Sustainable Accessories: 21 Brands Helping You Style Up (Consciously)
Who doesn’t love accessories?! They just make everything better.
Unless they’re made from polluting materials—then they have the potential to make everything worse, especially for our planet.
Between cheap toxic jewelry, plastic sunglasses, and handbags and wallets made with chemical-soaked leather, there’s a need for more sustainable accessories.
Let’s wrap, adorn, accessorize, and tie on our way to a greener world with these sustainable accessories brands.
*This post contains affiliiate links
QUICK LINKS FOR SUSTAINABLE ACCESSORIES BRANDS
Sustainable Sunglasses
Sustainable Scarves
Sustainable Handbags & Wallets
Sustainable and Ethical Jewelry
Sustainable Hair Ties & Clips
Sustainable Hats
Sustainable Belts
Sustainable Sunglasses
1. SUNSKI
About Sunski
For sustainable summertime accessories, what could be more essential than sustainable sunglasses?
Look no further than San Francisco brand Sunski.
In lifestyle, alpine, and sport collections, Sunski’s sunnies are made for guys, gals, and kids alike.
For indoor eye protection, they also have blue light glasses.
Sunski’s Sustainability Practices
Consisting of SuperLight frame resin made of recycled plastic otherwise destined for landfills, these sunglasses take away plastic waste rather than add to it.
A lens replacement service and forever warranty keep the plastic out of landfills even longer.
Sunski is a member of 1% for the Planet but actually donates 12% to environmental causes.
Stay tuned for their eventual status as a Certified Carbon Neutral company.
Available: Sunski
2. PROOF EYEWEAR
About Proof Eyewear
Proof’s sustainable sunglasses are handmade out of biodegradable and recycled materials that include: cotton-based acetate, recycled skateboards decks, recycled aluminum, and FSC-certified sustainably-sourced wood.
The frame materials are paired with durable components like polycarbonate lenses and stainless steel hinges.
Because these parts are not biodegradable, the sunglasses are designed to be easily disassembled for proper disposal.
Proof Eyewear’s Sustainability Practices
Based in Boise, Idaho, Proof brings small-town ethics to the big starry-eyed world.
Between upholding supplier responsibility through biannual visits and using sustainable materials, they’re proof that eco friendly accessories needn’t be accompanied by shady stuff.
For every pair purchased, they donate to various environmental organizations and vision care projects. A total of 12% of their profits go toward these efforts.
Available: Proof Eyewear
3. WARBY PARKER
About Warby Parker
Worried about buyers remorse and the eco-guilt that comes with it?
Warby Parker eliminates that fear by offering a “home try-on”. Choose five styles to be delivered to your home and send back what you don’t want. Or opt for a virtual mirror and save the shipping emissions.
Their thinner frames use ultralight easily recyclable titanium, stainless steel, or bronze. Most however are made from Italian plant cellulose acetate.
Each pair of sunnies are custom cut and come standard with an impact-resistant polycarbonate lens that blocks all UVA and UVB rays.
Warby Parker‘s Sustainability Practices
Warby Parker has a global foot (err…eye) print to cater to your eyecare needs wherever you might be in the world.
The company audits all third party suppliers and factories and they offset all company operations along their supply chain.
Through their “Buy a Pair, Give a Pair” program they’ve donated over four million pairs of glasses in over 50 countries via non-profits like VisionSpring, Ver Bien, and Aravind.
You can find out more about their initiatives by checking out their latest Impact Report.
Available: Warby Parker
Sustainable SCARVES
4. ZESTT ORGANICS
About Zestt Organics
Like chili flakes in a garden-fresh stir fry, Zestt Organics adds a bit of zest in the world of soft, cozy, and socially conscious sustainable fashion accessories.
The women-founded brand only works with manufacturing partners who support the health and wellbeing of their workers.
Their Lot No. program allows customers to check to see where and who was responsible for making each of their women’s scarves.
Zestt Organics’ Sustainability Practices
Every product they sell is made from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton.
This means the scarves are free of more than 100 harmful chemicals and don’t require chemical softeners.
The GOTS certification also supports a more ethical supply chain.
Available: Zestt Organics
5. NAADAM
About Naadam
Alongside their eco friendly sweatpants, Naadam’s sustainable scarves are made of just one fabric: 100% Mongolian cashmere.
While cashmere has a bad rap sheet, you can wrap yourself in these scarves knowing Naadam uses only ethical cashmere.
This starts with sustainable sourcing through to the closed-loop dyeing that gives these scarves and wraps their array of colors.
Naadam’s Sustainability Practices
Naadam does cashmere differently. From paying their herders premium prices to ensuring their free-range goats lead happy lives through veterinary care and gentle hand shorn techniques.
Their goats are raised in an area resilient to desertification and ranged over a Manhatten-sized chunk of land to minimize the grazing impact.
They also provide additional life-bettering funds for their herding communities, donate returned and damaged goods to nonprofits, offset all shipping emissions, and use energy-efficient manufacturing facilities.
Available: Naadam
6. ORGANIC BASICS
About Organic Basics
Sustainable scarves can keep you warm with less impact on our planet.
At least those by Organic Basics can.
Their men’s and women’s scarves are made from 100% recycled wool or 85% recycled cashmere.
Order alone or in a set with a matching beanie.
Organic Basics’ Sustainability Practices
Regular readers will know Organic Basics is one of our favorite sustainable clothing brands—which goes for accessories, too!
The Certified B Corp will send your scarf via carbon-neutral shipping… after you order it on their low-impact website (read: 70% less energy required for data transfer).
Part of your purchase will contribute to the Organic Basics Fund to support European activists and organizations that are addressing Earth’s environmental crises.
Available: Organic Basics
Sustainable HANDBAGS & WALLETS
7. CARRY COURAGE
About Carry Courage
With the current environmental crisis, we could all do well to Carry Courage.
This appropriately-named brand’s sustainable handbags are produced in a Portland, Oregon-based fair labor studio.
Clutch bags, cosmetics bags, cross-body bags, essential oil bags, tablet bags, tote bags, wallets, and zipper pouches are all available.
Carry Courage’s Sustainability Practices
The “heirloom quality” and PETA-approved vegan handbags make use of two of Earth’s finest materials: Portuguese cork and organically-grown American linen.
The recyclable hardware is consciously sourced from a woman-owned company in the US.
The small, made-to-order batches are hand-sewn and ensure you get a one-of-a-kind sustainable accessory.
Available: Carry Courage
8. MATT AND NAT
About Matt & Nat
For those sustainable accessories you always have with you (unless you leave it on the restaurant table), Matt & Nat and their sustainable wallets come in mighty handy (or pocket-y?).
Men’s and women’s wallets come in bifold, crossbody, zippered, and minimal card holder designs.
To keep your wallet safe and easily located, they also have handbags, tote bags, briefcases, sling bags, coin purses, weekender bags, and eco friendly luggage.
Matt & Nat’s Sustainability Practices
This vegan brand appreciates natural materials like cork, rubber, and recycled nylon.
For the linings, they use 100% rPET from plastic bottles.
Since 2007, they’ve been recycling more than nine million plastic bottles every single year.
Available: Matt & Nat
9. HYER GOODS
About Hyer Goods
Hyer Goods is all about sustainable clothing accessories for the conscious consumer.
Their accessories range is of Hyer quality and includes phone wallets, card wallets, zip wallets, trifold wallets, and passport wallets.
They also have several types of bags: belt, bucket, camera, convertible purses, croc, crossbody, tote, python, and shoulder bags.
Hyer Goods’ Sustainability Practices
Female founder Dana Cohen spent ten years too long in the corporate fashion world—enough to know that upcycling was necessary.
Their Better Leather is sourced as leftovers from the fashion industry and is chosen for its biodegradability.
This brand ticks all the boxes. They reduce waste, curb carbon, ship sustainably, manufacture ethically, and give back.
Available: Hyer Goods
Jewelry
10. TINY SPARKLE STUDIO
About Tiny Sparkle Studio
Etsy is an excellent place to look for sustainable accessories brands—like Tiny Sparkle Studio.
The simple classic jewelry range includes rings, bracelets, earrings, nose rings, necklaces, and men’s gifts.
Tiny Sparkle Studio’s Sustainability Practices
Mother and metalsmith Katrina handmakes all pieces in her California home studio.
Every item is made with LOVE—and recycled or sustainably sourced metals and gems.
All items are sent in a 100% recycled paper box with a paper raffia bow.
Plus, Etsy will carbon offset the shipping of all orders made on the platform.
Available: Tiny Sparkle Studio
11. OMI WOODS
About Omi Woods
Omi Woods is one of our favorite Black owned Etsy shops, especially when it comes to fair trade artisan jewelry.
The stunning metal pieces feature designs conveying the beauty of Africa and her diaspora. Every piece tells a story.
You’ll see designs like gold-shaped cowrie shells, Egyptian coins, and more in the earrings, necklaces, pendants, and cufflinks.
Omi Woods’ Sustainability Practices
Platinum, sterling silver, and solid yellow, white, and rose gold are Omi Woods’ metals of choice. The gold is 100% fair trade and sourced from Africa and all others are conflict-free.
A portion of sales is donated to organizations like 8 Billion Trees.
Available: Omi Woods
12. SOLIOS
About Solios
It’s about time we started styling with eco friendly accessories and Solios agreed. Hence their classy and minimalist men’s and women’s watches.
The brand was founded by two university friends who traded B’s in college for a Certified B Corp.
Solios’ Sustainability Practices
What makes for some of the best eco-friendly watches?
In Solios’ case, it’s the fact that they’re made of sustainable vegan leather (no toxic chemicals, PU, or PVC) and various other thoughtful and sustainable materials.
Want to know more?
Check out our podcast with one of the founders, Samuel Leroux where we cover their next level use of materials in detail.
Oh, AND importantly, the watches run on solar power and Solios now offers a watch recycling program.
Available: Solios
13. NORDGREEN
About Nordgreen
It’s time we all switched to eco friendly accessories like the sustainable watches made by Nordgreen.
Available in elegant designs for both men and women, each one is powered by built-to-last Japanese quartz movements.
The faces, bodies, and straps are made with conflict-free metals, closed-loop tanned leather (vegan watches are available), and otherwise non toxic materials.
If you prefer helping keep old items in circulation, you can instead purchase their refurbished watches.
Nordgreen’s Sustainability Practices
This Danish watchmaker doesn’t just have “green” in the name; it’s in their foundation.
Literally. They operate a carbon-neutral HQ and most employees bike to work.
Though they manufacture in China, the Danish-owned factory upholds strict EU labor standards and manages to recycle 99% of solvents used.
When you purchase a Nordgreen watch, you also get to choose whether a part of your purchase helps provide clean drinking water, preserves rainforest, or provides education to children.
Available: Nordgreen
Sustainable Hair Ties & Clips
14. KOOSHOO
About KOOSHOO
KOOSHOO translates from Norfuk to “feeling good” and the brand’s ethical supply chain and use of natural, organic, and non-toxic materials certainly make us feel good.
This husband-wife team was the first to create a biodegradable hair tie!
Their product line now includes several different colors of hair ties, scrunchies, and headbands in a rainbow of colors.
KOOSHOO’s Sustainability Practices
KOOSHOO’s plastic-free hair products are made of 70% GOTS and Fair Trade organic cotton and 30% natural rubber.
The cotton is dyed with AZO-free, low-impact dyes in a solar-powered L.A. dyehouse.
They also partner with a Fair Trade manufacturer/social enterprise in India that supports community programs and pays a living wage.
Available: EarthHero
15. TERRA TIES
About Terra Ties
Terra Ties doesn’t want us to have to sacrifice anything to get the hair out of our faces.
Their organic hair ties provide a worry-free up-do.
That includes worry about the damage it might do to your hair or the damage that hair tie will have at the end of its life (especially a premature one when it’s one of the many that get lost).
Terra Ties’ Sustainability Practices
Terra Ties are made from biodegradable elastic made from natural rubber, wrapped in organic cotton (not polyester) to keep it comfortable and reduce breakage.
The hair ties are long-lasting and strong, colored with natural dyes, and sent in 100% recycled/recyclable packaging.
Available: EarthHero
16. REPRISE
About Reprise
Reprise is an ethical activewear brand has clothes and sustainable eco friendly accessories for any yogi—or any woman who just wants to enjoy sustainable yoga clothes.
In addition to leggings and shorts, Reprise has a small selection of all-organic hair ties and scrunchies.
Reprise’s Sustainability Practices
Once again, these hair accessories are made from GOTS & Fairtrade certified organic cotton, Fair Trade natural rubber, and are dyed with GOTS & OEKO-TEX certified organic dyes.
Thanks to carbon offsets, their products are all carbon neutral.
Available: Reprise
Sustainable Hats
17. TENTREE
About tentree
tentree can top off their sustainable outdoor clothing (quite literally) with an equally sustainable hat.
Their range of bucket hats, festival hats, and baseball caps are made for men, women, and kids.
Just don’t forget the zero waste sunscreen on your next hike to protect where the hat doesn’t!
tentree’s Sustainability Practices
The hats are made from various eco materials like Tencel lyocell, Repreve polyester (aka recycled plastic bottles), hemp fabric, organic cotton, and recycled wool.
Beyond that, the Certified B Corp plants ten trees for every purchase to increase biodiversity in damaged areas.
They’re on track to plant a billion trees by 2030.
Available: tentree
18. STORIED HATS
About Storied Hats
Combine top quality, great styles, and sustainable fabrics and you get Storied Hats.
What you won’t get? A logo.
The hat is about you, not the brand.
Offered in multiple sizes for kids and adults, they come in both classic and funky designs so your personal style always comes (head)first.
For all you Spice Girls “Wannabe” and Fresh Prince 90s kids out there, check out their “fly as hell” 90s collection.
Storied Hats’ Sustainability Practices
90% of the fabrics used are sustainable, the main ones being recycled polyester and wool, organic cotton, and hemp.
The brand partners with ethically managed facilities and is a member of 1% for the Planet.
Available: Storied Hats
19. KIN THE LABEL
About Kin the Label
Kin the Label makes some truly stylish sustainable hats for women.
In fact, it’s all they make.
The woman-owned and operated company provides quality headwear while keeping things affordable.
Their range is large and includes straw hats, wool hats, packable hats, long brim hats, caps, and visors.
Kin the Label’s Sustainability Practices
Kin the Label uses various types of straw (toquilla, paper, palm tree, Japanese, raffia, and seagrass), wool felt, vegetable leather, and stonewashed linen.
They try to process these materials as close to the source as possible to keep shipping emissions down.
Available: Kin the Label
Sustainable Belts
20. NISOLO
About Nisolo
Nisolo is all about sustainable fashion accessories.
The Nashville-based brand is known for its eco-friendly handbags and ethical shoes, but they’re also one of the few brands that making sustainable belts from leather for both men and women.
Whether woven, braided, or smooth makes you feel hip and happening, they have beautiful, earthy options to suit.
Nisolo’s Sustainability Practices
The belts are made from natural leather sourced as a meat industry byproduct and certified by the Leather Working Group.
Nisolo is a Certified B Corporation, and one of the very few brands that provide a living wage to 100% of the people in their factory. They’re on their way to providing it to the rest of the people in their supply chain, too.
They also offset 100% of their carbon emissions, making them a certified Climate Neutral company.
Available: Nisolo
21. ASKET
About ASKET
ASKET is in the pursuit of less—because sometimes (most times), less is more.
That philosophy applies to their sustainable fashion accessories like men’s belts, available in both vegan leather and vegetable-tanned full-grain Italian leather.
With the brand’s commitment to Full Transparency, you can see every cent, every ounce of CO2, and the process behind each of their garments and accessories (which includes hats and scarves as well as belts).
ASKET’s Sustainability Practices
The slow fashion brand doesn’t design for seasons; they create for forever. Between craftsmanship and mending, they want everyone to reduce their wardrobes to pieces that last.
To keep an ASKET belt holding up your pants as long as possible, they provide a Care Program to help you take care of it, a Repair Program when you need an extra hand, and a Revival Program, to re-sell or recycle when it’s no longer wanted.
Available: ASKET
HOW WE FOUND THESE SUSTAINABLE FASHION ACCESSORIES
Accessorizing might feel like all fun and games but practicing sustainable and ethical fashion requires us to find the diamonds in a sea of rhinestone-studded belts.
Here’s a quick summary of all the points we consider before picking a purse.
Materials:
The focus for this article was sustainability (general, to say the least), so we especially looked at the sustainable fabrics that went into these accessories.
Fortunately, with these brands, nearly all of the materials used are those we consider to be sustainable.
They include deadstock leather and other recycled materials like plastic, glass, wool, cashmere, polyester, and metals.
You may also have come across acetate, but just what is acetate? It’s a renewable and theoretically biodegradable material that’s used as a greener alternative for items like sunglasses frames.
Several brands also prioritize biodegradable natural materials like organic cashmere, organic linen, organic cotton, rubber, hemp, straw, and semi-synthetic lyocell.
- Certifications: Leather Working Group, GOTS, Fair Trade, OEKO-TEX® 100
Supply chain and labor practices:
We didn’t especially prioritize ethical production here as we do with some articles (like those on fair trade sweaters and fair trade gifts), but are happy to see transparent and local supply chains.
- Certifications: Certified B Corp, Fair Trade
Green business practices:
Making those sustainable accessories even more sustainable, many brands are certified carbon neutral, work to keep supply chains small, offer lifetime warranties, or have programs to responsibly repair, recycle, or donate old accessories.
Inclusivity:
Size inclusivity isn’t as pressing of an issue when it comes to eco friendly accessories, but several woman-founded and/or Black-owned brands are represented here.
Community & charitable giving:
Giving back isn’t necessary, but then again, neither are accessories. They’re just the glowing finish to an already stunning outfit!
Many brands here are members of 1% for the Planet, plant trees, or have programs to support our environment by donating to relevant organizations.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON SUSTAINABLE ACCESSORIES
Ever feel naked when you forget to throw on that scarf, grab that handbag, or put on your rings?
No, these brands can’t help with your memory, but they can help you feel better about wearing your accessories the next time you do remember to put them on.
Here’s a confession: we forgot one of the best brands for sustainable jewelry accessories as well as hats, scarves, belts, and more.
Local and online thrift stores are a veritable paradise of unique, one-of-a-kind accessories. Scoring secondhand accessories is the best way to save money and save our planet.
If you found this article helpful, please share it with an accessory-phile who might appreciate conscious eco friendly accessories.
Thank you for including tinysparklestudio in your article. I am honored to create everyday and wedding jewelry from recycled silver and gold.