16 best sustainable fashion brands
Fast fashion causes immense harm to the planet, but thankfully, it's far from your only option. Read on for a list of the best sustainable clothes brands that offer slower, kinder fashion.
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Whether you're new to the world of sustainable fashion or you've been looking for ethical clothing brands for a while, it can be pretty challenging at times to find the right store for you.
When 'greenwashing' occurs (when a company gives the impression that they're more eco-friendly than they are) it makes it even more difficult to identify which brands really are making a big effort to protect the environment.
But, to help you navigate the confusion, we've picked out 16 sustainable fashion brands that are working hard to be eco-friendly alternatives to fast fashion stores.
What is sustainable fashion?
Sustainable fashion is focused on minimising the environmental harm of the manufacturing, distribution and disposal of clothes.
As well as making an effort to protect the planet, many sustainable fashion brands also ensure that all workers are treated and paid fairly and that animals aren't harmed in the process of making the clothes.
In fact, sustainable fashion brands often go beyond simply reducing their harm to the planet, people and animals, and try to have an actively positive impact on the world around them.
Top sustainable clothing brands
Here are the 16 best sustainable fashion brands:
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Lucy & Yak
Best for: Fun everyday fashion.
Known for bold prints and ethical manufacturing, Lucy & Yak is a great brand for affordable, sustainable fashion. The company started out making dungarees and has since expanded into a wide range of clothing choices. These include jeans, jackets, dresses, accessories and more.
Among their sustainability goals, they're committed to using organic and reused materials as much as possible. At the time of writing, they say on their website that 100% of their fabrics are recycled, organic or dead stock.
To avoid excessive waste, they set out to create long-lasting clothes and recirculate their used or imperfect items. For example, you can find second-hand clothing on their Re:Yak Marketplace Facebook group.
Lucy & Yak even has a buyback scheme to keep Yaks in circulation for longer. Just return any Lucy & Yak item of clothing, no matter the condition, to one of their stores, and you'll receive a voucher to spend online or in-store.
Even the brand-new clothes on their main site are priced competitively compared to a lot of high-street stores. This is especially the case in their online sale, where you'll see last-chance-to-buy items with big reductions in price. In the sale, we've previously seen a pair of jeans reduced from £62 to £31!
You can also sign up for their student discount to get 15% off your orders.
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TALA
Best for: Flattering gym wear.
The sustainable activewear and athleisure brand, TALA, was founded by Grace Beverley in 2019 while she was still a student at the University of Oxford.
Since launching, they've rejected fast fashion practices and instead championed sustainability.
TALA creates high-performance gym wear for women out of recycled, upcycled and natural fabrics.
Like Lucy & Yak, the brand has launched ReTALA in collaboration with Reskinned. Through this scheme, you can receive vouchers in exchange for your unwanted TALA clothing. They'll then get a new lease of life before being sold on to the next buyer.
TALA's courier bags and product packaging are made of 100% recycled and recyclable plastic. And even their tags are created with sustainability in mind. They're filled with seasonal seeds that you can plant at home.
As well as sustainability and quality, another key focus of TALA is competitive pricing.
Their clothes may seem a bit more pricey than some fast fashion brands (at the time of writing, around £30 – £50 for a gym shirt and around £50 – £70 for gym leggings), but they're created to last as long as possible and represent a slow fashion option. This means you aim to only buy what you need, when you need, and look after the clothes you own as much as you can.
And if you're hoping to follow in Grace Beverley's entrepreneurial footsteps, check out these small business ideas to start at university.
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OMNES
Best for: Affordable clothing.
OMNES was created to prove that fashion can be of good quality, affordable, and responsible at the same time.
You may be thinking that some of the brands we've mentioned here all sound great but seem a bit pricey compared to what you would usually spend. Well OMNES may be the answer you're looking for.
All OMNES pieces are designed in their London studio. With tops available from £19, they are one of the more affordable options when it comes to sustainable clothing. On top of that, they also offer a 15% student discount on full-price items with Student Beans.
OMNES is committed to ensuring they don't negatively impact the environment or the people they work with. They have partnered with Earthly to measure the carbon impact of their operations and offset it, and are recognised as a Climate Positive certified business. You can read more about their sustainability journey on the website.
I have tried and tested a skirt from OMNES. Here's my review:
My OMNES skirt is one of the most worn (and loved) items of clothing I own. It's a maxi skirt made from recycled polyester, and is so soft and comfy.
The brand's sustainability was the first thing that stood out to me. And, when I saw their designs, I was immediately a fan.
I wanted a skirt that I could dress up or down to get as much wear out of it as possible, and the one I bought has been ideal for this.
Overall, I've been thrilled with the purchase and would definitely buy OMNES clothes again.
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Rapanui
Best for: Wardrobe staples made with a circular supply chain.
Rapanui sells clothes made from natural materials, using a factory that's powered by renewable energy.
A big selling point of the brand is that they have a circular supply chain. This means all of their clothes are designed to be sent back when they're worn out, and Rapanui then uses the old items to make new products.
It's free to send clothes back for remanufacturing and, as an added bonus, they'll give you a coupon for money off your next purchase.
In the factory, rather than making big batches and hoping the clothes will all get sold, they start making products quickly after they're ordered to avoid waste. However, this shouldn't affect delivery times.
To give you an idea of prices, at the time of writing, it costs around £15 – £30 for a basic tee from Rapanui or £20 – £30 for a printed t-shirt in both its men's and women's ranges.
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Plant Faced Clothing
Best for: Cruelty-free streetwear.
If you're hoping to find ethical, cruelty-free streetwear that's kind to the planet, Plant Faced Clothing is definitely worth looking into.
Over 75% of their range is made with eco-friendly fabrics such as recycled water bottles and organic cotton.
You might notice a few brands on this list use organic cotton. It's an eco-friendly alternative to standard cotton as it uses less water and no artificial fertilisers or pesticides are used to produce it.
On top of this, Plant Faced Clothing uses vegan, water-based inks to print their clothes to avoid the toxic ingredients in plastisol inks (which are often used in fashion). When they package their clothing, they use boxes that are made from 100% recycled paper and, again, use water-based inks for printing.
Prices vary, but to give you a general idea of the cost, you can expect to pay around £60 – £90 for a hoodie (men's and women's).
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WUKA
Best for: Sustainable period pants.
In the UK alone, more than 200,000 tonnes of disposable tampons and pads are sent to a landfill every year. And let's not get started on the pads and tampons that are flushed down the toilet…
Luckily, WUKA offers an alternative. The name stands for Wake Up Kick Ass and they proudly believe your period shouldn't hold you back. Their leak-proof period pants allow you to stay comfortable during your time of the month.
Sustainability and menstrual health are the core of WUKA's brand. Their products are vegan-friendly, have no added chemicals and come in plastic-free packaging. They also donate money to City To Sea's Rethink Periods Project.
WUKA's period pants are made from responsibly sourced, sustainable materials and start at around £15. Even though you will need to buy a few of them to last you throughout your period (if you want to cut out tampons and pads altogether), the pants last up to two years.
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Batoko
Best for: Swimwear made from recycled plastic.
"We're rubbish. Literally." This statement on Batoko's website isn't exactly what you'd expect from a sustainable swimwear brand. But they really do mean it.
They focus on keeping plastic waste out of landfills and oceans by making swimwear from recycled plastic.
This alone is great, but they go further with their sustainability efforts by getting involved in important projects to help the sea life.
For example, in 2019, they adopted a nursery table with Coral Gardeners which looks after 100 broken corals – once healthy enough, the corals will be replanted onto the reefs. More recently, they have collaborated with the Cornish Seal Sanctuary to help rescue and rehabilitate the seal pups.
At the time of writing, their swimsuits cost £60 each, which is a bit more on the pricey side. However, it's worth looking for the ones that are part of collaborations with other environmental projects. For example, for every one of their lobster swimsuits sold, a baby lobster is reared and released into the sea through the National Lobster Hatchery in Cornwall.
If a Batoko swimming costume is within your budget and you're on the lookout for a new one, it could be a good choice.
Here's my review of Batoko:
I bought Batoko's lobster-print swimsuit over two years ago and absolutely love it.
It's not only sustainable, but also comfortable to wear, practical to swim in and it has a very cute design. I couldn't be happier with it!
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VEJA
Best for: Vegan-friendly sneakers.
VEJA is a good choice for sustainable shoes. On their website, they're transparent about their environmental impact and carbon footprint. They explain in detail what they're doing to be as eco-friendly as possible.
Over the last couple of years, they've reduced their use of leather, developing a vegan range of sneakers.
They use a few materials that are eco-friendly alternatives to leather, including B-mesh, which is made from recycled plastic bottles. The material is both sustainable and practical as it's breathable and waterproof.
VEJA really are doing a lot to push forward the design and manufacturing of sustainable shoes. Check out their website to find out more.
In terms of price, VEJA's shoes are quite expensive (generally around £120 or more). But, have a look at the sale section. You might find some more affordable trainers there.
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KOHR
Best for: Gender-neutral basics.
All KOHR's collections are designed and manufactured in-house in the UK.
The brand's mission is to create a credible alternative to high-street fashion whilst using sustainable and ethical practices. Their gender-neutral basics are designed to last, using trends that last up to 10 years.
They use a mixture of sustainable materials, all their packaging is made from biodegradable and recyclable material, and for every order you make, one tree is planted. Just check out the KOHR website to see all the measures they're taking to be climate-positive.
KOHR's collection prices are still considerably higher than your average high street store, but check out the sale section of the site. We've found gender-neutral linen blazers reduced from £185 to £75.
If you're worried about buying a new outfit that you'll rarely wear, you could try rental clothes. -
Thought
Best for: Socks made with natural materials.
Thought is a slow fashion brand. Some of the ways they're working to be as eco-friendly as they can include using natural and sustainable materials and creating pieces that are designed to last, both in terms of style and quality.
They have a whole section on their site dedicated to socks, which come in lovely designs and are made from natural fabrics like bamboo and organic cotton. At the time of writing, it costs around £8 for a pair of socks. Or, you could also get four pairs in a gift box for around £28 (which is a great eco-friendly gift idea).
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Patagonia
Best for: Outdoor clothing.
Looking for sustainable outdoor clothing? Try Patagonia.
Their clothing isn't cheap, with coats costing £200+. But like with a lot of brands on this list, the clothes are designed to last, so you shouldn't need to replace them for a few years. This makes them a great investment!
They put a big emphasis on avoiding waste. So much so that they'll give you credit towards your next purchase if you trade in your old Patagonia item through their Worn Wear programme.
Patagonia also has a self-imposed 'Earth tax', pledging 1% of sales to the preservation and restoration of the environment.
To find out more about these and other environmental initiatives by Patagonia, head over to their website.
Some brands in this list offer the option to buy now, pay later (BNPL). To reduce your fashion consumption, it's best to avoid BNPL as it can lead you to spend and buy more, potentially without realising it. Get more info in our full Klarna review. -
adidas
Best for: Branded sportswear.
As we'll explain in more detail shortly, mainstream clothing and footwear brands generally have a long way to go to be more sustainable. However, adidas (while not perfect) is making noticeable efforts to become more sustainable and produce more eco-friendly products.
They state that by 2026, nine out of 10 of their articles will be sustainable, meaning they'll be made with materials considered to a significant degree to be environmentally preferred.
Currently, there are plenty of trainers on sale from around £25 that are made from recycled materials, but they don't stop there. adidas also sells hoodies, joggers, t-shirts and more that have been made in part with eco-friendly fabrics.
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ROKA London
Best for: Bags made from recycled materials.
Searching for a new uni bag? Try ROKA London. Not only do they offer a hefty 15% student discount, but they truly care about the planet. They work hard to repurpose and recycle materials to avoid them ending up in landfills.
ROKA London also uses biodegradable packaging and all bags are vegan-friendly. Plus, since 2024, they've planted trees for each order through Switch2Zero.
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Seasalt Cornwall
Best for: Everyday clothing.
Based in Cornwall, Seasalt does a lot of work behind the scenes to reduce its carbon footprint by designing garments with organic cotton and reducing plastic in packaging.
But that's not all. In 2023, they started working with Reskinned to avoid waste and give pre-loved clothing a new lease of life. In exchange for trading in your unwanted Seasalt clothing, they'll give you a voucher worth up to £25.
They've also previously worked with Mind, a charity supporting those with mental health struggles.
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Baukjen
Best for: Staple pieces.
Baukjen is a slow fashion brand that sells everything from everyday basics to occasion wear. They're not the cheapest, but their pieces are "designed for good" and you can find great deals in their sale.
They believe in disrupting the fast fashion model by putting people (and the planet) first. 99.4% of their fabrics are responsibly sourced, and they're a circular and zero-waste business.
Furthermore, they donate at least 10% of annual profits to charities. Read more about their impressive sustainability efforts on their website.
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Beyond Retro
Best for: Sustainable vintage clothing.
Beyond Retro sells sustainable vintage clothing without the high price tag. With plenty of items under £10 in their sale, they're pretty affordable on a student budget.
On their website, they state that 95% of textiles sent to landfills can be revived. As one of the top vintage retailers, they save clothes from landfills, recycle them and sell them off to keen buyers.
Are high-street fashion brands sustainable?
While a lot of high-street fashion brands still have a long way to go in terms of sustainability, some have introduced initiatives to be more eco-friendly. Here are a few examples of how fashion retailers are trying to improve their environmental impact:
- H&M's Garment Collecting programme – Through this scheme, you can take any old clothes or textiles (not just H&M ones) to one of their stores and they'll give you a voucher in return. They'll then either market the clothes as second-hand, turn the clothes/textiles into another product (e.g. cleaning cloths) or shred and recycle them.
- M&S's cotton commitment – M&S only uses cotton that is sustainably sourced. They partner with Better Cotton to help farmers be more efficient with water, respect biodiversity and look after soil health.
- ASOS's Circular Design Collection – All the items in ASOS's Circular Design Collection are made from safe and recycled or renewable materials, are made to be used more and are made to be made again. You can find more details of the collection on the ASOS website.
For loads of practical tips on how to live more sustainably, check out our guide on how to reduce your carbon footprint.
