Versatile, timeless, and classic — a pair of blue denim jeans is an absolute wardrobe staple.
You can match a classic pair of blue denim jeans with any top to complete your outfit and you can wear it just about anywhere. Come to think of it; it’s probably the one wardrobe staple that’s flattering and universally fitting on all body types, shapes, and sizes!
While denim jeans are a mainstay in everyone’s closet, not all of them are sustainably made.
In case you’re not aware, the production of fast fashion denim can be quite problematic:
- It takes about 2,900 gallons of water to make a single pair of denim jeans.
- Denim factories generate high levels of toxic industrial waste that pollute waterways.
- Workers aren’t always compensated well, not to mention hazardous working conditions.
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Is Zara sustainable?
Even mainstream fashion retailers were found guilty of unsustainable denim production.
Spanish fashion brand Zara might have the latest on-trend denim jeans, but they have a reputation for having unsustainable product turnover rates. In just 13 days, customers can get a hold of a new line of denim jeans fresh from the runway, and this ‘warp-like’ speed of consumption is harmful to both workers and the planet.
What are the worst fast fashion brands?
Fast fashion denim might be trendy and cheap, but it comes at a high cost.
Forever 21’s jeans might be good-looking, but they use environmentally degrading petrol-based textiles for their products. The brand also refused to sign the Bangladesh Accord, which protects the safety rights of garment workers. Fashion retailer brands like Boohoo and Missguided were also described as the ‘worst’ when it comes to environmental impact and labour conditions.
Read: Fast Fashion: The Good, the Bad, and the Solution
What are the most sustainable fashion brands?
Thankfully, eco-conscious brands are going against the perils of fast fashion. Sustainable fashion brands include Patagonia, which uses recycled cotton for their outdoor wear, and Boden, which upholds ethical practices at every step of their supply chain. While these brands may be ethical, they do not specialize in sustainable denim.
Read: Sustainable Fashion, Explained: What is It and Why Does It Matter
What is sustainable denim?
Sustainable denim is fair trade, ethically-sourced, and eco-friendly fabrics. They are an alternative to the nearly disposable textiles that most fast fashion brands use. Not all sustainable fashion labels make sustainable denim but there are clothing brands committed to creating eco-friendly denim.
Read: 11 Sustainable Clothing Brands for Your Minimalist Wardrobe
What are the top 10 brands of jeans?
If you’re thinking of going green with your blue denim outfits, then this article will surely help you.
Check out these 10 best clothing brands that are dedicated to making sustainable denim wear:
1. Levi’s: Making Blue Jeans ‘Greener’
Known as the quintessential American denim brand, Levi’s has been a household name producing quality denim wear for adults and children. From regular denim pants to slim fit jeans, the brand has a wide array of sizes, styles, and colours for everybody.
Is Levi’s a sustainable brand?
Levi’s might be widely known for their iconic blue jeans, but they’re also getting attention for their sustainability efforts. Through their Water<Less® technology, the brand has saved more than three billion litres of water. They also repurpose and recycle old denim to keep discarded jeans from ending up in landfills. Not to mention, the brand also uses ethically-sourced organic cotton for their products. Levi’s might be the world’s largest maker of denim jeans, but they’re making sure their environmental impact stays as small as possible.
Take a look at Levi’s sustainable denim jeans collection here.
Read: 8 Eco-Friendly Apps to Help You Live Sustainably
2. DL1961: Changing the Way Denim is Made
DL1961 believes that sustainability in fashion begins at the source, which is why they have made the game-changing decision to create sustainable denim.
The USA-based fashion brand takes pride in offering stylish yet eco-conscious denim clothing for men, women, and kids. DL1961’s premium denim wear is made of responsibly sourced cotton, eco-friendly indigo dyes, and water-saving fibres. Using such innovative materials, DL1961 can cut down on the amount of water, energy, and dye they use to make their products.
What’s also great about DL1961 is that their vertically-integrated systems enable them to recycle and treat 98% of the water they used to produce their denim. Plus, they’re also one of the only 12 denim mills in the world that use Dystar Indigo – a water-saving dye blend that doesn’t produce harmful by-products.
Learn more about DL1961’s eco-friendly denim wear by visiting their website through this link.
3. Boyish: Cruelty-Free Women’s Denim
When it comes to making sustainable denim fit for women’s bodies, Boyish is a brand that does it like no other.
Based in Los Angeles, Boyish aims to create a line of sustainable women’s denim jeans with a feminine fit and modern style. The brand is deeply committed to ensuring that all of their jeans are vegan and ethically produced with recycled textiles and natural plant-based dyes. In fact, a pair of Boyish jeans only uses and recycles ⅓ of the total amount of water needed to produce other jeans!
Another reason why Boyish is noteworthy is that their eco-friendly practices do not merely end once their jeans are produced. Instead, they go the extra mile by using recycled paper for their hangtags and repurposed metal for their button and rivets. Not to mention, they also use plant-based packaging when shipping out their cruelty-free denim.
To know more about Boyish jeans, check out their denim wear here.
Read: The Environmental Sins Brands Hide behind the Green Screen: Greenwashing and How to Spot It
4. Reformation: Giving New Life to Old Denim
Unlike most fashion brands focusing on producing eco-friendly denim, Reformation sees sustainability in a different light.
Instead of creating denim jeans using new fibres, the US-based fashion brand purchases leftover, old, vintage, or deadstock denim fabrics and turns them into new sustainable denim pieces for women. The brand has a wide variety of denim pieces from reworked high-rise jeans to vintage bootcut pants. Reformation has a vast collection of unique styles for ladies of all shapes and sizes at affordable prices.
Reformation is dedicated to making sure that their production practices are sustainable and ethical throughout. As much as possible, the brand recycles trash, composts organic waste, and donates their textile scraps. They also use bio-based compostable bags for their packaging. The brand also makes sure that all of their workers are earning living wages!
To discover more about Reformation’s denim jeans, visit thereformation.com.
5. Warp+Weft: Size-Inclusive Eco-Denim
Hailed, as one of the most size-inclusive and sustainable denim brands, Warp+Weft aims to create quality denim that’s good for you and the environment.
Unlike conventional fashion brands, this New-York based brand designs denim wear for all bodies. In case you’re not aware, Warp+Weft has over 75 different denim styles in a wide range of sizes (00-40) so that all of its customers can find their perfect pair of jeans!
Warp+Weft is also topnotch when it comes to sustainability. A typical pair of blue jeans uses about 1,800 gallons of water, but their jeans require no more than 10. The brand also makes its denim using ethically-sourced cotton, skips environmentally-harmful denim bleaching, and uses eco-friendly dyes. They also uphold labour standards by ensuring sensible working hours, safe working spaces, and fair compensation.
Get to know more about Warp+Weft’s denim wear through this link.
Read: 8 Best Dress Rental Sites for the Eco-friendly and Frugal Fashionista
6. ABLE: Women’s Denim Made by Women
If you’re looking for women-made sustainable denim jeans to add to your casual wardrobe, then ABLE is a brand you should check out.
The Nashville-based denim label offers distressed denim jeans and chic vintage-inspired pants for everyday wear. ABLE’s female artisans make sure that there’s always a pair of jeans for every woman. They also offer unlimited free exchanges so that their customers can find the perfectly-fitting jeans!
As for sustainability, ABLE’s non-stretch denim uses an indigo dye that saves water when washed. They also recycle 100% of their water and use ozone to make denim finishing more environmentally-friendly.
Barett Ward, ABLE’s founder, started the company to empower women in disadvantaged communities. Their female artisans and handcrafters are paid living wages, and the brand publishes the actual amount of their compensations for transparency.
Shop for a pair of ABLE’s sustainable denim jeans here.
7. Kings of Indigo: Denim Built for Life
By creating and curating denim jeans that are made to last, Kings of Indigo (K.O.I) is considered ‘royalty’ when it comes to sustainable clothing.
Ever since it was founded in 2012, the Dutch denim brand has been making American-inspired high-quality and durable denim collections. They offer a wide array of denim styles for men and women; to make sure that all their customers find the perfect fit. From raw denim jeans to long-lasting washed denim pants, you can count on Kings of Indigo to have it all.
Kings of Indigo aren’t just good-looking they’re also good for the planet. The brand uses eco-friendly Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) cotton for their denim. Plus, they practice sustainable methods that significantly reduce the amount of water, chemicals, and energy used in denim production.
To know more about the brand, check out kingsofindigo.com.
Read: 11 Sustainable & Ethical Jewellery Brands to Up Your Style Game
8. Nudie Jeans: Raw Denim Made More Eco-friendly
Unwashed and untreated, raw denim is the most eco-friendly type of denim as it’s simply taken straight off the loom, sewn, and sold.
Nudie Jeans, a Swedish denim company, aims to make raw denim more sustainable. The brand’s jeans are made with low-impact 100% organic cotton. From classic dry denim pants to slim-fit jeans, their trousers are designed to be worn multiple times they encourage the concept of “wear and break in” which entails six months of daily use without washing it.
They also give customers a 20 per cent discount on a new pair of jeans when they turn in worn-out Nudie Jeans. Plus, they have repair stores that offer free fixing services for old denim pants. Durable, stylish, and longer-lasting, their raw denim just might be the next Holy Grail for eco-denim fans!
Shop for a pair of Nudie Jeans’ eco-friendly pants here.
9. Buck Mason: Sustainable Streetwear for Men
Men’s streetwear wouldn’t be complete without a pair of denim jeans, and Buck Mason is on a mission to make daily wear more sustainable.
Inspired by Californian flair and all-American closet staples, the LA-grown denim label offers a vast collection of men’s denim jeans with different fits, styles, and colour. Whether you’re a fan of standard or slim fit jeans, you’ll find Buck Mason’s denim wear to be wardrobe must-haves.
What’s excellent about Buck Mason is that they believe that making the perfect pair of jeans begins with the right fabric; which is why they mainly use ethically-sourced long-grain cotton to make their denim soft and durable. They also knit all of its denim fabric on-site to maintain the quality of their jeans. Not to mention, they also ensure fair labour conditions for their employees and factory workers!
For more information on Buck Mason jeans, click here.
10. Citizens of Humanity: Making Denim Production Planet-Friendly
Traditional denim production is undeniably bad for the planet, but Citizens of Humanity is a brand that’s trying to break away from denim’s environmentally-damaging history.
By adopting a vertically-integrated system, the LA-based denim company is able to create low-waste and energy-efficient jeans. Citizens of Humanity mainly uses water-saving organic cotton for their jeans. To further reduce waste, they laser-cut and wash their denim using high-efficiency machines!
Federico Pagnetti, the COO of Citizens of Humanity, believes in the importance of making denim jeans that will become wardrobe staples. The brand offers dozens of adult denim styles that are not only lightweight but also durable. After all, it’s absolutely more sustainable to make denim wear that consumers won’t have to replace after a few months.
Learn more about Citizens of Humanity’s ethical denim jeans here.
Now that you have come across these brands that offer good-looking yet guilt-free denim jeans, you’re certainly a step ahead towards breaking up with fast fashion. These sustainable fashion brands make it possible for us to wear a pair of jeans that won’t break our wallets or the planet!
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