The 24 Best Organic Cotton Clothing Brands for 2025

Discover a fresh range of affordable and stylish options for soft organic cotton clothing for both men and women to support the environment and your skin.

In Search of Organic Cotton Clothing

While organic cotton is only one percent of the world’s cotton production, organic cotton clothing is growing in popularity among women and men hungry for sustainable fashion options.

Explore the benefits and a variety of stylish brands that are outstanding options for organic cotton clothing, which is better for the environment and your skin.

Best Online Shops to Discover Organic Cotton Clothing Brands

1. Nordstrom carries thousands of organic cotton clothing items for women and men and is a phenomenal option for discovering a number of the sustainable fashion brands on this list. Nordstrom is a great place to find organic cotton clothing from Outerknown, Faherty, Prana, Reformation, Tact and Stone, Treasure and Bond, Icebreaker, Levi’s, M. M. LaFleur, Madewell, Nike, Story mfg, BP., Open Edit, and Asos Design among many others.
2. Made Trade is an e-commerce platform dedicated to ethical and sustainable clothing including made-in-the-USA fashion. Look to Made Trade for sustainable fashion brands including Anchal, Coyuchi, Harvest and Mill, Dushyant Asthana, LA Relaxed, Mata Traders, No Nasties, Passion Lilie, Poplinen, Symbology, The Knotty Ones, Valani, WVN and ETCA.
3. Net-a-Porter stocks hundreds of luxury and affordable luxury organic cotton clothing from a wide range of designers. Check out organic cotton clothing from Reformation, Le Buns, Ninety Percent, Ganni, Peony, Tekla, Dora Larsen, Joslin, Pour Les Femmes, WSLY, and more.
4. Mr. Porter is the place to go for luxury sustainable fashion brands for men. The ecommerce platform carries a ton of organic cotton clothing for men from boxers to slim fit organic jeans. Check out Mr. Porter for organic cotton clothing options from Outerknown, Organic Basics, Frame, Ami Paris, Eleven Eleven, Tekla, De Bonne Facture, Good Morning Tapes, Balenciaga, Faherty, Paul Smith, and house brand Mr. P.

Organic Cotton Clothing Brands for Men and Women

Here are some of the best and most prominent organic cotton clothing brands for women and men:

Outerknown

Outerknown is one of my favorite sustainable clothing brands for men and women. Founded in 2015 in Cocoa Beach, Florida by champion surfer Kelly Slater, Outerknown offers a full range of casual and outdoor-oriented clothing for men and women made from organic cotton and other sustainably-made materials.

First time customers should try Outerknown’s range of heavy, warm Blanket Shirts for men and women. Business Insider is a fan, observing that, “it’s good for late summer nights on cool and breezy beaches, layering in the fall and winter, or even leaving at your desk when it’s cold in the office.”

Also look to Outerknown’s SEA Jeans, which are made from organic cotton at the “world’s cleanest denim factory.”

Outerknown has a variety of other casual styles and pieces like Kelly Slater-designed surf trunks and Tahiti Pro casual surfwear.  I also really like Outerknown’s cozy Hightide sweats made from a blend of organic cotton and organic polyester.

The brand has also launched an upcycling program to give new life to used Outerknown clothing.

Pact Apparel

Pact Apparel is my favorite affordable sustainable clothing brand for men and women (and children) that is laser-focused on utilizing organic cotton.

Founded in 2009 in Denver, Colorado by Brendan Synnott and Jeff Denby, the company has trademarked its slogan, “Earth’s Favorite” clothing. Pact makes organic, fair trade, carbon-neutral, and water-saving clothing. It has a transparent supply chain that includes Fair Trade Certified factories.

Pact sells cotton clothing for men, women, children, and babies as well as bed and bath products. Pact’s clothing styles include some fun items like tie-dyed tees, and trend toward simple, functional, and basic standards. (Pact is a great place to find men’s and women’s underwear, tees, and other basics.) Colors are soft, using all-natural dyes and processes.

My only complaint is that the company’s selection isn’t huge, and leaves you wanting more.

Thought

Thought Clothing, aka wearethought, was founded in 2007 in Australia by Rachel and John Kelly. Thought Clothing’s motto is “wear me, love me, mend me, pass me on,” and is one of the most stylish organic cotton clothing brands for women and men reviewed here.

This Australian brand relocated to the UK in 2002, where the sleek, simple styles and timeless designs inspire a global audience.

This company has its fingers in a number of fashion pies, catering for men, women, accessories and homeware. You will also find beauty and wellness brands such as Zao, Kind2 and Nuud. Look to Thought for soft cotton twill Emanuele Shorts for women, and colorful organic cotton socks for men.

Thought allows customers to shop by fabric, so you can peruse all of their organic cotton clothing in one place.

The business sells fair trade and organic clothing, and fully supports upcycling and slow fashion. With basic, wearable designs for men and women, Thought Clothing focuses on wearable staples for all wardrobes. For more, have a look at Thought’s sustainable fashion values.

J Crew

J.Crew is a longstanding favorite brand of mine because the brand ticks so many boxes from stylish business casual outfits to (increasingly) a focus on sustainable fashion.

While J. Crew’s entire range isn’t organic, it is starting to bring sustainable style to a more accessible market by offering organic cotton across some of its clothing lines.

Its slightly-preppy vision is a little more playful than other fashion companies, with pieces such as the lightweight button-down Broken-in Organic Cotton Oxford Shirt that brings color and a smile to your look.

J. Crew offers up a range of organic products including t-shirts, pants, and shorts for men, women, and children using “re-imagined” fabric that includes 100% organic cotton. 

Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) sustainable clothing brand with a mission to eradicate poverty, founded in 2014 in Salt Lake City, Utah by Chad Whittaker, Davis Smith, and Stephan Jacob.

Cotopaxi sells sporty, outdoor-oriented clothing for men and women as well as outdoor and active gear including daypacks, shoes, and down clothing. Reddit users tout Cotopaxi’s products for their longevity and durability. The company uses organic cotton in pieces such as the classic Full Zip Hoodie with ribbed cuffs and the vintage-style jersey Do Good Baseball T-Shirt and has committed to creating all of its products from repurposed, organic, and sustainably-made materials by 2025.

The brand puts sustainability at the heart of everything that it does and seeks to look after its workers at every part of the supply chain.

L.L. Bean 

Maine-based L.L. Bean is dedicated to providing clothing solutions for the outdoors. It turns out L. L. Bean offers a range of organic cotton clothing for women and men. Look to L. L. Bean for short sleeve polos and rollneck sweaters and other preppy clothing options for men and slub sweaters and flannel shirts for women, all made from organic cotton.

Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the store’s remit goes beyond clothing, with outdoor discovery centers helping to ensure those garments are put to good use.

Get outside with a midweight double-brushed Organic Flannel Shirt and then wrap up warm in an ultra-absorbent, super-soft Terry Cloth Organic Cotton Robe after a long, hot shower. The company also has a wonderful selection of cozy nightwear for the whole family that is worth checking out.

Nau

Nau means “good” in the Maori language. It was founded in 2005 in Portland, Oregon by Chris Van Dyke. Nau makes clothing for men and women, as well as gender-neutral styles.

The company uses the same 10 fabrics in all of their simply-styled, utilitarian-appearing clothing, which list the certifications for each type of fabric and material. All cotton used in Nau’s unisex, men’s, and women’s designs is GOTS certified.

This green-thinking brand started life creating organic cotton clothing unlike anything the fashion industry had seen before. Nau was born in 2007 in Oregon, the brainchild of Eric Reynolds, who wanted a choice of conscious garments in his wardrobe.

If you live in your jeans will adore the slim fit ankle detail Weekday Organic Denim Pant. There are relaxed, comfortable cap-sleeved dresses for women and casual stretch Chino Shorts for men. Fashion fans at the Altitude Blog love the brand, calling it “the future of sustainable clothing: “Nau has made huge inroads into eco-fashion with a stylish line of men’s and women’s apparel.”

Toad&Co.

Founded by Jessica Nordhaus back in 1991, Toad&Co. is a sustainable clothing brand that started life as Horny Toad, making outdoor wear that was ethical, sustainable and practical.

The brand is now based in Santa Barbara, CA and makes outdoor-oriented sustainable clothing for men and women.

Look to this pioneer brand for clothing for men and women, with key pieces including the bright, long-sleeved mid-weight Flannel Shirt and the comfy waffle-knit Framer Dos Hoodie. This brand is the perfect example of an sustainable fashion alternative to brands such as J.Crew for wardrobe staples.

In addition to organic cotton clothing, Toad and Co. offers hemp clothing, recycled fiber clothing, and vegan clothing. Toad&Co. has a wider range of women’s and men’s clothing than some other manufacturers in the sector, with funky prints, women’s dresses, different pant styles, and skirts available.

United by Blue

At United by Blue, it’s not all about organic cotton clothing, although that is certainly a feature. This sustainable fashion brand aims to sell ethically-and environmentally sound fashion for women and men with absolutely no plastic in sight. Founded in Philadelphia in 2010 by Brian Linton, this brand offers an environmental reward for every purchase made.

This company focuses on outdoor wear for men and women. The heavyweight waffle-knit Eco Knit Thermal Crew will become a wardrobe staple, while the structured style and relaxed fit of the short sleeved Organic Camp Shirt looks great over a simple tee.

Stio

Wyoming-based Stio was founded in 2011 by Stephen Sullivan. The luxury outdoor brand’s inspiration comes from the mountain lifestyle and rugged landscape in Wyoming.

Stio offers men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing as well as cold weather and outdoor gear, including backpacks, hats, gloves, and mittens. In addition to organic cotton, Stio also sells clothing made from recycled fibers.

This brand is full of practical pieces, such as the rugged Rivet Canvas Pants, adding stretch to classic work trousers and their best-selling long-sleeved Ashton Chambray shirt, complete with stiff collar and shirttail hem.

Stio gets good reviews for performance, but those reviews also highlight the company’s limited range of colors for organic cotton clothing products. (Currently, around half of the cotton used by Stio is organic, but they are aiming to boost this to cement their position as a sustainable fashion brand for men and women.)

Organic Basics

Organic Basics offers an attractive range of activewear and underwear made from organic cotton and other sustainable materials for women and men.

Founded in 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark, the sustainable clothing brand is now owned by Delta Galil Industries, a leading Israeli activewear brand.

An Organic Cotton Complete Pack is a great way to enhance your wardrobe, featuring organic cotton boxers and socks, as well as a midweight, crewneck tee. They also have athleisure alternatives to bigger brands such as Lululemon that are worth checking out.

Coalatree Organics

Coalatree sells “eco-minded goods” for women and men. In addition to outdoor-oriented sustainable clothing for men and women, Coalatree makes hammocks, blankets, accessories, and other outdoor goods from organic cotton and other sustainable materials.

Coalatree was founded in 2010 in Newport Beach, California by Cavin Nicholson & Jake “Charlie” Bessey with a “reap what you sow” mentality. Basic tees, pants, shorts, sweatshirts and hoodies are simple in design and made from sustainable dyes, organic cotton, and also quick-dry materials.

PrAna

PrAna started out in Carlsbad, California in 1992, founded by Beaver and Pam Theodosakis. Their goal was to make sustainable clothing and they sewed their initial clothing themselves. PrAna gets good reviews from lifestyle publications, but it’s not an independent organic clothing brand, as it is currently owned by Columbia Sportswear. The clothing comes in a wide range of colors and includes stylishly-designed, travel-friendly clothing including organic cotton yogawear, hiking, and climbing clothing for men and women.

Harvest & Mill

Harvest & Mill’s sustainable clothing is “grown and sewn in the USA.” The brand sells simply-designed and classic shirts, pants, and socks for men made from organic cotton, along with a limited edition artist series of organically-dyed tees made from plant-based dyes.

Harvest & Mill was founded in 2012 by Natalie Patricia with a “seed to stich” model that’s dedicated to rebuilding a sustainable supply chain in the USA.

Warning: Harvest and Mill’s organic clothing doesn’t come cheap, but they are supporting American production and sustainable fashion.

For Days

For Days specializes in simple and basic organic cotton tees, sweats and other basics for men and women are available in a variety of soft, natural dye colors.

Founded by Kristy Caylor in April, 2017 in Los Angeles, the sustainable clothing brand offers a completely closed-loop system for all of its clothing, making 100% recyclable clothing that never ends up in a landfill. By sending your used For Days clothing in the brand’s Take Back bag, you will receive store credit.

Mate the Label

Like For Days, Mate the Label specializes in comfortable basics, though they have a much wider lineup of sustainable clothing for women then men. A Los Angeles-based sustainable clothing company founded by Kayti O’Connell Carr in 2013, Mate the Label considers the full life cycle of the clothing it sells. The brand’s promise is that everything it sells is “clean from seed to skin.”

Tact & Stone

Los Angeles-based Tact & Stone is the product of “a business expert, a sustainable fashion guru, a marketing whiz, and a badass designer” who “walked into a bar.” Founder Landon Nash developed the brand after discovering how wasteful the fashion industry was.

Tact & Stone makes sustainable men’s clothing and offers an upcycling program: you can return worn Tact & Stone clothing for upcycling and receive a discount on your next purchase. Tact & Stone tells you how many gallons of water are saved when you buy one of their recycled cotton tees. For example, a $38 recycled cotton tee saves 415 gallons of water. Reviewers praise Tact & Stone’s plain performance tee‘s performance, durability, and fit.

If you need a shirt for an interview, look no further than Tact and Stone’s long-sleeved, tri-material Upcycled Oxford Shirt, which uses organic cotton alongside recycled materials. It would look great paired with their unstructured, tailored-fit Sustainable Performance Blazer.

Patagonia

No list of sustainable clothing brands would be complete without mentioning Patagonia, the legendary Ventura, California based “uncompany” founded in 1973 by Yvon Chouinard.

A Certified B Corp, Patagonia has established a stellar reputation as an ethical and sustainable business since its founding, making clothing and gear for “silent sports,” including skiing, hiking, climbing, trail running, snowboarding, and surfing.

Patagonia offers organic cotton clothing and gear for men, women, children and babies. Find simple, straightforward organic cotton polos, t-shirts, and hoodies along with other sustainably-made clothing on Patagonia’s website.

Colorful Standard

Colorful Standard is based in Copenhagen, Denmark and sells 100% organic cotton clothing made in Portugal for women and men.

It might not be the best marketing tactic, but Colorful Standard is a company that wants to make sure you only buy what you really need. Their attack on overconsumption was initiated in 2017 by Tue Deleuran.

If you decide to go ahead with your purchase, you can expect sustainable basics and durable craftmanship. Colorful Standard sells women’s and men’s t-shirts, button-down shirts, swim trunks, shorts, and hoodies which are colored with sustainable, environmentally-friendly vegetable dye. They also sell recycled wool hats, scarves, crewnecks, and recycled material swim shorts.

Try their densely knitted, anti-pilling, Classic Organic Hood and matching sweatpants which combine comfort, style and sustainability.

Econscious

Founded in 2006, Econscious carries a line of stylish sustainable clothing for men and women.

Based in Petaluma, California, eConscious makes blank t-shirts and other clothing for printing and personalization, as well as basics like hoodies, sweatshirts, beanies, and bags in soft colors.

The name definitely suits this brand. Everything is carefully thought through, from the organic materials used, to the way garments are printed and packaged. The Certified Organic Cotton ring-spun Jersey Polo is a great example of the sleek, simplicity of these stylish clothes. Throw a Heathered Fleece Raglan Crew sweater over the top to create a layered style that looks good and is kind to the environment.

The Good Tee

The Good Tee is a sustainable clothing brand and Certified B Corporation founded in 2020 by Adila Cokar. Cokar founded the brand after visiting India to source textiles and learning that over 270,000 cotton farmers have committed suicide since 1995.

The Good Tee makes t-shirts made from organic cotton with 100% ethical and sustainable practices from “seed to shelf.”

There is something for every member of the family, including a number of unisex or “his n’ hers” pieces. The modern-fit, super-soft single jersey Responsible Ringer Tee is a gender-neutral piece that looks great on anyone.

Fair Indigo

Sustainable clothing label Fair Indigo was founded in 2006 by Bill Bass and other apparel industry experts, with the goal of doing fashion right. Fair Indigo grows its own organic Pima cotton and operates its own small batch sewing workshop in Lima, Peru. Men’s organic Pima cotton V-neck and crew neck t-shirts and joggers are available in soft colors and standard sizes. 

Organic Cotton Sneakers and Shoes for Women and Men

Several sustainable fashion companies are specializing in organic cotton sneakers and shoes:

Veja

The France-based Veja Project constructs its minimalist sneakers with organic cotton grown from farmers’ associations in Brazil and Peru. Discover their organic cotton sneakers, including their gorgeous minimalist Campo shoes, via Saks, Neiman Marcus and The Style Room at Zappos.com.

Cariuma

Founded in 2018 by luxury industry veterans David Python and Fernando Porto, Brazil-based Cariuma practices “a constant evolution mindset” and seeks to “constantly source and craft greener innovations” to produce the best sustainable sneakers on the planet.

Try Cariuma’s OCA canvas low top sneaker for men and women, which is made from a GOTS-certified organic cotton upper.

You can also purchase Cariuma shoes via Madewell.

Organic Cotton vs. Conventional Cotton

Here are some of they key differences between conventional cotton versus organic cotton:

What is Conventional Cotton?

Cotton is a naturally-derived plant substance that has been used to make textiles for thousands of years. Conventional cotton is made using fibers from the cotton plant, which is typically grown using an array of fertilizers and pesticides to produce the best yield. Cotton is “the most widespread, profitable non-food crop in the world.”

What is Organic Cotton?

Organic cotton is cultivated without the use of toxic fertilizers, pesticides, genetically modified seeds or other prohibited substances. The overall process of creating and harvesting organic cotton must adhere to internationally-recognized organic practices and have minimal impact on the environment. Organic cotton is free of toxic pesticides and fertilizers that can damage the environment. It is a sustainable and chemical-free fiber. 

Producers of organic cotton must follow strict rules concerning what farming methods and materials may be used, which are certified by third-party organizations.

Why is Organic Cotton Better Than Conventional Cotton?

Organic cotton may be better for the environment, your skin and your comfort than traditional cotton.

Organic Cotton is Hypoallergenic

One benefit of organic cotton is that it is hypoallergenic as it is generally produced without the use of toxins, pesticides and chemicals often used in farming conventional cotton.

(The use of pesticides is highly regulated for organic cotton and is limited to only naturally derived pesticides and a handful of synthetic agents known to have a low toxicity like boric acid.)

There are about 8,000 synthetic chemicals used to produce clothes, and conventional cotton crops are the third-largest user of pesticides in the United States. Some of the chemicals that conventional cotton growers use for their crops include organophosphates, pyrethroids, and neocotinoids. Glyphosate, the toxic chemical in Roundup, is used in over a third of cotton grown in 2019.

These pesticides and toxins may linger in the fibers of conventional cotton.

Organic Cotton Has a Less Harmful Impact on the Environment Than Conventional Cotton

Organic cotton is a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly crop than conventional cotton:

1. Organic cotton growing uses 62% less energy, and resulted in a total global warming potential that is 46% lower than, conventional cotton, according to studies conducted by Cambridge University and the Textile Exchange. Organic cotton farming methods trap carbon dioxide in the soil, producing up to 94% fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than conventional cotton.
2. Organic cotton farming practices tend to use rainwater for irrigation rather than local reserves and contribute to less water pollution since the crops do not utilize chemicals that can produce harmful run-off.
3. Proponents of organic cotton indicate its farming methods result in less water use and healthier soils than conventional cotton production, though there are complexities and criticisms of how the water use and impact of cotton and other clothing fibers are presented. (Organic cotton methods work to make use of natural rainwater, reducing water use by up to 91%, according to the Soil Association.)

In contrast to organic cotton, conventional cotton has been called one of the most chemically-intensive crops and the world’s dirtiest crop because of the large amount of fertilizer and pesticides required to grow it. “Cotton accounts for just 2.4% of the world’s cultivated land but uses 6% of the world’s pesticides and 16% of its insecticides – and this addiction to toxic chemicals leaves a trail of death and destruction in its wake,” according to the Environmental Justice Foundation.

Conventional cotton has also been called the thirsty crop because of the large amount of water required to irrigate it. The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) estimates that it takes 2,700 liters of water to create one cotton t-shirt.

Organic Cotton May Be Softer Than Traditional Cotton

There is evidence that the materials and methods used in farming organic cotton produce longer, softer fibers than comparable conventionally-grown cotton crops.

As a result, the fabrics made from organic cotton may feel softer and of a higher quality than those made from conventionally-grown cotton. (There’s a lot more to dive into here since cotton fibers are classified into short, medium, long and extra-long staple lengths.)

Standards for Identifying Organic Cotton Clothing

There are several standards and certification labels that can help consumers identify organic cotton products:

Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)

GOTS, aka the Global Organic Textile Standard, is the primary and most stringent world standard for organic cotton products. GOTS provides guidelines for organic cotton production including meeting standards for organic fibers, ecological and social criteria, follow-through at all stages of the production process including dying and finishing, and third-party certification.

GOTS is made up of four internationally recognized organizations, including The Soil Association, the Organic Trade Association, the International Association of the Natural Textile Industry and the Japan Organic Cotton Association. These organizations have come together to create a strict list of organic requirements, ensuring environmental compliance and a higher standard for the consumers around the world.

Any company advertising GOTS-certified cotton must adhere to the criteria and licensing conditions of the Global Organic Textile Standard Programme.

Sadly, the GOTS website is nearly completely useless as a means of identifying which companies sell GOTS cotton. This guide seeks to identify clothing retailers that sell GOTS-certified cotton, and you can also keep an eye out for references to the standard on sustainable clothing retailers.

Organic Cotton Standard

The Organic Content Standard is a voluntary program of the Textile Exchange. It offers a tool to verify and certify organic growing processes including chain of custody of the cotton fibers and their use. The goal of the certification is to increase organic farming.

The Textile Exchange’s OCS certification finder is unfortunately not user-friendly as a means of discovering companies that meet its standards.

What is your favorite organic cotton clothing brand?

Have I left anyone out? Leave your favorite organic cotton clothing brands in the comments. Thank you for reading!