Ethical Sustainable Clothing

Our Top Buys for 2024: 9 Best Ethical Clothing Brands

If you’re on the lookout for stylish and sustainable clothing that leaves you with a sense of satisfaction, you’re in luck! We’ve curated an eco-conscious list featuring some of our favorite ethical clothing brands to help you buy more mindfully for the future.

These brands use sustainable materials, fair labor practices, and ethical manufacturing methods. They also often donate a portion of their proceeds to charities that support environmental or social causes. Several of these ethical clothing brands also hold certifications from third-party organizations that attest to their commitment to sustainability and ethical practices.

So whether you’re looking for a new look to wear to your latest music festival or just want to update your wardrobe with some fashionable and eco-friendly pieces, you’ll love browsing through these top sustainable clothing brands!

And just for you, we’ve included our favorite items from only the best sustainable fashion brands to add to your cart today! 

For a more eco-friendly wardrobe, explore our guides on ethically made shoes, menswear, and womenswear.

Ethical clothing brands made by recycling materials


9 Best Ethical Clothing Brands

Discover these top sustainable clothing brands that have a positive impact on the planet. From Tentree to Girlfriend Collective, look no further than these sustainable clothing brands for mindful shopping.

First on our list: Patagonia, hailed as one of the best clothing brands for sustainability, is a popular outdoor gear manufacturer that employs sustainable materials, renewable energy, and innovative technologies to minimize its environmental impact.

History

Patagonia was founded in 1973 by Yvon Chouinard, an avid climber and outdoorsman.

Patagonia also has a B Corporation certification, demonstrating its adherence to the standards encompassing social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

What We Like About the Brand

Ethical clothing brands like Patagonia is committed to sustainability. The company utilizes raw materials, fair trade practices, and eco-friendly packaging to reduce its footprint.

Additionally, Patagonia is a leader in recycling and repair. They recycle their products and use those recycled materials for new products. Patagonia offers a repair service too, so that customers can extend their lifespan.

Sustainable Practices

  • Patagonia uses sustainable materials in 87% of its products, including polyester, nylon, and wool.
  • Patagonia uses organic cotton and traceable goose feathers.
  • Patagonia sources almost all of its energy from renewable sources, including solar and wind power.
  • Patagonia is committed to being carbon neutral by 2025 and is working to remove carbon from the atmosphere.

Get the full story on Patagonia’s ethical stance here.

2. Pact

Finding ethical clothing brands that offers sustainable fashion for the whole family can be tricky, but Pact checks all the boxes!

History

Pact was founded in 2009 by Brendan Synnott with the mission to make sustainable clothing more affordable and accessible. 

The company sells organic cotton clothing, bed sheets, and bath towels that are certified by Fair Trade USA and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). 

What We Like About the Brand

The best ethical clothing brands are those that are committed to sustainable and ethical practices. Pact uses organic cotton in all of its clothing, which requires 91% less water than regular cotton to produce and is free of toxins and chemical materials. 

sustainable clothing brand that uses organic cotton


Further, Pact offers carbon offset shipping by allowing consumers to buy credits to offset the calculated impact of shipping to their specific address. And, the recyclable box the products arrive in can be reused to ship gently used clothing to a variety of non-profits with a free shipping label.

In addition to these ethical practices, Pact also partners with Free Trade Certified factories to ensure that the production process of its apparel is ethical. 

Fair-trade certification guarantees that the company provides fair wages and safe working environments to its factory workers. Wherever fair-trade certified brands produce their clothing, they make sure to protect the land and waterways there too.

With a broad line of sustainable fashion options for everyone in the family, Pact is one of our favorite clothing brands that are ethical for the most environmentally conscious consumers.

Sustainable Practices

  • Pact allows consumers to buy credits to offset the calculated impact of shipping to their specific address.
  • The company has an innovative recycling program.
  • Pact partners with Free Trade Certified ethical factories to ensure that its apparel is produced in ethical conditions.

3. Girlfriend Collective

Girlfriend Collective sounds like it’s a female-empowering brand that’s likely led by a group of girlfriends. While that may not be exactly the case, the brand is popularly growing for other reasons. One of the top sustainable clothing brands, Girlfriend Collective has become a darling for the activewear market.

Are you looking for the best sustainable fashion brands that hits all areas of the sustainability and ethics pillars? Girlfriend Collective gets pretty close to it!

History

So the company’s mission started with the need to make sustainable activewear that’s both stylish and affordable.

What We Like About the Brand

For starters, Girlfriend Collective uses post-consumer water bottles to make its recycled fabric. This means that it takes bottles that would otherwise end up in landfills and turns them into new products.

Sustainable fashion brand transforming recycled water bottles into eco-friendly fabrics


It partners with organizations like Parley for the Oceans to collect and recycle fishing nets as well. These nets can be harmful to marine life, so it’s great that Girlfriend Collective is helping to remove them from the ocean.

Sustainable Practices

  • Girlfriend Collective uses recycled materials in all of its products, including post-consumer water bottles, fishing nets, and fabric scraps.
  • The company partners with a number of organizations to help collect and recycle plastic bottles.
  • Girlfriend Collective’s products are made in factories that are certified by SA8000, which means that the factories meet high standards of social and environmental responsibility.

4. Eileen Fisher

Fourth on our list of best sustainable fashion brands is Eileen Fisher.

History

Eileen Fisher was an interior and graphic designer who had trouble finding clothes that she liked. She wanted simple, timeless pieces that would last. 

In 1984, she launched a line of 4 simple shapes in linen and French Terry. The sustainable clothing company quickly grew, and now offers a wide variety of clothing for women.

What We Like About the Brand

We like Eileen Fisher because they offer high-quality, timeless clothing that’s made sustainably. They use raw materials as well as organic cotton and other natural fibers.

In fact, they were one of the first major ethical clothing brands to use recycled materials and organic cotton. They also have a take-back program for old clothing, which they recycle or donate. 

Buy clothing from ethical clothing brands that you know treat their employees fairly. Eileen Fisher is committed to fair labor practices, ensuring workers get livable wage. The brand has a zero-tolerance policy for forced labor.

donating clothes as a sustainable practice


Sustainable Practices

  • Eileen Fisher works with factories that meet high standards of social responsibility and pay fair wages.
  • The brand is committed to reducing its environmental impact.
  • The company has a zero-waste policy in its manufacturing process.

5. Outerknown

Ethical clothing brands like Outerknown are setting the bar high for the fashion industry. The brand is becoming more popular in fashion as one of the best sustainable fashion brands, known for its stylish and eco-friendly pieces.

History

What We Like About the Brand

Your commitment to sustainability and transparency means you’ll spend more money than average on shopping sprees. That said, you can be sure Outerknown clothes are made to last and are produced in a way that’s good for the environment and the people who make them.

If you’re in search of top sustainable clothing brands that offer both sustainability and style in beachwear, Outerknown is a great option. The brand’s clothes are perfect for everyday wear or for a day at the beach. Check out the quality fabrics used in their other items too, from sweaters and pants to jumpsuits.

Unlike other ethical clothing brands, Outerknown gives men just as ample a selection of garments as women, making them one of the best sustainable fashion brands for men.

Sustainable Practices

  • In 2022, Outerknown’s preferred fiber usage improved from 87% to 95%.
  • The company worked with two B Corp Certified suppliers and has 8 facilities running on renewable energy.
  • Outerknown diversified its country of origin and moved 67% of its supply chain to ensure that every supplier it works with prioritizes and respects human rights.

6. Everlane

Ranking sixth on our list of the best clothing brands for sustainability, Everlane is a reputable company that’s known for its budget-friendly, fashionable pieces. Everlane is perhaps one of the most popular ethical clothing brands, and for good reason.

History

Everlane shares the production costs of its items and where they were made, and it was committed to eliminating virgin synthetics and plastic from its supply chain by 2021.

What We Like About the Brand

Everlane stands out among the best sustainable fashion brands due to its commitment to radical transparency, which means that they’re very open about where their products are made and how much they cost to produce.This information is all available on their website, so customers can see exactly what they’re paying for.

Additionally, the brand sells a variety of modern basics, such as t-shirts, sweaters, and jeans. These items are made from the highest-quality materials and are designed to last.

Everlane’s prices are generally reasonable too, especially considering the quality of their products. They also offer a variety of sales and discounts throughout the year.

Sustainable Practices

  • Everlane uses recycled materials whenever possible and they work with ethical factories that have fair labor practices.
  • Everlane donates a portion of its profits to charity. In 2022, they donated $1 million to support organizations that are working to address the climate crisis.

7. Reformation

You have baggage, we have bags.

Reformation, another big name in sustainable fashion, is one of the leading ethical clothing brands that specializes in more than just unique-looking, statement-making bags. They’re all about catering to the modern woman.

History

The company has been committed to reducing its environmental impact since its inception, and in 2015 it became 100% carbon footprint neutral. 

Reformation has also made efforts to reduce its water usage and waste production, and it offers a resale program to encourage customers to recycle their old clothes.

What We Like About the Brand

Reformation is one of the ethical clothing brands that every woman needs in her life. 

The company uses low-impact materials, rescued deadstock fabrics, and repurposed vintage clothing. They also make their products in a sustainable way, with a focus on reducing waste and pollution.

Reformation’s clothes are stylish and high-quality. They also offer a variety of sizes and styles to fit everyone. Unlike other top sustainable clothing brands, Reformation offers trendy pieces and formalwear with extended sizes 0 through 24.

Reformation is one of our favorite ethical clothing brands for sustainable jeans and occasion dresses, and we love that this already climate-neutral brand aims to be climate-positive by 2025!

The brand is constantly innovating too, and always looking for new ways to reduce its environmental impact and improve its social responsibility.

recycling clothes as a sustainable practice


Sustainable Practices

  • Reformation is committed to a circular economy. This means that they want to create a system where clothes can be reused and recycled, rather than ending up in landfills.
  • In 2022, 68% of their materials were recycled, regenerative, or renewable. They’re also working to increase the use of deadstock fabrics.
  • Reformation is piloting a program with Hemster to offer simple, custom alterations that would help clothes last longer.

8. Tentree

Eight on our list of the best ethical clothing brands: Meet Tentree. This brand stands out amongst other top sustainable clothing brands because of its tree-planting activities. Tentree plant trees with every purchase you make with them.

History

This helps cut back on the waste water and emissions that are created by typical apparel manufacturing. 

As mentioned, Tentree also plants 10 trees for every item sold, which helps to balance the environmental impact of the company’s products.

ethical clothing brand that uses recycled polyester

What We Like About the Brand

Tentree sources the most sustainable products possible and offsets its entire value chain, making it easy for customers to make a positive impact on the environment and people’s lives.

Not to mention that Tentree is behind Veritree, a blockchain-based verification platform. Veritree helps other ethical companies follow the tree-planting module into their business.

Already Tentree has successfully planted more than 65 million trees in countries around the world with an aim of 1 billion by 2030.

Sustainable Practices

  • Tentree is a Certified B Corporation and Climate Neutral company, meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance.
  • Tentree uses sustainable materials in their products and recycled packaging.

9. Threads for Thought

Wrapping up our picks of ethical clothing brands with Threads for Thought.

More than a witty brand name, Threads for Thought is known for its eco-friendly materials and ethical practices. 

History

Threads 4 Thought is a sustainable clothing brand that was founded in 2006. 

What We Like About the Brand

Like other top sustainable clothing brands, Threads 4 Thought uses only eco-friendly materials and raw fabrics in its products. This includes organic cotton, recycled polyester, and Tencel. 

These materials are better for the environment than traditional materials, such as cotton grown with pesticides or polyester made from fossil fuels.

Further, Threads 4 Thought neutralizes its carbon emissions by investing in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This includes planting trees, investing in renewable energy, and improving energy efficiency.

Sustainable Practices

  • The brand uses FSC-certified paper for all of its branding materials.
  • Threads uses recycled packaging and recycles 80% of its industrial water.

Wrapping Up: Which of these Best Sustainable Fashion Brands are for You?

Savannah Bailey
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