The Best Brands of Sustainable Clothing for Men
Looking good and doing good for the planet can go hand in hand. The world needs a fresh way of thinking about clothes, and there’s a growing number of brands proving that men’s fashion and ethical choices can work together.
From organic cotton to hemp and linen, these companies are putting care and skill into every stitch. Here’s a look at the best sustainable clothing brands for men who want style without compromise.
For any clothing containing recycled polyester or elastane, launder in a microfibre filter (or just buy the 100% natural fabrics, far simpler!)
Natural fabrics are better for the planet, and also the fibres last longer, as they have not been treated by chemicals. They are also safely laundered, without releasing microplastics in the washing machine.
PLAINANDSIMPLE
PLAINANDSIMPLE is a clothing brand with a small range of organic cotton tops and basics. Its focus is on quality items in sustainable packaging that are fairly made, and designed to last years.
A real focus is on affordability, so you won’t find silly prices here. Prices are around £20 for an organic cotton t-shirt and £40 for an organic sweatshirt.
Neem (regenerative recycled cotton menswear)
Neem London offers clothing made from recycled cotton or regenerative cotton, both in many stylish designs. Each listing shows how much drinking water and light bulb energy saved!
We only recommend vegan products on this site (so no wool). So we just recommend their cotton items, but you can also send back end-of-wear products for their buy-back scheme, for credit on your next order.
Yes Friends
Yes Friends is a Bristol clothing brand, which thinks that to pay someone fairly to make an organic t-shirt, does not mean you should pay £100 for it (even their organic blue jeans cost around £50.
Most clothing is super-affordable, and yet still made with care for the planet and those who make it.
Earth Wardrobe
Earth Wardrobe is a Scottish fashion brand, specialising in organic cotton basics, all designed to be affordable for everyday people. A typical t-shirt is around £15.
Goose Studios
Goose Studios is a London fashion brand, founded by two friends who simply wanted to do good. This is mostly organic cotton t-shirts. But all are made at an affordable price (around £20) and designed to last years.
Of the Oceans
Of the Oceans (Leicestershire) is one of the few companies to offer (pretty affordable) hemp clothing for men. Hemp grows more locally (in Europe) than cotton. Related to cannabis, but it won’t make you high! It also offers nice organic cotton hoodies.
Hemp is naturally organic and very comfortable (warm in winter and cool in summer). This brand also donates a portion of profits donated to marine conservation charities.
You’ll also find hemp jeans (conventional jeans often have leather patches). And most use dyes that are so polluting, they have literally turned street dogs blue in India, from drinking water run-off).
Shop Like You Give a Damn
Shop Like You Give a Damn is a nice online fashion boutique from Europe, with fast affordable shipping to the UK. Everything is vegan, fairly-made and sustainable. As well as organic clothing, it offers quality vegan footwear.
We like this t-shirt (in khaki or blue) made from a blend of organic and recycled cotton.
This organic cotton polo shirt is a lovely alternative to conventional brands. Pair with an organic cotton garden for chilly days.
You can shop by brand if you prefer. Some brands are expensive, but others are more affordable. It also offers a digital card for employers to give to employees, as a nice gift idea.
Rapanui
Rapanui is an Isle of Wight clothing brand, founded by two unemployed friends. This is a real ‘outdoorsy’ brand that mostly makes organic cotton t-shirts and thick jumpers (as warm as wool), plus waterproof tops and surfing towels.
Everything is made with renewable energy and sent in zero waste packaging. This brand owns Teemill (a company that produces print-on-demand organic cotton tees and hoodies for small charities to earn income for their cause).
A few items are made from recycled plastic bottles (so launder in a microfiber filter). But it seems to be going more towards natural fibres, with the latest linen collection of tops, shorts and trousers.
How to Create an Sustainable Capsule Wardrobe
Creating a capsule wardrobe allows you to mix-and-match a few quality items of clothing to last years, rather than contribute to ‘fast fashion waste’.
For affordability and maximum styles, go for neutral colours. This doesn’t have to be black or white, but also could be grey, taupe or navy (olive and brown are nice colours for redheads).
If you prefer the Michael Portillo look (bright orange trousers and a green jacket), go for it. Your style is your own. But overall, you may wish to wear subtle colours, for more choices with less clothes, and maximum outfit affordability.
A typical example of a good capsule wardrobe for men is as follows:
- 2 jackets (1 posh, 1 not)
- 2 trousers (1 posh, 1 not)
- 8 or so tops (shirts, tees, polo shirts, sweaters)
- 2 pairs of quality vegan shoes
- 8 pairs of greener socks
- 8 pairs of organic undies
So you can see, investing in a sustainable capsule wardrobe suddenly is not so expensive. With this capsule wardrobe, you have many different outfits:
- A smart jacket, smart shirt and smart trousers
- A smart jacket, t-shirt and casual trousers
- A tee-shirt and casual trousers (with jumper
- A jumper with smart trousers
- A casual jacket with casual trousers (and tee)
All the above could be worn with smart or casual vegan shoes (loafers to sneakers, your choice), and you should easily get 7 different outfits, especially if you choose the basics (like shirts) in different colours, to mix-and-match for a variety of looks.
Once you’ve made your capsule wardrobe (possibly from items you already own), then consider donating unwanted items to charity shops (choose ones that support local animal shelters or hospices, not ones that test on animals).
How to Measure Your Manly Body!
As most sustainable affordable clothing for men is still sold online, it pays to take 30 minutes to measure yourself properly, to avoid the hassle of returns. In summary:
- Collar (measure around the bottom of your neck)
- Chest (measure the fullest part)
- Sleeves (put tape at your collar, then measure down the arm)
- Waist (self-explanatory!
- Inside leg (from the top to the ankle bone)
- Outside leg (from your waist to bottom of your trousers)
