15 Brands That Make the Best Sustainable & Ethical Loungewear
With all the extra time I’ve been spending at home during quarantine, I realized how little “loungewear” I really have. Either my clothes super nice and put-together or they’re 10-year-old sweats with holes in them.
Seems like I have nothing in between!
And, though I’m in the process of upcycling some new loungewear for myself, it got me thinking about what kinds of ethical & sustainable alternatives are out there for those of you who don’t sew.
With that in mind, I did some research and came up with this list of 15 sustainable and ethical options that are also cute and comfy!
As I mentioned in my blog post, What Is Fast Fashion?, one good way of being able to tell whether or not a brand is socially responsible is to look it up in the app “Good On You.” There, you can find out what a brand’s ratings are in terms of labor, environmental and animal practices.
That’s how I found out a bit more about each of these brands and it’s great tool to use if you don’t have the time to research a brand yourself. So, if you don’t find anything you like here, that’s another great place to look for ethical and sustainable alternatives!
With that said, let’s get down to it!
Keep reading to see what my new favorite sustainable & Ethical loungewear brands are.
I thought I’d start things off with a fun and free-spirited brand called Evewear. Not only do they have super cute and multi-functional clothes, but they’re all about dressing modern, multidimensional women and doing good for the environment.
All their fabric is sustainable, “deadstock” fabric that, without intervention, would end up in landfills. They’re committed to reducing waste, supporting their local artisan economy with competitive wages and domestic production, and creating clothing that every girl can identify with. I absolutely love what they and their designer, Talia Eve, stand for and highly recommend this brand!
Underprotection is one of my favorite brands I’ve discovered because their garments are just plain beautiful and luxurious, but at a fair price. With their collections on display throughout the world’s fashion capitals, they’re hoping to prove that sustainable fashion IS glamorous. And, they aim to serve women of all kinds and sizes and make them feel beautiful.
In terms of ethical and sustainable practices, they’re doing lots to make a difference. They only use sustainable materials like recycled polyester, recycled wool, Tencel lyocell and organic cotton. All their packaging, paper and polybags are either recycled or biodegradable. Most of their products are vegan approved, and if not, it is because they’re recycled (wool) or a waste resource (milk). They also believe that fair working conditions and a fair wages are human rights. Therefore, they only work with certified factories.
This next brand is definitely on the pricier side, but their products are beautiful and luxurious enough to make it worth it! Lavender Hill Clothing specializes in luxury loungewear that their customers will both look good and feel comfortable in.
And what’s even better is that they’re doing tons in terms of ethical and sustainable practices. For example, their garments are made in Europe and the UK and they make sure to comply with European health, safety, minimum wage and employment laws. They also only use natural fibres and use carbon neutral factories where possible. They’re always looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, they use natural and plant-based dyes, and they even support local communities, for instance by training unemployed residents to sew to give them more opportunities in the future.
This is a brand that really seems to try to be sustainable and ethical in everything they do!
CHNGE is another fun, free-spirited brand that not only makes ethical and sustainable products, but takes a stand with their garments and their message. Take a look for yourself to see what I mean! I absolutely love what they stand for and appreciate that they’re using their clothes to share messages that mean something. If you want loungewear that’s both meaningful and comfy, this is the place to buy from.
Their sustainability efforts are clear through the fact that they only use 100% organic cotton and thereby use less water, less energy, avoid the use of harmful pesticides and offset carbon emissions by 100%. In terms of ethical practices, they do employ artisan workers and all of their factories have at least one house dog!
What I love about Amour Vert is that they have lots of effortlessly beautiful garments and, even more importantly, they take a very holistic approach to sustainability. The beechwood blends and organic cottons they use also make for super soft and comfy garments.
In terms of their holistic approach, according to them, they address all aspects of their business operations and the full lifecycle of a garment to make it as sustainable and ethical as possible in terms of the fibers and production processes used, how workers are treated, how it gets to the consumer and finally, whether it can be recycled or is forced into landfill. Plus, for every tee you buy, they plant a tree!
Though Aya Muse is definitely on the expensive side, when you see their products, you’ll know why! They’ve managed to make their garments luxurious, sexy, and comfortable all in one.
Aya Muse helps women to be a slightly cooler version of themselves in garments that don’t adhere to trends – they set them! Their garments are created by women for women in Los Angeles and are made to combine the gap between trendy and vintage. Though I wasn’t able to find much sustainability information on their website, their Instagram page says that their garments are ethically-made and single use plastic free.
There are so many things I love about Mayamiko, but I’m going to start with the clothing itself: it includes a mix of sustainable basics, like the black shirt above made from organic cotton, and fun, colorful garments made of fabrics from local markets in Malawi. I love the use of locally-sourced African textiles!
Aside from how the garments look, they’re made in the most ethical and sustainable way possible and contribute to some really great initiatives too. For instance, Mayamiko has a zero waste policy in which all scrap fabric is turned into something new from headbands and protective parcel bags, to doormats and reusable sanitary pads for young girls in the community. They even have an initiative to donate recyclable sanitary pads to girls in refugee camps, alongside feminine hygiene programmes! They also use recycled packaging, give you the option to plant a tree with your purchase, and make fair trade a top priority. That means fair payment, no discrimination, no child labor, creating opportunities for their communities and more.
I am blown away by all they do in terms of sustainable and ethical practices. If you want to make sure your money is going to good use, this is the perfect place to buy from!
What’s special about Zero Waste Daniel‘s items is that they’re truly designer garments made sustainably and with great craftsmanship that sends a message. Designer Daniel uses pre-consumer waste sourced from NYC’s garment industry and other hard-to-recycle materials to create genderless clothing and accessories.
Aside from the fact that his garments are obviously beautiful and creative works of art, they stand for more than that. Daniel is all about a zero waste mindset and way of life. He believes that all workers should be paid a fair wage, customers should be able to know how their clothes are made, and each garment should be made fairly. You can see those messages come through in his designs and, although they’re definitely pricey compared to other sustainable garments, they’re also one-of-a-kind.
The combination of colorful and simplistic garments at Wolven are inspired by nature and the vibrant colors are inspired by the colors of Indian art, celebration and the roots of yoga. What I love about their garments is how flattering and fun-loving they are. Plus, they’re a good mix of statement pieces and everyday items, meaning you’re guaranteed to find something you’ll love!
Aside from what I love about the garments themselves, I also love that their ethical and sustainable practices are right on par with all of the other brands. Their clothes are made from post-consumer plastics and are free of harmful and toxic chemicals. They also ensure that their workers are treated in well in that they only work with independently-certified partners and demand partners abide by a strict code of conduct that ensures things like health and safety, fair and legal wages, fair working hours, never child labor, and more.
At Kotn, they believe in what’s called “circular traceability.” That means that they take a holistic approach to ethical and sustainable fashion in that they control each part of the supply chain. They believe that everyone should be able to find out where their products came from, how they were made, who made them and when. They say it’s something like farm-to-table, but for your clothes!
This process starts with farming their cotton in Egypt in small family-run farms. The yarn is then milled in Egypt where they work in partnership with responsibly-run fabric mills in the region that specialize in either knitting or weaving techniques. Then the fabric is dyed in a way that saves water. Thereafter, the garments are cut and sewn at a husband and wife owned and operated business whose name translates to “hope.” This facility believes in fair and equal opportunity for all and their average employee retention rate of 11 years proves that commitment. Finally, the products are distributed to us using recycled packaging!
Also, part of the money you spend is reinvested into their farming communities to improve literacy rates and decrease instances of child labour and marriage. With our help, they’ve now funded five elementary schools in the Nile Delta and Faiyum.
So if you’re looking for beautiful and affordable basics from a place that’s truly making a difference, this is the perfect place to buy from!
DÔEN is different from other brands in that they make loungewear that’s both comfortable and super fashionable, as well as tons of other kinds of garments. Each of their garments is designed beautifully and is a statement piece that definitely won’t go unnoticed when you wear it.
Aside from the fact that their clothes are just plain gorgeous, that doesn’t mean they’re lagging when it comes to social and ethical responsibility – just the opposite actually. It’s very important to them to close the gender gap at every point in the supply chain and see more women in leadership positions. They also mainly use natural fabrics and make garments that are made to last. Their aim is to be part of the slow fashion movement and extend the lifestyle of their garments.
Though their items aren’t as cheap as some of the others listed here, they’re worth every penny!
Sudara is a company based in India that makes vibrant, colorful, multifunctional loungewear. Though I don’t know much about their environmental practices, the reason Sudara made this list is because of all they do to stop women and children in India from being trafficked into sexual exploitation.
How do they do it? Well, they start by investing in women and helping them to live in freedom from sex-slavery through safe, sustainable living-wage employment. This allows women to not only gain new skills and find new opportunities, but it gives them the tools and the confidence to make their own choices for themselves and their families. Also, providing a woman with safe, nearby employment makes her less vulnerable to abuse, human trafficking, etc.
But, Sudara doesn’t stop there. They even donate additional funds that are invested in providing education for the children of the women, safe housing for those needing to escape abuse, health and wellness services, and micro-loans opportunities for those who would like to start their own business once they’ve acquired the necessary skills and experience at the centers. Pretty amazing if you ask me!
Mate the Label is another great place to find sustainable loungewear basics. It’s a brand based in L.A. with fully sustainable garments made from non-toxic, natural and certified organic materials. They also have a lot more than just loungewear – they also sell dresses, jumpsuits and more. What I love about their garments is how simplistic and multifunctional they are. They’re a bit of an investment, but they’re the kinds of basics that you can wear over and over for years.
In terms of sustainability, they use the highest standard of organic cotton and have an extremely localized supply chain. Their garments are cut, sewn, dyed, packaged and shipped from people in Los Angeles, meaning they aren’t racking up a huge carbon footprint in the process. They’re also working to make their garments circular in that they soon want customers to be able to return garments so they can be recycled into something new! And, they even used recycled materials for shipping.
Ethical manufacturing is also super important to them. Their factories always meet fair trade criteria and California labor laws are enforced.
So, Kordal is definitely one of the pricier brands on this list. However, I completely believe that it’s worth it considering the work and quality that goes into each product. Let’s start by talking about the garments themselves. They are just gorgeous! But not only that, they’re also unique and simplistic at the same time and will surely get you compliments whenever you wear them.
I also love how particular they are about using natural materials and minimizing waste. They use natural fibers in their garments that don’t contain harsh chemicals or toxins. Their knitwear is made by experienced knitters in Peru and NYC, and their other garments are made using both handlooms and Shima Seiki whole garment knitting machines. So the time and effort that goes into making these products justifies the price! Ethical manufacturing is also important to them and they make sure that their workers are always paid a fair wage.
La Causa is another great brand that’s all about comfort and style for the modern women. They have a mix of basics and fun garments that make it easy to find something you love.
When it comes to ethical treatment of their workers, that’s a top priority for La Causa. They always make sure that they only produce their products in factories that provide fair, living wages, and healthy, humane working conditions for all team members. Each of their partners share the same mission of equality, transparency and a more ethical future for fashion. They also use a low waste design process to offset their environmental impact.
I also think it’s awesome that they talk about different causes on their website and explain what the cause does and how you can help. This is such a great use of their platform!
There ya go! Those are my 15 favorite sustainable & ethical loungewear brands.
I hope this list has been helpful and that you try them out!
Feel free to pin this for later in case you don’t need any loungewear at the moment, but want to support one of these incredible brands in the future.
Also, with warmer weather finally here, you might be looking for sustainable swimwear options as well. If so, check out this blog post with 8 of my favorite sustainable swimwear brands.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more sustainability tips and recommendations!
Love,
Emily