Looking at the prices of eco-minded and ethical fashion brands, you might be wondering: where can I find affordable sustainable clothing?
The first thing to consider is that the most sustainable garments are the ones already hanging in your closet! Wearing what you already have more is the best way to reduce your clothing footprint.
Slow fashion is a mindset and there are so many ways to practice slow fashion without spending money or buying new garments.
And when you do want a new-to-you piece, check out your local thrift store or one of these online secondhand shops first! Shopping pre-loved is a great way to find affordable sustainable clothes.
That said, shopping secondhand is not always accessible or doesn’t always offer what you need, so there may be times that you want to buy a new piece — but without breaking the bank.
While responsible fashion brands will never hit the questionably low prices of fast fashion brands (there’s no way a brand is paying living wages when they charge $5 for a t-shirt), these conscious brands certainly have fair prices for what they are offering.
The reality is that it does typically cost more to source materials in an ecologically responsible way and it will be more expensive to pay garment workers living wages. Consciously-made garments don’t have to cost a fortune, but they will cost more than a latte.
Affordability also depends on how many garments we are buying and how often. For example, while a single garment from a fast fashion brand may be cheaper than one from a slow fashion brand, if you are constantly doing fast fashion hauls the price tags add up.
Slowing down consumption habits will most likely save money in the long run. While garments from slow fashion brands won’t be considered cheap in comparison to fast fashion, practicing the ethos of fewer, better things, and considering cost-per-wear, will make them more affordable.
To learn more about the relationship between price and sustainability, and the realities of affordable ethical clothing, listen to Is sustainable fashion always more expensive? on the Conscious Style Podcast.
Affordable Sustainable Clothing Brands
This article features affiliates and partners. As always, we only feature brands that meet high standards for sustainability that we love — and that we think you’ll love too!
1. Best variety: Made Trade
This ethical online curated site has an incredible collection of affordable ethical fashion. From dresses and blouses to jewelry and scarves, Made Trade has it all — with a range of price points too. Not only can you filter by price, but you can sort by value, too: Fair Trade, Heritage, Sustainable, Vegan, USA Made, POC-Owned, and/or Women-Owned.
Size Range: XS-6XL
Price range: $- $$$
2. Best off-price retailer: Oneoff
Oneoff is a sustainable off-price retailer with pieces from some of the most covetable conscious fashion brands, including For Days, Whimsy + Row, and Siizu.
By partnering with these independent labels to source excess or out-of-season product, Oneoff helps slow fashion brands minimize waste while sustaining their business too. The retailer is mindful about working with brands that have intentional production practices to ensure the pieces they sell are truly “leftovers” and are not just from reckless overproduction.
Size Range: XS – XXL
Price Range: $
3. Best for outdoor essentials: tentree
For adventure enthusiasts whose vacation plans rarely involve jet-setting off to a tropical destination for a leisurely getaway, tentree has a range of essentials for all sorts of thrill seekers who live to explore.
From biodegradable jackets to moisture-wicking hoodies, and functional backpacks, nothing feels better than wearing outdoor gear from a brand that cares about the earth. Not only does tentree plant 10 trees for every product sold, but customers also get to track these trees and see where they will be planted through the unique tag present on the item they purchase.
Size Range: XS–XL
Price: $$-$$$
4. Best for basics: Kotn
Kotn has elegant minimalist pieces — from tees to knitwear — made ethically and sustainably. The conscious label works directly with farms to source their cotton, which ensures higher (and more reliable) wages for farmers while keeping prices low for shoppers.
Size Range: XS-XXL
Price Range: $ – $$
5. Best for loungewear: Pact
Pact offers GOTS-certified organic cotton underwear, pajamas, loungewear, and casual apparel for everyone in the family. Their selection of loungewear includes sweatshirts, sweatpants, tees & tanks, and shorts. All of the brand’s pieces are made in Fair Trade Certified factories.
Size Range: XS-XXL
Price range: $
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6. Best for undergarments: Organic Basics
Organic Basics is a go-to for finding versatile wardrobe staples — or well, basics. The brand continues to expand beyond underwear and t-shirts though, now carrying a variety of affordable sustainable clothing — from pajamas to denim. All of their pieces are made transparently in factories with third-party certifications using eco fabrics like Tencel and recycled wool.
Size Range: XS-XXL
Price Range: $$
7. Best for swimwear: Londre
If you’re looking for affordable, size-inclusive swimwear that doesn’t pollute the oceans that you plan to swim in, Londre has got you covered. With a wide range of different styles and colors to choose from, Londre creates low-impact, high-quality swimwear in small batches using recycled waste plastic bottles collected from beaches and streets.
Each swimsuit, made in an OEKO-TEX 100 certified factory that pays living wages, contains a minimum of six recycled plastic bottles.
Size range: XS – 4XL
Price: $$
8. Best for activewear: Girlfriend
Girlfriend is a sustainable activewear brand best known for their sports bras and leggings made from recycled plastic bottles. The brand also has super comfy sweats and unisex outerwear, all made from organic and recycled fibers. Once you’ve worn out your Girlfriend pieces, you can send them back to the brand to be recycled into new garments through their “reGirlfriend” program.
Size Range: XXS-6XL
Price Range: $$
9. Best for sneakers: Thousand Fell
Thousand Fell is a sneaker brand making strides in circular fashion and helping you put your most stylish foot forward at the same time. Combining circularity, style, comfort, and performance, they create recyclable sneakers that never have to end up in a landfill. They turn coconut husk, sugar cane, and recycled plastic bottles into sneakers. And they have a program that will take back your old, well-worn Thousand Fell sneakers, recycle them within the US, and put them into future Thousand Fell Sneakers — plus you’ll get $20 to put towards a fresh pair.
Size range: 5 – 10 (Women’s) and 8 – 13 (Men’s)
Price: $$
10. Best for menswear: No Nasties
No Nasties creates vegan affordable ethical clothing with the intention of not only minimizing their impact, but choosing to actively make a positive impact. They do this by saving water, planting trees, and offsetting their carbon emissions — and sharing this data with their community so that they’re not just empty promises. No nasties keep no secrets about where their clothing is made (fair factories), what it is made from (100% organic cotton), and how it is packaged (recyclable packaging) so that you know exactly how your clothes were made.
Plus, they offer a three-part Circular System that allows you to either resell, repair, or reincarnate your No Nasties garments into a new garment.
Size range: XS – XXL
Price: $
11. Best for men’s accessories: Nisolo
Committed to paying fair, living wages, Nisolo has joined fellow ethical fashion band ABLE in publishing the lowest wages in their supply chain. Beyond wages, the B-Corp also ensures makers work in safe conditions and receive benefits. While Nisolo does not use only eco materials, their jewelry is made from upcycled brass.
Price Range: $ – $$$
12. Best for outerwear: Patagonia
While largely known for sustainable activewear and jackets, Patagonia actually has quite a selection of clothing as well! The earth-minded brand uses sustainable materials throughout their collections, such as hemp, TENCEL, and organic cotton. Plus, the majority of their products are sewn in Fair Trade Certified factories.
Size Range: XS-XL
Price Range: $$ – $$$
13. Best for denim: Warp + Weft
A traditional pair of jeans takes 1,500 gallons of water to make, but a pair of Warps requires less than 10. Warp + Weft is a family-owned company that has been in the denim business for three decades, using an eco-friendly mill to make each pair. They design their denim for all bodies and offer a range of styles — from skinny to wide leg.
This affordable ethical clothing brand treats and recycles 98% of the water used in production and opt for Dry Ozone technology instead of harmful bleaching practices.
Size range: XXS – XXL
Price: $$
14. Best for jewelry: ABLE
Fair trade fashion brand ABLE began with selling scarves and is now a full-fledged apparel and accessories brand with ethically-made clothing, bags, shoes, and jewelry. In an unprecedented move towards transparency, the brand publishes the lowest wages in their supply chain.
Size Range: XS-XL
Price Range: $$
15. Best for button-up shirts: Armedangels
A well-tailored, button-up shirt is one of the most versatile pieces in any trans-seasonal wardrobe and Armedangels has a whole range of affordable sustainable clothing options for you to choose from. For each shirt, you can browse the material breakdown, care instructions, and certifications. They use fabrics made from organic cotton and recycled materials. Plus through their Living Wage Project, they are taking steps to ensure that all workers at the Mergü factory that they use are compensated fairly.
To help make your loved clothes last, they provide detailed care guides and repair tutorials.
Size range: XS – XL
Price: $$
16. Best for circularity: For Days
For Days is working to change the linear approach of the fashion industry with their closed-loop model. The affordable sustainable clothing brand designs their clothing with recyclability in mind and buys back their worn clothes. Hopefully, the company will continue their initiatives and expand their upcycled fabric collection.
Size Range: XS-XXL
Price: $
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