WHY AREN'T THERE MORE SUSTAINABLE MENSWEAR BRANDS?
AND THE BEST BRANDS THAT CURRENTLY EXIST.
TEXT LOGAN VERLAQUE
While it seems the fashion industry is realizing (first slowly, then all at once) the need to prioritize sustainable and eco-friendly practices, menswear seems to be lagging behind womenswear. In the past year, we’ve seen numerous womenswear brands and platforms pop up marketing sustainability and recycled materials. Yet, when we happened to be searching for ecological menswear pieces for another story, we found the landscape was a lot more barren than we would have expected.
While we hope 2020 brings about more for green-inspired menswear, we’ve rounded up our favorite brands currently offering up the goods.
Image via wsj
NUDIE JEANS
This Swedish brand was started in 2001 on the premise of creating sustainably produced denim. Today they use organic cotton, have both a repair and reuse program, and ethical labor standards for their manufacturing partners.
OUTERKNOWN
When surfer Kelly Slater was seeing the effects of pollution and waste surfing every day, he teamed up with designer John Moore to create Outerknown. The brand is passionate about fair trade and labor practices, as well as conscious about its environmental footprint.
BODE
A higher end option out of the bunch, Bode’s unofficial catch phrase is “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Emily Adams Bode fashions dead-stock fabrics and salvaged napkins or quilts into perfectly tailored suits, trousers, and jackets. The price point is high but the environmental impact is low, making Bode a JRR favorite.
PATAGONIA
As an outdoor-focused brand, Patagonia has long been an advocate of protecting Mother Nature. They pride themselves on creating long-lasting products, offer a repair and reuse program, and are involved in many organizations combating climate change and encouraging environmentalism.
VEJA, MENS
Veja is a sustainable brand that has garnered great popularity within the past year. At their core, Veja is dedicated to protecting the Amazon, up-cycling materials, and being transparent. The sneakers are very stylish, too.
EVERLANE, MENS
Everlane is known for its supply chain transparency, but beyond that the brand now has now has its ReNew collection, with a goal of removing all virgin plastic from its supply chain by next year. It also recently launched a carbon neutral sneaker line, Tread.
