Haven’t you heard? Green is the new blue.
For sustainable jeans, that is.
The problem is traditional denim is dirty, but blue jeans are a wardrobe staple. So can denim and sustainability co-exist?
Yes! That is precisely what these ethical jeans brands are doing.
As with all our sustainable fashion guides, we prioritized (among other factors) jeans brands that opt for eco-friendly fabrics and actively reduce the impact of their chemical use.
Over the next few months, we’ll be rolling out our new Brand Rating System, which evaluates brands across multiple criteria, including their water use and product durability. You can learn more about this here.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
The Top Ethical Jeans Brands For Conscious Curves
What is an eco alternative to denim?
Going nude, for one. Or, if you live in society, Nudie Jeans fits the bill. Their versatile fits, eco-friendly materials, and lifetime repairs make them a jean come true.
In our (tried and tested) opinion, Frank And Oak makes some of the most comfortable jeans for us and the planet. Their “hydro-less denim” uses 79% less energy, 95% less water, and 50% fewer chemicals compared to traditional denim production.
We’re also a fan of Outerknown’s durable organic cotton jeans, which have held up really well after lots of wear and washing.
Index: Sustainable & Ethical Denim Brands
- Nudie Jeans Jump to brand
- Ag Jeans Jump to brand
- Warp & Weft Jump to brand
- Reformation Jump to brand
- Outerknown Jump to brand
- Outland Denim Jump to brand
- Dl1961 Jump to brand
- Frank And Oak Jump to brand
- prAna Jump to brand
- Agolde Jump to brand
- MUD Jeans Jump to brand
Nudie Jeans
About Nudie Jeans
Price Range: $185–$400
Nudie Jeans provides some of the best jeans on the market.
They use recycled, fair trade, or organic cotton to make every pair of jeans—whether it be a skinny, bootcut, straight leg, or tapered fit.
We love the Everblack Breezy Britt jeans for the oh-so high-waisted fit, durability, and flattering tapered cut which drapes really well for this type of garment.
Nudie Jeans’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Around 95% of all the fibers used in Nudie’s environmentally friendly jeans are cotton that’s Organic, Fairtrade, or Recycled.
The company also created the Nudie Jeans Material Tool, based on Made-By’s Environmental Benchmark for Fibers, and the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) to help guide their designers on preferred materials.
Products with human-made cellulosic materials, like TENCEL™, are certified by Sustainable Forest Management.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Nudie is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation, ensuring fair working conditions across its entire supply chain.
They conduct around ten annual audits to ensure their partners follow their Code of Conduct and Labor Practices, and back their Transparency Pledge by publishing its complete list of suppliers.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
All suppliers adhere to a chemical Policy, including a Restricted Substance List (RSL), and Manufacturer Restricted Substance List (MRSL).
Every pair includes a promise of free lifetime repairs. They also provide customers with a free Repair Kit if they can’t find a Repair Shop or Repair Partner.
Customers can return old jeans for recycling and receive 20% off new Nudie duds.
Nudie Jeans is a part of the UPS Carbon Neutral Program, offsetting CO2 emissions from exports, imports, and returns through reforestation and installation of renewable energy facilities.
Their packaging supplier, Avisera, plants trees to compensate for their carbon emissions, too.
All products are shipped in plastic bags made from RE-LDPE and RE-HDPE, which are recycled plastics containing around 40–80% recycled materials.
Inclusivity:
The ethical women’s jeans are available in 24–36″ waists and 26–36″ lengths. Men’s sizes are available in 24–38″ waists and 28–36″ lengths.
Ag Jeans
About AG Jeans
Price Range: $168–$298
AG Jeans has taken a slow, methodical approach to sustainability by introducing new technology and programs each year.
The denim jeans have exceptional quality, unique washes, and classic silhouettes, like high-rise skinny, cigarette leg, and straight.
We love their sustainable wide-leg jeans, like the Deven, for a subtle elongated look that never goes out of style.
AG Jeans’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
AG Jeans implemented state-of-the-art water filtration systems in their sustainable denim production. This Ozone Technology cuts water consumption by 50%, while minimizing the use of chemicals and energy.
Many of AG’s textiles incorporate sustainable materials, like TENCEL™ lyocell and modal fabric.
Supply chain & labor practices:
AG’s direct suppliers adhere to its Code of Conduct and Standard of Engagement, which prohibits human trafficking or slavery.
They also conduct audits at their partner facilities in Los Angeles and Mexico.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
AG has taken several steps to become more sustainable, like installing solar panels, introducing water recycling systems, and using eco-friendly lasers for manufacturing.
They continually invest in technology to increase energy efficiency, such as heat-saving recycling equipment that reduces laundry energy consumption by nearly 50%.
By carefully cutting patterns, they minimize fabric waste along with recycling discarded denim scraps for home and car insulation.
Inclusivity:
Women’s sustainable jeans are available in sizes 22–33″ and low to ultra-high rises.
Men’s sizes range 28–42″ and inseams 29–36″.
Community & charitable giving:
GOOD KARMA is the company’s charitable initiative. They partner with various organizations, like Water For People, Boxed Water, and Heal the Bay, to make a positive impact on the world.
Warp & Weft
About Warp + Weft
Price Range: $88–$98
Warp + Weft is an eco-friendly denim company forging a name for itself in a sea of unsustainable options.
How?
By offering a vast selection of designs for men, women, and kids alike. At under $100 per pair of jeans, they offer affordable ethical jeans, too.
The PHX Plus Denim Shorts are a vintage denim-inspired cutoff with a light wash, high-rise fit. The raw hem gives it a casual aesthetic, perfect for the summer.
Warp + Weft’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Aside from their rigid denim classic jeans (98% cotton and 2% elastane), most are made of an eco-friendly stretch denim blend of cotton, modal, lyocell, and plastered (a type of polyester).
Warp + Weft does not exclusively use organic cotton but is working towards it. For now, they source BCI cotton, in order to teach suppliers about more sustainable cotton farming practices.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Aside from a small team of ten based in New York, all Warp + Weft jeans are created in Pakistan, including farms, mills, and factories.
They are fully compliant with the International Social and Environmental & Quality Standards.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
By using vertically integrated dyeing and washing processes, Warp + Weft recycles 98% of the water used to create their jeans.
Inclusivity:
With “75 sizes and body types represented”, they’re hands down the most inclusive and body-positive brand on this list. Women’s sizes range from 00 to 24.
For Warp + Weft’s eco-friendly men’s jeans, sizes mostly range from 28–42″ waist and 28–34″ inseam, though they offer extended “big and tall” sizes up to 48″ waists and 36″ inseams.
Reformation
About Reformation
Price Range: $78–$248
Reformation is one of the best sustainable denim brands, with tons of women’s fashion items and a whole kit-and-kaboodle of eco-cred to their name.
RefJeans,’ “smart ass jeans” for women are not only super sustainable and affordable but varied in styles and washes.
While these high-waisted smokin’ hot sustainable mom jeans are so popular you might have to get on a waitlist, our favorite is the Cynthia High Relaxed.
Reformation’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
We like the Cynthia because it’s made of 43% TENCEL™ lyocell fabric and 57% organic cotton grown with regenerative agriculture practices.
Most other styles are made with that same blend or an 80/20 blend of 80% regenerative and recycled cotton. Only a couple models feature 1% EcoLycra or elastane.
RefJeans relies on a biodegradable natural enzyme for washing and dyeing their jeans.56% of Ref’s dyeing partners are either bluesign® or OEKO-TEX-certified against using harmful chemicals.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Reformation owns 32 of its factories in downtown Los Angeles, and 65% of its garments (including all denim) are made in one of these.
Their small percentage of other factories in Morocco, Turkey, and China, as are all suppliers, uphold the Global Social Compliance Programme’s (GSCP) Code of Conduct.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Reformation has a lot of sustainability initiatives, such as assessing the impact of each garment, using wind-powered and Green Business-certified office buildings (right down to the eco-friendly office supplies), shipping in bio-based packaging, and selling climate credits.
Thanks partly to their habit of buying carbon offsets for almost everything (even the energy your computer uses to browse their website), they’ve been carbon and water-neutral since 2015.
Reformation signed onto the Circular Fashion System Commitment, setting the goal to recirculate 500,000 garments by 2025.
Inclusivity:
RefJeans are normally available in 23–31″ waists (0–12), but their Liza Ultra High Rise sustainable plus-size jeans come in sizes 32–38”.
Outerknown
About Outerknown
Price Range: $168–$328
As the brainchild of eleven-time World Surf League champion Kelly Slater and designer John Moore, Outerknown has the sea at heart.
Hence their men’s and women’s Sea Jeans, each with a happy mix of casual chic and outdoor capability.
Men’s various blue and black jeans come with either slim, straight, or Selvedge cuts. Ladies come in a high rise, boyfriend, or cropped.
The patch pockets on the Paramour Flare offer a unique touch to the ’70s-inspired light-wash jeans that we can’t get enough of.
Outerknown’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Outerknown’s jeans are typically made of organic and recycled cotton.
A small handful contain some stretch fabrics (like spandex), so be sure to check the label.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Outerknown uses bluesign® and fair trade certified factories and Fair Labor Association-compliant suppliers.
The denim comes explicitly from the Candiani mill in Milan, Italy, and is otherwise washed and sewn in Vietnam’s Saitex, one of the leading eco-friendly jeans factories.
In addition to their living wages, they pay a premium, which goes into a fund that the employees collectively decide how to use.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
These fair trade jeans are made in small batches on vintage hand-operated looms. No machines are necessary.
Sea Jeans are also guaranteed for life, so Outerknown will replace or repair them for free forever.
If they do fully wear out, this slow fashion brand offers a take-back program that recycles jeans.
Inclusivity:
Men’s sustainable jeans are available in 28–38″ waists and 30″, 32″, or 34″ inseams. Women’s jeans come in 24–32″ waist sizes.
My Personal Review of Outerknown’s Drifter Jeans:
“These are some of the highest-quality jeans I’ve ever owned. I especially like the depth of the indigo color and how color-fast this dye has been after months of wear and washings (sorry, I’m not someone who wears their jeans for weeks without washing). My one complaint is that they don’t offer short inseams in their pants. At 5’5″, I’m a short guy so the fact that this brand only offers 32″ inseams and I have to cuff these pants is a bit offputting.”
Review by Christopher Ryan, SJ’s Menswear Tester
Outland Denim
About Outland Denim
Price Range: $190–$200
Australia, sustainable denim, ethical manufacturing practices—what’s not to love about Outland Denim?
The eco-friendly jean brand uses sustainable materials to craft high-quality jeans—and sustainable denim jackets, hoodies, shorts, skirts, dresses, and overalls—that don’t impede human rights or the environment.
One of our favorite pairs is the timeless Cooper slim cut, featuring those classy ultra-dark washes and a fabric content of over 90% organic cotton.
Outland Denim’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Outland primarily uses organic cotton to develop their eco-friendly jeans, with some pairs including lyocell, recycled cotton, virgin polyester, and recycled polyester.
All of the sustainable jean brand’s patches are made from vegan-friendly jacron paper that bears bluesign® and OEKO-TEX certification.
Outland prioritizes natural indigo dyes but ensures any sustainable dyes are certified organic or have been tested for harmful chemicals.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Outland established its own Cut, Make, Trim (CMT) and Wash House facilities, using technology that minimizes its carbon footprint.
Staff is supported by four pillars: training, opportunity, living wages, and education. Employees can participate in education and personal enrichment programs, like budgeting, health, computer skills, and self-defense.
Outland Denim has achieved 100% traceable denim and they only work with facilities free of slavery and exploitative practices.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
100% of excess textile waste from Outland Denim’s production facility is used for textile recycling research, not-for-profit social enterprises, and organizations for awareness projects.
The sustainable denim manufacturer has also made efforts to switch to cassava bags and reduce water, energy, and chemical usage.
Inclusivity:
Sustainable jeans for men are available in sizes 28–40″; ethical jeans for women in 22–34″.
Community & charitable giving:
Through a partnership with Precision Solutions Group (PSG), Bossa Denim, and Nudie Jeans, they created the Supply Network Intelligence System—a system to support cotton farming communities in Turkey.
The Outland Denim Medical Clinic was established at the Cut and Sew facility in Kampong Cham, Cambodia, to provide resources, education, and services to their community.
Dl1961
About DL 1961
Price Range: $88–218
It’s time to stop keeping traditional denim problems on the DL. Enter DL 1961.
This New York-based family-owned brand has been making quality jeans for decades. Now they’re run by Sarah Ahmed (whose sister runs the brand Warp+Weft).
Whether you’re looking for eco-friendly jeans for men, women, kids, or your zero-waste dog (seriously) DL 1961 has tons of classic choices in most shapes and cuts, from baggy to butt-hugging.
The eye-catching wash and antique silver hardware on the Cobalt Blue Noah vintage denim heaps make it a one-of-a-kind pair.
DL 1961’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Most are 100% cotton, all of which is either certified OCS or GOTS-certified organic, or has GRS or RCS recycled content certifications.
For performance-enhanced designs, however, they blend in Lenzing™ Modal, TENCEL™, or Refibra Lyocell, along with some occasional polyester and Lycra for stretch.
They eliminate harmful chemicals and bleach using Jeanologia Ozone water-free zero-discharge washing and laser finishing.
They’re also one of just 12 mills on the planet to use Dystar 40% VAT, a pre-reduced indigo blend with no harmful byproducts.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All farms and factories located in Pakistan are fully compliant with International Social and Environmental & Quality Standards.
Employees work in fair safe, chemical-free environments.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
A pair of DL jeans requires 10 gallons of water–compared to 1800(!) gallons in a pair of conventional denim jeans—and they recycle and treat that in-house.
Their jeans factory is considered an energy-efficient “green building” that uses a combination of solar panels and an onsite self-power generated heat recovery system.
Inclusivity:
Men’s sizes encompass 28–42″ waists and 30″, 32″, and 34″ inseams, and women’s 23–34″ waists, plus eco-friendly maternity jeans that provide midsection stretch.
Frank And Oak
About Frank And Oak
Price Range: $119
From Canada comes one of the most affordable denim brands around: Frank And Oak.
Their line of hydro-less, circular, and organic denim is setting a new denim standard by encouraging people to recycle their denim again and again.
They offer an array of classic and timeless styles and cuts for both men and women.
Frank And Oak’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Frank And Oak’s “good denim” is made of mostly organic and partially recycled cotton, along with a touch of elastane (1%) and sometimes TENCEL™ lyocell.
The zipper is made of NATULON® recycled polyester zipper tape, and the back patch is vegan recycled polyester, too.
Instead of chemical dyes, they use plant-based dyes and water-extracted minerals.
Supply chain & labor practices:
As a Certified B Corp, Frank And Oak is held to rigorous manufacturing standards across each of its 28 factories in three countries (China, Bangladesh, and UAE).
Each one has signed their code of conduct and been audited by at least one organization, including Sedex, WRAP, BSCI, and SA8000. All have passed these audits with “excellent” or “very good” ratings.
Carbon commitments & green practice:
This brand’s sustainable denim is “hydro-less denim”, which uses 95% less water, 50% fewer chemicals, and 79% less energy than conventional denim manufacturing. Any mineral extraction waste from this process is used as bio-fuel or fertilizer.
Plus, all denim is designed for easy recycling (such as being rivetless). Specifically, you can recycle old Frank And Oak jeans via their partnership with Cotton’s Blue Jeans Go Green™ program. In fact, bring any pair of jeans to a Frank And Oak store for 15% off a new pair.
Eco-friendly materials are a priority all-around, making up 78% of their line and their offices and stores (which utilize recycled, locally sourced materials).
Frank And Oak’s packaging consists of recycled paper kraft boxes and composable polybags,
Inclusivity:
Sustainable women’s jeans come in waists 23″ to 32″ and men’s in 28″x32″ to 38″x34″.
My Personal Review of Frank And Oak’s Linda High Rise Jeans:
“I’ve tried out the women’s Linda High-Rise and feel anything but blue about their performance. They have a super flattering high-waist design and a relaxed balloon shape in the legs, which is perfect if like me, you’re not a fan of skin-tight jeans.
Thanks to their Wafer fabric tech, these jeans have amazing moisture-wicking magic – helping you stay cool and dry even on hot summer days. Plus, the fabric is thick and sturdy but somehow feels all comfy and broken in right out of the box.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
prAna
About prAna
Price Range: $95–$120
As a long-standing sustainable outdoor clothing brand with a reputation for quality backed by top athletes, prAna is a go-to if you’re looking for functionality at no cost to comfort or sustainability.
Their affordable denim is no exception.
Their ladies’ jeans come in straight, skinny, tight, relaxed, cuffed, cropped, and colored variations.
The men’s selection offers skinny fits, like the Bridger in more than your basic blues. Choose between Peat, Mud, Black Out, Indie Blue, Denim, and Sepia washes.
prAna’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Any cotton present in prAna Jeans is 100% organic. However, this organic cotton is often blended with Sorona® Polyester and Lycra ® Elastane, which gives them their active edge.
It’s not perfectly sustainable, but over 80% of each pair is organic cotton.
Supply chain & labor practices:
prAna may have a multinational supply chain and a massive range of products. Still, they’re aiming to make it as transparent as possible by joining as members of the supply chain traceability entity, Textile Exchange.
Many garments are made in Fair Trade-certified factories, a number increasing year after year. Their website has handy “Fair Trade” and “country of origin” filters, so you can be sure you’re shopping as ethically as possible.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
prAna is a full-on bluesign® approved partner, so we know these affordable sustainable jeans contain the bare minimum of toxic chemicals.
Inclusivity:
prAna’s jeans come in 0–14 women’s sizes and 28–40″ waist sizes for men, with 30–34″ inseams.
Agolde
About AGolde
Price Range: $138–$458
AGolde sets the gold standard for sustainable fashion because it owns most of its facilities, allowing it to use high-quality manufacturing practices and equipment to produce unique styles like the Riley Jean, 90s, and Fusion—all available in various fits.
The Criss Cross is one of their more unique options, with an off-center button that draws the eye to the waist.
AGolde’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
AGolde’s ethically made jeans use eco-friendly materials like recycled cotton, and recycled leather.
The pocketing is crafted from recycled plastic bottles and post-industrial recycled waste.
Some of the Citizens of Humanity lines incorporate recycled thread in the stitching.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Many of their jeans are developed in Los Angeles and Turkey in facilities that AGolde owns. They cut to order, allowing product demands to drive their production to help minimize waste.
The laundry facilities utilize equipment for green washes and dyes, eco stones, ozone machines, natural enzymes, and organic chemicals—collectively minimizing chemicals, water, energy, and labor.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
AGolde uses oxo-biodegradable plastic with a pre-programmed life, meaning it automatically starts to break down over time.
All paper labels and tags are made from recycled paper.
Inclusivity:
In AGolde’s sustainable jeans, women’s sizes range from 22–33″ and low to high rise.
MUD Jeans
About MUD Jeans
Price Range: €129–€159
MUD Jeans produces some of the best ethical jeans in the Netherlands.
As one of the first ethical denim brands to use recycled cotton and circular fashion techniques, MUD has paved the way for future brands in the fashion industry.
They use high-quality denim for skinny, flared, loose, straight, tapered, and slim cuts—alongside sustainable denim shorts, jackets, and skirts.
The Sky Rise Skinny is a classic cut, perfect for the office, date night, or running errands. It’s made from organic and recycled cotton, with 2% elastane and stainless steel buttons.
MUD Jeans’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Most of MUD’s sustainable denim fabric is made from 60-75% OCS-certified organic cotton, with around 40% supplemented with recycled cotton.
Some of their denim pieces contain 30% hemp sourced from France and stretch jeans include a maximum of two percent GRS-certified recycled elastane.
The buttons on their eco-friendly pants are made of 100% stainless steel and use a printed label instead of leather patches.
Supply chain & labor practices:
MUD Jeans is a Certified B Corp and a member of The Social and Labor Convergence Program.
Their main supply chain partners have signed our Code of Conduct, and they regularly conduct in-person audits, seeking fair wages, safe working conditions, and respect for all employees.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
All of MUD’s sustainable pants are shipped in recycled cardboard.
The sustainable denim brand uses Ecochain to measure its carbon footprint and ensure the best resource-use practices.
MUD is partnered with The Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) and Circle Economy to move toward a more circular fashion system.
Inclusivity:
The sustainable men’s jeans are available in 28–38″ waists and 32–36″ lengths. Women’s sizes come in 25–34″ waists and 30–32″ lengths.
Why Choose Eco-Friendly Jeans Brands?
First off: are jeans sustainable?
Traditionally, no.
Globally we consume about 1.2 billion pairs of jeans per year. Every single one of those requires 3,781 liters of water to produce.
In the UK, women’s jeans are considered to have the highest water footprint of all clothing.
Then there’s the chemical factor, first at the cotton farming stage. Most jeans are made with traditionally farmed cotton. Traditional cotton is hugely land and water-consuming, accounting for 16% of the world’s use of insecticides.
Those chemicals leach into the environment, deplete the soil of its natural nutrients, and can cause severe health defects in farmers and animals.
As for the manufacturing stage, the cotton fibers must first be bleached white and then dipped repeatedly in indigo dye to achieve a lasting, dark coloration. This, of course, leads to vast amounts of chemical runoff and wasted water.
After that comes finishing. There are many different techniques used here, and only a few are eco-friendly. The most common are stone washing and sandblasting.
Stonewashing means literally washing the jeans with pumice stones to make them look worn. The problem is pumice stone mining is responsible for a considerable percentage of carbon emissions. The dust generated by the process can also lead to respiratory health effects on the miners.
Similarly, sandblasting puts factory workers and their lung health at risk because it generates dust while the workers are blasting the jeans with abrasive sand using high-pressure hoses.
And in the end, out of those billion-plus jeans, less than 1% gets recycled.