11 Eco-zy Sustainable Sweaters & Conscious Cardigans
What’s the best part of these chilly, blustery days?
We get to wear our soft, snuggly, sustainable sweaters, of course (oh and the hot chocolate, too)!
Nothing feels better than wrapping up in eco-conscious and cozy sweaters (think: sustainable fashion meets sweater weather).
Knitting quality materials with ethical practices, these sustainable cardigan companies help us warm our hearts and bodies.
If you’re already shivering for something sustainable, here are a few to line your dresser drawers.
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Ethical Sweaters & Cardigans We’d Love To Snuggle Up In
Made from organic cotton, the women’s eco-friendly sweaters from MATE the Label are friends with our environment, too.
Transparently produced by fairly paid workers, Colorful Standard’s sustainable cotton sweaters mean you can wear your heart on your sleeve (literally).
Wrap up in recycled polyester, organic cotton, and 10 freshly planted trees with tentree.
Roll your turtleneck down to the end of the article to see how we chose these better-for-Earth eco-friendly sweater brands.
The Full List Of Sustainable Sweater Brands
- MATE the Label | Visit Store
- Sézane | Visit Store
- Colorful Standard | Visit Store
- tentree | Visit Store
- ABLE | Visit Store
- Outerknown | Visit Store
- Reformation | Visit Store
- Patagonia | Visit Store
- Amour Vert | Visit Store
- Pact | Visit Store
- Naadam | Visit Store
1. MATE the Label
About MATE the Label
Price Range: $228–$268
Sustainable fashion friend MATE the Label is a go-to for organic essentials and sustainable basics.
For planet-loving layering, they offer women’s undies, organic t-shirts, sustainable knit cardigans, turtlenecks, and sweaters—all made with eco-friendly fabrics, of course.
MATE the Label’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
MATE’s sweaters are organic cotton—and nothing but.
The only exceptions are their turtlenecks, featuring a 70/30 blend of TENCEL™ lyocell and organic cotton.
Only GOTS-certified organic dyes are used on these sustainable fabrics.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Knit garments made from organic cotton are manufactured in a Fair Trade-certified factory in Peru from locally grown cotton.
All other garments are made in MATE’s own LA factories—all within 17 miles from their HQ.
Everyone is treated with respect through safe, fair, comfortable working environments, meaning they meet fair trade criteria without the certification.
Green business practices:
Not only is MATE a Climate Neutral Certified company, but their reMATE circularity program keeps their pre-loved garments out of landfills by recycling them into new products.
Inclusivity:
Founded and run by women, MATE offers women’s sizes from XS-3X.
Community & Charitable Giving:
MATE is a member of 1% for the Planet and you can choose at check-out which sustainability non-profit you’d like to benefit from your purchase.
They partner with Beam Impact to determine how to make the biggest impact.
2. Sézane
About Sézane
Price Range: $120–$170
Paris-born Sézane is the crème de la crème in planet-forward and feminine knitwear.
For a luxurious look that’s light on our planet, Sézane’s sustainable wool cardigans are très magnifique.
In addition to other luxury women’s garments, they’ve got ethical fashion cardigans, jumpers, turtlenecks, sweatshirts, and sweater dresses to make anyone say, “ooh, la, la.”
Sézane’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The sustainable wool cardigans are made from RWS-certified merino wool, kid mohair, and alpaca, but some also contain polyamide and elastane (which we’d avoid unless recycled).
Most of the sweatshirts are made with 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton.
In some cases, only materials with OEKO-TEX certification are used.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Over ⅔ of garments are produced in European ateliers, but some come from China.
All partner factories are audited using BSCI, SMETA, ICS, and WCA standards.
Green business practices:
Sézane’s Care Guide features “hacks for making your clothing last.” When it doesn’t, they have collection points in France to reuse or recycle old garments from any brand.
Customers can choose to minimize their packaging material.
Inclusivity:
Women’s sizes from XS-XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
The brand’s philanthropic initiative, DEMAIN, is an endowment fund that supports disadvantaged children with fair access to culture, education, and equal opportunities.
3. Colorful Standard
About Colorful Standard
Price Range: $88—$108
With Colorful Standard, you’ll find transparency and fairness in every stitch—from sustainable t-shirts to layers on top.
Their sustainable men’s sweaters and women’s sweaters are available in crew neck and crewneck light styles and just about every color you could desire—or at least 50+ of them.
Colorful Standard’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Using 100% of one of the coziest recycled materials, their ethical and sustainable sweaters are made from extra-fine Merino wool.
100% GOTS-certified organic cotton is used in their sustainable hoodies and everything else.
The sustainable dyes are 100% environmentally friendly and OEKO-TEX-certified.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Every product is produced in the brand’s own manufacturing center in Portugal, which adheres to high European labor standards regarding fair hours and fair wages.
Because they’ve cut out other manufacturing partners, they’re able to keep things traceable and ensure ethical standards.
Green business practices:
They minimize waste as much as possible, through precise laser cutting and recycling. Any remaining leftovers become furniture filling.
Fulfilling orders directly from the brand’s single factory results in fewer shipping emissions. All packaging is recycled and FSC-certified.
Inclusivity:
Women’s sizes from XS-XL; men’s from XS-2XL.
Community & charitable giving:
Years ago, the brand started FC Masi Manimba, a football club—now an all-purpose activity center—in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Designed to “provide a safe space where children who are often needed to take on adult roles can express themselves and have fun,” it welcomes 400+ children and young adults a year.
Part of the brand’s proceeds are donated to maintain the center.
4. tentree
About tentree
Price Range: $68–$118
Certified B-Corp and Canadian brand tentree creates stylish outdoor organic clothing.
This includes a huge selection of ethical men’s clothing, kid’s clothing, and women’s clothing—including affordable sustainable sweaters for all three.
Each of these sustainable cardigans, cable crews, rib sweaters, turtlenecks, and more are econsciously cozy.
tentree’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Most vegan sweaters are made of organic cotton (many of them 100%) and REPREVE® recycled polyester.
They also use other recycled materials, including nylon and wool. Some virgin Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) wool may be used, too.
Small amounts (~2%) of elastane are incorporated into some of the affordable sustainable cardigans.
Supply chain & labor practices:
tentree requires all suppliers and partners to sign their code of conduct. As per its B-Corp certification, it has high standards.
All factories bear one or more certifications by WRAP, BSCI, SA8000, Fair Trade USA, and/or Fair Wear Foundation.
Green business practices:
tentree is Climate Neutral Certified and a member of The Responsible Packaging Movement.
By 2023, they aim to refuse all single-use plastics and in the process of switching to recycled paper mailers.
In addition to other sustainable practices like strategic shipping, they’ve also launched Circularity by tentree.
Through this, gently-used and worn-out tentree garments can be shipped back (for free) and either resold on consignment or recycled into new materials. Nothing gets thrown away and the process earns you rewards.
Inclusivity:
Men’s sizes S-XXL and women’s XS-XL.
Community & Charitable Giving:
tentree plants 10 fully traceable trees for every purchase.
So far, they’ve planted more than 89,265,000 trees in areas of damaged biodiversity across Madagascar, Indonesia, Senegal, Nepal, Canada, Mexico, Peru, and Haiti.
5. ABLE
About ABLE
Price Range: $75–$165
Fairness is fashion ABLE—and this brand thinks so, too.
They’re knitting together livelihood opportunities and women’s empowerment to help break cycles of generational poverty, which makes their women’s fair trade sweaters feel even cozier.
Choose between long sustainable cardigans, tunics, pullovers, slouchy sweaters, and sweatshirts to go along with their fair trade dresses, boots, or sustainable flats.
ABLE’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Many of the sustainable women’s sweaters are made with 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton.
Others utilize viscose fabric or a blend of BCI cotton and recycled fabrics, namely polyester and nylon.
Given the criticism around “Better Cotton” and the use of virgin synthetics, the most eco-cozy sweaters are those made with 100% organic cotton.
Supply chain & labor practices:
ABLE’s gorgeous sweaters are good for people because they’re handknitted in India or made in China, by women artisans who are empowered by commitments to safety, equality, benefits, and fair wages.
The brand is a part of the Lowest Wage Challenge, a transparency initiative addressing the fact that only 2% of all fashion workers earn living wages.
ABLE specifically employs and trains women, who ultimately receive ownership in the company, as well as healthcare options, maternity coverage, adoption assistance, and a flexible work schedule.
Green business practices:
ABLE works with some of its manufacturing partners to reduce hazardous chemical use and minimize water consumption.
They’re switching to 100% recyclable packaging and garment bags and back everything with a Lifetime Guarantee
Inclusivity:
The 90% woman-run company offers plus size fair trade sweaters from XS-3X.
Community & Charitable Giving:
ABLE provides internship opportunities in graphic design, marketing, and more.
6. Outerknown
About Outerknown
Price Range: $128–$450
Founded by World Surf League champion Kelly Slater and designer John Moore, Outerknown is one of the top ethical menswear brands on the market.
Their men’s sustainable sweaters and knitwear do not disappoint. While the design is largely limited to classic crew cuts and hoodies, you can choose between several different materials.
Women’s styles are a little more varied, including ethical and Fair Trade cashmere sweaters, ponchos, turtlenecks, cardigans, and boxy flare bottom sweaters.
Pair them with some of their sustainable sweatpants or ethical jeans for a winter-ready wardrobe.
Outerknown’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Organic cotton is the superstar fabric, often dyed with a closed-loop GiDelave™ diffusion process that uses 98% less water and less energy than traditional dying.
Other quality materials include upcycled cotton, COOLMAX® recycled polyester, recycled cashmere, and recycled wool.
All fabrics are made with minimal or no chemicals, which earns them bluesign® approval.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Outerknown garments are made in Peru, Mexico, and China in Fair Trade USA-certified factories—for those seeking made in-the-USA eco-friendly sweaters..
Their suppliers agree to Fair Labor Association (FLA) standards by signing Outerknown’s Code of Conduct.
Green business practices:
Using eco-friendly fabrics like recycled cashmere means that each warm sustainable cardigan will keep our planet cool by being associated with 96% CO2 savings and 82% energy savings.
By 2030, they’ll have circularity-embracing resale, repair, and recycling programs. You can currently buy and sell pre-owned Outerknown garments through Outerworn.
Inclusivity:
Men’s sizes are available from S-XXL, and women’s from XS-XL.
Community & charitable giving:
Regular product collaborations see profits donated to Ocean Conservancy and other nonprofits aiding the heart of this brand: the sea.
7. Reformation
About Reformation
Price Range: $68–$348
From basic bundle-up layers to more luxurious fair trade alpaca sweaters, refer to Reformation, whose cute sustainable sweaters for women are versatile enough for at-home comfort or on-the-town class.
Choose between cropped turtlenecks, wrap cardigans, sweater vests, sweater dresses, off-the-shoulder shrugs, and some sexy sweaters that show a little skin.
Then bundle up in one of the brand’s sustainable coats for winter-walk ready attire.
Reformation’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Reformation’s eco-friendly materials include virgin and recycled cashmere, alpaca wool, responsibly sourced yak wool, TENCEL™ lyocell, and certified organic cotton.
They also use NATIVA™, a traceable, CO2-capturing, regenerative merino wool sourced from Argentina, Uruguay, New Zealand, Australia, the USA, and South Africa.
Their dying process uses OEKO-TEX-certified materials, ensuring garments are free of hazardous substances on Reformation’s Restricted Substance List.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Some of the sustainable women’s cardigans are made in China, but most manufacturing happens at Reformation’s own Los Angeles factories.
Factories are regularly audited for labor practices and are held to Reformation’s Code of Conduct based on Fair Labor Association standards.
Green business practices:
Sustainable practices used by this fast fashion alternative include renewable energy, e-commerce marketing (which saves 30% energy), Green Business-certified office buildings, compostable bags, and eco office supplies (like recycled tire pens).
They’ve been carbon neutral for nearly a decade and are aiming to be carbon positive by 2025.
Inclusivity:
75% of Reformation’s management team are women or people from underrepresented groups.
The women’s ethical fashion sweaters come in sizes XS-XL.
Community & charitable giving:
Reformation donates to rotating organizations like ACLU and Planned Parenthood and they give staff four annual paid days off to volunteer.
The Reformation Relief Fund provides short-term support to team members needing assistance.
On staff birthdays, they plant trees through L.A.’s TreePeople.
8. Patagonia
About Patagonia
Price Range: $129–$399
Patagonia is one of the most conscious companies around (and has been long before slow fashion was trendy).
As a sustainable outdoor clothing brand, Patagonia’s sustainable and ethical sweaters are more than just comfortable. They’re designed for rough wear in harsh and cold environments.
Their men’s, women’s, and kids’ sweater tanks, sweater vests, quilted cotton pullovers, eco-friendly crewneck sweaters, and fleece snap necks are made with sustainable materials.
For example, the Men’s Better Sweater features 100% recycled polyester dyed in a low-impact process that substantially reduces the use of dyestuffs, energy, and water.
Patagonia’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Sweaters feature either organic cotton or recycled fibers (usually polyester, but sometimes recycled cotton, recycled wool, or recycled cashmere).
All fabrics are dyed using PVC-free and phthalate-free inks.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Patagonia has ranked highly on Fashion Revolution’s Fashion Transparency Index for several years running—impressive when you consider its long history and sizable supply chain.
The Footprint Chronicles detail exactly where each item is made. Their factories are mostly Fair Trade USA certified and subject to regular third-party and Patagonia executive staff audits.
They’re working to ensure that those involved in their entire supply chain earn a living wage.
Green business practices:
Patagonia’s green business initiatives include (but aren’t limited to): recycling machinery and chemicals, use of regenerative farming certification, and eco-shipping materials.
In addition to several bluesign® approved garments, 100% of Patagonia’s cotton is organic and 87% of their garments contain recycled materials.
They also offer an impressive clothing buyback program, called the Worn Wear initiative—perfect for those seeking budget-friendly sustainable Christmas sweaters!
Inclusivity:
Patagonia begins to break down size limitations in athletic wear by offering XXS-XXL for most sweaters.
Community & charitable giving:
Lots of fashion brands are members of 1% for the Planet, but Patagonia founded it and have donated over $140 million so far.
As if that’s not enough, Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, sold the company so that 98% of profits go to the Holdfast Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to combating climate change. How’s that for corporate responsibility?
And to help YOU get involved, the Patagonia Actionworks tool lets you look up organizations and causes in your area.
9. Amour Vert
About Amour Vert
Price Range: $44–$228
Amour Vert has one of the best selections of ethical women’s clothing.
With a name that’s French for “green love,” you’ll love the flattering, drapey silhouettes and cozy-chic elegance of these women’s sustainable knit sweaters.
Styles include sweater tanks, cardigans, crop sweaters, flowy knit housecoats, and tighter fit designs suitable for wear as sustainable work clothing.
Amour Vert’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Amour Vert’s vast range of sustainable materials includes 100% organic cotton, lanolin-free baby alpaca, and merino wool—all biodegradable and dyed with non-toxic dyes.
Some of the sustainable wool sweaters are made from a blend of non-mulesed wool, recycled nylon, and FSC-certified viscose or modal.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Amour Vert’s raw materials are transparently sourced directly from mills before their sustainable sweaters are made in the USA or China.
Green business practices:
In addition to using sustainable fabrics, everything is produced in limited quantities to minimize waste.
ReAmour is the brand’s resale marketplace.
Part of the Responsible Packaging movement, they’ve replaced plastic poly garment bags with a compostable version.
Inclusivity:
Woman co-founded, most styles are available in sizes XS-XL.
Community & charitable giving:
In partnership with American Forests, Amour Vert’s Tees = Trees plants a tree for every t-shirt purchased. Since 2015, they’ve planted over 350,000 trees.
10. Pact
About Pact
Price Range: $94–$134
Pact is one of our favorite brands for sustainable basics like ethical underwear.
And what’s more basic than affordable fair trade sweaters that can double as layering tools for any occasion?
Knit and lightweight sweaters, zip organic hoodies, crew-neck pullovers, and long lounge cardigans make up their selection of ethically made sweaters for men, women, and kids.
Pact’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The sweaters are 100% Fair Trade and GOTS-certified organic cotton.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Because 74% of Pact’s organic cotton comes from India, its ethical production via Fair Trade certified factories is located there as well.
Not only are fair wages provided, but these artisan communities have benefited from more than $1 million in Fair Trade premiums (development funds that can support educational, health, and infrastructure projects).
Green business practices:
Pact uses water and energy-saving production methods and takes steps to minimize fabric waste.
They’re a Carbon Neutral certified company—and the recyclable paper bags they ship garments in are, too.
Inclusivity:
Men’s sizes are S-XL with XS-XL sizes for women.
Community & charitable giving:
Have some old sweaters gathering dust?
Make room for your new knits by donating them to Pact’s Give Back. Wear Forward program in the box your order arrives in.
11. Naadam
About Naadam
Price Range: $75–$495
Naadam was founded as a solution to the problem of goat herders receiving unfair prices for their wool.
Cutting out the middlemen means herders can be paid fairly for the cashmere that goes into Naadam’s sustainable cashmere sweaters for women and men.
Their range includes cropped hoodies, oversized turtlenecks, ribbed sweaters, v-necks, off-the-shoulder, sleeveless sweaters, ethical cardigans, and more.
Add a pair of the brand’s sustainable gloves and a fair trade scarf for snuggly, sustainable chic.
Naadam’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
100% of Naadam’s certified materials come from either renewable or recycled sources (mostly Mongolian cashmere)—often certified by GOTS, OEKO-TEX 100, RWS, or Global Recycled Standard.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Naadam’s cashmere comes from the Zalaa Jinst white goat and is harvested through hand combing, “the only cruelty-free cashmere”.
They use two BSCI-compliant factories in China where 90% of their garments are manufactured by workers who receive fair wages.
They also invest in their herder’s livelihoods by providing livestock insurance, healthcare coverage, a 401K retirement fund, commuter benefits, and clean drinking water to over 700 Gobi desert families.
Read more about Naadam’s sustainability initiatives, their progress, and future goals here.
Green business practices:
Even their chunky sustainable cardigan has a skinny impact on our planet because Naadam prevents overgrazing and grassland desertification by securing an area the size of Manhattan specifically for their goats (thus dispersing their image and limiting damage in other areas).
Other green acts include recycled plastic mailers, clean energy use, closed-loop water dyeing systems, a concentrated supply chain, and offsetting all shipping emissions through Carbon Fund.
They hope to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025.
Inclusivity:
Naadam sweaters are sized XXS-XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
Naadam’s Bogd Fund supports nomadic herding communities with 10% of the proceeds from their sale page. This funds the work of breeding specialists and veterinarians to keep the goats happy and healthy.
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How We Chose The Best Sustainable Sweaters & Cardigans
To unravel our way to thick sustainable sweaters that thread lightly on our planet, we snuggled into our sustainable and ethical fashion criteria.
Materials:
Sustainable fabrics for sweaters minimize a garment’s impact—from production to disposal.
Truly eco-friendly sweaters are biodegradable, meaning the natural materials can be composted (or recycled into new garments) rather than rot in a landfill at the end of life.
These include organic cotton, hemp, linen, alpaca, ethical cashmere, and ethical wool—cruelty-free sourcing for the latter three is key.
Semi-synthetics like TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal are made from eucalyptus and beechwood pulp in an eco-friendly, closed-loop production system.
If synthetic fabrics are used, recycled is the way to go. But because these still release microplastics with each washing, use a Guppyfriend wash bag.
- Certifications: OEKO-TEX 100, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Global Recycle Standard (GRS), Recycled Content Standard (RCS), bluesign®, Better Cotton Initiative, Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)
Supply chain & labor practices:
Not all brands are in a position to pay for Fair Trade certification, so we looked at their actual ethical production practices to see if they aligned with fair trade principles.
Transparency is the golden ticket to corporate responsibility
Even if a brand isn’t perfect, the most important thing is being open about fair wages, factory details, and how workers (in particular, women artisans) are supported.
Other third-party certifications help ward against false transparency and greenwashing; though certifications may have a green hue of their own (even B Corp’s reliability should be questioned) so pair these with other transparent practices.
- Certifications: Fair trade (i.e Fair Wear Foundation), B-Corp, WRAP, BSCI, SMETA, International Certification Services (ICS), and World Certification Services (WCA)
Green business practices:
This includes funding carbon offset programs, using renewable energy, operating on green buildings, offering garment recycling programs, and using zero waste or plastic-free packaging.
Inclusivity:
We’re on a kick to find more inclusive and diverse brands, whether that be ethical plus-size clothing brands or Black-owned Etsy shops.
We’d love to see more oversized fair trade sweaters, well, oversized but we do love seeing an increased number of women-owned brands on the list.
Community & charitable giving:
We love brands that give back and have a global reach via donated profits, time, or products to good causes.
Final Thoughts On Ethical & Eco-Friendly Sweaters
Feel better about the inevitable winter looming on the horizon?
Getting comfy and cozy is much easier when you’re not wearing something that turns up the heat for our planet.
Keep this list of brands knitting a better world in mind when the mercury begins to drop. But be sure to dig through that pile of old clothes in your closet first.
Then scour local or online thrift stores because this is where you’ll find the most ethical eco-friendly winter sweaters (and sustainable beanies, for that matter).
No sweat if you don’t need a conscious cardigan right now, but please do share this article with anyone who’s working on upgrading their winter wardrobe.
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