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The men’s fashion industry has churned out clothing for more than 150 years, and the latest trend isn’t a must-pick style or color; it’s sustainable and eco-friendly clothing.
Clothing production needs to be more humane and environmentally responsible, and we found 11 men’s clothing brands taking the right steps toward reduced use of water and chemicals, improved sourcing of organic and recycled textiles, and offsetting the impact of shipping. They also treat their manufacturing employees with greater respect and provide safer working conditions.
Fashion is one of the world’s most inefficient industries and encourages a throw-away culture that is out of line with a sustainable human society. In 2013, 1,100 workers were killed, and about 2,500 were wounded, in the Dhaka garment factory collapse. The tragedy left consumers worldwide questioning the practices used to produce clothes. In 2015, Netflix released a documentary – The True Cost – highlighting the catastrophic impact of the fast fashion industry on the environment.
While no fashion brand is entirely eco-friendly – at this time, all garments have some adverse environmental impact – some brands have been putting in efforts to make a difference.
Here are a few picks for spring and summer looks for men from the 11 brands that made the cut.
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1. Nudie Jeans’ Gritty Jackson Jeans Collection
Nudie Jeans has established itself as a sustainable denim brand with a reputation for transparency. Learn about their Sustainable Material Tool that lets you examine every component of your clothes for sustainability. Nudie also maps their emissions according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and maintains complete supply chain transparency, requiring suppliers to adhere strictly to a Restricted Substance List.
Coming to the product, Gritty Jackson jeans provide a vintage and elegant look. They come in a regular straight fit with a straight leg, mid-waist, and standard leg opening. The well-balanced legroom offers great comfort, making these versatile jeans a good fit for all purposes.
2. Asket’s Oxford Shirt
Asket tackles what they consider to be the biggest cause of environmental impact – overconsumption. The brand believes that every garment has an impact, and the most effective way to reduce it is to reduce consumption, so they make their products to last. Asket also provides full transparency and traceability of its products.
Check out their classic Oxford Shirt for a versatile look that fits in at business and casual events alike. Available in seven colors, the shirt is a timeless essential and a must-have in every stylish man’s wardrobe. It’s an ideal pick for any look, as you can pair it with denim or trousers.
The Oxford shirt is made using 100% cotton and yarn dye. Its CO2 impact is 5.5 kilograms, about as much carbon emitted as two-fifths of a gallon of gas. Asket provides 86% traceability of materials in the garment.
3. PrAna’s Alameda Pant
PrAna is a fashion transparency leader that embraced the responsible packaging movement and the use of recycled content and forest fibers to make organic products. The company supports fair trade principles and provides complete supply chain transparency. You can learn where your products were made, who makes them, the materials used, and the factory conditions.
PrAna’s Alameda Pant is a must-have for adventurous men. Made of ReZion recycled nylon, the pants are stretchy, durable, and travel friendly. The Alameda Pant features back welt pockets, a back right pocket, and a concealed zip pocket.
4. Alternative Apparel’s Modal Interlock Lounge Hoodie
If you’re a fan of eco-friendly fashion and hoodies, Alternative Apparel has got you covered. The brand lives by the mantra “Soft. Simple. Sustainable.” All of Alternative’s products are made of heavyweight recycled cotton that saves the planet from pesticides associated with traditional cotton farming.
The Modal Interlock Lounge Hoodie is a heavyweight cotton/modal zip-up hoodie with split kangaroo pockets. The hoodie is available in three colors: black, heather gray, and midnight. In addition to being environmentally friendly, Alternative adheres to Fair Labor Association guidelines.
5. Ten Tree’s Outsider Sweatpants
Are you looking for some stylish, comfortable sweatpants that also have a positive environmental impact? Ten Tree goes to extensive lengths to protect the environment from the fashion industry’s adverse impacts. In addition to using biodegradable materials, they’re planting trees to offset carbon emissions.
The Outsider Sweatpants are made of 100% organic cotton and Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Gold. These regular-fit sweatpants come with hand pockets, back pockets, and ribbed cuffs, making them an ideal pick for morning runs, evening walks, and casual outings. Production of each pair of Ten Tree Outsider Sweatpants saves 593.96 liters (154.43 gallons) of water, 1.26 kg of CO2, and 0.02 grams (.0007 ounces) of waste compared to traditional clothing manufacturing.
6. Warp + Weft’s ALW – Shirt Jacket
Warp + Weft bills itself as the world’s cleanest vertically integrated denim company. To date, the company has saved 572.4 million gallons of water – they recycle and treat 98% of the water they use. They also use Dry Ozone technology, an alternative to chemical bleach, to distress denim, which reduces the clothing’s environmental impact.
The ALW – Shirt Jacket is a denim shirt ideal for moderately cool climates. The shirt comes with a curved hem that looks great untucked to give you a polished vintage look. Twenty percent of the shirt’s fabric is made of recycled denim, cotton, and plastic, and the production of one ALW – Shirt Jacket requires 1,400 fewer gallons of water than for a regular denim shirt.
7. Everlane’s The ReNew Long Parka
Everlane contributes to making men’s fashion more sustainable with an increasingly sustainable supply chain. The brand is committed to using no new plastic and making clothes only from certified organic cotton. Each of its 10 factories goes through an Everlane Compliance Audit every year, including reviews of health and safety standards, energy use, labor conditions, and environmental impact.
The ReNew Long Parka is 100% recycled polyester made from 64 recycled plastic beverage bottles. It features a drawstring and toggle-cinch hood, interior chest pocket, and YKK two-way zipper. Moreover, it’s made using bluesign®-approved dyes that are safe for dyehouse workers and the environment.
8. Nau’s ROF Anorak
Nau claims it makes the world’s most sustainable performance wear that combines sustainability with performance. The brand uses a self-invented textile treatment – PFC-free DWR – and uses only 10 sustainable textiles that have a minimal negative impact on the environment.
The ROF Anorak is a sporty and oversized quarter-zip pullover jacket with a fully-adjustable hem and hood. It’s available in two colors – sage and tangerine. This Anorak is made of cotton, nylon, and poly blend and a garment-dyeing technique that requires less water and chemicals than regular dyeing techniques.
Furthermore, Nau’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond clothing, as the brand donates 2% of every dollar you spend to grassroots environmentalist causes.
9. Thought’s Domenico Hemp Shirt
Thought picks yarns with traceable origins, quality feel, low impact, and durability. The brand uses sustainable materials, including organic cotton, hemp, Tencel, bamboo, wool, recycled polyester, and modal. These materials use less water, require fewer pesticides, and create less CO2 than other commonly used textiles. In addition, Thought uses recycled paper for labeling and their garment bags are made from compostable cornstarch.
The Domenico Hemp Shirt is a short-sleeved shirt made from premium 100% hemp woven fabric. With a pin-spot print and one chest pocket, the shirt is ideal for vacations and casual occasions. The breathable hemp fabric makes this stylish shirt ideal for warm weather.
10. Pact’s Woven Roll-Up Pant
Pact supports environmental sustainability as part of its mission to build Earth’s favorite clothing company. The brand uses organic cotton — which has a less negative impact on the environment than conventional cotton — and supports Fair Trade practices in its factories. Pact also helps customers select optional carbon offsets to make up for CO2 emissions from shipping. Pact uses packaging made of 100% post-consumer recycled paperboard and cardboard.
The Woven Roll-Up pant is made of durable organic cotton in four colors. With a touch of stretch and an easy fit through the hip and thigh, the Woven Roll-Up pant allows for comfortable, restriction-free movement. The pant also features an elastic waistband with drawcord and multiple pockets to stash your stuff. Pact claims that it saves 80.6 gallons of water while making each pair of these pants compared to traditional methods.
11. Pangaia’s Cashmere Hoodie
Pangaea is a material science company on a mission to save the environment with more sustainable clothing. It uses bio-based and recycled fibers, including textiles made of recycled plastic bottles. It uses environmentally friendly dyes and a natural, peppermint-oil-based antibacterial treatment to prevent the growth of odor-causing bacteria.
The Cashmere Hoodie is made from a GRS-certified, post-consumer recycled cashmere blend. The composition includes 70% recycled cashmere, 25% virgin cashmere, and 5% Australian wool. The hoodie is available in three colors: black, cobalt, and blue. The soft fabric makes the hoodie lightweight and adds a luxurious feel to the garment.
With the adverse environmental effects of the fast-fashion industry on the rise as more consumers around the world shop online, it’s high time for fashion brands to adopt sustainable materials and production practices. You can feel good patronizing these brands that are making an effort to reduce their negative impact on the planet.
Check out these fashion lines for women that are also on the path to more sustainable clothing.
