Looking to get into sustainable fashion, but can’t find any affordable sustainable clothing brands that work with your budget?
Luckily, there is a range of high-quality and affordable sustainable clothing brands out there – it’s just a matter of finding them.
Why shop from a sustainable brand?
If you’re wondering what sustainable fashion is, and why you should support sustainable clothing brands, we’ve detailed the key points below.
1. It’s better for the environment.
The fashion industry is one of the leading industries driving global pollution. The fashion industry causes a massive amount of both greenhouse gas emissions and waste.
The fashion industry causes over 8% of yearly greenhouse gas emissions, and that’s growing year after year. It is estimated that around 92 million tonnes of waste are produced annually from the fashion industry alone.
By supporting sustainable brands, you can help to reduce the number of emissions produced, slow down climate change, and stop the global waste problem.
2. It helps to reduce your fashion waste.
Unfortunately, with the rise of fast fashion and the increase in poorly quality garments, the average American throws away around 70 pounds of clothes each year. In addition to throwing away our unwanted clothes, studies have shown we keep our clothes for almost 40% less time than we did 15 years ago.
As consumers, we must change our buying habits to buy less but better quality clothing that will last season after season.
3. To reduce the exploitation of workers within the fashion industry.
Seventy-one leading clothing retailers in the UK were surveyed, and at least 77% believed there was a likelihood of modern slavery occurring at some stage in their supply chains.
To reduce social harm, we must shop from ethical brands with a transparent supply chain that ensures safe and fair working conditions for all its employees.
- 1. Pact
- 3. For Days
- 4. The Phoenix Brand
- 5. Knickey
- 6. Kotn
- 7. Tradlands
- 8. Frank And Oak
- 9. Back Beat Co.
- 10. SiiZu
- 11. Colorful Standard
- 12. Able
- 13. Made Trade
- 15. Plant Faced Clothing
- 16. Amour Vert
- 17. Allbirds
- 18. Everlane
- 19. Krochet Kids Intl.
- 20. United By Blue
- 21. Los Angeles Apparel
- 22. Thought Clothing
- 23. People Tree
- 24. Ecoalf
- 25. Nomads
- 26. tonlé
- 27. Fair Indigo
- 28. Alternative Apparel
- 29. Fifth Origins
- What is Sustainable Fashion?
- Why is Sustainable Fashion Usually More Expensive?
- What are Sustainable Fabrics?
- How Can I save Money and Still Shop Sustainably?
The Best Affordable Sustainable Fashion Brands
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1. Pact
Sustainability: GOTS certified organic materials, Fair Trade certified factories.
Price range: $ – $$
Ecothes Rating: 4.2/5
Pact is an affordable, sustainable clothing brand using GOTS organic cotton to create its on-trend styles. Organic cotton is a more environmentally friendly alternative to cotton as it is grown without pesticides or harmful chemicals. Plus, organic cotton saves around 10x the water required for irrigation than conventional cotton.
The brand creates casual styles for women, men, and children and makes affordable organic bedding and home textiles.
3. For Days
Sustainability: Organic materials, zero waste, recycling program.
Price range: $ – $$
For Days is one of the most interesting affordable eco-friendly brands listed here.
Unlike your typical clothing company, For Days acts as more of a membership club than a retailer.
Once you sign up, you pay $38 per organic cotton item of clothing. Then, when you’re ready for something new, you only have to spend $8/item. You send your old items back to For Days, and they then recycle it and turn it into another item of clothing.
Currently, you have to join a waiting list – but this affordable and sustainable clothing brand’s business model is refreshing and could be the start of a new trend in eco-friendly clothing.
4. The Phoenix Brand
Sustainability: Organic materials, biodegradable, nontoxic fabrics
Price range: $ – $$
The Phoenix Brand is a cool sustainable clothing brand saying no to plastics. Instead, the brand creates its on-trend collections for men and women with biodegradable, non-toxic materials, including organic cotton, and recycled cotton.
The brand partners with independent artists to create its unique collections from plant-based fibers.
We’ve tested their organic cotton tees and love the fit and quality of TPB’s clothing.
5. Subset
Sustainability: Organic cotton, ethical labour
Price range: $ – $$
Subset’s mission is to provide the most comfortable, sustainable, and inclusive underwear for all. Their products are designed to fit a wide range of body shapes and sizes, and they’re a carbon-neutral brand!
Subset’s underwear line is made of certified organic cotton, free from harmful pesticides and chemicals. Plus, their products are Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified, which meets the highest organic textile production standards.
6. Kotn
Sustainability: B Corp, organic, safe and fair labor standards, donations and funding to pro-literacy organizations
Price range: $ – $$
Looking for quality sustainable essentials, at an affordable price?
Kotn is the brand you’ve been looking for.
All of their clothes are made with organic, ethically sourced Egyptian Giza cotton. They work with pro-literacy organizations to help give back to the communities their workers live in, with the aim of stopping the cycle of child labor.
If you’re looking for quality eco-friendly essentials, it’s definitely worth checking out Kotn.
7. Tradlands
Sustainability: Ethical production, natural & sustainable materials, recycle remnants
Price range: $$
From Oceanside in California, Tradlands produce a range of high-quality affordable womenswear.
One of the most wasteful parts of fast fashion is that the level of quality simply isn’t there. You’re forced to stop wearing your clothes after they start falling apart after a few washes. Tradlands was created with the goal to stop that cycle of waste.
Tradlands make detailed, quality essentials for women, and while some items are priced on the higher end, they do have a range of affordable items available. Definitely worth checking out.
8. Frank And Oak
Sustainability: Eco-conscious materials and methods, recycled materials, recycled packaging, and stores built from used materials
Price range: $ – $$
Frank And Oak make great looking men’s and women’s sustainable and ethical affordable clothing at a great price.
While they do have some items costing a little above the typical shopper’s clothes budget, they have a great range of essentials at affordable prices.
If you’re looking for modern cuts, and want to support a company that’s on a mission to increase its own sustainability and promote it as an ethos, then Frank And Oak are definitely worth checking out.
9. Back Beat Co.
Sustainability: Organic materials, compostable packaging, affordable ethical clothing
Price range: $ – $$
Back Beat Co. is a WOC-owned clothing brand focused on creating affordable sustainable clothing from responsible materials.
The brand prioritizes low-impact fabrics like dead-stock fabrics or organic fibers like organic cotton and hemp instead of unsustainable textiles like virgin polyester and cotton.
Expect to find sustainable jumpsuits, dresses, colorful t-shirts, shorts, and other organic essentials that will slot seamlessly into your closet.
10. SiiZu
Sustainability: Sustainable manufacturing processes, organic materials, recycled packaging, profit donations
Price range: $$
SiiZu‘s philosophy is to design and deliver beautiful, high-quality apparel made with sustainable manufacturing practices, an affordable price point – and they deliver on that!
Siizu have an awesome profit donation scheme going on too – they donate 10% of their profit to help American Forest reach its goal of planting 2.7 million trees across 44 projects to help restore and protect critical wildlife habitat.
We’re confident you’ll love this affordable ethical clothing brand, and you can choose from tops, bottoms, and even jewelry.
11. Colorful Standard
Sustainability: GOTS certified organic cotton, eco-friendly dyes
Price range: $$
Colorful Standard creates on-trend basics in an array of vibrant colors and styles. In addition, the brand offers cool biodegradable sunglasses, ultra-soft merino wool sweaters, and must-have organic cotton basics.
The ethical brand doesn’t design for seasons or ever-changing trends; instead, Colorful Standard focuses on creating essentials that you can wear in every season.
Colorful Standard creates all of its clothes ethically in Portugal. The brand opts for a zero-waste production process and utilizes organic cotton and recycled materials for its products.
12. Able
Sustainability: Transparent supply chain that publishes the wages of its employees. Able also creates sustainable fashion using eco-friendly materials.
Price range: $$
Able is a stylish clothing brand creating sustainable fashion for modern women. The brand ensures the ethical production of its clothing. In addition, it publishes the lowest wages in its supply chain to encourage more fashion brands to be transparent, provide fair wages, and expose the treatment of workers within the fashion industry.
Able is also a size-inclusive brand that offers the ability to swap your clothing for an alternative size for free if your body shape changes.
13. Made Trade
Sustainability: Curation of sustainable and ethical clothing brands from around the world
Price range: $$
Made Trade is a women-led online marketplace allowing you to shop for the best ethical fashion and homeware brands on the planet.
The marketplace independently checks every brand to ensure they meet strict sustainable and social standards.
Made Trade is climate-neutral certified and offers complimentary carbon offset shipping on every order.
14. Happy Earth
Sustainability: Certified B corp creating sustainable and ethical clothing from organic materials
Price range: $-$$
Happy Earth is a social enterprise with a commitment to protecting the planet. The brand uses eco-friendly materials like organic cotton and partners with Fair Trade-certified factories to ensure ethical production.
Plus, every purchase of Happy Earth clothing helps to support positive environmental change, such as planting trees, removing trash, and reducing climate change.
You can find cool unisex graphic t-shirts, leggings, and accessories like beanies, caps, and water bottles.
15. Plant Faced Clothing
Sustainability: Ethical production, sustainable materials, water-based dyes, vegan-friendly
Price range: $-$$
Plant Face Clothing is a sustainable clothing brand leading the movement against the harmful exploitation of people and animals within the fashion industry.
The brand creates bold statement t-shirts, sweaters, and accessories from 100% animal-free materials like organic cotton, recycled polyester, and eco-friendly water-based dyes.
In addition, the brand ensures ethical production by working only with audited and certified factories.
16. Amour Vert
Sustainability: Zero-waste, sustainable materials, made in the USA, recyclable and compostable packaging
Price range: $-$$
Considered one of the original sustainable clothing brands, Amour Vert is on a mission to spread the word about sustainable fashion and to show the world that it can be both stylish and earth-friendly.
The brand’s modern yet timeless clothes are designed in San Francisco and made ethically in the USA with the environment in mind. From sustainable materials and zero-waste production practices to recyclable and compostable packaging, Amour Vert is committed to sustainability at every level.
17. Allbirds
Sustainability: ethical production, Earth friendly materials, certified B corp.
Price range: $$
We’re big fans of Allbirds, having tried and loved the Tree Dashers, t-shirts, and leggings. The brand is famous for its eco-friendly running shoes, but it also creates much more, including sustainable clothing like silky smooth t-shirts, extra comfortable leggings, and loungewear.
As a certified B corp, Allbirds must meet high social and environmental production standards.
18. Everlane
Sustainability: Partner with ethical factories around the world.
Price range: $$
Style-wise, Everlane are similar to Frank And Oak. They offer clean, simple essential items that everyone needs in their wardrobe.
They partner with the best ethical factories around the world to make sure their workers are treated fairly, and you can be confident that no unethical labor practices are taking place in Everlane’s supply chain.
19. Krochet Kids Intl.
Sustainability: Ethically made, anti-poverty wages
Price range: $$
Krochet Kids intl. are an affordable sustainable fashion brand who make both menswear and womenswear.
Krochet Kids’ mission is one to admire – to help people break the cycle of poverty.
All of their products are hand-signed by the person who made it by their workforce in Uganda and Peru.
They have a range of dresses, headwear, accessories, bags, and more.
20. United By Blue
Price range: $$
Sustainability: Environmental preservation & cleaning program, recycled materials
For every product sold by United By Blue, they remove one pound (lb) of trash from oceans or waterways.
United By Blue’s product range is wide, and you can buy everything from shirts with unique prints to simple plain organic tees to outdoorwear to accessories. They even sell sustainable camping gear and homeware.
If you’re looking for a great sustainable brand and to make a positive difference with every purchase, then United By Blue is a great choice for you.
21. Los Angeles Apparel
Sustainability: Ethically made, worker-owned, eco-friendly sourcing, sustainable practices.
Price range: $ – $$
According to Los Angeles Apparel, they are “contrarians, deeply focused on sustainability and efficiency in order to advance the interests of our customers, our workers, our shareholders, the community, and the world.”
But what does that really mean?
This affordable sustainable fashion brand pay all of their workers at least a living wage, and support the $15/hour minimum wage. Their employees all own or have vesting equity, making them employee-owned. Over half of their yarn comes from the USA. They recycle. They have an environmentally friendly supply chain.
Their clothing ranges for men and women both contain a selection of essentials – tees, hoodies, trousers, skirts, and more, and they also stock a range of bags and accessories.
22. Thought Clothing
Sustainability: Organic, eco-friendly, sustainable materials
Price range: $ – $$
“While looking good feels great, protecting the planet feels even better.”
Thought Clothing is a UK-based sustainable brand offering a range of sustainable clothes at affordable prices.
They use materials such as hemp and organic cotton, so you know the clothes are going to be soft and feel good to wear.
We chatted to thought founder Rachel Kelly, to find out more about the brand, check out the interview here.
23. People Tree
Sustainability: Fair Trade Certified collections, organic cotton collections, biodegradable materials
Price range: $ – $$
People Tree is one of the original sustainable Fair Trade fashion pioneers. Starting out in 1991, their collections feature materials like organic cotton, TENCEL™ Lyocell, and responsible wool.
Their items are made using traditional artisan skills such as hand weaving, hand knitting, hand embroidery, and hand block printing.
They have close relationships with their suppliers too, providing technical assistance can improve their skills, grow their own businesses and have a positive social impact.
24. Ecoalf
Sustainability: All recycled material, low impact materials, no animal products, all suppliers have either the Bluesign® certification or STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, Certified B Corp.
Price range: $$
Want to look good AND support a reduction of ocean and plastic waste?
Founded in 2010, Ecoalf was founded due to the founder’s frustrations with the excessive use of natural resources, and with the desire to create a brand that is truly sustainable.
Ecoalf is one of the most well known sustainable fashion brands out there. They have collaborations with celebrities including will.i.am, and global companies like Starbucks and The Coca Cola Company.
All of their clothing is made entirely out of recycled materials such as fishing nets, plastic bottles, and cotton leftovers.
25. Nomads
Sustainability: Organic and sustainable materials, sustainable supply chain.
Price range: $ – $$
Nomads Clothing has been providing the world with affordable ethical clothing since 1989.
All of their materials are organic, and sourced from sustainable sources. They use natural fibers and GOTS certified organic cotton, and their prints are created with Azo-free, environmentally approved dyes.
They offer a range of styles of sustainable menswear and womenswear.
26. tonlé
Sustainability: Zero waste practices, fair trade production, handcrafted, uses natural dyes
Price range: $$
tonlé makes affordable sustainable womenswear, with zero waste.
On each product page, you can see exactly who made the products, as they know exactly what goes on in their handmade production process.
Another great thing about shopping on tonlé is the ability to see how much water, CO2, harmful pesticides, or driving emissions you’ve saved compared to a conventional fashion brand.
All of their products are priced very fairly, and tonlé is definitely an affordable eco-friendly fashion brand worth checking out.
27. Fair Indigo
Sustainability: Fair Trade, Green America certified, sustainable materials & enduring quality
Price range: $ – $$
Fair Indigo make affordable eco-friendly clothes for both men and women, and they even have a baby range.
Like many of the brands here, it was created out of a desire to improve the fashion industry as their founders all previously worked in the industry.
All of their materials are sourced in a sustainable way, and they spend more time and money preparing their materials to be turned into clothes, so they last longer. They pay their workers fair living wages. Dyes used are all environmentally friendly. The supply chain is transparent and ethical.
Fair Indigo’s clothes are often relatively simple in design, but they’re versatile, and definitely won’t go out of style. You can also do multipack buys to get a better price per item.
28. Alternative Apparel
Sustainability: Sustainable and eco-friendly materials, non-toxic and low-impact dyes, fair labor practices
Price range: $$
Alternative Apparel has a big range of affordable sustainable clothing, and you’d be hard-pressed to find something you didn’t like there.
They have a range of mens, womens, and kids clothing, so it’s the perfect place to shop for the whole family.
Their packaging is all made from oxo-biodegradable mailer bags, and Alternative Apparel have a vendor recycling program.
Most of their factories are WRAP-certified, and all of them adhere to Fair Labor Association guidelines & workplace code of conduct.
Their innovative fabrics mean they recycle over 1.8M plastic bottles per year, and their packaging means that every year, they save 2,100 trees, 400 cubic yards of landfill, 860k gallons of water and 120 tons of CO2.
29. Fifth Origins
Sustainability: Sustainable materials, responsibly sourced, and ethically handmade pieces
Price range: $$ – $$$
Whether you’re looking for an affordable cashmere scarf or luxuriously soft linen wrap, Fifth Origins has you covered.
Fifth Origins is a lifestyle brand that embraces the roots of artisanal heritage and sustainable living. Their products are carefully curated to be ethically sourced, sustainable, and ethically handcrafted.
The ethical brand designs its unique pieces at its studio in Amsterdam, and their pieces are handmade responsibly by artisans in India and the Himalayan mountains.
What is Sustainable Fashion?
Sustainable fashion focuses on environmental and social responsibility instead of exploiting people and the planet.
Sustainable fashion also focuses on protecting the environment by using eco-friendly production practices; like using renewable energy, reducing chemical consumption, reducing textile waste, and using more sustainable materials that don’t waste resources or pollute the earth. In addition, sustainable fashion shouldn’t come at the cost of garment workers; it’s essential that, along with earth-friendly materials, clothing should be made ethically, with safe working conditions at every stage of clothing production.
You’ll often see people using sustainable fashion interchangeably with other terms like eco-friendly, ethical, and slow fashion.
Why is Sustainable Fashion Usually More Expensive?
Sustainable fashion is usually sold at a higher price point to reflect the true costs in the supply chain. For example, many sustainable fabrics, such as organic cotton, are more expensive than regular cotton; therefore the price to make a garment will be more.
Many fast-fashion retailers charge very low prices for their clothing because they exploit workers and don’t pay garment workers fair wages. It’s estimated that 93% of brands don’t pay garment workers a living wage. So when clothing companies sell products for extremely low prices, they continue the dangerous cycle that directly causes harm to people involved in the manufacturing process.
On the other hand, when ethical manufacturers ensure a living wage is paid to garment workers, this increase in labor payment is reflected in the price of the garment. So, paying more for an ethical item means you’re helping stop the exploitation cycle.
What are Sustainable Fabrics?
Sustainable fabrics are materials that are sourced in more ethical and environmentally friendly ways compared to the conventional materials we regularly see in the fashion industry.
You’ll hear us talking about eco-friendly materials like organic cotton, BCI cotton, linen, Tencel, and more. These materials are biodegradable and therefore considered better for the environment than polyester. In addition, organic cotton saves water and energy and doesn’t use harmful chemicals to grow.
We’ve included some sustainable materials to look out for below:
- Organic cotton
- BCI cotton & recycled Cotton
- Tencel
- Hemp
- Linen
- Bamboo
- Recycled materials like recycled polyester
How do I know a company is using ethical labor?
Before buying from a brand, look at the information on their website. Transparency is often the first thing we check when looking for an ethical brand, as unethical brands don’t like to give much information away. Check that a brand is transparent about the countries it manufactures and that they are independently auditing its factories.
You can also look for certifications such as B Corp, SEDEX, WRAP, Fair Trade, and GOTS, which ensure fair and safe labor.
How Can I save Money and Still Shop Sustainably?
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to shop sustainably. One of my favorite ways to find affordable sustainable fashion is to thrift!
Head to your local thrift shop and look for finds that you love. Shopping pre-loved items help prevent textile waste that’s often sent to landfills. Plus, it’s fun to find your perfect item!
Along with thrift shops, you can also shop pre-loved online with platforms like Depop, Vestaire, and Vinted. We have a post here if you want to check out more online thrift shops.
Recap – Best Affordable Sustainable Clothing
It’s great to have sustainable options that come at a price that doesn’t break the bank for a white tee.
I hope this list of sustainable affordable brands helps you find the one you’ve been looking for. If you’re looking specifically for affordable sustainable mens clothing check out our post here.
If you’re looking specifically for size-inclusive brands we give our recommendations here.
If you’re looking for more high-end options, check out of this list of luxury sustainable menswear brands here.