11 Ethical Clothing Brands For Easy, Effortless Style
Doesn’t it seem like there’s always a trade-off in the trend department?
Often style comes with sacrificed sustainability and sourcing ethics.
Fortunately, as more people realize eco-conscious clothing isn’t just a fad, the number of trendy ethical clothing brands will only continue to make those ethical shopping dilemmas a little less frequent.
We’ve selected those that offer something for every style and budget, so we can suit up in some socially conscious clothes.
Everything we recommend to you on Sustainable Jungle is independently researched and we ask all brands to confirm their claims. To avoid waste, we test products on an as needed basis. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about why we do this here.
The Top Sustainable & Ethical Clothing Brands For A Guilt-Free Shopping Spree
MagicLinen offers magic flax linen clothing without harmful chemicals, substances, or irresponsible production methods.
If you need some inexpensive ethical basics clothing, Colorful Standard covers you in nearly every color imaginable usinag 100% sustainable materials.
By finding ways to subtract a few pennies from the price tag without compromising our planet, tentree provides affordable pieces that still manage to help the environment with every purchase.
Be sure to pop down to the end of the article to see how we found what clothing brands are ethical.
The Full List Of Ethically Sourced Clothing Brands
- MagicLinen | Visit Store
- tentree | Visit Store
- Colorful Standard | Visit Store
- Harper Sage | Visit Store
- Pact | Visit Store
- MATE the Label | Visit Store
- ABLE | Visit Store
- Katla | Visit Store
- Minimalist | Visit Store
- Yes Friends | Visit Store
- RE.STATEMENT | Visit Store
1. MagicLinen
About MagicLinen
Price Range: $20–$149
MagicLinen has alchemized sustainable, ethical fashion.
Through Lithuanian stone-washed linen, the not fast fashion brand produces exceptional tops, bottoms, loungewear, dresses, and accessories.
Pieces like the Tunic Dress Lastres are light, breezy, and comfortable. We own one ourselves and love how it works both dressed up and dressed down, providing so many versatile looks for our minimalist wardrobe.
We went with Cinnamon, but you get to fine-tune it to your tastes in over twenty colors—like plum, black gingham, and dusty blue.
MagicLinen’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The ethically made clothing brand uses stone-washed linen made from 100% European flax.
It has both GOTS and OEKO-TEX certification, ensuring quality fabrics free of harmful chemicals, substances, and pixie dust.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All ethical vegan clothing and sustainable bedding pieces are made in a small, family-operated studio in Vilnius, Lithuania, where their linen is grown, too.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Because everything is 100% produced locally in Lithuania, it allows the brand to minimize their carbon emissions from transportation. The most popular ethical clothes are pre-shipped to a nearby warehouse to reduce emissions even further.
MagicLinen repurposes textile scraps into accessories like tote bags and seasonal decorations.
Many items are shipped in PBAT (bio-based polymer) and cornstarch packaging, which is completely compostable.
Other products are sealed in handmade reusable linen bags, but all include beautiful linen garment tags.
Inclusivity:
The ethical women’s clothing is available in sizes XS–XL, while men’s sizes range between S–XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
MagicLinen continuously supports local communities and organizations through volunteering, donations, and free products.
2. tentree
About tentree
Price Range: $35–$328
Canada-based brand tentree is one of the most ethical clothing companies.
Their clothes are suitable for both braving the great outdoors and staying cozy inside.
Regardless of where you’re wearing them, their standing as one of the highest-rated Certified B Corps will guaran-tree a happy Mother Earth.
Not only is their clothing ethical, but incredibly varied, with a wide selection of men’s and women’s hoodies, fair trade sweaters, t-shirts, jackets, outerwear, dresses, rompers, pants, shorts, and more.
Pieces like the Highline Mock Neck Waffle Crew are made from 100% organic cotton, with a timeless design for any outing.
tentree’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The Canadian ethical brand’s clothing is made with eco-friendly or recycled materials like organic cotton, TENCEL™ lyocell fabric, recycled polyester, and hemp, sometimes blended with small amounts of elastane.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Ethical manufacturing is just as crucial as eco-friendly materials, and tentree has a strict code of conduct for their partner factories around the world.
Their factory ledger reveals specific conditions of each, as well as which ones are certified by WRAP, BSCI, SA8000, Fair Trade, and Fair Wear Foundation.
They want to ensure that their factory workers are respected, safe, paid well, and feel valued, and don’t tolerate harassment, discrimination, or child labor.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
As a Climate Neutral brand, tentree both offsets their own carbon footprint and provides options for customers to do so, too. The “Long Showers offset” plants trees to offset the emissions associated with longer showers.
They plan to get rid of poly bags by swapping to 100% post-consumer recyclable and biodegradable options or biodegradable paper.
Inclusivity:
Current sizes run from XS-XXL for most ethical clothing for men and women, and they’re in the process of expanding that range.
Community & charitable giving:
tentree is in the business of planting trees—specifically ten for every item purchased.
So far, they’ve planted more than 100 million in biodiversity-damaged regions of Peru, Mexico, Canada, Haiti, Madagascar, Senegal, Indonesia, Nepal, and Brazil. They’re aiming to plant one billion trees by 2030.
3. Colorful Standard
About Colorful Standard
Price Range: $11–$90
Colorful Standard raises the standard for the top ethical clothing brands, and we should know—we’ve tried them.
The organic cotton tees, crewnecks, sustainable hoodies, sweatpants, and other sustainable basics are high-quality, soft, and built to last.
With 63 low-impact colors to choose from, we simply couldn’t resist picking two Organic Crewnecks for their cozy and durable fit.
Colorful Standard’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
When CS isn’t using GOTS-certified organic cotton, they turn to 100% GRS-certified recycled wool.
All their organic, ethical clothing is dyed using low-impact dyes with OEKO-TEX certification as free from harmful chemicals.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Colorful Standard’s pieces are produced at a manufacturing site in Portugal which adheres to the strict environmental standards set by the EU.
They’re also one of the most transparent ethical clothing stores, as anyone can drop by to visit their ethical factories.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Colorful Standard minimized fabric waste as much as possible. Any leftovers are repurposed and given a new life as things like furniture filling.
The ethical clothing manufacturer makes all labels and eco-friendly packaging from FSC-certified or recycled materials whenever they can.
Inclusivity:
The men’s ethical clothing is available in sizes XS–2XL, while women’s sizes range between XS–2XL as well.
Community & charitable giving:
Colorful Standard’s founders have initiated projects like developing football fields and activity centers for youth in the Democratic Republic of The Congo.
4. HarperSage
About HarperSage
Price Range: $88–$198
As far as ethical clothing for women is concerned, none do it quite like HarperSage.
The ethical brand is woman-owned and operated, focusing on producing high-quality garments from sustainable materials.
Their online ethical clothing shop has a wide catalog of tops, sustainable jumpsuits, dresses, bottoms, jackets, and accessories with masculine and feminine touches.
Styles like the boxy-fit button down Recreational Shirt strike the perfect balance between the two, making it a minimalist wardrobe essential.
HarperSage’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
HarperSage produces all of its women’s ethical clothing from organic materials, like organic cotton, linen, and TENCEL™.
They utilize deadstock fabrics whenever they can, with 70% of their pieces being made from textile waste from fast fashion brands and local sources.
Supply chain & labor practices:
HarperSage is different from other inexpensive ethical clothing retailers, working exclusively with women-owned and operated factories in Delhi, India.
Everything is made in factories that are SEDEX certified, ensuring ethical working conditions, respect, and fair wages.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
As a relatively small ethical clothing brand, each garment is produced in small batches and designed to last longer than something from standard fast fashion brands.
Inclusivity:
HarperSage is woman-founded and operated by an almost entirely female team with sizes between XS–XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
HarperSage is one of the most community-driven ethical women’s clothing brands, partnering with various organizations to combat human trafficking and support survivors.
They do so by donating profits and developing specialty products to benefit their partnership with Freedom Network USA.
5. Pact
About Pact
Price Range: $20–$128
Earth’s Favorite™ clothing?
More like our favorite.
As one of the most popular ethical clothing brands, Pact provides a wide range of organic cotton t-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, bottoms, accessories, organic cotton leggings, and more for men and women—all at affordable prices.
We’ve tested many of their organic basics, and cultivated a collection of personal favorites like the Classic Fine Knit Crew Sweater for its cozy, no-frills design that can be used for year-round layering.
Pact’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Organic cotton is Pact’s OG (er, OC?) material—so much so that most of their ethical basics clothing features 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton.
Although note, you might see the occasional bit of elastane mixed into some of their organic materials.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Pact partners with farmers and factories in India, which is where all of their organic cotton is sourced and processed in a fair trade, ethical clothing factory.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Pact uses practices to conserve water and energy, minimize fabric waste, use recyclable/compostable packaging, and give customers the option to offset their shipping emissions.
Inclusivity:
For an inclusive fit, Pact ethical clothing comes in men’s sizes from S-XXL and women from XS-XXL.
Pact’s prices are low all-around, but their plentiful clearance page will make an even smaller imPACT on your bank account.
Community & charitable giving:
In the spirit of giving and sustainability, Pact reuses its shipping materials to give back. When you order new Pact clothes, the box they come in (aka the “Give Back Box”) can be refilled with old clothes (of any brand) you no longer want.
Send the refilled box back to Pact, so your clothing may be donated to those in need via their Give Back. Wear Forward program.
6. MATE the Label
About MATE the Label
Price Range: $15–$268
In need of a closet detox from an American-made women’s clothing brand?
MATE the Label is here to help make it happen.
According to them, “the future of clothing is clean”, and with them, you can DressClean™ in fabrics like organic cotton, low-impact dyes, ethical manufacturing, and eco packaging.
Consider this ethical American clothing brand your best MATE that helps ethically elevate your style in an eco-friendly, wallet-savvy kinda way.
One of the most ethical and affordable clothing brands, they carry women’s bottoms, organic sweatpants, tees, thermals, sweatshirts, jumpsuits, tanks, and more.
For something to keep you (and everyone involved in its creation) comfortable, the Tencel Rib Pant features a slightly stretchy, lightweight fabric that drapes perfectly around your legs.
MATE the Label’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
You’ll find organic cotton (in a few different fabric varieties), TENCEL lyocell, linen, hemp (coming soon), and some conventional cotton (until they can find an organic alternative).
Only low-impact sustainable dyes are used.
Supply chain & labor practices:
MATE partners with both organic and conventional cotton farmers in Maharashtra, India. The linen comes from China, and the TENCEL is from Austria’s Lenzing brand.
If you prefer your ethical clothing USA-made, rest assured knowing everything is dyed, cut, sewn, processed, packaged, and shipped from their Los Angeles factory.
They like “v localized” supply chains, and their factories meet fair trade criteria and Californian labor laws.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
MATE is a Certified B Corp and Climate Neutral Certified.
They have an eco-friendly office with bamboo desks, organic tampons, eco-friendly toilet paper, and in-house composting.
You can also recycle old MATE garments to be transformed into something new.
Inclusivity:
MATE the Label provides ethical vegan clothing in XS–3X.
The brand is also female-founded and is a mostly-woman operation. In 2020, they initiated an Anti-Racist Action Plan and a structure for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
Community & charitable giving:
MATE is a member of 1% for the Planet, sending just under $100,000 to various organizations in 2020.
7. ABLE
About ABLE
Price Range: $40–$398
Living wages = responsible clothing, and that’s what ABLE is all about.
In the fashion industry, more broadly, only 2% of fashion workers earn a living wage. Yikes.
This sustainable brand is super transparent to ensure their women workers don’t fall into the other 98%.
As an affordable, ethical clothing USA-based brand, they have a range of women’s tops, tees, jackets, sweaters, dresses, jumpsuits, denim, skirts, other bottoms, and accessories.
Many items, like the Amy Mini Wrap Dress, are made from eco-friendly materials with support for curvy and petite body types.
Or you can keep it simple and classic, like we did, when we tested out their Signature Bailey Jacket, a denim jacket that comes feeling already broken in and with an oh-so-cute cropped design we love.
ABLE’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
While finding cute ethical clothing made out of eco-friendly fabrics (like organic cotton, cotton, and modal) is possible, you’ll also see some materials that aren’t our favorites (like lamb leather, polyester, spandex, and viscose fabric).
Supply chain & labor practices:
This is where ABLE truly shines, having changed the sustainable fashion industry forever by sharing their lowest-paid wages with customers and the world at large.
It set the stage for other sustainable brands to follow suit by founding the Lowest Wage Challenge (in partnership with Nisolo, whose ethical boots are next level).
They started by sharing wages from their Nashville operations, then for their workers in Ethiopia, and next, they plan on releasing the salaries of all manufacturing partners.
Along with fair wages, they also share other labor practice details, like workers’ rights, equality assurances, and benefits.
ABLE specifically chooses to staff their business with 96% of women because research shows that economically empowered women are more likely to break cycles of poverty.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Repurposed inbound shipping boxes are used for outbound shipping, and they are steadily replacing plastic poly bags with reusable cloth dust bags.
Inclusivity:
Sizes run from XXS-3XL, and a range of diverse models represent all sizes.
8. Katla
About Katla
Price Range: $60–$300
Who knew seaweed fabric could make comfortable, ethical fashion?!
One of the most sustainable and ethical clothing brands did.
Iceland-based manufacturer, Katla, provides ethical fashion pieces from truly innovative fabrics. The ultra-soft Regeneration Sweatsuit features a seaweed and cotton blend that results in maximum comfort and minimal environmental impact.
In addition to women’s and men’s sweatshirts, dresses, matching sets, jumpsuits, tops, and more, they also offer a collection of ethical kids’ clothing, ranging from infant to 12 years old.
Katla’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Katla utilizes materials like organic cotton, seaweed blends, and vegan “silk”.
For their sustainable activewear collections, they use recycled fabrics like ECONYL, an innovative regenerated nylon made from recycled materials like fishing nets.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The sustainable fashion garments are manufactured in the United States, where they partner with high-quality fabric mills.
Each garment has a unique tracking label you can search to find out its origins.
Katla ensures its partners have strict ethical practices and provide a safe working environment.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Like many other clothing brands that are ethical, Katla uses small, made-to-order batches to minimize waste, and provides a straightforward recycling program where customers can send back used garments.
One of Katla’s most unique eco-friendly practices is their seaweed cultivation in Iceland. They partner with local experts in the Sleepy Islands of Iceland to advance research on regenerative seaweed-based farming.
Katla also aims to become carbon neutral by the end of 2023.
Inclusivity:
You’ll find ethical men’s clothing and women’s clothing in sizes XXS–XL.
Ethical children’s clothing is available in sizes XS–XL (3–12).
9. Minimalist
About Minimalist
Price Range: $198–$995
If you’re looking for trendy ethical women’s clothing, look no further than Minimalist.
The NYC-based clothing brand produces exceptional dresses, jackets, tops, bottoms, and jumpsuits from high-quality eco-friendly materials.
Pieces like the Palazzo Pants provide an elegant, fresh cut with durable OEKO-TEX-certified Italian recycled jersey.
Minimalist’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Minimalists’ primary fabrics include Portuguese viscose satin with EcoVero™ fibers, biodegradable TENCEL™, certified organic cotton, certified recycled fibers, and denim.
All materials have been researched and certified by various organizations, including GRS, GOTS, FSC, bluesign®, bioRe®, and OEKO-TEX.
Supply chain & labor practices:
These socially-conscious clothes are produced in New York City’s garment center to support local factories with fair labor practices where workers are paid a livable wage.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Minimalist is designed for circularity, ensuring all pieces are biodegradable, recyclable, or reusable at the end of their lifespan.
The ethical brand utilizes hangers and handbags made from recycled materials, full compostable garment bags, paper from post-consumer waste, and zero-waste stickers—all of which are curbside recyclable.
Inclusivity:
Minimalist offers ethical women’s clothing sizes in XS–XL.
10. Yes Friends
About Yes Friends
Price Range: $10–$88
If you’re in need of inexpensive ethical clothing, UK brand Yes Friends is one you can confidently say ‘yes’ to.
Being a cheap non-fast fashion brand doesn’t mean the clothes are made cheap, however.
Without sacrificing quality, they produce organic cotton clothing, including tees, hoodies, tank tops, and jeans for men and women.
We love simple organic basics like the Organic T-shirt, made from certified fabrics with ten different colors to choose from.
Yes Friends’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Yes Friends uses organic cotton, with some of the pieces containing Fair Trade-certified organic cotton. They also use recycled fabrics, like polyester and off-cuts, whenever possible.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Yes Friends factories have certifications from Fair Trade USA, GOTS, Fair Wear Foundation, BSCI, and WRAP.
They’re pioneering a bonus scheme to ensure that all their garment workers receive a proper wage for the work they do.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
The majority of Yes Friends’ partner factories use solar energy, with their primary factory in India using 50–60% of its energy from solar power.
The primary factory is also water positive, with 100% of the water used processed and recycled through a treatment plant.
All of the packages are packed in their Bristol headquarters, where they are placed in bright orange compostable bags made from carbon-neutral sugarcane and corn.
Yes Friends uses Royal Mail and Shopify to deliver all of its eco-friendly clothing, ensuring they are carbon neutral.
Inclusivity:
Men’s sustainable fashion is available in sizes 3XS–4XL, and women’s sizes run between 3XS–4XL.
11. RE.STATEMENT
About RE.STATEMENT
Price Range: $27–$600
RE.STATEMENT has a unique business model allowing designers to sign up and sell upcycled garments from the comfort of their homes.
Similar to upcycled clothing marketplaces like Grailed, Etsy, and Depop, the sustainable brand provides attractive, ethical alt clothing—like the statement-making A-O-K two-piece set which combines the ever popular crop-top design with edge tie-dye coloring.
You can find one-of-a-kind jackets, tops, pants, bottoms, accessories, and more.
RE. STATEMENT’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
RE.STATEMENT partners with various designers who upcycle garments into ethical alternative clothing.
The pieces can range from cotton, denim, synthetics, and other fabrics.
Supply chain & labor practices:
RE.STATEMENT works with designers and small businesses across the globe, whether they’re based out of homes, studios, or offices.
The ethical online clothing store ensures all its designers provide fair treatment and working conditions and use sustainable practices.
Carbon commitments & green business practices:
RE.STATEMENT allows countless designers to sell socially-conscious clothes made from upcycled fabrics.
Although the designers can select their shipping materials, many opt for eco-friendly packaging and materials.
Inclusivity:
You can find ethical clothes for men, women and unisex sizes ranging between XS–4XL.
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How We Found The Best Ethical Clothing Brands
So, just what is ethical clothing? For instance, is Zara an ethical brand? (No.)
Many of us have gotten used to $20 pairs of jeans and $5 tees. But we also know that most deals only come from fast fashion monstrosities. We’ve all heard the famous Lucy Siegle adage that “cheap” fashion means “someone, somewhere, is paying.”
With that in mind, it may seem as if slow fashion and affordable fashion aren’t compatible.
Au contraire, dear reader. You may just have to do some extra digging (and perhaps re-evaluate what “affordable” means to you).
We considered this and our sustainable fashion criteria to find the top ethical clothing brands.
Materials:
Cheap materials (i.e., most plastic-based synthetics) mean cheap clothes that often need replacing and remain in landfills for hundreds of years.
Paying slightly more for better natural, recycled, and renewable materials may come with a higher initial price tag, but their durability generally makes most ethical clothing affordable over time.
That said, long-lasting, sustainable materials include: organic cotton, hemp fabric, linen, bamboo, recycled ethical wool, deadstock or recycled synthetic fabrics (i.e. recycled plastic bottles), TENCEL™ lyocell, modal fabric, vegan leather, and ethical leather.
- Certifications: OEKO-TEX, bluesign®, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Global Recycle Standard (GRS), bioRe®
Supply chain and labor practices:
Getting a deal on new duds is excellent—but not when someone else is paying the price.
Ethical affordable clothing may still have a higher price tag than (not to point fingers) Forever 21 and the like, but that’s because everyone involved is getting a fair shake.
We think that’s fashion worth flaunting.
Transparency is the best way to ensure we’re getting what we’re paying for (rather than something greenwashed), which is why we love it when brands share their factory and wage details.
Truly fair trade clothing brands must provide safe working environments (prohibiting child/forced labor and harassment) and work to support the communities they partner with in ways that go beyond fair wages.
- Certifications: Fair Trade, B Corporation (B Corp), Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), Social Accountability International (SA8000), Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP), Fair Wear Foundation, Sedex
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Carbon offset programs, recycled/recyclable packaging materials, small supply chains, regenerative agriculture practices, and other sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint make us feel even better about purchasing from sustainable clothing brands that are not fast fashion.
Inclusivity:
We look at inclusivity from a size, diversity, and sometimes gender standpoint.
While we believe paying a little more for something well-made and eco-friendly is reasonable, there’s no reason sustainable living should be exclusive to those with financial privilege. Access to sustainable products for all!
Community & charitable giving:
Charitable giving is the cherry on top—not 100% required, but it definitely makes a purchase a little sweeter.
We love seeing partnerships with charity organizations, donations of unsold/used garments, or initiatives supporting farming communities.
Final Thoughts On The Most Ethical Clothing Brands
Cheap clothes come with social and environmental costs that aren’t listed on the price tag.
As they say, “You get what you pay for.”
We don’t know about you, but we’d much rather pay a little extra for not fast fashion brands that don’t use forced or child labor, and ensure the story behind the making of that cuuuute new sweater is just as feel-good and fuzzy.
But think of buying something quality from one of these sustainable clothing brands as an investment that will last you far longer than that poorly-made bargain rack find.
If you really want to save money, buy pre-loved items from an online thrift store or clothing rental company for more earth-friendly savings. Or if you’re not in the market for anything at all, great! You can still help spread the good word about do-good ethical fashion brands by giving this article a share.
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