Ten Sustainable Jeans Brands You Will Wear Forever

I hate to say it, but usual jeans are probably very bad for the environment. This is a huge problem for me as a denim fan. I have more than 20 pairs. So I set out to discover some sustainable denim brands that I could fall in love with. You can also shop them here.

Although Earth Day is over, I believe that everyone can agree that sustainable choices should be made all year. This includes clothing. It’s possible to feel better about the clothes we wear every day by supporting ethical brands. Although it is not always affordable, I prefer to spend more on an item than have it for years.

Perhaps you are familiar with the big-name brands Reformation and Everlane, but what about Nudie Jeans? You might also be familiar with ETICA or EB Denim. It turns out that many jeans are now made from recycled fabrics, such as Tencel, which is made from old fishing nets. There are so many options! You don’t have to be discouraged if you don’t find the right pair.

DL1961, a family-owned brand, makes jeans that use less than 10 gallons water. Mud Jeans allows you to lease your favorite pair for up to a year and then return them for a new style. Boyish jeans, for science-minded shoppers out there, even use triple-molecule Ozone to give their jeans a worn-in look. I want to know why you don’t invest in sustainable denim. ?

Continue reading to discover 10 of my favourite sustainable jeans brands. Going green has never been so easy.

ETICA

ETICA is a vertically integrated business that places sustainability at the heart of all it does. They are a member the Better Cotton Initiative and use liquid indigo instead of powder. Many of their designs include light-wash jeans.

• Sasha Modern Flare $192.00

EB Denim

EB Denim specializes on the restoration of vintage Levis in Los Angeles, California. To create an exclusive line of stylish styles, they hand-pick the jeans that they reuse. Excess fibers are also recycled to make new clothing. EB Denim offers a variety of styles, including a dark wash or a pair with silver hardware and chains.

• Unraveled Jean 2 $325.00

RE/DONE

Re/DONE was established in 2014 with one goal: to repurpose old men’s jeans so that they can be worn by women. They have diverted more than 100,000 pairs of jeans from the landfills since then. They have also launched the RE/DONE Marketplace where customers can sell and buy used jeans. Hanes has partnered with them to produce a line made from recycled cotton tanks and tees. I love this pair of wide-leg white jeans.

• Jeans with high rise, loose fit $280

Warp + Weft

Warp + Weft wants to make a jean with less water. Normal jeans require 1,500 gallons to make. Warp + Weft jeans require only 10 gallons. They recycle 98 percent and avoid bleaching jeans, which is harmful to the environment. They also make their jeans from scratch using Lyrca, Tencel and cotton.

• Vintage High Rise Straight 28 $59

DL1961

DL1961 uses your old denim to make their luxury line of denim. These jeans are made with recycled fibers, Tencel and Modal, and finished with waterless technology. It takes just 10 gallons to create a pair of jeans. Even their facilities use solar power to generate electricity.

• Hepburn Wide Leg Inclusive – High Rise… $209

Reformation

A single pair of jeans was enough to save nearly 700 gallons water. Reformation was founded in 2009 in Los Angeles as a small vintage store. They now aim to become carbon-neutral by 2025. Reformation releases quarterly sustainability reports, and tracks every product’s individual impact so their loyal customers are always up to date on how they’re doing.

• Cynthia High Rise Straight Jeans $128

Everlane

Everlane was founded on Radical Transparency. This is something they have stuck to for over a decade. They began a campaign to eliminate all new plastic (vintage) from their supply chain by 2021 in 2018. As of April 2018, 97% of their apparel made with nylon or polyester fibers was made from recycled materials. They are also committed to using organic cotton by 2023. They offer a variety of denim styles, including slouchy jeans. They are manufactured in a LEED-certified factory, which reuses 98% water during the creation process.

• The Rigid Slouch Jean $108

Nudie Jeans

Nudie Jeans uses 93.8 per cent organic cotton to make their denim. They have been doing this since 2012 so you can be sure they know what they are doing. A ReBirth line is also available, which uses post-consumer recycled versions. Nudie creates a worn-in appearance using laser technology. They are currently striving to be sustainable at all stages of the production process right down to the moment the jeans reach your door. Since 2016, Nudie has been proud to be a part of UPS’ Carbon Neutral Program.

• Breezy Britt Recycled White $200

Boyish

Dystar indigo is used to make Boyish’s denim designs. It contains 80% less sulfates that regular indigo dyes. They also use organic content standard-certified and recycled cotton as well as Tencel, and other repurposed textiles. Ozone Wash is used to “bleach” the jeans. This uses triple-molecule Ozone as a replacement for harmful chemicals. These jeans are as stylish as they are durable.

• The Toby Fatal Attraction $188

Mud Jeans

Mud Jeans lets you literally rent their denim. They also take back the pair you love after you’re done. They have saved more than 533 trillion liters water by doing this. The monthly fee is a small amount. After one year, you can return your jeans for a new pair of jeans or keep them forever.

• Flared Hazen Jeans $143