Table of Contents
what is a sustainable clothing brand?
Sustainable clothing brands impact the environment with the least amount of damage. Additionally, fair trade clothing companies stand up for Human Rights, limit textile waste, and use organic materials.
price points of ethical clothing brands
My shopping guide is broken down into a few different subheadings so you can easily see if the brand would work for your style, budget, etc.
price point:
$ Most Pieces Under $70
$$ Most Pieces Under $120
$$$ Most Pieces Under $170
$$$$ Most Pieces $170+
type of clothing:
Women, men, kids, babies, homewares, shoes, accessories etc.
size range:
XXS-3X
manufacturing:
Where are the clothes made? Who made them?
ethics and sustainability:
What are their sustainability measures? What are they doing for the planet?
I tried to group all of the brands from $-$$$$ and then alphabetically. Unfortunately a few got out of order, but it mostly follows that pattern! So, without further ado here are 50 sustainable clothing brands.
best affordable sustainable clothing brands
1. alternative apparel:
price point: $
type of clothing: casual wear for men, women and youth
size range: XS-2X
manufacturing: all of their manufacturing partners must be certified as Fair Trade
sustainability: eco-friendly fabrics like recycled poly, organic cotton, eco-friendly packaging, and low-impact dyes. You can read more on their responsibility page.
2. cee cee’s closet:
price point: $
type of clothing: fun, bright, patterned women’s clothing and accessories
size range: XS-3X
manufacturing: Products designed in New York and handmade by artisans in Nigeria.
sustainability: all workers are paid a living wage and all-natural fabrics.
3. kotn:
price point: $
type of clothing: Clothing basics for both men and women.
size range: XS-2X
manufacturing: Every purchase directly supports the lives of their cotton farmers and children. So far they’ve built 7 schools, funded 690 farms, and impacted over 30,000 lives in rural Egypt. You can read more on their traceability page.
sustainability: They’re a certified B Corporation use eco-friendly dyes and sustainably grown cotton.
/ shop kotn /
4. pact:
price point: $
type of clothing: Clothing basics, underwear and socks for both men, women, kids, and babies.
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: Their clothing is manufactured in India where 74% of their organic cotton is harvested. All of their clothing is sweatshop and child-labor-free.
sustainability: Their clothing is made from organic cotton which uses up to 95% less water than conventional cotton, and doesnāt contain the harsh chemicals, bleaches or dyes that conventional cotton uses.
/ shop pact /
5. sancho’s:
price point: $
type of clothing: Clothing basics for both men and women.
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: All of the clothing they source is certified fair trade.
sustainability: They sell high quality clothing made from sustainable natural materials.
/ shop sancho’s /
6. berlook:
price point: $Ā
type of clothing: Womenās swim and clothing. Recycled Nylon collection now available.Ā
size range: XS-XLĀ
manufacturing: Each piece created can be traced back to its production. Their manufacturing partners must give fair pay, reasonable work hours, and meet occupational health and safety standards.Ā
sustainability: They use 100% natural or recyclable fabric for every piece in swimwear and ready-to-wear collections made.Ā Their ECONYLĀ® line usesĀ a 100% regenerated nylon fiber derived from both pre and post-consumer waste. Their linen collection is made with flax that needs almost no water to grow and emits Ā¼ the carbon of cotton per pound of fiber.Ā
7. people of leisure:
price point: $$ – $$$
type of clothing: women’s vintage-inspired pieces.
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: Produced directly in LA. Zero tolerance policy for any labor violations. Manufacturers must sign a āZero Sweatā memo that confirms they have an understanding of federal and state labor laws. They must also maintain all time and pay records on employees, pay fair wages, and have a valid garment registration.
sustainability: Uses 100% organic cotton, hemp, deadstock materials, and low impact dyes. Made in small batches.
8. swap:
price point: $
type of clothing: Secondhand clothing for men, women, kids, and babies including clothing, shoes and accessories.
size range: XXS – 4X
manufacturing: They’re headquartered in Downers Grove, IL and has offices in Chicago and Helsinki, Finland, but their warehouse is in NC.
sustainability: They sell secondhand hand clothing.
/ shop swap /
9. tentree:
price point: $
type of clothing: Relaxed clothing for men, women, and kids including both clothing and accessories.
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: Tentree lists all of their manufacturing partners which have ethical labour rights, and safe workplaces.
sustainability: They’re a certified B Corp, they use sustainable materials like recycled poly, organic cotton, hemp, cork and other sustainable materials. They also plan 10 trees for EVERY purchase and have planted more than 42 million trees to date.
/ shop tentree /
10. thredup:
price point: $
type of clothing: Secondhand clothing for women and kids including clothing, shoes and accessories.
size range: XXS – 5X
manufacturing: They have offices in Oakland, CA and Mechanicsburg, PA.
sustainability: They sell secondhand hand clothing and are partnered with the Circular Fashion Fund to try and close the loop in the fashion industry.
/ shop thredup /
11. able:
price point: $
type of clothing: Women’s clothing including clothing, shoes and accessories.
size range: XS – XL
manufacturing: Their jewelry is all made in-house in Nashville, TN, and their leather goods, clothes, and shoes are made by manufacturing partners in Ethiopia, Mexico, Brazil, and India and all of their workers are paid a fair livable wage. They’ve even published all of their wages of all their employees.
sustainability: They use eco-friendly, natural fabrics.
/ shop able /
12. armedangels:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Men and women’s clothing
size range: XS – XL
manufacturing: They’re a fair-trade company for all of the workers in their supply chain starting with the farmers. They’re also a member of the The Fair Wear Foundation.
sustainability: They use eco-friendly dyes and natural fabrics like fair-trade organic cotton, Tencel, Lyocell, Linen, and more.
13. balzac paris:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Women’s clothing including clothing, shoes and accessories.
size range: XS – XL
manufacturing: In 2018, they produced 98% of their pieces within the European Union.
sustainability: They have an initiative called AMR which stands for Always More Responsible where they consistently work on creating sustainable change. They have sustainable fabrics and recycling initiatives. They have a whole tab dedicated to all of their ethical and sustainable practices where you can read more.
14. boden:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Women, men, kids, and babies clothing, shoes and accessories.
size range: 2-22
manufacturing: Everythingās designed at Boden House in London, but they 151 factories across 15 countries that all have safe working environments. You can check their manufacturers on their website to see who made your clothes.
sustainability: They use sustainable fabrics and they have a zero to landfill policy. You can read more about their initiatives here.
/ shop boden /
15. encircled:
price point: $$$
type of clothing: Versatile capsule wardrobe clothing for women
size range: XS-XXL
manufacturing: Made in Canada with exceptional working conditions, workers who are treated and paid fairly. Here’s where you can read more about their manufacturing.
sustainability: They use eco-friendly fabrics, low-impact dyes and are a Certified B Corp. Learn more about their fabrics and sustainability.
/ shop encircled /
16. everlane:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Women and men’s elevated basics, shoes and accessories
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: Each factory they use must score a 90+ when it comes to fair wages, reasonable hours, and environment. You can see all of their factories with this link.
sustainability: They use natural fabrics, have a no-new plastic pledge, and their drops have different initiatives like carbon-neutral sneakers, organic cotton tees, recycled cashmere and more.
/ shop everlane /
17. fair trade winds:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Women’s clothing, jewelry and homewares.
size range: S-L
manufacturing: All of their artisans and farmers are paid a fair living wage throughout the supply chain. You can read more about their commitments here.
sustainability: They partner with artisan co-ops and small workshops that are mindful of the materials that are used and re-used. Which protects the planet from harmful waste and pollution.
RELATED: 12 Affordable Sustainable Clothing Brands
18. indigenous:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Women and men’s clothing, accessories, and jewelry
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: All of their clothing adheres to fair trade standards. Their artisans earn a fair, living wage while working in safe conditions. You can read more about their commitments to ethical fashion.
sustainability: They use organic and natural fibers as well as low-impact dyes. You can read more about their sustainability initiatives here.
/ shop indigenous /
19. klow:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Women and men’s clothing, accessories, and jewelry
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: Klow is a marketplace of eco-responsible and ethical brands. All of the brands they work with are subject to a strict 2 week – a month audit and that everyone in the supply chain is paid a fair living wage.
sustainability: Protection of the environment, good waste management and responsible use of natural resources are another part of the audit Klow’s brands must pass. You can read more about that here.
/ shop klow /
20. kool and konscious:
price point: $$$
type of clothing: Women and men’s clothing, accessories, and jewelry
size range: XS-L
manufacturing: Kook and Konscious is a marketplace where they evaluate all of their brands and make sure everyone was paid a fair living wage in the supply chain.
sustainability: They are carbon neutral and offer the best new technologies, eco-friendly dyes, biodegradable fabrics and eco-packaging for all of their brands. You can read more about their sustainable initiatives here.
21. la relaxed:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Relaxed women’s clothing
size range: XS-XXL
manufacturing: All of their clothing is made in downtown Los Angeles, and the ethical treatment of their employees is paramount.
sustainability: They only use sustainable, vegan and cruelty-free materials and produce their clothing in small batches to minimize waste. You can read more about their commitments here.
/ shop la relaxed /
22. made trade:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Women and men’s clothing, shoes, accessories, and homewares
size range: XS-3X
manufacturing: Made Trade partners with hundreds of brands, small businesses, independent makers, and artisans and hand selects the thousands of sustainably made and ethically sourced products.
sustainability: Made Trade is a marketplace and all of the items must meet 1 or more of their core values: Fair Trade, Heritage, Made in USA, People of Color Owned, Sustainable, Vegan, and Women Owned. All of their shipping is 100% Carbon Neutral.
/ shop made trade /
23. matter:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Printed women’s clothing
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: Everyone in their supply chain is paid a fair living wage.
sustainability: MATTER reinterprets textile heritage into prints that tell stories of where and why they are made. Their mission is threefold ā to foster designer-artisan collaborations, inspire customers to value provenance & process, and pioneer industry change & sustainability for rural textile communities.
/ shop MATTER /
24. outerknown:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Women and men’s clothing
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: Outerknown was the first brand to pursue Fair Labor Association accreditation before ever shipping a product.
sustainability: 90% of the fibers they source are organic, recycled, or regenerated. You can read more about their sustainability initiatives here.
/ shop outerknown /
25. patagonia:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Women, men’s, children, and outdoor gear clothing
size range: XXS-XXL
manufacturing: All of their products are produced under safe, fair, legal and humane working conditions. You can learn more about their fair trade initiatives.
sustainability: They’ve built robust environmental responsibility and animal welfare programs. They have eco-friendly fabrics and donate portions of each sale to environmental organizations.
/ shop patagonia /
26. people tree:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Women’s clothing
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: People Tree is dedicated to the principles of fair trade, covering fair wages, good working conditions, transparency, environmental best practice and gender equality.
sustainability: Their clothes are dyed using low impact dyes, free from harmful azo chemicals, and they use natural materials where possible, avoid plastic and other toxic substances.
/ shop people tree /
27. rei
price point: $$
type of clothing: Women, men’s, children, and outdoor gear clothing
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: REI manufactuers all over the world and they have a list of all their suppliers and guarantee safe and fair working conditions.
sustainability: Annually, more than 70 percent of their annual profits are invested back into the outdoor community. You can read more about their environmental stewardship programs.
/ shop rei /
28. rent the runway:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Womens clothing
size range: 0-22
manufacturing: Rent the runway doesn’t manufacture clothes, they’re a rental service.
sustainability: Every time you rent, you are participating in the shared clothin economy. You can read more about their sustainability initiatives here
29. sezane:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Womens clothing
size range: XS-XXL
manufacturing: They manufacture 2/3rds of the products in Europe and the other 1/3 around the world. All employees are provided proper conditions with regard to work, hygiene, and safety, as well as in prohibiting any form of child labour, forced labour, or illegal employment.
sustainability: They use sustainable materials, plastic-free shipping, and small batch production. You can read more about their sustainability initiatives here
/ shop sezane /
30. symbology:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Womens clothing and home decor
size range: XS-3X
manufacturing: Each piece is handcrafted by women artisans that are paid a fair, livable wage in developing countries using traditional fabric techniques like block printing, tie dye and embroidery.
sustainability: They use high quality, plant-based fabrics like modal (which feels like silk but is also 100% vegan) and AZO free dyes.
/ shop symbology /
31. tamga designs:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Womens clothing
size range: XS-XXL
manufacturing: Throughout their entire supply chain Tamga ensures their employees are all working under the highest social and environmental standards.
sustainability: They choose eco-friendly materials, water-saving dyes and plastic-free packaging to significantly lower the impact of each piece of clothing.
/ shop tamga /
32. the tiny closet:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Womens clothing
size range: 4-18
manufacturing: Their clothing is handmade in Los Angeles.
sustainability: The Tiny Closet has a tiny carbon footprint, supports ethical wholesalers, source and use only dead stock fabrics, and has eliminated waste with made-to-order production.
33. thought:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Women and men’s clothing and accessories.
size range: XS-XXL
manufacturing: All Thought garments are manufactured in China, which is currently the global leader in sustainable textile production.
sustainability: They design high-quality pieces with sustainable fabrics. You can read more about their sustainability and manufacturing process.
/ shop thought /
34. threads for thought:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Men, women, kids, and babies including clothing, shoes and accessories.
size range: XS-XXL
manufacturing: Their factories around the world hold the highest certifications in the industry, ensuring the best working conditions, and the highest level of sustainable production processes.
sustainability: They choose eco-friendly materials, fabrics and their factories are very water conscious using less than half of the water typically used per garment.
35. tonle:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Womens clothing
size range: 0-18
manufacturing: All of their garments are handmade in Cambodia in a fair trade working environment.
sustainability: They are a zero waste company, all of their packaging is 100% recycled, they eco-friendly and sustainable textiles with natural dyes.
/ shop tonle /
36. united by blue
price point: $$
type of clothing: Womens clothing
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: All of their factories that hold the highest standards for facilities and personnel.
sustainability: They choose eco-friendly materials, water-saving dyes and plastic-free packaging to significantly lower the impact of each piece of clothing.
37. vetta:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Versatile women’s clothing
size range: 0-18
manufacturing: Their woven clothing is made in a family run factory in NYC, where many of the employees have worked there together for over 30 years. You can learn more about their partners here.
sustainability: They choose eco-friendly textiles, and their LA factory gets 70% of it’s energy from solar power.
/ shop vetta /
38. yala:
price point: $$
type of clothing: Women and men’s clothing as well as bedding and homewares.
size range: 2-16
manufacturing: All of their garments are made on small sewing floors by highly skilled artisans to ensure excellent quality and working conditions.
sustainability: They choose eco-friendly fabrics and use low impact dyes. You can read more about their responsibility here.
/ shop yala /
39. aday:
price point: $$$
type of clothing: Women’s clothing
size range: XS-XXL
manufacturing: They have factories in Portugal, USA, China,Turkey and Italy which were selected for their ethics and happiness of their workers.
sustainability: They design their clothes with sustainability in mindāthey’re long-lasting, responsibly sourced, and increasingly recycled.
40. amour vert:
price point: $$$
type of clothing: Womens clothing, accessories and shoes.
size range: XS-L
manufacturing: Their clothing is manufactured right outside of their headquarters in San Francisco.
sustainability: They plant a tree for every tee and choose sustainable fabrics with low-impact dyes.
/ shop amour vert /
41. christy dawn:
price point: $$$
type of clothing: Womens clothing
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: Every CHRISTY DAWN piece is made by local artisans in downtown Los Angeles.
sustainability: They use deadstock fabric to minimize their environmental footprint, and instead of creating thousands of garments at a time, they sew a limited number of pieces.
42. emerson fry:
price point: $$$
type of clothing: Womens clothing
size range: 0-14
manufacturing: Emerson Fry pieces are made in the USA, and their India Collection pieces are made in India using heirloom printing and dye techniques
sustainability: They use organic cotton, linen, modal and other sustainable fabrics with low-impact dyes.
/ shop emerson fry /
43. hackwith design:
price point: $$$
type of clothing: Womens clothing
size range: 2-18
manufacturing: Everything from Hackwith is made the USA in their Minnesota studio.
sustainability: They choose eco-friendly materials and make everything to order to reduce waste.
44. oh seven days:
price point: $$$
type of clothing: Womens clothing
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: Their production is all done in house with a team of 4 tailors and you can meet them on their about page.
sustainability: OhSevenDays promotes the idea of ‘slow fashion’ and their garments are made from deadstock materials.
45. tradlands:
price point: $$$
type of clothing: Womens clothing
size range: XS-XXL
manufacturing: Tradlands holds social welfare and production quality to the highest standards. They employ adults who are paid a living wage, work in bright, clean and airy environments, and choose to come to work.
sustainability: They’re focused on pieces that are designed to last and use natural textiles.
/ shop tradlands /
46. whimsy and row:
price point: $$$
type of clothing: Women’s clothing and accessories
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: Their clothing is made in limited run batches in Los Angeles, handcrafted under ethical conditions.
sustainability: They choose eco-friendly materials and use only locally sourced deadstock textiles and materials.
47. doen:
price point: $$$$
type of clothing: Women’s and kids clothing
size range: XXS-XXL
manufacturing: Doen manufacturers all over the world with socially compliant and WRAP certified factories.
sustainability: They choose organic and recycled fabrics and their packaging uses 90% post consumer recycled materials. You can read more about their sustainability and ethical commitments here.
/ shop doen /
48. eileen fisher:
price point: $$$$
type of clothing: Womens clothing
size range: 2-18
manufacturing: 20% of their clothing is made in the US, while the rest is made in China in compliance with Social Accountability International’s SA8000.
sustainability: They choose eco-friendly materials, they’re carbon neutral, and have made great progress with water saving technology. You can read more about their initiatives here.
49. folklore:
price point: $$$$
type of clothing: Men and women’s clothing
size range: XXS-XXL
manufacturing: The Folklore is based in New York City, and they stocks high-end and emerging designer brands from Africa.
sustainability: They use eco-friendly fabrics and support local artisans that hand make many of these pieces.
/ shop folklore /
50. frances austen:
price point: $$$$
type of clothing: Womens clothing
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: Their sweaters are knit in a family-owned factory in Scotland that’s been focused on traditional craftsmanship for over 200 years.
sustainability: They choose all-natural and ethically sourced wool. They even have a repair program because their sweaters are meant to be worn forever. You can read more about their traceability.
51. jenni kane:
price point: $$$$
type of clothing: Womens clothing
size range: XS-3X
manufacturing: They work with a womenās coop in Peru for textiles, and produce candles, ceramics, and basic knits in Los Angeles.
sustainability: They choose eco-friendly materials and regularly donate to the National Resource Defense Council. You can reade more about their ethics here.
/ shop jenni kayne /
52. mara hoffman:
price point: $$$$
type of clothing: Womens clothing
size range: XS-XL
manufacturing: Mara Hoffman’s Ready to Wear collection is made in New York City and their swimwear is made in Los Angeles.
sustainability: They choose compostable packaging for e-commerce sales and incorporating recycled or responsibly sourced fabrics throughout the line.
I really hope that you enjoyed the blog post! Let me know if you have any favorite ethical and sustainable designers I might have left on the list.
is secondhand clothing sustainable?
Absolutely, secondhand shopping is one of the most sustainable fashion options around. Because the fashion industry accounts for up to 10% of greenhouse carbon emissions, buying secondhand will help reduce your carbon footprint. Don’t miss my complete guide 10 Places to Shop Secondhand Online for a deeper dive into women’s sustainable clothing.
are sustainable clothes good quality?
Yes, ethical clothing brands are known for being made with superior quality. They are soft, will last many years, and are strong. You’ll need to follow the cleaning recommendations from the manufacturer to get the most life out of sustainable clothing. On average, the clothes should last 15+ years with proper care.
what do human rights have to do with clothing?
Many clothing factories have harsh working environments for their employees and they pay them very little money. The poor working environments, disregard for safety measures, and child labor do not support human rights.
Sustainable clothing brands fight for human rights and make their employees a priority. Giving them fair wages, reasonable work hours, and providing a safe environment.
Don’t forget to check out:
- 7 Brands for Sustainable Basics
- 14 Eco-Friendly Underwear Brands
- 6 Ethical Swimwear Brands
- 12 Affordable and Ethical Clothing Brands
Great Post! You are sharing a wonderful post. Thanks and keep sharing. https://www.tshirtideal.ca/accessories.html
Great list guys! We’ve just brought out a new list here in Australia and are striving to achieve as little waste as humanly possible! We’d love for you to check out and would appreciate any feed back š
https://theyoungfolkcollective.com.au/collections/sustainable-clothing-australia
Thank you! Appreciate all the details, video, photos, and comparisons.
Hey! Great list guys!
We would love to hear you thoughts on our sustainability guide if you have the time!
https://theyoungfolkcollective.com.au/blogs/news/sustainable-fashion-australia
Hi Kathlyn, great list and thanks for your hard work! I didn’t see any Zero waste designers in your top 50 brands? We are a zero waste fashion brand, using mainly organic cottons, eco fabrics and everything is made in USA to oversee production and to make sure fair labour practices are in place plus so much more. Xx Malaika Haaning – http://www.malaikanewyork.com