5 Sustainable Denim Brands You Need To Know About: Jeans Edition
Flares, Mom or Boyfriend. These brands have got you covered without harming the planet.
As sustainability has become a vital part of the fashion industry, you need to know where you can find jeans that are sustainable and high-quality.
Before we jump into the brands that we love, we need to talk about how you find out if a brand is actually sustainable, as there’s still a lot of greenwashing going on!
Some key sustainability certifications to look out for include: GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) who verifies the organic status of 70% of textiles, often on clothes that are made from hemp, wool, linen or organic cotton.
Another is Oeko-Tex, which is one of the best-known ethical fashion certifications. This certification tells you the textiles you’re wearing doesn’t contain toxic chemicals. This is done in four tiers, illegal chemicals, legal chemicals, safe and generally safe chemicals. The Oeko-Tex is often found with GOTS.
The last we’d like to mention is PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). This certification is committed to the rights of animals worldwide, ensuring stores and brands are selling 100% vegan products. If you’d like to learn more about other ethical fashion certifications, Fashion Revolution is a great place to start.
Onto the brands, we have curated a mix of 5 highstreet and high-end brands that offer you amazing quality jeans whilst caring for the planet and people.
1. Boyish
Designed in LA and created by California native, Jordan Nodarse, Boyish is a collection of sustainable women’s denim centred around vintage silhouettes with a modern twist. Boyish has put sustainable practices at the heart of their brand since day one. Their jeans are produced with nothing but sustainable fabrics, which are then sent through an entirely environmentally-friendly and cruelty-free process.
They certainly don’t compromise on style. Boyish have several high-quality styles and fits to choose from, including flare & wide leg, skinny, stretch, high waisted and others. They have extensive information about their sustainability on their website, including the long list of ethical certifications including GOTS, PETA, Oeko-Tex and Global Recycling Standard.
2. DL1961
This New York based brand aims to create a garment that is “the perfect fusion of fit, fabric, function and sustainable manufacturing.” DL1961 is a family-owned company that makes everything in-house, from spinning yarn, weaving fabric or producing the garment, all in the same facility. This way they’re reducing energy and emissions needed to produce their garments.
Some of their best-selling fits including their Flare Ultra High Rise Instasculpt, Hepburn Wide Leg High Rise Vintage and the Skinny Low Rise Instasculpt. They also have a range of fits for kids, men and even pets, yes, crazy right?! Make your dog walk a runway, and if anyone asks, yes, the dog is also wearing sustainable denim.
3. Levi’s
Levi’s is the first highstreet brand on this list, known for careful cuts, trusted for innovation and quality. Levi’s most sustainably designed collection, WellThread is just the beginning as the brand have released a new joined sustainable collection for Fall. They’re choosing to focus on four main principles: materials, people, process and environment.
With an emphasis on using recycled plastics, reducing water usage and landfill waste, they promise you’ll still get the same Levi’s look and feel you love whilst helping them help the planet.
4. Sézane
Sézane is one of the most transparent brands when it comes to the sustainability of their materials and worker conditions, something often missed or ignored by other non-sustainable brands. Sézane uses 70% environmentally-friendly materials, grown from just 20% in their 2019 collections. They use materials such as organic cotton, certified fabrics, recycled materials and vegetable-tanned leather.
So far, they have obtained three key ethical fashion certifications, including GOTS, FSC and Oeko-Tex, in the hope to achieve more in the upcoming future. Their new eco-friendly jean line born in Paris, aims to “make your curves even more sublime.” They have a range of fits, including The New Slim Parfait, Brut Sexy, Slim 7/8 and more, all include 90-100% organic cotton.
5. Monki
Last but not least, the final brand on this list is Monki, a highstreet brand part of the H&M Group. According to the sustainability section of their website, Monki wants to “support an ongoing change towards a circular production model where resources are kept in use for as long as possible.”
Their key ethical certifications include GRS (Global Recycle Standard), GOTS, BCI (Better Cotton Initiative and OCS (Organic Cotton Standard). Monki has launched a Monki Cares Edit, including 100% sustainably sourced cotton and jeans made from PCW (Post-consumer waste), basically recycled clothing! This is a step in the right direction for a small brand that’s part of a larger group.
These brands demonstrate that you don’t need to sacrifice style and quality for sustainability.
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