Sorry to hit you with a horrific fact right off the bat, but every second a garbage truck worth of textiles is either burned or added to a landfill around the globe.
That means a couple truckloads of junk was generated in the time it took you to read that sentence.
This adds up, fast. Annually, an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste is created from the fashion industry.
A lot of us guys know that shopping sustainably can make a real impact, but the concept of buying sustainable clothes opens a can of questions like,
“Is sustainable clothing more expensive?”
“Is it stylish and long-lasting?”
“Is it as comfortable as non-sustainable gear?”
The short answers are no, yes, and yes. The longer answers lie below. Read on to discover the best sustainable clothing brands on the market today.
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5 Best Sustainable Clothing Brands for Men
Best Overall: tentree
tentree offers quality casual wear for the modern man who wants to help reduce environmental harm.
tentree produces Earth-first essential wear “using the most sustainable (and comfortable) materials in the world.” In their men’s line, you will find anything from pants, sweaters, and t-shirts, to active and outerwear.
Founded in 2012, tentree has a bold vision, to plant 1 billion trees by 2030. To date, they’ve already planted 70 million and counting.
And don’t let the name confuse you, their team literally plants ten trees for every item purchased, which is really quite astounding.
Beyond merely planting a ridiculous number of trees, tentree is committed to finding new ways to produce clothing with the smallest footprint possible and establishing better supply chains.
What I Like
Their materials are high-quality, durable, soft, and sustainable.
Their whole catalog is stylish and well-fitting.
Neutral color tones accent every guy’s wardrobe.
Pricing is similar to ordinary, non-sustainable brands.
A truly sustainable brand at every touchpoint.
What I Don’t Like
Certain items don’t come in enough colors to pick from.
The sweatpants have a slightly baggy fit.
What Other Reviewers Say
From tops to joggers, most guys found tentree to be a quality brand using thoughtful materials that are comfortable and versatile. I agree that the materials feel better than standard menswear brands and knowing that they were ethically produced makes it all the sweeter.
While tentree’s apparel is completely sustainable, most guys agree you won’t notice a dropoff in quality or comfortability or a sharp bump in overall pricing.
The Verdict
tentree is one of the few existing brands that produces sleek, appealing gear that’s truly sustainable. By planting 10 trees in 6 forest types around the world for every item purchased, tentree is doubling down on what it means to be a sustainable brand.
If you want to participate in the necessary movement of shopping sustainably, tentree is a marvelous place to start.
But just because their apparel is sustainable, doesn’t mean it’s any less quality. This brand utilizes high-quality organic cotton, recycled polyester, and technical fabrics like TENCEL and TENCEL Lyocell to produce soft, durable, everyday apparel that’s both stylish and comfortable.
From joggers and hoodies to sweaters, jackets, and activewear, tentree probably has an item both you and the environment will love.
tentree offers quality casual wear for the modern man who wants to help reduce environmental harm.
Best Basics: Pact
Pact is a casual clothing brand placing an emphasis on organic materials and Fair Trade Certified™ factories. Their mission is to “build Earth’s favorite clothing company.” Pact differentiates themselves by making all their clothes from organic cotton, which saves loads of water and lacks toxic chemicals.
Pact was founded in 2009 by serial entrepreneur Brendan Synnott, who also launched brands such as Bear Naked Granolas and EVOL.
Pact’s menswear line features a selection of cozy, casual, garments like socks, underwear, and sleepwear, but also includes pants, shorts, sweaters, and other tops. Aside from sourcing organic materials, Pact is implementing other practices like offering a clothing donation program and using boxes made from post-consumer recycled materials.
What I Like
Their men’s catalog is simple and versatile.
Organic cotton is very soft and great for everyday basics.
The colors are subdued and easy to match.
What I Don’t Like
Many items look too casual to be worn outside the house.
Some items look baggy and loose-fitting.
What Other Reviewers Say
Many of Pact’s menswear garments were short on reviews. Guys who purchased their underwear, one of their more popular items, said they were soft, comfortable, and a bit tight-fitting.
With other products, guys also pointed out how soft and comfy Pact’s organic materials were. Reviews seem to differ per product so be sure to do a bit of research before making a purchase.
The Verdict
Pact is a 100% organic clothing brand, which means they don’t use any harmful chemicals or dyes and produce their apparel using significantly less water than that of traditional brands. Soft, comfy, organic materials paired with Fair Trade Certified™ factories make Pact a good option for finding basic, everyday sustainable garments.
Best Long-Lasting: Patagonia
Producing a range of sustainable apparel and outdoor exploration gear, and advocating for global environmental causes, Patagonia has cemented itself as one of the most popular and charitable brands on the planet.
Patagonia is a global, sustainable brand started by a group of climbers and surfers who wanted to spread the minimal lifestyle they believed in. Producing a range of sustainable apparel and outdoor exploration gear, and advocating for global environmental causes, Patagonia has cemented itself as one of the most popular and charitable brands on the planet.
Patagonia leads and funds an array of environmental projects across the globe. But what exactly makes their apparel sustainable? While Patagonia is moving toward 100% renewable and recycled materials and fair-trade certifications for their factories, it’s the long-lasting quality of their garments and lifetime repair guarantees that truly makes their apparel sustainable.
What I Like
High-quality build in every garment.
Soft, durable materials that fare well in all kinds of weather.
A wide selection of men’s apparel from tops to bottoms and outerwear.
What I Don’t Like
Very expensive price points.
Some garments only come in an odd selection of colors.
As an outdoor-oriented brand, you won’t find many stylish garments you can dress up.
What Other Reviewers Say
Since Patagonia manufactures an enormous catalog of apparel and gear, reviews change per garment. From tank tops to warm, puffy jackets and everything in between, most guys found that Patagonia delivered supreme quality and fit in almost all of their items.
The Verdict
One of the most sustainable practices a brand can engage in is producing garments that stand the test of time. When your favorite sweater hasn’t worn out or broken down, you can continue wearing it and avoid adding it to the landfill, buying another, and repeating the consumer cycle.
Patagonia adopted this mindset early on, using durable materials, stitching, and quality construction in every piece of gear they make. To extend the longevity and life of their products even longer, they implemented lifetime repair guarantees so customers can have items repaired instead of throwing them away when they do wear down or become torn.
Patagonia approaches sustainability from nearly every angle and is worth looking into.
Producing a range of sustainable apparel and outdoor exploration gear, and advocating for global environmental causes, Patagonia has cemented itself as one of the most popular and charitable brands on the planet.
Best Casual: Outerknown
Backed by surf legend Kelly Slater, Outerknown makes trunks from recycled water bottles and beach-ready gear that will make you say "dude" more often than you'd like.
Founded in 2015 by world-famous pro surfer Kelly Slater, Outerknown is a burgeoning sustainable clothing brand producing laidback garments that capture a California and beach-inspired lifestyle.
Outerknown’s growing catalog features casual button downs, tees, sweaters, sweats, and high-end swim trunks—basically all the items you’ll need for a weekend on the beach and boardwalk.
Fueled by an ambitious vision for sustainability, Slater hard-pressed his partners to build a fully sustainable brand that champions ethical causes. 90% of Outerknown’s fibers are organic, recycled, or regenerated, all of their swim trunks are produced with 100% recycled or renewable fibers, and they are only investing in fair labor practices.
What I Like
These are the best sustainable swim trunks on the market with 4-way stretch and welded seams.
A balanced catalog of casual, walkaround gear including different tops and bottoms.
The faded, subdued color schemes play into a casual, California-inspired brand.
What I Don’t Like
Extremely high price points.
Casual colors and styles might not work for every guy’s taste.
What Other Reviewers Say
Outerknown is a much newer brand than some of the others on this list, but thus far, they’ve done well to garner positive reviews. Guys who own Outerknown garments call out the fit, comfortability, and long-lasting nature of their apparel. Guys also loved the mixed patterns and colors in Outerknown’s sweater and button down collection.
The Verdict
In some ways, Outerknown is mimicking tentree or Patagonia by designing casual, fully sustainable apparel. Being founded by a global celebrity like Kelly Slater has its perks, which has likely boosted PR and marketing efforts.
Not all guys look good in subdued, beachy attire, but if you do, Outerknown is serving up stellar options. It’s no surprise Slater’s clothing brand makes high-end boardshorts since he’s spent most of his life in them, but a fully sustainable trunk with 4-way stretch and welded seams is an impressive garment to pull off.
If you believe in sustainability, love casual, beachy attire, and want the best gear possible that checks off both of those boxes, this is it. But fair warning, it comes with a juicy price tag.
Backed by surf legend Kelly Slater, Outerknown makes trunks from recycled water bottles and beach-ready gear that will make you say "dude" more often than you'd like.
Best Budget: MPG Sport
As a certified B Corp, MPG is one of athleisurewear's leading sustainable brands.
If you want to do your part and start shopping more sustainably, but want to keep your costs down too, MPG Sport is a good option for active, everyday wear with a sustainable edge.
Mondetta Performance Gear (MPG) was founded in 2002 as one of the early pioneers of the athleisure category. Today, they’ve expanded their repertoire and gained the status of being a Certified B Corporation.
80% of MPG’s spring and summer collection this year was produced with recycled, organic, and responsibly sourced fabrics.
Their men’s line encompasses all the active, casual essentials a guy would need including hoodies, jackets, joggers, tees, tanks, and shorts.
What I Like
Excellent pricing for a brand using sustainable and recycled materials.
Offers a simple, well-rounded catalog of performance-oriented gear.
The fit is sleek and modern on most garments.
What I Don’t Like
Not every item is sustainable.
Fabrics like polyester and basic cotton won’t be as quality as more technical fabrics.
What Other Reviewers Say
Guys who’ve purchased MPG Sport gear like it for being comfortable, great for travel, and capable of being used as workout or walkaround clothing. Like other brands with broad catalogs, each item should be reviewed separately.
The Verdict
MPG Sport is an athleisure brand making a conscious effort to adopt sustainability into their business. With great prices on a range of casual and active men’s wear, they are a stellar option to try out if you want to shop sustainably on a budget.
Be sure to read the specs on each garment to confirm it was produced with sustainable materials.
As a certified B Corp, MPG is one of athleisurewear's leading sustainable brands.
What Makes a Clothing Brand Sustainable?
There are a plethora of brands jumping on the sustainability bandwagon by producing one or two sustainable garments, marketing them like crazy, and hoping consumers start viewing them as a brand that “does the right thing”.
How can you tell if a brand has implemented truly sustainable practices that are making a difference and worth supporting?
Certified B Corporation
To start, look and see if a brand is a Certified B Corporation. This certification is administered by a non-profit company called B Lab that holistically measures a company’s social and environmental impact. If a company checks enough boxes for having ethical and sustainable practices in place, they get the B stamp of approval.
How exactly does a company receive this certification? There are three determining factors:
- A company must demonstrate “high social and environmental performance” by scoring at least an 80 or higher on B Lab’s Impact Assessment.
- A company must make a “legal commitment” to hold all stakeholders accountable at their company, not merely shareholders.
- A company must be comfortable with a certain level of “transparency” by permitting information on their performance scores to become public knowledge.
Things to Look For in Garments
When you land on a product page on any given site, click through the details and see if you can uncover how the materials were sourced. Are they organic, recycled, upcycled, or made from regenerated fibers?
Is there any information on where they were made and if those factories are run ethically and pay living wages? What other practices is a company taking that they can confidently call out?
For example, on the product page for tentree’s Trefleece Reynard Hoodie, the brand quickly informs you that this product was produced with “organic cotton, recycled polyester, and TENCEL.”
tentree has also calculated how much water, C02, and waste was saved in the manufacturing of this garment compared to industry standards.
Made from organic cotton, recycled polyester, and TENCEL, this pullover is soft but substantial with a smooth, fleece lining that keeps you toasty.
If a brand claims to be “sustainable” but won’t provide hard facts or data on what that entails, this could be a red flag.
Contrarily, if a brand is transparent and willing to show you exactly what they’re doing to take care of the people who work for them and the big blue planet we all live on, that’s a much better indicator that the work they’re doing is making a tangible impact.
Conclusion
Did you find a sustainable clothing brand you’re keen to pick up some gear from? As climate change becomes a harsher and harsher reality, more brands are taking the plunge and implementing better practices both in the way they treat their workforce and the way they treat the world.
tentree is the best overall sustainable brand for versatile gear that will serve you year round, but there’s plenty of other sustainable brands on the market producing worthy gear designed for lounging, sports, work, walkarounds, dailywear, and everything in between.
tentree offers quality casual wear for the modern man who wants to help reduce environmental harm.
Today, looking sharp, shopping affordably, and doing your part to reduce global waste don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
FAQs
Which brands are not fast fashion for men?
tentree, Pact, Patagonia, Outerknown, and MPG Sport are stellar options for brands that are producing sustainable clothing you will enjoy wearing.
What are the most sustainable fashion brands?
Our pick for the best overall sustainable men’s brand is tentree. This brand plants 10 trees for every item purchased and offers an array of simple, stylish clothing from tops to bottoms.
What are the most sustainable clothes?
For a lot of guys, the idea of shopping sustainably raises tons of questions. Check out tentree, Pact, Patagonia, Outerknown, and MPG sport for brands who are making awesome sustainable menswear for different uses.
