So, you’re in the market for affordable sustainable clothing. Great!
You’ve heard the reports that fast fashion is hurting our health, people, and the planet, so you’ve decided to embark on a slower, more conscious path. Fantastic!
But, there are perhaps a few questions weighing on your mind. Questions like: “Where can I find affordable sustainable clothing?”, “Is it possible to shop sustainably on a budget?” or “How can I tell which affordable sustainable clothing brands are truly sustainable?”
We hear you! Navigating the world of sustainable fashion – especially when you’re looking for affordable sustainable clothing options – isn’t always a straightforward task.
Below you’ll discover our carefully curated list of 20 affordable sustainable clothing brands. We promise you’ll never have to worry about shopping sustainably on a budget again!
Things to Keep in Mind When Shopping Affordable Sustainable Clothing Brands
Be Wary of Greenwashing
Greenwashing is when a company makes green claims against its products and services for marketing purposes but isn’t actually taking actionable steps to become more sustainable. Fast fashion brands like H&M have been recently called out for greenwashing.
So how can you tell if affordable sustainable clothing brands are sustainable?
Keep reading to find out how to identify sustainable and ethical brands, so you can move past the greenwashing fluff and choose the best affordable sustainable clothing for you.
How Can I Tell Which Affordable Sustainable Clothing Brands are Truly Sustainable?
You can identify which fashion brands follow sustainable and ethical processes by looking out for the following attributes:
- Eco-friendly materials – clothing made from natural or organic fabrics or repurposed and recycled materials.
- Sustainable manufacturing – water recycling, non-toxic dyes, renewable energy, actively reducing carbon emissions.
- Ethical supply chain – workers are paid a living wage and work under safe conditions.
- Circularity – closing the loop, keeping waste out of the landfills, finding solutions to a garment’s end of life.
- Slow fashion principles – timeless styles, capsule collections.
- Certifications – e.g. Certified B Corp, GOTS certified, WRAP certified, Fair Trade Certified.
Why is Sustainable Fashion More Expensive?
Affordable sustainable clothing feels like an oxymoron, right?
It’s true. Sustainable fashion brands are more expensive when compared to fast fashion – but there’s a good reason for this.
Unlike fast fashion, sustainable clothing brands adopt a slow fashion business model, which means they invest in things like eco-friendly materials and ethical manufacturing to minimize social and environmental impact.
Changing Our Shopping Habits
It’s estimated the average American wears a garment only seven times before disposing of it and throws away an astounding 82 pounds of clothing per year. This throwaway mindset surely can’t be cost-effective in the long term, can it?
If we were to apply strategies like the Cost Per Wear formula or “can I wear these clothes ten years from now” when purchasing new clothes, we may be surprised by our overall long-term savings. By incorporating these strategies into our shopping habits, it can be cheaper to invest in a few timeless and affordable sustainable clothing pieces rather than trendy, low-quality fast fashion items, which will likely be discarded within a few months.
Work Within Your Price Point
Affordable sustainable clothing is different for everyone. Strategies like Cost Per Wear don’t take into account those that have an immediate need or those who don’t have the means to spend $200 on a new coat.
Shopping your own closet, mending what you have, choosing second-hand, and clothes swaps with friends are all great ways to adopt affordable sustainable clothing habits and build a sustainable closet, without buying new.
20 Affordable Sustainable Clothing Brands
So here it is. Our top 20 affordable sustainable clothing brands!
To make your life easier, we’ve ranked each brand in terms of its sustainability efforts on a scale of 1-5: 1 being the least sustainable and 5 being near perfect, using the criteria outlined in our Sustainable Clothing Checklist above.
Pact clothing
For: Men, women, kids, & babies
Type: Everyday essentials, basics
Price: $14 – $138
Sustainability rating: 4.5
Pact offers a variety of affordable sustainable clothing options perfect for everyday wear. Pact uses 100% organic cotton, implements carbon offset initiatives, and is Fair Trade and GOTS certified. We especially love their commitment to using sustainable fabrics, many of which have a low environmental impact and are made from clean materials. Although it’s not clear how Pact addresses textile waste during production, the brand promotes a circular fashion economy through the Give Back Box® program.
Shop Pact clothing
Boody
For: Men, women, babies
Type: Every day, basics, activewear, accessories
Price: $9.95 – $109.95
Sustainability rating: 4
Boody creates minimalist and high-quality basics made from certified organic bamboo, operates a closed-loop production process, and uses computer knitting technology to reduce garment waste. Although Boody hasn’t evidenced garment recycling solutions or carbon offset initiatives, it reduces environmental impact through certifications (including ECOCERT, B Corp, and OEKO-TEX) and has a Code of Conduct and WRAP certification to ensure fair working conditions.
Shop Boody
Kotn
For: Men & women
Type: All clothing, smart casual, lounge, accessories
Price: $12 – $248
Sustainability rating: 4
Slow fashion brand Kotn creates affordable sustainable clothing that is timeless and long-lasting. Certified B Corp, and Voted Best for the World™ in 2022, Kotn guarantees 100% traceability across its supply chain and is included in the 5% of fashion companies that know where their garments come from. Kotn supports Egyptian cotton trade communities by partnering with local makers and suppliers and uses a portion of customer orders to fund local school projects. Kotn doesn’t provide information about CO2 reduction, textile waste management, or garment recycling.
Shop Kotn
Threads 4 Thought
For: Men, women, kids
Type: Every day, basics, accessories, shoes
Price: $25 – $188
Sustainability rating: 4
Threads 4 Thought creates timeless capsule styles made from eco-friendly raw materials and fabrics. The brand has a Code of Conduct and works with top-certified factories around the world, with most holding WRAP certifications to ensure fair and safe labor standards. All products are climate neutral, and 80% of wastewater is recycled. The brand is still working on finding solutions to recycling old clothes, 100% plastic-free packaging, and increasing renewable energy use.
Shop Threads 4 Thought
Rapanui
For: Men & women
Type: Everyday, basics, accessories, outerwear, custom
Price: $6 – $140
Sustainability rating: 5
Rapanui is an affordable sustainable clothing brand that operates within a truly circular fashion model, closing the loop on clothing waste by taking back old garments to be remade into new ones. Rapanui uses organic cotton, its manufacturing operations are powered by renewable energy, and around 95% of wastewater is recycled. Plus, Rapanui is carbon neutral, makes clothes on demand, and its factory is certified by Social Accountability International – SA8000.
Shop Rapanui
For Days
For: Men, women, Kids, Babies
Type: Every day, basics, accessories
Price: $6 – $279
Sustainability Rating: 3
Pioneers of recyclable fashion, For Days, adopted a zero waste system where customers can send old clothes back to be repurposed or downcycled. Additionally, For Days uses organic and non-toxic materials so clothes can be recycled, and all manufacturing is done locally (in the USA). For Days discloses very little about its factories and labor standards.
Shop For Days
People Tree
For: Women
Type: All Clothing, accessories
Price: $9 – $255
Sustainability Rating: 5
Advocates of the ethical clothing movement, People Tree employs local artisans and farmers, is GOTS certified, Fair Trade certified, and a member of the WFTO Guarantee System. People Tree uses sustainable materials, including wool and Lenzing-certified TENCEL™, which is 100% biodegradable. People Tree uses eco-friendly dyes, implements water recycling, and tackles garment recycling by facilitating the Give Back Box® program.
Shop People Tree
Fair Indigo
For: Men, Women, Kids
Type: Everyday Essentials, Activewear
Price: $5.90 – $89.90
Sustainability Rating: 4.5
Fair Indigo upholds a “forever in fashion” philosophy by creating timeless and affordable sustainable clothing. Maintaining strong labor and environmental standards, Fair Indigo partners with a small family-run business in Peru which grows GOTS-certified Peruvian Pima cotton and employs local artisans and operators, creating employment in poorer Peruvian communities. Addressing fashion’s throwaway culture, Fair Indigo creates “almost forever quality,” although it doesn’t appear to facilitate garment recycling initiatives.
Thought
For: Men and women
Type: All clothing, accessories
Price: $28 – $250
Sustainability rating: 3.5
Thought Clothing designs affordable sustainable clothing using earth-friendly materials that follow a circular, closed-loop production process. Thought Clothing considers garment waste, uses biodegradable or compostable materials (such as seacell™ and modal), and partners with UK clothes recycling charity TRAID. Although Thought doesn’t disclose a great deal about its factories or workers, it has a Code of Conduct that promises ethical manufacturing and fair labor standards.
Shop Thought
Tentree
For: Men, women, kids
Type: All clothing, accessories
Price: $15 – $328
Sustainability rating: 4.5
Canadian-based sustainable fashion brand Tentree plants ten trees for every item purchased, is climate neutral, Certified B Corp, and was voted Best for the World™ 2021. Tentree makes affordable sustainable clothing using natural and recycled materials such as TENCEL™ lyocell, organic cotton, and REPREVE® recycled polyester and prioritizes circularity through its recycling program. Tentree’s factory partners are based in countries where workers are at risk of exploitation, but it has a Code of Conduct and completes regular audits.
Shop Tentree
Known Supply
For: Men & women
Type: Every day, basics, accessories, custom
Price: $14 – $124
Sustainability rating: 4
Putting a face to an otherwise “faceless” fashion industry, Known Supply provides jobs to disadvantaged communities and ensures a fair, living wage by partnering with Fair Trade Certified producers and forming direct trade relationships. Known Supply is Certified B Corp and uses eco-friendly materials such as GOTS-certified organic cotton. It’s not clear if Known Supply uses sustainable packaging, offsets its carbon footprint, or reduces textile waste, although the brand takes back old clothing to be recycled.
Shop Known Supply
ABLE
For: Women
Type: All clothing, accessories, shoes
Price: $24 – $385
Sustainability rating: 4
Affordable sustainable clothing brand ABLE invests in women, creating jobs for those in vulnerable communities and developing a third-party social auditing system to ensure fair working conditions. ABLE uses sustainable packaging and closes the loop through its lifetime guarantee, creating durable clothing that customers can send back for repairs or replacements. ABLE omits some hazardous chemicals and reduces water consumption across its supply chain. Not all of its materials are 100% eco-friendly.
Shop ABLE
VETTA
For: Women
Type: All clothing, everyday, capsule
Price: $49 – $218
Sustainability rating: 4
Slow fashion brand VETTA champions the capsule wardrobe, creating timeless and versatile styles. VETTA makes affordable sustainable clothing in the USA (where the brand is based) and at Fair Trade Certified factories in India and Peru. VETTA uses renewable energy across parts of its supply chain and sustainable packaging. It’s not clear how VETTA manages textile waste, but it considers circularity by using some biodegradable materials such as linen and TENCEL™.
Shop VETTA
Monkee Genes
For: Men & women
Type: Jeans, trousers, jackets, dungarees
Price: $29 – $91
Sustainability rating: 4
Eco-conscious denim is at the heart of Monkee Genes, with every item made from old recycled jeans. Monkee Genes partners with Regain, an app where customers can donate preloved clothes in return for a discount code. Factories are based in countries where exploitation is a risk, but it only works with ethical manufacturing partners and is GOTS certified and PETA – Approved Vegan. It isn’t clear how the brand reduces its carbon footprint.
Shop Monkee Genes
Girlfriend Collective
For: Women & men
Type: Outerwear, activewear, swimwear, accessories, shoes
Price:
Sustainability rating: 4
Girlfriend Collective champions eco-friendly fashion by using recycled materials derived from post-consumer waste. Its factory partners are certified by Social Accountability International (SA8000) and WRAP certified, which guarantees fair and safe working conditions. In addition, recycled fabric is certified Standard 100 by OEKO- TEX, which minimizes environmental impact during production. One downside to using synthetic fabrics is they cause microplastic pollution when washed.
Ethical and Affordable Sustainable Brand Alternatives to Shein
Shein has become one of the largest fast-fashion online retailers in recent years. With its relentless new trends, questionably cheap price tags, and notorious lack of environmental and ethical standards, this brand is one to avoid.
Here are our ethical alternatives to Shein – we hope you love them!
OMNES
For: Women
Type: All clothing, occasion, every day
Price: $32 – $155
Sustainability rating: 4.5
Offering great affordable sustainable clothing options, OMNES is a certified Climate Positive Business and uses eco-friendly materials to minimize environmental harm. Working towards a circular fashion model, OMNES uses one fabric per garment wherever possible to increase recyclability and has introduced a clothes recycling program for customers. Although OMNES manufactures in countries where worker exploitation is rife, the factories are certified and regularly audited. Plus, all suppliers have signed the brand’s strict Partnership Policy.
Shop OMNES
CHNGE
For: Men & women
Type: Statement, everyday, basics
Price: $33 – $89
Sustainability rating: 4.5
CHNGE is known for its iconic t-shirt dresses, basics, and hoodies with encouraging messages about the environment and equality. Transparent about its labor standards and factory location, CHNGE partners with a Fairtrade factory in Tiruppur, India. All processes are GOTS certified, 80% of factory energy is renewable, and garments are 100% carbon neutral. Despite there not being garment recycling evidence, the brand significantly minimizes textile and chemical waste during production and recycles over 98% of production water.
Shop CHNGE
AFENDS
For: Men & women
Type: All clothing, accessories
Price: $15 – $235
Sustainability rating: 4
AFENDS is a pioneer of hemp fashion due to its low environmental footprint and has built its very own hemp farm to reconnect communities with nature and sustainable practices. Although AFENDS outsources manufacturing to China, a country infamous for labor exploitation, the brand only partners with certified suppliers that meet its Ethical Sourcing Standards. ANDES doesn’t have a clothing recycling scheme and is still working on becoming carbon neutral.
Shop AFENDS
Nobody’s Child
For: Women
Type: All clothing, accessories
Price: $5 – $187
Sustainability rating: 3.5
Known for its sustainable affordable dresses, Nobody’s Child champions an eco-conscious mindset. Responsible materials (clothing and packaging) are a priority, as well as encouraging customers to keep clothes out of landfills through its repair program and partnering with second-hand clothing brand Re-fashion. The brand only includes details of larger supplier factories in countries where labor abuse is widespread; however, it does have a Code of Conduct. Nobody’s Child plans on implementing a carbon reduction strategy.
Shop Nobody’s Child
Lucy & Yak
For: Men & women
Type: All clothing, casual, vibrant prints, accessories
Price: $3 – $89
Sustainability rating: 3
Designing affordable sustainable clothing with a colorful twist, Lucy & Yak are passionate about carbon offsetting and use eco-friendly materials such as GOTS-certified organic cotton, natural dyes, and sustainably sourced cellulose viscose. Zero-waste is high on the agenda, with leftover fabrics either recycled responsibly or made into bundles to help customers upcycle old clothes.
Although a “people-focused company”, Lucy & Yak publishes very little about its labor standards or where garments are made.
Shop Lucy & Yak
Affordable Sustainable Clothing: Final Thoughts
That’s a wrap! This list of 20 affordable sustainable clothing brands demonstrates there are many budget-friendly sustainable options out there, helping you look great without compromising your wallet, health, or the planet.
Will you give one of these affordable sustainable clothing brands a try? We hope you do!
Christie Johnson is a writer and digital marketer for ethical brands and publications that strive for a better world. She…
