16 Stylish Sustainable Clothing Brands Like Patagonia for 2024

Discover a slew of stylish alternatives to Patagonia for sustainable clothing for the outdoors, workleisure, smart casual, tee shirts, and more.

In Search of the Best Sustainable Clothing Brands Like Patagonia

Enormous water waste, excessive energy consumption, overflowing landfills, and highly toxic pollutants are among the main environmental harms of the fashion industry, particularly fast fashion brands. If you want to wear eco-friendly clothing, what are your options?

Consider brands that are similar to Patagonia, a world-famous pioneer in sustainable fashion. Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, the award-winning brand, which is best known for outdoor apparel, has served as an example of how a fashion company can commit to ethical choices. Patagonia’s sustainable practices include using responsibly sourced and recycled materials, significantly reducing carbon emissions, and establishing a trade-in program for old clothes, so that they don’t end up in landfills.

The following list highlights other sustainable clothing brands that are committed to improving the environment and making the fashion industry more ethical. Among them, you’ll find many types of men’s and women’s attire, from stylish office outfits to durable hiking clothes. And these brands’ sustainable choices may include anything from avoiding harmful dyes to replacing regular cotton with an organic variety that’s less water-intensive.

My Favorite Sustainable Clothing Brands

Among all of the brands out there, here are my favorite clothing brands that are stylish as well as sustainable.

Faherty

Faherty may have been founded in New York City, but it has a laid-back, rugged vibe that brings to mind remote coastlines, ranches, and mountainous country. The founders, who are twin brothers, have been pushing the use of soft and sustainable fabrics for the brand’s casual clothes, such as biodegradable Tencel Lyocell fiber for wrinkle-resistant buttoned shirts and an eco-friendly blend of Peruvian Pima cotton and Tencel for some of the Henley shirts, T-shirts, and crewnecks. The brand’s other ethical initiatives include holding suppliers and manufacturers to higher standards for fair labor and decreased environmental impact. Read my review of Faherty’s clothing and interview with Co-Founder Alex Faherty for more background on the brand.

Asket

Jakob Dworsky and August Bard Bringéus foundedAsket in 2015 with a focus on everyday menswear, such as trousers and buttoned shirts, and they have since expanded to essential women’s apparel. The Swedish brand emphasizes stylishness, durability, and transparency, as they reveal the environmental impact, from production to disposal, of each garment you purchase. The brand’s commitment to ethical fashion includes extending the longevity of clothing and initiating a revival program that encourages you to send in used clothes for resale or recycling.

Outerknown

Founded in 2014 by Kelly Slater, a champion surfer, Outerknown offers casual clothes for a coastal lifestyle and has shown a notable commitment to sustainability. For instance, the stylish swim trunks are made largely with recycled materials, and the bestselling blanket shirts are 100% organic cotton with buttons made from Tagua palm nuts instead of plastic. The California brand has also created Outerworn, an online marketplace for used clothes. Outerknown is one of my favorite places to find shackets (aka shirt jackets) for guys.

Ministry of Supply

Launched in 2012, Ministry of Supply is known best for scientifically tested, high-performing “workleisure” business casual clothing, such as moisture-wicking jackets that are resistant to wrinkles and breathable shirts that regulate body temperature using NASA-grade fabric. Brand co-founders Aman Advani and Gihan Amarasiriwardena, who both studied at MIT, have also applied their innovativeness towards reducing environmental impact. The brand, which has earned a Climate Neutral certification, relies on a variety of sustainable practices, including the use of recycled polyester and fluorine-free water repellents. Check out my interview with Ministry of Supply Co-Founder Aman for my review of the brand.

J. Crew

This preppy American brand, which became hugely popular in the 1980s, hasn’t typically been associated with sustainability, but it has made a firm commitment in recent years to environmental wellness and fair labor. The Re-Imagined initiative from J. Crew measures the brand’s current progress and sets important goals, such as using 100% sustainably sourced fibers and producing the vast majority of cashmere garments and chinos in factories with a Fair Trade certification. Through the Re-Imagined collection, you can buy Oxford shirts made from organic cotton and cashmere sweaters that meet the Good Cashmere Standard of the Aid by Trade Foundation.

Marine Layer

Along with standing out for its logo, which brings to mind either a sunset or dawn, Marine Layer is known for its exquisitely soft shirts, snug outerwear, and cool vintage vibe. Founded by Mike Natenshon in 2009, the San Francisco brand achieved the status of a Public Benefit Corporation for its transparency and accountability, and all of its manufacturers are subject to third-party audits. In addition to promising an increased use of sustainable materials, the brand launched its Re-Spun program to save T-shirts from landfills and reuse them instead.

Colorful Standard

Tue Deleuran, a Danish entrepreneur and surfer, founded Colorful Standard in 2017 to provide wardrobe staples, such as buttoned shirts and zip hoodies, in a range of rich solid colors. Using manufacturing techniques that reduce wasted material and water consumption, the clothes are all made in Portugal with 100% organic cotton and recycled Merino wool. The dyes are Oeko-Tex certified, free from environmentally damaging chemicals.

Everlane

From an impressive collection of women’s sweaters to a large assortment of men’s jeans and chinos, Everlane offers classy, understated everyday clothing. Founded by Michael Preysman in 2010, the San Francisco brand has initiated a raft of commitments to the environment, such as earning Cradle-to-Cradle Gold certification for clean denim, partnering with Blue Sign to remove various toxic chemicals from the clothing manufacturing process, and increasing the use of certified recycled fibers and plastics.

The Resort Co

Wearing sustainable clothing during your beach vacation is easy when you shop from The Resort Co, a Swedish brand founded in 2019. Enjoy high-end swim shorts made from recycled fabrics, handcrafted resort shirts made mostly of organic cotton, and comfortable espadrilles with biodegradable components, particularly hand-stitched jute soles. Items will be shipped to you in packaging made from recycled paper that has a Forest Stewardship Council certification.

Ably

If you wear athleisure or business casual clothes from Ably, you can cut down on the amount of laundry you need to do and reduce the associated water waste. Ably, which was founded several years ago by a pair of brothers, Raj and Akhil Shah, uses Filium, a powerful proprietary technology for fabrics. Whether it’s incorporated into a cotton V-neck T-shirt or a long-sleeve Henley, Filium significantly increases resistance to stains, moisture, and odors.

Dedicated

Dedicated distinguishes itself as a sustainable fashion label that doesn’t stick only to neutral tones or an earth palette, because it also offers colorful and creative designs. Check out some of the gorgeous patterns for the knitwear, dresses, and T-shirts. Founded in 2006 by Johan Graffner, the Swedish brand uses nonfluorinated water repellents and a variety of sustainable materials, including recycled wool and organic cotton with Fair Trade and Global Organic Textile Standard certifications.

Jan N June

In 2014, Juliana Holtzheimer and Anna Bronowski launched Jan N June as an eco-friendly fashion label that produces elegant and minimalistic wardrobe staples, including blouses, knitwear, and jeans, with a heavier focus on women’s clothing than menswear. The German brand manufactures its garments in Portugal and Poland, and it provides a full, transparent account of each item’s journey, from design to distribution. Upcycling and a reliance on recycled packaging and relatively sustainable materials, such as organic cotton, are among the strategies that make Jan N June a sustainable clothing brand.

Armed Angels

Consider how Armed Angels manufactures one of its bestselling T-shirts: It uses organic cotton and meets the requirements of the Global Organic Textile Standard certification. This German brand, which was founded in 2007, strives for transparency, fair labor, and eco-friendly practices throughout its supply chain, as it produces well-made garments for everyday wear. Another example of its commitment to sustainability is its Detox Denim collection, an array of men’s and women’s jeans made without various harsh chemicals, such as toxic chlorine bleach.

Cotopaxi

Davis Smith founded Cotopaxi to provide high-end outdoor gear and athleisure in an ethical way, such as by auditing supply chains and working with factories that commit to fair labor practices. The Utah-based brand also supports sustainable fashion by maintaining Climate Neutral certification and using recycled and repurposed materials. Examples include durable jackets made with PrimaLoft Produced Using Reduced Emissions insulation and retro-style anoraks that are free from environmentally damaging perfluorinated compounds.

tentree

For every item you buy from tentree, whether it’s an ultra-soft Henley hoodie or a juniper-themed graphic T-shirt, the Canadian brand plants trees. Launched over a decade ago in a Saskatchewan basement, this sustainable fashion label for casual clothes also has other strong environmental credentials, including Climate Neutral certification, a circularity program for the resale or recycling of clothes, and specially designed fabric blends that are breathable and sustainable.

PACT Apparel

Classy, comfortable attire made with a fierce commitment to the environment is what you can find at PACT Apparel, a Colorado brand launched in 2009 by Brendan Synnott. From double-knit crew sweaters to woven-twill pants, the apparel has a rugged vibe and an earth palette, and it’s produced in factories that are Fair Trade certified. The brand commits to carbon neutrality by working with SimpliZero, and its cotton has earned a Global Organic Textile Standard certification.

For Sustainable Fashion Labels, What’s Your Top Choice?

Share what you think are the most important commitments a fashion brand can make to environmental friendliness and other ethical issues, such as fair labor. What are your favorite brands, and should any get added to this list?