9 Organic Clothing Brands For Wearing Your Values
Don’t panic—buy organic!
While many have been filling grocery shopping carts with organic bananas and coffee for years, the idea of wearing organic is still relatively new.
But since fashion is one of the dirtiest industries in the world, it’s just as important.
The fact that organic cotton requires 91% less water to produce a t-shirt than conventionally grown cotton is reason enough to start looking for organic clothing.
Organic clothing brands are putting it out there, so now it’s up to us to put it on.
Pact uses organic cotton almost exclusively. Colorful Standard also uses 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton for their clothing, in addition merino wool for their accessories.
Then there’s Tentree who combines organic cotton with the likes of recycled polyester and TENCEL modal.
There’s more-ganic where that came from. Read on to discover the best of the best in organic clothing brands.
And if you need a reminder of how we picked these brands, we lay it all threadbare at the bottom of the article.
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QUICK LINKS FOR ORGANIC CLOTHING BRANDS
1. OUTERKNOWN
About Outerknown
Outerknown may have an unlikely founder—professional surfer Kelly Slater—but they’re making waves in the world of sustainable fashion.
The brand is committed to protecting our people, oceans, and planet and they do so with some of the most sustainable materials available.
Their range of women’s and men’s organic clothing comes in all forms and includes outdoor adventure-ready garments like eco-friendly sweatpants, tees, bottoms, fair trade sweaters, socks, and more.
Outerknown’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
You’ve heard of eco-friendly blankets, but how does snuggling up in an organic cotton Blanket Shirt sound?
Biodegradable down to the buttons, it’s made from 100% organic cotton and features unique corozo buttons which are made from sustainably harvested nuts of the tagua palm.
Many of their other garments feature organic cotton as well as other sustainable fabrics.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Outerknown is out.of.this.world when it comes to an ethical supply chain. Thanks to a partnership with Fair Trade USA, safe and fair working conditions are prioritized in their Chinese, Mexican, and Peruvian factories.
They were actually accredited by the Fair Labor Association before they shipped a single piece of clothing. Since producing their first garment, OK has supported more than 5,000 workers.
For more, have a peep at their list of suppliers.
Green business practices:
We love that OK acknowledges that, while they are doing OK with sustainability, there are always improvements to be made.
In their 2030 Sustainability Strategy, you’ll see plans for making their products completely circular, renewable energy improvements, and efforts to further support their workers.
Inclusivity:
Most garments run from XS-XL but there’s some room for improvement here, too
Community & charitable giving:
Given Kelly Slater’s background and Outerknown’s use of recycled ocean plastic, it should come as no surprise that they also regularly donate money to organizations like Ocean Conservancy.
Available: Outerknown
2. THREADS 4 THOUGHT
About Threads 4 Thought
Threads 4 Thought is based out of Los Angeles and the company motto is “#ThreadLightly.
They’ve narrowed down their materials to just four: recycled polyester, modal, organic cotton, and rayon (which is used minimally).
These mostly sustainable fabrics make their way into the brand’s activewear, dresses, sustainable basics and ethical sleepwear.
On top of everything to keep men and women comfy, they’ve also got organic children’s clothing.
Threads 4 Thought’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
T4T is just as obsessed with organic cotton as we are. For example, it’s the only material found in the Standard V Neck Tee for men, Gerry Bomber for women, and french terry Flip Jogger pants for men.
For more sweat-ready organic garments, it’s blended with recycled polyester in the Sydney and Sasha Scoop Neck tops.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Ethical manufacturing is another thing T4T spends time thinking about. They are certified by both WRAP and Fair Trade, which attests to the brand’s ethical and fair supply chain.
For those who get turned on by transparency, see T4T’s transparency report and factory list.
Green business practices:
T4T factories use less than half the water typically used in the production of similar garments. They’re also able to recycle 80% of their wastewater, which ends up saving about 500 million gallons every single year.
Recently they partnered with Green Story to become even more transparent about their impact and to find ways to improve their fashion footprint.
Inclusivity:
Men can expect to see sizes from S-XXXL and women from XS-XL. Two thumbs up for T4T’s budget inclusivity with these affordable organic clothes.
Community & charitable giving:
For years, T4T has partnered with the International Rescue Committee, which provides refugee communities with support and opportunities to improve their quality of life.
Available: Threads 4 Thought
3. PACT
About Pact
Pact is the OG of OC (organic) clothing.
Earth’s Favorite™ clothing brand was using organic cotton (and only organic cotton) before many others followed suit.
Based in Boulder, Colorado, Pact has made affordable organic clothing possible for the whole family.
If you’re looking for organic baby clothes, they’ve got that in addition to organic clothing for men and women.
They specialize in loungewear, fair trade pajamas, ethical activewear, organic underwear and other cozy basics like organic cotton t-shirts and plushy organic bath towels.
Pact’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Whether you’re shopping for men, kids, women, organic maternity clothes, your zero waste baby, or the home, you don’t have to read the labels/product descriptions to know what a Pact product is made of.
This is because organic cotton is in every product sold by Pact.
It’s not just any old organic cotton, either, but certified organic by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), the most-trusted certifying body for this natural fabric.
You will likely see some elastane blended into certain products for a bit of stretch.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Pact is synonymous with organic fair trade clothing.
They work with Fair Trade Certified factories who meet strict criteria regarding environmental, social, and economic standards.
When you buy a pair of organic cotton undies from Pact, you know they come from a factory that boasts safe working conditions, protects the environment, builds sustainable livelihoods, and provides workers with additional money to uplift and empower their communities.
Green business practices:
Pact is creating a positive impact in ways that go beyond their use of organic materials, like using practices that conserve water and energy. They also offset the carbon emissions of their shipping and only use compostable and recyclable packaging.
Inclusivity:
Sizes for most products range from XS to XXL and Pact uses models of all shapes and sizes.
Community & charitable giving:
Pact’s Give Back. Wear Forward donation program accepts gently used clothes (they don’t need to be from Pact) and donates them to non-profits.
Pact suggests using the same box your Pact order arrives in, this allows customers to reuse the shipping materials and it keeps valuable materials out of landfills.
Available: Pact
4. COLORFUL STANDARD
About Colorful Standard
In the words of Colorful Standard, “We love colors and we love simplicity”—two things we definitely want in our organic clothing!
You’ll find everything you need for your minimalist wardrobe in almost every color imaginable, including eco friendly t shirts, sweatpants, sweat shorts, hoodies, crew neck sweatshirts, and socks.
We’ve personally tested their sweatshirts and can say with certainty they get two thumbs up for comfort and quality.
Colorful Standard’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Colorful Standard’s favorite organic material is 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton, but they also use extra fine Woolmark-certified merino wool in their accessories (soon to be recycled wool).
The organic processing is rounded out with OEKO-Tex® certified dyes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All manufacturing occurs in Portugal, known for its strict labor laws. If you find yourself in the area, drop by unannounced for a factory tour.
Green business practices:
Shipping directly from factory-to-consumer means no warehouses or middle men in their supply chain, keeping emissions down.
In the aim of ensuring their clothing is “here for the long run”, Colorful Standard keeps their designs simple and classy.
They also prevent shrinking and other wear and tear by pre-washing all garments and making them with anti-pilling technology.
Inclusivity:
Colorful standard offer XS-2XL sizes AND gender neutral clothing options
Community & charitable giving:
Colorful Standard brings color to lives outside just their clothing.
Namely through the football club and youth activity center they built and continue to fund with 5% of their profits in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Available: Colorful Standard
5. TENTREE
About tentree
tentree is all about “Earth-first apparel,” for which they use an array of natural and organic materials.
Hailing from Canada, the brand is one of the best when it comes to women’s organic clothing—although they happen to be one of our top picks for sustainable mens clothing, too.
We won’t be able to do their extensive range justice, but just know they’ve make a selection of fair trade hats, bags, winter gloves, accessories, ethical boxers, jackets, pants, shorts, ethical leggings, activewear, and more.
If wearing nature’s finest fabrics isn’t enough for you, speak for the trees with their new Dr. Seuss x tenree Lorax Collection.
tentree’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Along with other materials like recycled polyester, hemp, and TENCEL, organic cotton makes its way into a lot of tentree’s offerings. Narrow it down to just these with their shop by material tool.
There you’ll find an impressive selection, but know the majority are still blended with recycled polyester to give these clothes their active-ready potential.
There are still plenty of all-organic options, though, like the “Make Earth Green Again” unsisex tee, hemp and cotton Piney W’s Hoodie, and Outsider Classic M’s Hoodie.
Supply chain & labor practices:
tentree is a Certified B Corporation—and not just for their use of B-eautiful organic materials.
They have a strict code of conduct and are extremely transparent with their supply chain and labor practices, including a Factory Ledger showing where each product is made.
They are also backed by certifications from Fair Trade, Fair Wear Foundation, WRAP, BSCI, and SA8000.
Green business practices:
When adding organic goodies to your online shopping cart, notice each product’s Eco Log which breaks down the water usage, waste, and CO2 emissions prevented through the use of more sustainable fabrics.
Inclusivity:
Accessibility—in the forms of affordability and body inclusivity—are important for tentree. Their sizes range from XS-XL for most products and they have a good representation of diverse models.
Community & charitable giving:
tentree is in the business of planting trees (obviously). For every purchase, they plant ten trees in countries with especially damaged biodiversity like Haiti, Peru, Canada, Mexico, Senegal, Nepal, Indonesia, or Madagascar.
By 2030, their goal is 1 billion trees and at the time of writing, they’re well on their way with more than 50,009,120 trees planted!
Available: tentree
6. AMOUR VERT
About Amour Vert
Amour Vert is French for “green love” and that’s an apt description considering their use of organic materials.
Amour Vert’s organic clothes come in all shapes and sizes. From tees and sweaters, to scarves and jackets, to pants and dresses. There’s no shortage of organic women’s clothing here.
Gents, not to worry—they have some organic clothes for you, too.
Amour Vert’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Amour Vert has a huge range and thus a lot of garments which contain organic materials. We’ll let you fall down the eco friendly rabbit hole on your own time, but for now, here’s a quick preview of the sorts of organic garments they create.
Their Atelier Culottes (pictured) are designed by New Zealand-based Kowtow and feature 100% organic, fair trade cotton. It pairs nicely with the Kimono-style Tana Corduroy Jacket, made with 75% organic cotton and 25% modal.
Others feature a cloud-soft organic cotton and modal blend.
Supply chain & labor practices:
When you scroll through Amour Vert’s organic cotton products, you can see where each garment has been made, along with details about the factories. Most are located within a stone’s throw of AV’s headquarters in San Francisco.
Green business practices:
Since green is in their name, it’s no surprise that AV considers sustainability in every step of their supply chain. Not only do they source some of the most sustainable fabrics, but they also use production processes that minimize their water and energy consumption.
Everything ships in compostable or recyclable packaging and materials are finished with soy-based inks.
Inclusivity:
Amour Vert represents a variety of women in their model choices. Still their XS-L and 24”-32” waist size range could grow a bit (which, they’ve just informed us, will be happening soon!)
Community & charitable giving:
AV puts the “tee” in “tree.” With every t-shirt they sell, they partner with American Forests to donate a tree. So far, they’ve planted more than 300,000 trees in North America.
Available: Amour Vert
7. WVN
About WVN
WVN started as a thread in the long-time brand Synergy Organic Clothing.
As one of the best organic clothing brands out there, they aim “to provide infinitely wearable clothing for women who love the world.”
Whether you’re looking for a sweater, skirt, fair trade dress, jumpsuit, coat, or are just on the hunt for some organic and eco friendly yoga clothes, WVN is your one-stop shop for all things organic.
WVN’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
WVN uses GOTS-certified organic cotton for most garments, but it’s not their only choice. You find some garments blended with modal fabric, wool, and small amounts of spandex.
Their dyes are also natural and non-toxic.
Supply chain & labor practices:
They develop intimate relationships with their Indian artisans, all of whom work in Fair Trade certified factories.
As for sourcing, they promote farmer welfare by partnering with family-run farms that operate in a co-op fashion, so everything has a voice.
No wonder they’re a Certified B-Corp just like their fashion forebearer!
Green business practices:
From product impact counters to timeless designs for modern women to 100% hand-crafting techniques, WVN is all about weaving the tapestry of slow fashion.
Many of their products are verified Climate Neutral. The product descriptions will tell you which and even let you see what renewable energy products they funded for the certification.
Inclusivity:
Sizes run XS-XL and WVN uses a diverse group of models in their marketing.
As an added bonus for those who can’t always afford sustainable fashion prices, this female-founded brand offers a loyalty rewards program.
Community & charitable giving:
We love women supporting women, so we like to see that this brand gives monthly donations to She’s the First.
It’s all part of their core ethos: “Like the threads of a fabric, we are stronger when we come together to work on a future where we all thrive.”
Available: WVN
8. MATE THE LABEL
About MATE the Label
Here’s a sustainable fashion brand we’d love to be mates with.
MATE the Label is a female-founded company that also happens to be one of our favorite sustainable fashion brands.
With the trademark Dress Clean™, it’s no wonder MATE the Label is also one of the best organic clothing brands. They have a page dedicated to their Fabric Portfolio, which includes two organic materials: Organic Lite and Organic Terry.
You’ll find these in MATE’s collection of women’s organic tees, long-sleeved tees, joggers, ethical hoodies, sweatpants, organic cotton pajamas, tanks, and more.
MATE the Label’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
MATE thinks mighty highly of organic cotton as both their signature fabrics are 100% just that. Their Organic Lite fabric is soft, light and the Organic Terry is even softer.
They currently use conventional cotton thread for sewing but have plans to switch to organic cotton thread.
In addition to organic materials, only low-impact dyes are used.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The organic cotton in MATE’s products is grown in Maharashtra, India before being knitted and dyed in a Los Angeles based factory which adheres to fair trade regulations.
Every year, around a million farm workers end up hospitalized because of the chemicals used to grow and process conventional cotton.
Thanks to their use of organic cotton, MATE keeps farmers and workers safe.
Green business practices:
Their “v localized” supply chain in which everything is cut, sewn, dyed, packaged, and shipped from said LA factory, means that MATE keeps their carbon footprint to a minimum.
They use 100% recycled shipping materials and replace poly bags with recyclable tissue paper.
They’re also currently working on a program where MATES can return old MATE products to be recycled into new ones. Watch this space.
Inclusivity:
We love, love, love MATE’s Extended Collection, where bestsellers are available in size 1x to 3x.
Community & charitable giving:
MATE offers a discount for essential workers.
Available: MATE the Label
9. ORGANIC BASICS
About Organic Basics
The first thing you see when you go to the Organic Basics website is: “The fashion industry is dirty – but it can be better.”
This Danish company is trying to improve the entire industry through its use of sustainable materials and ethical production practices.
Their A-Z Guide to the fashion industry is a great place to start for those wondering why organic clothing is so important “I is for Insecticides and Pesticides”.
And according to the World Wildlife Foundation, conventional cotton eats up 11% of the world’s pesticides—even though it only accounts for 2.4% of the world’s arable land.
We’ll take our clothes sans chemicals, thank you.
Organic Basics makes this possible with their range of men’s and women’s clothing essentials.
While not 100% natural fibers, those that are are fully organic and you’ll see the word in the materials list for their ethical underwear, tees, organic bras, sustainable socks, leggings, and more.
Organic Basics’ Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Organic cotton is Organic Basics’ organic ode to nature. It’s found in their men’s and women’s undies, short and long-sleeved tees, socks, and basics sets, like the Organic Cotton Complete Pack (includes bras, undies, and t-shirts) or men’s Starter Pack (includes socks and boxers).
Some tops, like the Oxford Shirt, are made from just 100% organic cotton, while others, like the Men’s Turtleneck, blend 95% GOTS-certified organic cotton with a bit of elastane to allow your head to squeeze through.
This organic clothing brand loves organic cotton so much they even have a page specifically dedicated to their products made with this material.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Organic Basics’ European farms and factories that process the organic cotton both adhere to safe working conditions.
Organic Basics factories are certified by GOTS, BSCI, and SA8000, and they also regularly visit them to ensure living wages are provided and child/forced labor are prohibited.
Short of visiting them ourselves, we have a pretty good idea of what an Organic Basics factory looks like. Thanks to their commitment to transparency, we can read specific details about each factory (i.e. overtime hours, vacation days, etc.) here.
Green business practices:
Organic Basics spends their free time thinking about sustainable materials so we don’t have to (even though we obviously do). They prioritize organic, natural, recycled, renewable, and biodegradable textiles.
This allows them to minimize their environmental footprint.
Organic Basics has a low-impact website, is carbon neutral, and has an option for customers to purchase climate credits at checkout.
Inclusivity:
We’ve always been pretty impressed with Organic Basics’ inclusivity. Most items run from XS-XL and they use a diverse range of models.
Community & charitable giving:
They have their own charity which serves as a platform on which European environmental and social justice organizations can apply for funding. In the past, the Organic Basics Fund has supported communities in the Amazon and contributed to European biodiversity to name just two.
Available: Organic Basics
WHY CHOOSE ORGANIC CLOTHING BRANDS?
We’re in the midst of a plastic crisis and we hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your favorite sweater might be part of the problem.
60% of all clothing contains synthetic fibers derived from petroleum, coal, and other fossil fuels. The demand for synthetics is growing far faster than the demand for natural fibers like cotton, hemp, and wool.
Fast fashion especially relies on synthetic fibers because they are cheap and abundant.
Aside from increasing the demand for fossil fuels and making forever-piles in our landfills, synthetic garments also harm the environment by releasing microplastics (between 700,000 and one million per garment) into the waterways every time they go through a wash.
These not only pollute water but kill fish and worm their way into our very food chain.
Synthetic fibers are obviously a big problem, but natural fibers produced through inorganic means also have their down side.
A white cotton t-shirt may seem like a benign garment, but conventional cotton is the dirtiest crop in the world due to its insatiable appetite for water and chemicals. Pesticides, insecticides (24% of all sold), and synthetic fertilizers (one-third of a pound for one measly t-shirt) all go into conventional cotton farming.
Not only is organic cotton better for farmers because it doesn’t require chemicals, but it also uses 88% less water and 62% less energy than its conventional counterpart. Plus, it’s both biodegradable and home compostable (which can’t be said of chemical soaked conventional cotton).
And those are just some of the reasons why organic cotton and other organic natural fibers are truly a no brainer.
HOW WE FOUND THE BEST ORGANIC CLOTHING BRANDS
Going shopping for organic clothing is as fun as going shopping for organic snacks (and have you seen all the crazy concoctions in the aisles of Whole Foods?!).
Until recently, mentioning the word “organic” in the same sentence as clothing would have sounded strange. We’re happy to see that changing as organic fabrics become more important in the sustainable and ethical fashion world.
Dressing in a way that makes Mother Earth proud starts with what materials are chosen, but it incorporates other considerations, too.
Materials:
This one’s a bit obvious as we were on the hunt for the best organic clothing brands.
While we wouldn’t discriminate between the different types of organic materials being used, at this stage in the sustainable fashion game organic cotton is one of the top picks and the most common organic material you’ll find in everything from organic baby blankets to organic kid’s clothes.
Sustainability is a continuously evolving and improving field, so we expect to see more sustainable fabrics like organic bamboo fabric, linen, and hemp (at least after they develop an official organic certification for hemp) used in the future.
- Certifications: Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Organic Trade Association (OTA), US Department of Agriculture
Supply chain and labor practices: Being socially responsible goes hand in hand with being sustainable. When it comes to this, transparency is key.
We like to get into the nitty-gritty of each supply chain—where did processing take place, who was involved, how often did they work, how were they treated, how were they compensated, etc.
Fortunately, many of these brands have very detailed records about how their garments are produced and by whom. Even better, we saw a lot of certifications to back their claims up (AKA no greenwashing here).
- Certifications: Fair Trade, BSCI, SA8000, Fair Wear Foundation, WRAP, B-Corp
Green business practices:
Going above and beyond the use of organic fabrics is the cherry on top of ethical fashion.
We go crazy over a brand that offers a garment recycling program, uses reusable/compostable/recyclable packaging, or offsets a portion of their emissions.
We’re also big suckers for those conscious about their water and energy usage, and those that implement practices to reduce/reuse resources.
Inclusivity:
The fashion industry has a lot of room for improvement when it comes to inclusivity. For most of these organic clothing brands, a range of sizes were offered and there were diverse models to wear them.
We really do appreciate affordability via reasonable prices (not at the cost of the planet though) and interest-free payment installments.
Community & charitable giving:
Whether they’re just raising awareness for the problems in the fashion industry, donating money, or donating goods, we’re happy to see brands giving back.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THESE ORGANIC CLOTHING BRANDS
Wearing clothes made with natural materials is great and all, but wearing organic clothes made with natural materials is even better.
In a world where conventional cotton means an insatiable hunger for pesticides and insecticides, it’s clear that we need to make the transition towards organically grown cotton. It is (along with other organic fibers) the cream of the crop (literally) when it comes to earth-friendly fashion.
But before you go on an organic clothing shopping spree, remember the most earth-friendly fashion is what’s already hanging in your closet.
But if you do need something new and can’t find it in an online thrift store, visit one of these organic clothing brands in support of a sustainable fashion industry.
