Feel Good Gear: The 20 Best Ethical Brands

Written by Brad Bennett (@WLLSPNT)

Much of eco/ethical apparel's less than favorable stigma is largely justified. Simply put: there's a lot of really, really bad "Green" clothing out there. So much of it, in fact, that the good responsible companies (i.e., the ones making attractive and wearable pieces) often go overlooked, as their conscious credentials cause them to get lumped together with their Soda Pop Tab Purse makers of the world.

So, in an effort to help you separate the wheat from the chaff (or more appropriately, the hemp yoga pants and self-important logo tees from the handsome and well-designed gear), here are 20 of the best eco/ethical brands.

Brad Bennett is the Founder/Editor of Well Spent, a website dedicated to documenting "obtainable, honestly crafted goods."

For every pair of sunglasses 4sight sells, the company donates a pair of prescription glasses to a person in need. The label just unveiled its latest style, the Adventurer, which, despite being 100% made in Italy, costs a mere $49.

4sight Adventurers, $49

Anvil Knitwear has been my go-to basics brand for several years now. The company's 100% organic cotton 490 tees are affordable, responsibly-made, and dirt cheap. They're also tubed instead of side-seamed, so they never twist in the wash.

Anvil 490 Organic Ringspun T-Shirt in Independence Red, $10

The Ethletic Sneakers from Boston's Autonomie Project have 100% organic cotton uppers and laces, sustainably-harvested Amazonian latex rubber outsoles, and are made in a Fair Trade certified factory in Pakistan.

Autonomie Project Ethletic Black & White Low-Top Sneakers, $54

Carga Bags are made in a family-owned factory in Argentina using vegetable-tanned leather sourced from within the region and recycled wool felt. Designed by an architect, the collection has a very unique look and feel to it, yet still comes off as fairly classic.

Carga 03 Weekend Bag in Felt, $345

Champions of "Sartorial Sustainability," Canada's Culturata offers an array of smartly tailored 100% organic cotton dress shirts, suit jackets and sweaters, all of which are made in Italy. Unfortunately, the brand can be a bit hard to come by, but hopefully as they pick up more stockists, that won't continue to be an issue.

Culturata, Ties from $77, Shirts from $150. Available at Veridis.

California's FIGS uses profits from the sales of its handsomely styled neckwear to help children in the developing world obtain school uniforms, so they can attend public schools in their areas (turns out the dress codes can be extremely strict). All the ties are made in the US, using fabrics from Italy and the UK.

FIGS Benjamin Summer Wool Tie, $75

One of my favorite outerwear labels, English brand Finisterre makes waterproof jackets in the UK and Portugal using recycled / recyclable polyester fabrics from Japan. On top of being exceptionally well-made, the jackets fit like a dream, and, are free of any extraneous or overly "tech" looking details. They're also pretty competitively priced, even with the international shipping.

Finisterre Anabatic Lightweight Waterproof Jacket in Cobalt Blue, $300

The brainchild of designer Alice Saunders, Forestbound bags are made one-at-a-time by hand from salvaged and reclaimed textiles. No two are alike, but every one is beautiful.

Forestbound Recycled Canvas and Leather Carry-All, $254

Of all the brands to appear on this list, Hessnatur is by far the cheesiest - at least, in terms of their branding. Their clothes, which are all made from sustainable textiles in Fair Trade certified factories, are actually very nice, not to mention crazy affordable. Just try to ignore the Sears catalog-esque model shots if you check out their site.

Hessnatur Organic Cotton Shirt in Jeans Blue, $75

Industry of All Nations works with a number of international suppliers and producers to bring original (or "indigenous") designs to a wider audience. Think biodegradable espadrilles from Uruguay, organic selvedge jeans from India, and Alpaca sweaters from Bolivia. Their upcoming Fall collection is looking to be pretty stellar.

Industry of All Nations Green Selvage Denim Jean, $165

Seeking to close the loop between fabricator and customer, Madrid’s IOU Project equips every item it sells with a unique code that can be scanned with a smartphone to show images and profiles of the people who made it. Products — most of which are made in Europe — include handwoven Indian madras shirts and shorts, slim-fit Italian twill chinos, and several denim pieces.

IOU Project The Chino, $89

Footwear maker Jojo Project allows you to design your own environmentally-friendly sneaker. After you pick a color, you then choose from one of the company’s two environmental initiatives to receive a portion of the profits from their purchase. Choosing a tree-based cause puts a green tab on the sole, and a water-based cause puts a blue one. The customer can then track the progress of their donation through the Jojo site, allowing them to see exactly how and where their dollars are being used.

Jojo Project Shoes, $114

Of all the brands on this list, Denmark's Knowledge Cotton Apparel is probably the hardest to find (not one American stockist). Which is unfortunate, since it's also the most covetable. Using only 100% organic cotton, the label produces an extensive collection of tops, bottoms and outerwear (almost all of which is fantastic).

Knowledge Twisted Twill Chinos in Strong Blue, $157

Canadian brand Oliberté not only produces its entire footwear collection in Africa, it also sources all of its materials from within the continent as well. Additionally, the company pays their workers a fair and equitable wage, and provides benefits. The shoes ain't half bad lookin' either.

Oliberté Adibo in Brown/Yellow, $155

Osborn sneakers are handcrafted by artisans in Guatemala, using textiles sourced from in and around South America. Though primarily focused on women's footwear, the co. offers a number of styles in men's sizes too.

Osborn Design Multibrite Loafer, $143

Through its partnership with the Books for Africa non-profit, newly launched Read's Clothing Project uses profits from the sales of its U.S.-made (and extremely affordable) ties, tees and buttondowns to help provide books to children in need.

Read's Clothing Project Jake Madras, $98

Read's Clothing Project Jake Pocket Tee, $36

Belgium’s Treesizeverse uses reclaimed leather, antique hardware and textiles that range from 50 to 100+ years in age to make an array of functional, durable and great looking totes, weekenders and messengers.

Treesizeverse Recycled Antique Linen Weekend Bag, $229

Veja sneakers are made in a FLO-Cert and EcoLabel certified factory in Brazil, using Fair Trade certified 100% organic cotton, and sustainably harvested Amazonian rubber. Previously unavailable in the US, you can now get their latest (and arguably greatest) model, The Mediterranée, from Hickorees.

Veja Mediterranée, $85

An OG in the do-gooder game, Warby Parker is to eyewear what TOMS is to shoes (and, well, eyewear). The glasses are affordable ($95 a pop), the materials are eco-friendly (Italian-made, plant-derived cellulose acetate), and the business model is a good one (for every pair purchased, a second is donated to a person in need). The new sunglasses collection only sweetens the deal.

Warby Parker Jasper in Whiskey Tortoise, $95

Chicago's Winter Session uses a mix of repurposed/recycled materials, and new, eco-friendly materials to create their handsome and rugged range of bags and aprons. Each piece is handmade by the designers, and built to last.

Winter Session Garrison Bag, $196