How Do I Know if a Clothing Brand Is Sustainable?

Just like for other goods, there is a host of certifications for eco-friendly fabrics, One of the most comprehensive labels in terms of overall sustainability is Made in Green. It indicates that an item adheres to the chemical standards and was manufactured with sustainable practices and under socially responsible working conditions.

What Does It Mean for Clothing to Be Sustainable?

Sustainable clothing is made from eco-friendly materials and with ecologically sound production methods. Another important aspect of sustainable clothing is that it is mindful of the people who produce the fashion. So sustainable clothing is not only eco-friendly but also ethically made.

Are There Certifications or Labels That Prove Sustainability for Clothing?

There are several certifications and labels that indicate the sustainability of clothing. They help you make informed decisions about the clothing you buy. See the above list for some commonly found labels and certifications.

Where Can I Buy Sustainable Clothing?

Now, more than ever, shoppers can access a wide selection of sustainable clothing online and in stores. To find sustainable clothing locally, search for boutiques that offer organic and recycled fabrics, or that advertise organic, vegan, and otherwise eco-friendly options.

Is Thrifting a Sustainable Clothing Option?

Thrifting is one of the more sustainable clothing options because it can reduce the cost and carbon footprint of new clothes and shipping. It’s estimated that the cotton needed to create a new pair of blue jeans requires about 1,800 gallons of water to grow; t-shirts take about 400 gallons. By buying second-hand clothing instead of new pieces, shoppers can reduce the demand for fast fashion and move towards a more sustainable lifestyle.

Best Sustainable Clothing Brands of 2023

Best Sustainable Clothing Brands of 2022 — Treehugger / Design by Amelia Manley

Sustainable clothing brands make apparel out of environmentally-friendly materials. Not only do these brands strive to use organic and recycled fabrics, but they are also committed to reducing the overall impact of production, often aiming for carbon-neutral operations and shipping.

Sustainable clothing brands make apparel from organic, recycled, or otherwise sustainable fibers. Ideally, shoppers can choose reasonably priced, sustainable pieces without having to sacrifice style and quality. Many top designers also commit to eco-friendly and socially responsible manufacturing processes and donate a portion of the proceeds to environmentally conscious organizations. Here we reviewed the best sustainable clothing brands.

Best Overall: Pact
Best Budget: Happy Earth
Best for Plus Size: Reformation
Best for Men’s Clothing: Taylor Stitch
Best for Trendy Outfits: Sézane
Best BIPOC-Owned: Two Days Off
Best Luxury Brand: Stella McCartney
Best for Organic Materials: Eileen Fisher

Best Overall: Pact

Key Specs

Made in: India
Price: $
Sizes: XS–XXL

Why We Chose It

Pact is our best pick overall because it scores high on all levels: clothing made from organic cotton, a wide range of clothes for men, women, and kids, and an affordable price point.

Pros & Cons

Pros

All products are made from organic cotton
Clothing for men, women, kids, and babies
Shoppers can offset the carbon footprint of shipments

Cons

Clothing does not use recycled fibers

Overview

Pact is one of the most popular sustainable clothing brands on the market. It offers men’s, women’s, kids’, and baby clothing made from organic cotton. Not only does Pact’s cotton use 91% less water to cultivate than conventional cotton, but it also omits any toxic chemicals and it is Certified Organic by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).

The company also partners with Fair Trade Certified factories that ensure safe working conditions, employee empowerment, and environmental protection. Customers get free shipping on orders of about $50 or more and can choose to add green shipping via Cloverly. This means the carbon footprint of your order will be offset through the purchase of wind or solar credits.

Beyond Pact’s sustainable clothing, the company’s Give Back Box lets shoppers donate their old clothes to nonprofits, thereby increasing the lifecycle of the items.

Best Budget: Happy Earth

Key Specs

Made in: Not disclosed
Price: $
Sizes: XS–XXL

Why We Chose It

In the budget-friendly category, we selected Happy Earth, which caters to shoppers looking for affordable, casual apparel like tees, outerwear, and leggings. Its clothing is made from sustainable materials with ethical practices and net-negative emissions.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Uses organic cotton, natural bamboo, recycled fibers, and sustainable cork
Certified B Corporation and member of 1% for the Planet
100% carbon neutral

Cons

More limited selection than other sustainable clothing brands

Overview

Happy Earth is a Certified B Corporation that sells women’s apparel and accessories. Apparel includes organic cotton short-sleeved, long-sleeved, and oversized tees as well as sweatshirts and outerwear, tank tops, and sustainable leggings made from organic cotton and Tencel. The collection is more limited than other sustainable brands but it has several popular T-shirt designs and collections.

Happy Earth is also a member of 1% for the Planet, meaning it has pledged to donate the equivalent of 1% of its gross sales to environmental causes. The company only sources vegan materials and works with its partners to reduce waste throughout its supply chains.

The company strives to ensure fair wages and healthy conditions in the fashion industry and is net-negative, including in the area of transportation.

Best for Plus Size: Reformation

Key Specs

Made in: Los Angeles
Price: $$
Sizes: XS-XL

Why We Chose It

Reformation is our top choice for plus sizes, combining beautiful, sustainable clothing with extended sizing and a wide range of styles and colors.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Clothing is available in sizes XS to XL
Sustainable manufacturing practices
Green building infrastructure
100% carbon neutral since 2015

Cons

Does not sell men’s clothing

Overview

Reformation is an LA-based sustainable clothing company that sells dresses, tops, jeans, and outerwear. Customers can also choose from swimsuits, intimates, and loungewear as well as apparel for weddings and parties. The brand stands out because of its wide selection of beautiful pieces in extended sizes, including a number of options under $150.

Like many sustainable clothing brands, Reformation partners with vendors and suppliers that meet high standards around social responsibility and non-toxic materials.

Products have been 100% carbon-neutral since 2015 and the company is working to get certified by Climate Neutral, a third-party organization that verifies companies that achieve net-zero carbon emissions. In addition, the company takes steps to offset the use of resources by partnering with water restoration and clean energy projects and recycles about 75% of all its garbage.

Best for Men’s Clothing: Taylor Stitch

Key Specs

Made in: USA and China
Price: $$
Sizes: XS–XXL

Why We Chose It

Its clean, stylish silhouettes and organic, recycled, and otherwise sustainable materials earned Taylor Stitch the first place in the men's clothing category.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Uses organic and upcycled cotton, recycled polyester, and hemp
Shirts, bottoms, outerwear, footwear, and accessories for men
Offsets the carbon footprint of shipping products to customers

Cons

Sells leather jackets as part of its outerwear collection

Overview

Taylor Stitch is a men’s clothing brand that sources organic, recycled, and otherwise sustainable materials for its garments. The company offers shoppers footwear, accessories, and apparel including shirts, bottoms, denim, and outerwear.

More than 99% of its cotton products are made from 100% organic cotton, and other popular items are made from upcycled cotton, recycled polyester, and hemp. While the brand utilizes merino wool, yak wool, and leather, it opts for ethical practices where possible. The use of these materials has saved over 33 million gallons of water by switching to 100% organic woven shifting.

Additionally, the packaging uses 100% post-consumer recycled fibers, and the company plans to transition to 80% recycled materials for its poly bags, tags, and labels by the end of 2021. Taylor Stitch also extends the use of its pieces by replacing or repairing damaged and defective pieces for the life of the product.

Best for Trendy Outfits: Sézane

Key Specs

Made in: Two-thirds of products made in Europe
Price: $$
Sizes: XS–XXL

Why We Chose It

Our winner for trendy outfits is Sézane because its beautifully designed and tailored clothing and accessories are trendy while still maintaining classic Parisian silhouettes.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Uses organic cotton, certified materials, recycled polyester, and vegetable-tanned leather
50%+ of products are certified by four industry-leading labels
Sustainability (organic, recycled, etc.) transparent for shoppers

Cons

Sells leather shoes and accessories

Overview

Sézane is a Parisian-inspired sustainable clothing brand that was founded in 2013. With over 2.5 million followers on Instagram, the stylish brand is hugely popular because of its eco-friendly designs and materials. The company offers four eco-friendly lines, including essentials, denim, leisurewear, and cashmere.

More than half of the brand’s pieces are GOTS, Oeko-Tex Standard 100, or FSC certified to ensure organic status, the absence of harmful chemicals, and sourcing from sustainably managed forests, respectively.

Sézane has a recycling program to reduce the footprint of fast fashion. All of its locations are powered by renewable energy. It reduced the overall carbon footprint of its garments by 22% in a year.

Best BIPOC-Owned: Two Days Off

Key Specs

Made in: Los Angeles
Price: $$
Sizes: XS–4XL

Why We Chose It

Two Days Off is our favorite BIPOC-owned, sustainable clothing brand because of the company’s beautiful apparel and carbon-neutral certification.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Uses sustainable materials like deadstock cotton
Small-batch production to prevent overproduction and waste
Climate neutral certified as of 2020

Cons

Does not offer men’s clothing

Overview

Founded by designer and scientist Gina Stovall in 2018, Two Days Off is a lifestyle and clothing brand rooted in sustainability. All of the brand’s apparel is handmade in small batches in Los Angeles from sustainable materials like deadstock cotton and linen. All of the brand’s garments are hand-cut and sewn in small batches to prevent waste.

Outside of the studio, all of Two Days Off’s products ship without plastic, and shipping materials are 100% recyclable and biodegradable. The company is also Climate Neutral Certified, meaning it has measured, reduced, and offset its entire footprint using verified carbon credits.

Best Luxury Brand: Stella McCartney

Key Specs

Made in: UK, Italy, China, USA, and Africa
Price: $$$
Sizes: XS-XXL

Why We Chose It

Stella McCartney is our favorite sustainable luxury brand because of its sustainability initiatives and dedication to eco-friendly materials and operations,

Pros & Cons

Pros

Uses a sustainable materials, including biodegradable denim
Does not use leather, feathers, fur, mohair, or skin
Eco Impact reporting tool to measure environmental impacts

Cons

- Most expensive brand we considered

Overview

Stella McCartney launched her namesake brand in 2001 with a commitment to designing clothing without the use of leather, feathers, fur, mohair, or skin. The brand uses a number of innovative and environmentally-friendly fabrics like Bolt Threads’ Microsilk, Econyl regenerated nylon, Bold Thread’s Mylo mushroom leather, Evrnu’s NuCycle yarn, and KOBA Fur Free Fur.

The line’s eye-catching ready-to-wear line includes everything from lingerie and sleepwear to swimwear, knitwear, and dresses. In addition to sustainable fashion, this luxury brand powers its stores with solar panels, uses certified sustainable paper and cardboard packaging, and has developed several initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of its clothing.

For example, the Clevercare system helps consumers care for their clothing more sustainably, and the Eco Impact report serves as a natural capital accounting tool to measure the brand’s environmental impacts.

Best for Organic Materials: Eileen Fisher

Key Specs

Made in: USA and China
Price: $$
Sizes: PP–3X

Why We Chose It

When it comes to natural, organic materials, Eileen Fisher has been standing out for decades. Its wardrobe staples including linen tops, pants, and jumpsuits are made of organic cotton and linen, ponte, silk, and other sustainable materials.

Pros & Cons

Pros

99% of cotton is organic and 16% is traceable
Collections for a minimalist, capsule wardrobe
Renew take-back program

Cons

Styles best suited to a minimalist style

Overview

Founded in 1984, Eileen Fisher is a sustainable clothing brand that puts a focus on clothing design with a minimal impact on the environment. Shoppers can choose from a large selection of beautiful and minimalist pieces and collections in organic cotton and linen, ponte, silk, and other sustainable materials.

In addition to its own clothing line, Eileen Fisher’s Renew and Waste No More teams collect used clothing items, deconstruct them, and transform them into new materials for home decor and accessories.

Final Verdict

Our best overall sustainable clothing brand is Pact because it is committed to creating stylish, organic cotton apparel but it is more affordable than many of the top sustainable clothing brands. Another crowd-pleasing draw is that it offers a wide selection for women, men, kids, and babies.

Compare the Best Sustainable Clothing Brands

Brand	Price	Products	Made In	Sizes	Available
Pact Best Overall	$	Underwear and apparel for men, women, kids, and babies	India	XS– XXL	Online
Happy Earth Most Affordable	$	Sustainable leggings, t-shirts, tanks, outerwear, and accessories	Not disclosed	XS– XXL	Online
Reformation Best for Plus Size	$$	Women’s and kids’ clothing, wedding and party attire, and swim	Los Angeles	XS-XL	In-store and online
Taylor Stitch Best for Men’s Clothing	$$	Men’s shirts, bottoms, denim, outwear, footwear, and accessories	USA and China	XS–XXL	In-store and online
Sézane Best for Trendy Outfits	$$	Clothing, shoes, and accessories for men and women	Two-thirds of products made in Europe	XS– XXL	In-store and online
Two Days Off Best BIPOC Owned	$$	Women’s apparel, accessories, home goods, and skincare	Los Angeles	XS–4XL	Online
Stella McCartney Best Luxury Brand	$$$	Women’s, kids’, and unisex clothing, shoes, and accessories	UK, Italy, China, USA, and Africa	XS-XXL	In-store and online
Eileen Fisher Best for Organic Materials	$$	Simple silhouettes and wardrobe staples for women	US and China	PP - 3X	In-store and online

Sustainable Clothing Brand Certifications

Sustainable clothing brands often tout certifications to demonstrate their commitment to more eco-friendly practices. When shopping for a more environmentally-friendly wardrobe, look for these labels and certifications:

Certified Vegan: Certified Vegan apparel and accessories don’t contain animal products or byproducts and have not been tested on animals. The certification can apply to clothing and accessories as well as food, drinks, personal care items, textiles and linens, and mattresses and pillows.
USDA Organic: Labeling under the USDA National Organic Program requires that companies meet strict pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer requirements when cultivating materials. In the apparel industry, this is most common with the cultivation of cotton, though the certification can also apply to food, drinks, personal care items, and textiles.
Fair Trade Certified: Fair Trade Certified products are required to uphold high standards around income sustainability, community and individual well-being, empowerment, and environmental stewardship. In the fashion industry, this means ensuring fair labor, workers’ rights, and sustainable land management.
1% for the Planet: Members of the 1% for the Planet program pledge to directly contribute the equivalent of 1% of their gross sales to environmental charities. Keep in mind, however, that being a 1% for the Planet member does not mean the brand’s clothing or other products are sustainable.
Certified B Corporation: Certified B Corporations are required to meet rigorous criteria pertaining to their impact on the environment, community, workers, and customers. There are also certain legal requirements that must be met, including updating governing documents to reflect the B Corp mission.

Also, check out this comprehensive list of sustainability certifications.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Know if a Clothing Brand Is Sustainable?

Just like for other goods, there is a host of certifications for eco-friendly fabrics, One of the most comprehensive labels in terms of overall sustainability is Made in Green. It indicates that an item adheres to the chemical standards and was manufactured with sustainable practices and under socially responsible working conditions.
What Does It Mean for Clothing to Be Sustainable?

Sustainable clothing is made from eco-friendly materials and with ecologically sound production methods. Another important aspect of sustainable clothing is that it is mindful of the people who produce the fashion. So sustainable clothing is not only eco-friendly but also ethically made.
Are There Certifications or Labels That Prove Sustainability for Clothing?

There are several certifications and labels that indicate the sustainability of clothing. They help you make informed decisions about the clothing you buy. See the above list for some commonly found labels and certifications.
Where Can I Buy Sustainable Clothing?

Now, more than ever, shoppers can access a wide selection of sustainable clothing online and in stores. To find sustainable clothing locally, search for boutiques that offer organic and recycled fabrics, or that advertise organic, vegan, and otherwise eco-friendly options.
Is Thrifting a Sustainable Clothing Option?

Thrifting is one of the more sustainable clothing options because it can reduce the cost and carbon footprint of new clothes and shipping. It’s estimated that the cotton needed to create a new pair of blue jeans requires about 1,800 gallons of water to grow; t-shirts take about 400 gallons. By buying second-hand clothing instead of new pieces, shoppers can reduce the demand for fast fashion and move towards a more sustainable lifestyle.

Methodology

To identify the best sustainable clothing brands, we compared 25 online and brick-and-mortar brands based on cost, materials, and selection of products. We also evaluated each brand’s commitment to environmentally-friendly and socially responsible manufacturing standards and sustainable certifications. Finally, we considered whether each company takes any additional steps toward sustainability, such as membership in 1% for the Planet.