As climate change and environmental preservation become increasingly important topics in our collective consciousness, it’s time to reconsider our clothing choices. In addition to sustainability issues, ethical concerns surrounding the workers involved in producing and manufacturing our clothing is also a key consideration. Fast fashion typically comes at a large cost; not financially, but environmentally and socially. We’ll opt for sustainable style over fleeting trends any day. Here are the 10 best ethical and sustainable menswear brands we have our eyes on for contemporary, yet enduring style.
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1. Nudie Jeans
The Swedish label produces high-quality jeans in timeless silhouettes, placing sustainability and ethics at the forefront of their business. Championing the idea that good clothing should only get better over time, Nudie provides free repairs for life, crafts their jeans from fairtrade organic cotton, and are transparent with their production methods and facilities.
2. Veja
Leading the way in ethically and sustainably-minded sneakers, Parisian brand Veja has effortlessly merged style with sustainability. Conceptualised in France and manufactured in Brazil, Veja’s sustainable sneakers are made with Brazilian cotton, Amazonian rubber, and vegetable-tanned leather. Additionally, Veja has vegan sneaker options in their range. Veja’s signature sneakers typically feature subtle branding, minimalist silhouettes with low and hi-top iterations, and options for bright, bold colourways.
3. Asket
In pursuit of less, Swedish sustainable menswear label Asket bucks the fast fashion trend, producing garments designed for forever. Asket focuses on a ‘meaningful essentials’, opting for a permanent collection over seasonal collections. Proving a curated collection of shirts, t-shirts, trousers, knitwear, outerwear, accessories, and underwear, Asket pares back the shopping process and only creates what a man really needs, crafted from high-quality fabric and free from logos and prints. Asket is also transparent about the cost that goes into each garment, detailing what they pay for fabric, labour, and shipping, as well as where their pieces are sourced and made.
4. Basic Rights
Founded by The Vaccines guitarist Freddie Cowan, Basic Rights launched in America in 2016, expanding to the UK two years later. Basic Rights focuses on a core collection of hardwearing basics in relaxed silhouettes with a distinctly Americana feel; camp collar and bowling shirts, trucker and biker jackets, and slim-cut high waisted trousers. An ethical and sustainable menswear label, Basic Rights is carbon neutral (offsetting their carbon footprint by planting trees) and only work with factories committed to treating their workers fairly.
5. Bassike
Bassike had been bringing sustainable menswear to Australia since 2006, keeping sustainability in mind when selecting materials and ensuring their production processes cause the least impact possible to the environment. The Australian menswear brand also prioritises the community, remaining loyal to their makers and ensuring their workplaces are fair and ethical.
6. Phipps
The brainchild of former Marc Jacobs and Dries Van Noten menswear designer Spencer Phipps, Phipps creates stylish, environmentally-friendly clothing. The majority of Phipps pieces are produced in Portugal, a country known for its strict environmental and human rights codes that govern its factories. Phipps also focuses on creating innovative clothing with sustainable materials, resulting in high fashion garments.
7. Uniforms for the Dedicated
Founded by a collective of snowboarders and creatives in 2008, Uniforms for the Dedicated makes contemporary luxury for the conscious man. The Stockholm-based label seamlessly blends elegant tailoring with functional army and sportswear-inspired silhouettes to create modern, yet enduring collections. Uniforms for the Dedicated’s garments are predominantly produced with organic, recycled, and bio-based materials, making them an ideal sustainable menswear brand.
8. Outland Denim
Ethical and sustainable fashion brand Outland Denim operates with the mission to end poverty. The Australian brand sources quality raw materials from around the globe, offering employment to women who have experienced exploitation. Outland Denim also utilises industry-leading water and energy reducing technology to produce their contemporary garments, working to minimise their impact on the environment.
9. Outerknown
Founded by surfer Kelly Slater, American sustainable clothing brand Outerknown merges style with sustainability, creating beach-ready lifestyle wear from organic, recycled, or regenerated fibres. Additionally, Outerknown is also an ethical clothing brand, investing in workers’ livelihoods through Fair Trade USA and achieving Fair Labor Association accreditation.
10. Patagonia
Likely a brand that you’re already aware of, Patagonia was built in the image of its founder Yvon Chouinard; an American mountain climber and activist. Patagonia has the plant’s best interests at its core, focusing on making sustainable functional gear from recycled materials. The Californian label even encourages consumers to repair their old Patagonia jackets in lieu of buying a new one; putting sustainability before profitability.
FAQ
Australia has several sustainable menswear brands, including Bassike, Citizen Wolf, The Road, Windsor Lane, Outland Denim, WS Workshop, and Will and Bear.
Words by Theo Rosen
Feature image courtesy of Asket
