20 Trendy and Sustainable Men’s Fashion Brands For The Mindful Gentleman

Patagonia is probably one of the oldest sustainable clothing brands for men, and even though it didn't start as an ethical company in 1973, it has slowly and organically become sustainable through simple capitalist influence.

Over the years, things like reducing waste, reducing transit times, and improving efficiency, have helped save Patagonia lots of money, so it kept doing it. Nowadays, the company has its finger in so many sustainability programs and initiatives that researching their efforts is confusingly bewildering.

Patagonia designs clothes that are durable with the hopes people will hang onto them for many years. It also manufactures repairable clothes, with simple measures such as stronger and thicker seams, or zippers where the stitching can be unpicked to replace the zipper. The company uses recycled materials and manufactures with materials that can be recycled.

If you have ever looked into how denim is made, you will discover that the whole industry is a massive polluter, and its effect is devastating to the environment. Then, along comes Everlane, which owns the world’s cleanest denim factory.

The factory is based in a Third World country, but unlike named brands, it is not a sweatshop. All of the workers receive wages that suit the local economy.

The Everlane Factory is LEED-certified and recycles 98% of its water. A traditional denim run would cost 1,500 liters of water, but thanks to the closed water system, Everlane only loses 0.4 liters during the process.

The Everlane denim-making process is so efficient that it produces 80% less carbon dioxide than other denim factories of the same size. Plus, when compared to similar-sized factories, the factory uses 5.3 million fewer kilowatt-hours per year.

The men’s side of the catalog offers a range of flannel shirts, sweaters, cardigans, hoodies, tees, and pants for both indoors and outdoors. You will also find a selection sneakers and shoes, as well. The outerwear section contains jackets for various types of weather and climates.

Besides being one of the most prominent sustainable clothing brands for men, United by Blue is also among the most environmentally conscious companies. It has vowed to extract a pound of waste from the ocean for every sold item, and the counter on the official site stands near 2,200,000 pounds (January 2020).

United by Blue also is a certified B Corp company, and it also uses numerous natural, biodegradable, and sustainable materials. Hemp, organic cotton, recycled polyester, BisonShield, (R)evolution, and Tencel are just some of them.

Though some might be surprised to see Levi’s on this list, but this company is among the premier sustainable clothing companies for men. The catalog, of course, is dominated by various types of jeans, most prominently the legendary 501.

However, Levi’s also offers hoodies, T-shirts, flannel shirts, shorts, jackets, overalls, and much more. There is also a considerable range of trendy accessories.

As the official site claims, Levi’s uses 96% less water for a pair of jeans than an average denim company. Thus far (January 2020), the company has saved 3 billion liters of water. For 2020, Levi’s has committed to discharging zero dangerous chemicals.

Furthermore, Levi’s employees around the world are paid fairly, and work in healthy, clean environments. Levi also pays them fair wages and maintains a sustainable supply chain.

While not exactly focused on clothes, you can consider Nisolo one of the most sustainable clothing brands for men. The men’s side of the catalog contains various types of boots and shoes, as well as accessories and bags.

All Nisolo shoes, belts, and bags are hand-made in Peru and the company makes sure to pay fair, living wages to all of its employees. Nisolo also has a sustainable, environmentally-conscious supply chain, as well as the coveted B Corp certificate.

The company also actively combats deforestation of the Amazon Basin. Thus far, Nisolo has protected around 90,000 trees in the area. That’s equivalent to taking 156 passenger cars off the road, saving around 82,000 gallons of gasoline, or providing electricity for 88 homes.

Alternative apparel, as its name might suggest, is there to offer a viable, sustainable alternative to the fast fashion brands. And, thanks to its efforts in the sustainability field, we can safely consider it one of the best sustainable clothing brands for men.

The catalog offers a standard range of tees, hoodies, sweaters, bottoms, and outerwear. Alternative Apparel is also there for larger gentlemen, offering sizes up to 5XL.

Alternative Apparel recognizes the negative impact packaging and distribution have on the environment. Therefore, the company uses only oxo-biodegradable bags. There’s also an official recycling program. The company is also dedicated to the empowerment and well-being of its employees, especially female.

If your style is modern, casual, and you lead an active life, then G-Star might be the brand for you. This brand offers jackets, knitwear, pants, button-down shirts, shorts, swimwear, tees, outerwear, and underwear. The men’s side of the catalog also contains shoes, accessories, and a huge selection of jeans.

G-Star started out back in 1989, and is among the premier US-based sustainable clothing companies for men. The company is also firm in its belief that sustainability and social responsibility are the only right way for clothing companies.

The company pays living wages to its employees, maintains a responsible supply chain, and uses a variety of sustainable and natural materials. The official site also offers reports on the company’s sustainability milestones, sustainable products, and a full manufacturing map.

Fast fashion brands want you to buy more clothes, more often. However, they don’t want you to think about the environment or the future.

Buck Mason is the exact opposite. This sustainable brand wants to build a relationship based on trust and quality with its customers. The company’s main goal is to make the clothes that you will wear for years, and will be proud to pass down to your kids and grandkids.

The company sells tees, shirts, sweaters, hoodies, jackets, pants, jeans, as well as a range of accessories. All are sustainably made. The company also sells books that inspire its philosophy and approach to society and business.

Buck Mason uses organic, responsibly grown cotton as its main material. All clothes are made in safe, clean, and ethically run factories.

Who says that men can’t be environment-conscious? The fact is that an ever-increasing number of men are turning away from the dirt-cheap and low-quality apparel of fast fashion brands and embracing sustainable companies like Outerknown.

If you want modern, well-made clothes on a budget, make sure to check out this brand. It focuses on jeans. However, the catalog also offers tees, polos, button-down shirts, sweaters, trunks, pants, outerwear, and shoes.

Outerknown is dedicated to responsible production, sustainable materials, and radical business transparency. The company pays fair wages to its employees, and offers them a safe and clean work environment. Child labor is forbidden, as are sweatshop working hours.

If you’re searching for sustainable clothing brands for men you can trust, make sure you check out Pact. This brand offers tops, shirts, pants, sweaters, hoodies, socks, underwear, as well as sleepwear.

All items are sustainable, ethically made, and affordable. Pact offers sizes ranging from S to XL for most items. Also, many are available in multiple color options.

Pact’s motto is that those who make the clothes are equal to those who wear it, and the company goes to great lengths to ensure fair treatment and wages for all of its employees. Organic cotton is Pact’s main material. The company also has the Fair Trade certificate.

Apolis is an LA-based company, and is one of the trendiest sustainable clothing brands for men. You can shop high-quality shirts, office pants, jeans, tees, and jackets at the company’s official website. The prices are pretty affordable, and Apolis offers free shipping on all orders over $100.

Apolis believes that all humans are citizens of the world more than they’re citizens of their countries. Therefore, the company treats its employees around the world with respect, and pays them fair living wages. Also, the factories where Apolis apparel is made are safe, clean, and no forced labor is allowed.

Apolis has B Corp certification, meaning it adheres to high standards of environmental and social transparency, accountability, and performance.

When talking about sustainable clothing brands for men, we can’t skip Brothers We Stand. This is a brand focused on men’s clothing, sustainability, social and environment responsibility, and ethical production.

The Brothers We Stand clothes has to meet several criteria before it hits the shelves. First, it has to be comfortable and look good. Second, it needs to be durable because BWS wants you to wear your clothes for years.

Next, there’s sustainable and ethical production. BWS production process has a 90% lower carbon footprint than that of an average fast fashion company. The company has a transparent and ethical supply chain, and it also adheres to Fair Trade standards.

Finally, Brothers We Stand pays fair wages and prohibits forced labor and child labor.

Elvis & Kresse’s bags, belts, and wallets are not cheap by any standard. However, they offer exceptional quality, beautiful design, and fantastic durability.

Now, it may alarm you that all Elvis & Kresse items are made of leather. It shouldn’t. The company sources most of the leather it uses from discarded fire hoses. Talk about alternative and sustainable material sourcing. E & K also donates half of the profits made from the Fire Hose collection to the charity that helps fire fighters.

The company also uses parachute silk, printing blankets, coffee and tea sacks, auction banners, shoe boxes, and discarded leather. It proudly wears the B Corp certification, Business for Good, and other sustainability badges.

Finisterre focuses on several sustainable and eco-friendly materials. The most prominent ones include merino, organic cotton, denim, and ECONYL™. All are sourced responsibly, as well.

Finisterre also uses eco-friendly packaging. That means that all the clothes you order will arrive in mailbags made of kraft pulp. The best things about them is that you can recycle them and use them for compost.

Aside from being durable and affordable, Finisterre garments are also repairable. The company offers affordable repairs for all items. All are done by hand.

The company proudly wears its B Corp certification badge, achieving the status in early 2018. Child labor, sweatshop working hours, discrimination, and unequal wages are forbidden in Finisterre’s factories.

People Tree is one of several UK-based sustainable clothing brands for men. While not as vast as the women’s side, the men’s side of the catalog features a wide range of garments People Tree makes clothes in standard sizes, ranging from S to XL, and the price tags are pretty reasonable.

People Tree is a Fair Trade company, and it also has various other sustainability certifications, such as PETA Approved Vegan, GOTS, and Fairtrade Cotton.

The company uses organic cotton as its main material. While Tencel, wool, and other eco-friendly materials also play prominent roles. People Tree is also transparent about wages, working conditions, as well as the supply chain makeup.

As you might have guessed, Kotn’s focus is on organic, sustainable, and responsibly sourced cotton. It is sourced from Egypt, and Kotn buys directly from farmers. The company also uses jersey, micro-rib, thick wale rib, Jacquard, terry, twill, poplin, oxford, and others.

Kotn has factories around the world, and all are run to high ethical standards. Male and female employees receive equal wages, have equal rights, and equal say. Also, Kotn only partners with companies that are committed to their workers.

The men’s side of the catalog offers tops, sweaters, pants, and loungewear. Price tags are reasonable, and you get to both look good and feel zero guilt while wearing your favorite garments.

While not a clothing brand in a traditional sense, The RealReal can be considered one of the best sustainable clothing brands for men. The company doesn’t make clothes. Instead, men can buy and sell luxury second-hand clothes on the site.

The official RealReal site features items from such fashion industry giants such as Gucci, Givenchy, Ray-Ban, Nike, and others. By opting to sell or buy used clothes, men can increase the clothes’ longevity, and prevent it from ending up in a landfill.

The RealReal estimates that it saved around 550 million liters of drinking water since its inception back in 2011.

WAMA is one of the most interesting underwear companies. Instead of cotton, which is the traditional undergarment material, this innovative company uses hemp. The main reasons behind this unusual choice are that hemp is an anti-bacterial material, and that it also has strong anti-odor properties.

Hemp is soft and doesn’t irritate the skin. As WAMA claims, it also gets softer every time you wash it. Finally, it is one of the most breathable materials on the planet. So, what’s not to love about WAMA underwear?

WAMA has PETA Vegan and Green America certifications, meaning that its products are vegan and eco-friendly. Also, the company adheres to high standards when it comes to business practices.

TenTree has a unique twist to its sustainability story. The company plants 10 trees for every sale it makes. Thus far (January 2020), it has planted more than 35 million trees around the globe. You can find the detailed breakdown by region on the official site.

You can even decide where you want TenTree to plant your 10 trees. What’s more, you can track your impact on the site’s map page. The company has a goal to plant a billion trees by the end of the decade.

TenTree also makes sure to include people of all sizes and shapes by offering plus-size options for all products.

Prana wants to introduce a positive change to the world with its clothing, and is inviting all men to join the movement. The company urges men (and women) to start asking where and how their clothes are made, how those who made it are treated, and how the companies they buy from work.

Prana mostly uses organic cotton, though recycled wool, organic hemp, and other eco-friendly materials play significant roles. All materials are responsibly sourced. The company makes clothes in safe, clean, and ethically operated factories. Male and female workers receive equal wages and have equal rights.