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Daily life involves family and friend gatherings, work meetings, holidays, job interviews and dates. We want to look good and feel fabulous on every occasion because we worry about how others perceive us. However, we often stare at the closet and don’t know what to wear. We feel frustrated, and with a click, we buy something new that we won’t wear again.
Overspending and the constant feeling that “we don’t have anything to wear” are common. According to the Pareto principle, people wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time. This principle is a useful model or theory with endless applications, and it can help reduce waste in the fashion industry by identifying the core 20% of clothing we wear 80% of the time. By doing so, designers could create timeless, essential, high-quality pieces using sustainable options.
Unfortunately, this is still not the reality, and the shift toward mindful consumption and sustainable fashion is more challenging than it seems. Searching and discovering the perfect ethical and sustainable brand and building an eco-friendly wardrobe takes time and effort.
That’s why we’ve created a guide you can use if you are just beginning or looking for more ideas. We will walk you through what to look for in sustainable women’s clothing and highlight brands specializing in shirts, skirts, dresses, shoes, and more.
What to Look for in Sustainable Women’s Clothing
If you want to shop sustainable, you can base your purchase on a wide range of factors, such as your values, materials, brands, people and more. Here are 6 essential tips to be sure you’re going in the right direction for yourself and the planet.
- Ethical Production Practices: Look for certifications like Fair Trade and GOTS to be sure the brand adheres to certain ethical and environmental standards.
- Eco-Friendly or Organic Materials: Prioritize clothes made from biodegradable and sustainable materials like organic wool or tencel™. Avoid conventional polyester derived from petroleum, which contributes to microplastic pollution.
- Low-Impact Dyeing and Processes: Consider companies using low-impact or natural dyes, which reduce water waste and are less environmentally harmful.
- Longevity and Quality: Opt for brands that emphasise enduring designs, ensuring your pieces last for decades.
- Watch for Greenwashing: Don’t believe in everything a brand says. Keep your eyes open and do some research.
- Circular Fashion: Choose brands that create clothes with recycled material, offer repair services, or run take-back programs for old clothing.
Fair Trade, Timeless, Organic Basics, Oversized, Unisex and More: Our Selection for Tee, Sweater, Pants, Denim and More!
Here, you can find our top ethical and sustainable clothing brands you can trust—all Eco-Stylist certified. Let’s begin!
The brands are organized by clothing category. Here’s a preview of the sections, in the order that they appear:
- Dresses
- Skirts and Pants
- Shirts, Tops and Sweaters
- Shoes
- Denim
- Lingerie, Loungewear and Activewear
- Jewelry
Sustainable Dresses: 4 Brands to Shop
KNOWN SUPPLY – ‘We exist to reimagine the fashion industry in a way that puts people first’
More than just a brand, it is a movement of individuals, companies and partners who care about honoring and celebrating those who make the clothing. They offer a wide range of different collections with striking patterns for everyday or special occasions.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Silver
Size Range: XS-4XL
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected flowy dress: Alice Dress – Black
Whimsy + Row – ‘Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good’
Whimsy + Row offers sustainable, high-quality clothing and accessories in elegant, classic designs for modern, creative women. Its dresses are perfect for everyday life or special occasions and are a great addition to your wardrobe. Take a look at the maxi dress collection made in Tencel and Cupro.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Silver
Size Range: XS-XL
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected maxi-dress: Lola Wrap Dress in Hunter
Liila – ‘Affordable, sustainable dresses’
Liila crafts its products in small batches, handcrafted by skilled artisans, ensuring each garment reflects its commitment to authenticity and ethical practices. Fabrics include Banana Crop Waste, Bamboo Fibers, and Recycled Materials saved from landfills. Also, products are packaged in 100% biodegradable material, which reduces CO2 emissions by 60% compared to traditional plastics. They are non-toxic and BPA-free.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Certified
Size Range: S-XL
Location/Shipping: United States and Canada
Our selected dress: Banana Fabric – Black & Red Floral Dress
Pact – ‘We believe the planet and the people on it should always come first in fashion’
Pact is the perfect option if you’re looking for simple but stylish designs to wear daily. It cares about people and the planet by saving water using organic cotton, using non-toxic chemicals to protect the environment, and offering features such as carbon offset shipping and thoughtful packaging. It also partners with Fair Trade USA, Global Organic Textile Standard, and SimpliZero. Plus, it offers maternity t-shirts and bottoms made with natural fabrics and linen dresses.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Silver
Size Range: XS-3XL
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected dress: fit & flare tie wrap dress
Ethical Skirts and Pants: 3 Brands to Support
Toad&Co – ‘Everyday is an adventure’
Toad&Co aims to bring enough people together to change the world and move to an ethical fashion industry. It doesn’t have only the environment in mind but also the well-being of communities. It has a fully transparent production line, its Supplier Code of Conduct is available on the website e, and it is certified by multiple standards for different environmental and labor concerns. Its garments are made of natural fibres and synthetics, organic cotton and responsible wool.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Gold
Size Range: XS-XL
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected skirt: Chaka Skirt
Kotn – ‘We are on a mission to change how things are made: better for the people, better for the planet’
Kotn means timeless design pieces that honour the people who make them and their places. The brand purchases the raw materials directly from the farmers who grow them, ensuring fair wages and high-quality products. The website has all the information you need while you search for your everyday must-have pieces.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Silver
Size Range: XXS-XXL in most items
Location/Shipping: Canada shipping across Europe, Australia, USA, and UK too
Our selected skirt: Women’s Gezira Knit Skirt
Tentree – ‘To protect the world we play in’
The Canadian clothing brand aims to plant one billion trees by 2030 to reduce climate change. It ensures safe and respectful work environments and takes transparency very seriously, sharing the detailed factory list on the website. Also, it uses natural fabrics like organic cotton and hemp. If that’s not enough, it invests in circularity by partnering with SuperCircle, allowing customers to send back clothes, which are then recycled or recycled. Plus, it is a great option to buy oversized pieces, linen bottoms or TENCEL™ Lyocell jumpsuits.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Silver
Size Range: XS-XL in most items
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected skirt: Knit Rib Skirt
Sustainable Shirts, Tops and Sweaters: 3 Brands
Outerknown – ‘The first brand founded on a total commitment to sustainability, driven by a passion for responsible action, courageous change, and great clothes’
Outerknown’s mission is to protect natural resources, empower the people who make its clothes, and inspire change. If that is not enough, it believes in creating durable and classic products that last longer and are more versatile. You can find many women’s fashion apparel options in the online store, such as cotton tees, cardigans and pants.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Gold
Size Range: XS-XXL
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected sweater: Stowaway Hooded Sweater
Ministry of Supply – ‘Sustainability through science’
Ministry of Supply aims to create better-fitting business attire by using new materials, aerospace, robotic engineering, and thermal analysis. It uses innovative materials like a 19x more breathable fabric than traditional one, with NASA-based temperature regulation, a warp-knit fabric that offers incredible stretch without sagging and a 100% recycled soft stretch fabric that’s built for wrinkle resistance and easy care.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Certified
Size Range: S-XXL
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected merino wool tee: Women’s Composite Merino Boxy Tee
Frank And Oak – ‘Made for Living’
Frank and Oak aims to create quality, durable, stylish and sustainably made garments without harming the environment or its workers. It wants to inspire a better lifestyle by creating conscious products that last through time. It provides information about its factories and partners on its website, taking style and circularity very seriously. Plus, it uses multiple types of recycled materials and avoids harmful chemicals. It is the perfect place if you’re also looking for blazers.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Certified
Size Range: XS-XXL
Location/Shipping: USA, Canada
Our selected long sleeve shirt: The Flannel Overshirt in Light Grey
Sustainable Women’s Shoes: 3 Brands
Nisolo – ‘We want to convince the fashion industry to value our planet and the people’
It is a B Corp certified brand that makes products from responsibly sourced leather. It discloses the location of factories along with details of workers at each site, wages paid, conditions, etc., and has various well-being programs across its facilities. It focuses on circularity and considers the environmental impact of its products at every stage- from initial design to material selection to end use.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Gold
Size Range: 5-11, boots range from 6.5 to 9.5
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected shoes: Eva Everyday Chelsea Boot
Adelante Made-to-Order – ‘A world that uses for-profit business to create fair value for all stakeholders’
It is the brand for you if you want custom sizing options. Adelante handmakes work together in one open-space workshop daily, where natural light, fresh air, and green space are fundamental. Also, Adelante uses vegetable-tanned leather, a safer and less toxic alternative method to produce footwear. Since shoes are made to order, there is less material waste. All shoes are created to last forever and can be fixed in case they are damaged.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Gold
Size Range: 4-15
Location/Shipping: USA
Our selected shoes: The Reina
Koio – ‘Bringing together modern design, sustainable Italian craftsmanship, and unparalleled comfort for luxurious footwear’
Koio is the right choice if you want to buy a pair of leather shoes without feeling guilty about the environmental price tag. It sources leather from Leather Working Group Silver and Gold-Certified Leathers and ensures minimal harm to people and the planet. Also, it uses recycled shoe soles in its production and offers to take back your old ones.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Certified
Size Range: 6-11
Location/Shipping: Shipping internationally
Our selected shoes: Capri
Ethical Denim: 3 Brands
Nudie Jeans – ‘What you do matters’
Every pair is made of high-quality, sustainable, or recycled fibers designed to last. It offers a lifetime warranty for every pair and programs where you can buy gently used products. Need more? You can turn in your old Nudie jeans and receive a discount on your next purchase.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Gold
Size Range: Women’s W28-38 L26-34
Location/Shipping: Sweden, shipping internationally
Our selected denim: Mellow Mae Blue Mud
Asket – ‘The world doesn’t need another fashion brand‘
Asket focuses on timeless quality design. It believes in creating less, improving existing garments, and introducing only a few pieces yearly. It is committed to transparency and uses GOTS-certified cotton, while its wool and synthetic fibers are GRS-certified. Plus, it has a recycling program where you can hand in old Asket garments that the company can refurbish, recycle, or re-sold.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Silver
Size Range: Women’s W23-34-L30-34
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected denim: The Standard Jeans
Boyish Jeans – ‘Make good jeans while leaving as little impact on the earth as possible’
Boyish is a sustainable women’s denim line focused on quality, fit, and authentic washes. It is committed to ethical manufacturing and eco practices in development and production. Jeans are produced with sustainable fabrics and washed through an environmentally friendly and cruelty-free process.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Gold
Size Range: Women’s W22-32
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected denim: The Jovi | Rio Bravo
Eco Lingerie, Loungewear and Activewear: 3 Brands
Subset – ‘Essential underwear you deserve, earth-friendly processes you can trust’
Subset offers Fair Trade-certified sustainable underwear free from toxic chemicals and organic cotton. It aims to achieve a circular production process by allowing customers to send in old underwear and socks from any brand for recycling. Also, you can be sure employers earn a living wage because it partners solely with certified factories and visits factories to ensure conditions are safe for the workers. Plus, it has the highest quality eco-friendly fabrics collection of loungewear.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Gold
Size Range: 2XS-3XL
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected loungewear: Essential Robe
Organic Basics – ‘Everyday essentials, made ethically’
It supplies all the basics you need in solid shades and neutral colors. It focuses on high quality products and fair treatment of its workers while protecting the environment. 90% of its raw materials are plant-based, recycled, recyclable, and organic. It offers various sizes of women’s undies, bras, panties and bodysuits.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Certified
Size Range: XXS-XXL
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected bodysuit: Smooth Off-Shoulder Bodysuit
Girlfriend Collective (activewear) – ‘Good things come to those who don’t waste’
Girlfriend Collective is all about comfortable and ethical clothing while promoting body-positive vibes. It uses recycled materials like old scraps of fabric, plastic bottles, and fishing nets and reduces landfill waste and water pollution. Plus, you can take a personalized bra quiz to get recommendations of what’s best for you.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Silver
Size Range: XXS-6XL
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected bra: Gwen Keyhole Bra
Eco Jewelry: 3 Brands
Brilliant Earth – ‘Jewelry you can feel good about wearing’
Brilliant Earth offers a great selection of engagement, wedding, fine jewelry, and everyday luxury pieces. It uses mostly recycled metals and lab-grown diamonds. You can choose your stone, setting, and ring and receive a free lifetime warranty to keep it in use and out of waste. Also, you can upgrade old jewelry or receive store credit when you recycle an old piece or turn it into new jewelry to be resold.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Silver
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected jewelry: Teardrop Lab Emerald Pendant
Astor & Orion – ‘This is a different kind of jewelry brand’
Astor & Orion designs jewelry with sustainability and circularity in mind. It uses recycled metals for the raw materials, produces in small-batches, eliminating waste from unwanted designs, and ends with a program to take back and recycle old jewelry and offer store credit. It provides chic pieces in gold, silver, and metal earrings and necklaces.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Gold
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected jewelry: Iris Hoops Silver Large
SOKO – ‘Style driven by a greater social purpose’
Soko is a women-led, ethically made jewelry brand that connects Kenyan artisans with the global market. Its materials are completely recycled and created with raw materials in mind. It sells high-quality women’s jewelry, including various necklaces, rings, and earrings.
Eco-Stylist Rating: Silver
Location/Shipping: USA, shipping internationally
Our selected jewelry: Twisted Dash Cuff
Looking for More Sustainable Women’s Clothing?
Check our out our Shop. There you’ll find hundreds of curated eco conscious clothes for women organized by clothing category.
For even more good brands use our Brand Guide. There you can filter Certified brands by women’s clothing as well as vegan, woman-owned, plus sized, and more!
Transitioning to sustainable women’s clothing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By choosing brands offering sustainably sourced fabrics and committed to fair working conditions, you can look stylish while making a positive impact.
Use this guide as a starting point to discover your favorite sustainable brands. To subscribe to our email list, scroll down to the footer of our website. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram too for updates and more information.
Every purchase is a vote for slow fashion and a shift to a more sustainable one. Start small, support brands you like, invest wisely and wear your values with pride.
Mara is an Italian writer and communicator specializing in sustainability, multilingual communications, and localization. She loves literature, art, and traveling. She dreams of living on a sailing boat to explore the Mediterranean.
