Ethical + Sustainable Brand Directory

As a sustainable fashion blogger, I’m commonly asked for recommendations on ethical and sustainable brands. Here’s a list of brands that I’ve vetted. None of these brands is perfect, but based on my research, I think they’re doing good things for the planet and its people, and are willing to improve.

This is a work-in-progress, as I don’t buy much clothing and do my best to vet each brand before adding it to the list. If you’d like to see a certain brand here, feel free to leave a comment, and I’ll check it out!

If you want to learn how to research brands, see my post on how to tell if a brand is sustainable or greenwashing.

Some of these are affiliate links, meaning that I earn a small commission on any purchases at no extra cost to you. This income allows me to keep creating educational content on sustainable fashion. If you can, please always shop your closet, swap, or shop secondhand before buying new. 

Use this collapsible table of contents to jump to the best section for you!

My Personal Favorites

Tradlands (up to 4X)—Cozy knits and flowy dresses made by workers who are paid a living wage. For first-time customers, use code imperfectidealist15 for 15% off.

Janji—This small Boston running brand gives 2% back to clean water, and uses recycled materials in many of their products. I’ve bought many of their products over the years and they’re high-quality and have a 5-year guarantee.

Kotn—Canadian company with streamlined basics that invests in the Egyptian cotton farming community; certified B Corp.

Son de Flor—cottagecore linen dresses made in Lithuania by local seamstresses. Linen is produced responsibly in the EU.

Christy Dawn (up to 3X)—Flowy floral dresses crafted locally in the US by workers who are paid a living wage. Use link for 10% off.

Linenfox—breezy and timeless linen pieces made in Lithuania in the brand’s in-house studio. They give you fabric scraps to repair your clothing if you ask :)

SeamsFriendly—made-to-order, custom-sized clothing in natural fabrics. Sewn by artisans in India who are paid fair wages and work in safe conditions. Use code IMPERFECTIDEALIST-LILY for 10% off. Note: the dyes are natural and can bleed, so you will need to hand wash or wash separately with like colors.

More Affordable 

Tentree—Canadian company that plants 10 trees per item sold; certified B Corp (masculine and feminine options). Their sales are especially affordable, and I’ve personally tried and liked their activewear.

Pact—everyday clothing made from GOTS-certified and Fair Trade cotton (masculine and feminine options).

Known Supply—comfortable and stylish basics made from GOTS-certified cotton in Fair Trade factories (masculine and feminine options).

SeamsFriendly—made-to-order, custom-sized clothing in natural fabrics. Sewn by artisans in India who are paid fair wages and work in safe conditions. Use the link for for 10% off. Note: the dyes are natural and can bleed, so you will need to hand wash or wash separately with like colors. See my full SeamsFriendly review for more info.

LA Relaxed—cozy and classy basics made in LA, from tees to flowy dresses.

Kotn—Canadian company that invests in the Egyptian cotton farming community; certified B Corp (masculine and feminine options)

Don’t forget secondhand sites and platforms, too:

• eBay
• Etsy (often small creators, but beware of dropshippers)
• Poshmark (get $10 off your first purchase with my referral link)
• ThredUP (get 40% off your first purchase + free shipping with my referral link)
• Mercari (get $10 off your first purchase with my referral link)
• Depop

Not as Affordable but Still Great Brands

Son de Flor—cottagecore linen dresses made in Lithuania by local seamstresses. Linen is produced responsibly in the EU.

Linenfox—breezy and timeless linen pieces made in Lithuania in the brand’s in-house studio. They give you fabric scraps to repair your clothing if you ask :)

Dazey LA—colorful clothing and fun prints made from organic and recyled materials. Workers are paid a living wage. Use code IMPERFECTIDEALIST for 10% off.

Whimsy + Row—feminine and modern clothing made with natural materials in small batches by workers who are paid fair wages. Use code WANDR10 for 10% off.

MATE the Label—Loungewear and super chic jumpsuits made from sustainable materials like certified organic cotton, linen, and TENCEL. Manufactured locally in the US with a commitment to fair wages and workers’ rights.

Outerknown—clothing for active lifestyles made by workers who are paid a fair wage (masculine and feminine options)

Mayamiko—bold pieces made from locally-sourced fabric in Malawi by artisans who are paid a living wage. (use code LILYFANG10 for 10% off)

Faherty—Masculine and feminine styles that feel relaxed, polished, and “all-American”. Made with lower-impact fabrics in factories that are audited yearly.

More Size-inclusive

SeamsFriendly—made-to-order, custom-sized clothing in natural fabrics. Sewn by artisans in India who are paid fair wages and work in safe conditions. Use code IMPERFECTIDEALIST-LILY for 10% off. Note: the dyes are natural and can bleed, so you will need to hand wash or wash separately with like colors.

Loud Bodies (up to 10X)—gorgeous flowy dresses made from natural materials in a small atelier in Romania

Anne Mulaire (up to 6X)—Canadian and Indigenous-owned brand with quality basics and workleisure. Pays all seamstresses a living wage with benefits. Zero-waste and circular. Use code LILY15 for 15% off. 

Eileen Fisher (up to 3X)—Certified B Corp with sleek, minimalistic pieces 

Girlfriend Collective (up to 6X, but runs small, so more like a 4X)—Activewear made from recycled water bottles; SA8000 certified factory and Oeko-Tex certified fabric.

Tradlands (up to 4X)—Cozy knits and flowy dresses made by workers who are paid a living wage. For first-time customers, use code imperfectidealist15 for 15% off.

Hackwith Design House (up to 4X)—Gorgeous staple pieces sewn in-house in Minnesota

CHNGE (up to 4X)—Edgy streetwear made from certified organic cotton in factories with various fair labor certifications

Christy Dawn (up to 3X)—Flowy floral dresses crafted locally in the US by workers who are paid a living wage. Use link for 10% off

Free Label (up to 4X)—loungewear cut and sewn in Canada (the owners frequently visit the factory)

Activewear

See more brands in my affordable activewear guide.

Janji—This small Boston running brand gives 2% back to clean water, and uses recycled materials in many of their products. I’ve bought many of their products over the years and they’re high-quality and have a 5-year guarantee.

TomboyX—If you’re looking for gender-neutral activewear, TomboyX features compression tops, sports bras, sweats, and shorts. The company is queer-founded, majority female-led, and 1/3 BIPOC and LGBTQ+.

Girlfriend Collective—Colorful pieces made from recycled water bottles; SA8000 certified factory and Oeko-Tex certified fabric.

Wolven—Colorful, patterned activewear made from recycled plastic bottles in audited factories; fabric is extremely soft and suede-like. Use code imperfectidealist for 20% your first purchase.

Patagonia—Quality activewear often made with recycled or organic materials. Encourages customers to buy only what they need, and also offers a used clothing selection and workshops on fixing your clothes.

Made in the USA

“Made in America” clothing isn’t always ethical, but here are some brands doing it right.

Miakoda—size-inclusive loungewear made in NYC

Harvest & Mill—loungewear grown and sewn in the US

MATE the Label—size-inclusive sweats made in the US

LA Relaxed—cozy and polished basics made in LA

Underwear

See my guide to sustainable underwear for a more in-depth look at these brands and even more options.

Boody—Bamboo viscose and organic cotton undies & loungewear made in a closed-loop system and in WRAP-certified factories (super comfy, I really like their full brief undies). Sizes XS-4XL.

Subset—underwear made from certified organic cotton in Fair Trade factories. Offers both neutral and fun colors.(Use code IMPERFECTIDEALIST for 10% off).

Hanna Broer Design—lingerie and underwear made from organic and natural materials. Sewn by the owner in Vermont. Sizes XS-3XL with adaptive options.

JulieMay—hypoallergenic lingerie and undies made from organic pima cotton and silk. Made ethically in Hong Kong by workers who are paid a living wage.

WAMA—sturdy briefs and boxers made from organic cotton and hemp. Goes up to a 3XL, but runs a bit small across the board, so I’d recommend ordering a size up.

HARA—Australian brand making loungewear and undies from sustainable materials like Lyocell

Shoes

Looking for running shoes? Check out my full guide to sustainable running shoes.

Cariuma—Brazilian brand with canvas sneakers made from recycled and natural materials. The IBI line is super light and comfy (I do sometimes get blisters if I walk too much though).

CLAE—stylish sneakers with vegan options made from cactus leather. The shoes are designed in Los Angeles and manufactured in a small factory in Vietnam. The heel tab on some of the styles is a bit too angled in and may rub your heel, so keep an eye on that. Otherwise, the shoes are lovely and high-quality.

Thousand Fell—closed-loop vegan sneakers made from natural materials. Keep in mind that the shoes are quite heavy, so try another option if you want lighter shoes, such as Cariuma.

Allbirds—B Corp with sneakers made from sustainable materials (instead of synthetics). Even has carbon-neutral running shoes. See my full review of the Allbirds Tree Dashers. Use my affiliate link to get a free pair of socks with any shoe or clothing purchase, other than underwear (add socks and the other item to your cart).

Swimwear

Patagonia (suits/trunks)—majority Fair Trade sewn swimwear made from recycled materials. Some pieces are reversible!

Outerknown (suits/trunks)—swimwear made from recycled materials, with long-sleeve and legging options in the women’s styles. Men’s styles are Fair Trade, and women’s are ethically made in California, with repairs and recycling offered.

Vitamin A Swim—swimwear made from recycled nylon in fun colors. Sewn in the US and workers are paid fair wages.

Hackwith Design (up to 4X)—gorgeous swimwear in wrap styles made from recycled materials and sewn in-house in Minnesota

Tomboy X (gender-neutral, up to 6X)—sports bra and bike short style swimwear made from recycled materials.

MIGA Swimwear—adaptive swimwear made from recycled materials and sewn in the US (they visit the manufacturer and have a personal relationship with them)

Peachy Keen Swim (up to 5X)—classic bikinis made from recycled materials. Workers are paid fair wages.

Con Carino Design—floral bikinis and one-pieces made from recycled materials by a small team of Venezuelan women, with 25% of each purchase going to provide health and educational services to rural Venezuelan communities.

Kitty and Vibe (up to 3X)—suits with 2 butt sizes in each size up, with some styles made from recycled materials. Workers are paid above minimum wage and have retirement plans and healthcare.

Nettle’s Tale (up to 4X)—suits in fun patterns made from recycled materials in Vancouver. Has a retro vibe with the high-waisted styles.

Jewelry + Accessories

Baggu—reusable bags, fanny packs, and backpacks made with 40-59% recycled nylon. Factories are audited yearly.

GLDN—American jewelry brand using 90% recycled metals (95% of materials sourced domestically). 10% profits donated. Use code LILYF10 for $10 off.

Boma Jewelry—woman of color owned jewelry brand using recycled precious metals.

Shinzo Tamura—Lightweight, stylish sports sunglasses that have such a pleasing view. Family-owned factory and company. 5-year warranty.

Makeup + Skincare

VERSED Skin—vegan, cruelty-free skincare brand that tracks the carbon emissions of each product and gives recycling instructions for the packaging (which is often made with recycled materials). I love their Retinol Serum.

Thrive Causemetics—American makeup brand with carbon-neutral shipping and amazing vegan tubing mascara.