What was once an underground aesthetic has now become a mainstream (wasteful) staple adding to the overconsumption of throwaway textiles. Fast fashion companies (hello PacSun) co-opted the trend to make a cheap dime.
That is until sustainable streetwear brands started hitting the scene.
Streetwear’s origin can be traced to various subcultures, like the hip-hop scenes of New York and Japanese street fashion, and now emerging brands are returning to the roots of the movement, by creating high-quality get-up whose main trend is timelessness.
So to support those who are taking to the streets to fight for a more fair and sustainable fashion industry, we’ve curated a list of our favorites that prioritize responsible fabrics, ethical labor and green business practices.
As we strut our progressive street fashion, we’ll soon be refreshing this article in light of our new Brand Rating System. It will assess brands against a range of sustainability-related factors, such as diversity and climate action, to ensure we only spotlight the best. You can take a look at our explainer 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.
Ethical Streetwear Bringing Back Those Vintage Vibes
Apart from the buttery soft GOTs cotton and recycled fabrics, Plant Faced designs offer that unique yet understated appeal. This is one of our favorite London-based streetwear brands that truly prioritize ethical production.
Another London-based brand, Fanfare Label’s designs are unapologetically bold and contemporary. If you have the confidence to sport their edgy stand-outs made of upcycled vintage clothing, you’ll no doubt turn heads down any street.
Index: Sustainable Streetwear
- Plant Faced Jump to brand
- Outland Denim Jump to brand
- Fanfare Label Jump to brand
- Afends Jump to brand
- Etsy Vintage Streetwear Jump to brand
- Wawwa Jump to brand
- Nudie Jeans Jump to brand
Plant Faced
About Plant Faced
Price Range: $8–$116
Non-binary-owned and operated Plant Faced is a London-based streetwear brand for “streetwear minus the sweatshop”. Their vegan friendly collection encourages people to embrace their animal-loving self.
Across their tees, sweatpants, hoodies, sweatshirts, shorts, socks, hats, and beanies, you’ll find distinct designs and slogan T-shirts like “Delete Meat” and “Kale ’em With Kindness.” We own the latter as well as one of the crew sweatshirts, which first and foremost, absolutely love how soft and cozy the organic cotton feels against our skin. After washing, it hasn’t lost any softness as cotton sometimes does.
The designs themselves are well-constructed and seem super durable. We especially love how the added stretch from recycled fabrics in the crop top helps it hug the figure in a way that both flatters and keeps it snugly in place. No accidental flashing if you move too quickly or a gust of wind comes up in this!
Plant Faced’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Over 90% of their line is made with sustainable fabrics, including GOTS-certified organic cotton and rPET from recycled plastic bottles. Vegan-friendly water-based inks produce their screen-printed designs.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Almost all Plant Faced’s fair trade streetwear is manufactured in Fair Wear or WRAP-certified facilities. Items are screen printed in London, but we’re unsure where sewing takes place.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Clothing features recycled woven garment labels, made in small batches, and shipped in mailers made of 100% recycled paper and water-based inks.
Inclusivity:
Plant Faced is an equal opportunity employer committed to non-discrimination with XS to 3XL sizes.
Outland Denim
About Outland Denim
Price Range: $59–$450
Think you can pull off double denim ala Bon Jovi? Then rock your way down under in streetwear from Australia’s Outland Denim. The first Australian denim brand to become a Certified B Corp (and the second globally), they received a rare A+ rating on the Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report several years running.
Denim is their specialty, but they also offer tees, hoodies, skirts, and dresses. We love staple pieces like the Heritage Eddie Denim Jacket that remain in style regardless of any new fashion trend.
Outland Denim’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
100% of the denim is organic cotton or recycled and dyed with natural indigo dye from the Indigofera plant where possible. If plant dyes aren’t available, they use dyes tested for harmful chemicals.
They’re going leather-free using OEKO-TEX-certified jacron paper logo patches.
Supply chain & labor practices:
They provide safe employment to victims of human trafficking.
To obtain complete traceability, the Certified B Corp mapped the complete journey of their denim from Tier 1 to Tier 5, published on their supplier transparency list.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
They use low-impact production methods that use less water, energy, and chemicals, and have replaced plastic poly bags with biodegradable cassava bags.
Inclusivity:
The sizing for most styles is XXS to XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
In partnership with Precision Solutions Group, Bossa Denim, and Nudie Jeans, Outland Denim has established the Supply Network Intelligence System to support cotton farming communities in Turkey. They’ve donated well over $200k worth of products to those in need through Thread Together.
Fanfare Label
About Fanfare Label
Price Range: $72–$305
London-based Fanfare Label has a streetwear collection that sticks to its bold, contemporary, and versatile aesthetic. Their jeans, t-shirts, jumpers, suits, tops, bottoms, and dresses all go to show why they’re one of the more edgy streetwear brands out there, including head-turning statement pieces.
Many garments begin as vintage items and are transformed into new designs, like the High Waisted Recycled Mushroom Jeans.
Fanfare Label’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Fanfare Label specializes in reusing, recycling, and upcycling fabric roll end cuts and pre-loved upcycled clothing. Some items are handcrafted from scratch using organic and recycled materials bearing GOTS, GRS, PETA-Approved, and OEKO-TEX certifications.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Fanfare Label keeps it hyper-local with London-based manufacturing. All workers are paid fair wages, and workshop practices align with the UN’s SDGs.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Their clothing comes with a lifetime guarantee for repairs. To reduce in-house fabric waste, they use zero waste pattern-cutting techniques.
Recycled paper packaging, biodegradable postage bags, and recycled polyester labels round out their sustainable materials.
Inclusivity:
General sizing for tops is UK 6-16 and 26” -38” waists for bottoms.
Afends
About Afends
Price Range: $15–$160
Afends was initially Founded by Declan Wise and Jonathan Salfield in Byron Bay, Australia, as a print shop for punk and hardcore bands.
Now, they develop streetwear for men and women using sustainable practices. Pieces like the Cuban Short Sleeve Shirt provide a timeless streetwear style, while options like the Mustard Knit Maxi Skirt are loud and proud.
Afends’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Afends crafts garments using HIGG-preferred fabrics like hemp, organic cotton, TENCEL™ and recycled polyester. Many pieces are OCS 100, OCS Blended, or GOTS-certified.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The brand believes in transparency, publishing its list of suppliers online. Afends prioritizes ethical production, working with partners providing dignity, fair wages, and safe working conditions.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Afends aims to be net zero and has started addressing its carbon footprint, with all inbound shipments being carbon neutral.
They have introduced products made from surplus fabrics and scraps, like scrunchies. All packaging is 100% recyclable or compostable, using corn starch bags and recycled swing cards.
Inclusivity:
They offer women’s tops in XS–XL and bottoms in sizes 24–34. Men’s tops are available in XS–XL, and bottoms in 28–36.
Etsy Vintage Streetwear
About Etsy Vintage Streetwear
From ethical wedding dresses to home decor, you can buy all sorts of artisan wonders from Etsy. That includes plenty of on-point vintage streetwear, including graphic tees, windbreakers, sweatshirts, jeans, and bomber jackets.
Besides, the most ethical streetwear you can purchase is second hand, and Etsy’s carbon-neutral shipping and net zero goals further help reduce the impact of steezy new streetwear.
Start your search with Body Party Vintage. With vintage band tees and goods from sportswear brands like Adidas to high-end designers, they live up to the hype of edgy and unique.
Or go with something statement-making in the form of uniquely upcycled denim from Always The Adventure, who takes vintage denim and canvas clothes and cyanotype prints on them using wid-harvested botanicals.
Wawwa
About WAWWA
Price Range: $23–$284
WAWWA is a UK-brand that started with humble beginnings and now contributes to the surf skate culture with eco-conscious materials and designs. Best-sellers like the Zama Pant provide a comfortable everyday fit with wide legs made from certified organic cotton.
WAWWA’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
WAWWA makes streetwear sustainable through natural materials, like GOTS-certified organic cotton, GRS-certified recycled cotton, and water-based inks. They also utilize recycled synthetic fabrics, like recycled polyester.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Most WAWWA products are made in-house at their factory in Manchester, UK. They incorporate fair trade practices, providing living wages, healthy working conditions, and other benefits. WAWWA also regularly visits their other Fair Trade suppliers, ensuring they adhere to environmentally friendly and ethical business practices.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
The edgy streetwear brand utilizes cradle-to-gate assessments to analyze the carbon footprint of each garment, listing the amount of CO2 produced for customers to see.
Each collection is manufactured in small runs, pre-selling before production, and garments are shipped in low-waste packaging made from compostable poly bags.
Inclusivity:
WAWWA’s tops and bottoms can be found in sizes XS–XXL.
Nudie Jeans
About Nudie Jeans
Price Range: $45–$1,900
Is anything as ‘eco-street’ as a pair of sustainable jeans?
We think not and neither does Swedish denim brand Nudie Jeans who offers urban staples for men, women, and kids. You’ll find jackets, tees, shirts, sweatshirts, pants, shorts, and jumpsuits. Some pairs, like the high-waisted Clean Eileen, are made from deadstock fabrics and provide a loose fit with a wide-leg opening.
Nudie Jeans’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
94% of the fibers Nudie Jeans uses are cotton, either GOTS-certified organic, fair trade or OCS 100-certified recycled. The brand tag may look like leather, but it’s made from vegan Jacron paper. Fiber choices are based on Made By’s Environmental Benchmark and the Higg MSI for other materials.
Used, unrepairable denim often returns to the loop as raw material for new products.
Supply chain & labor practices:
A member of the Fair Wear Foundation and Textile Exchange, Nudie bares all about their manufacturing in Tunisia, Turkey, and a handful of other countries. These and their fabric mills in Turkey, Italy, and Japan are regularly audited.
With their Transparency Pledge, you can find their complete list of suppliers online.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Every pair of Nudie Jeans comes with a promise of free repairs, either via a free repair kit or the experts themselves. Once you’ve worn them out, return them to receive 20% off a new pair. If possible, the old jeans get repaired, washed, and resold in the Reuse collection. Note this collection is drop-based so if there aren’t any products in it at the moment, check back later.
Per their sustainability report, Nudie has mapped its entire supply chain’s CO2 emissions and offsets this through the UN Carbon Offset Platform.
Inclusivity:
Men’s and women’s jeans come in unisex sizes (24”-38” waist and 28” -36” inseam) and tops in XS-XL.