‘Do you have another tip where I can buy more sustainable and fair fashion?’ Or: ‘So which fashion brands are any good?’ Very regularly, we get this question from followers and readers. And so we have made a good list of sustainable fashion brands and shops to get you started. Do you already know these fashion pioneers?
Sustainable fashion brands: who should you get to know?
This list had to and would come one day. With the launch of my sustainable lifestyle book: NIKS NIEUWS, yet it will surprise you the time had finally come. I sat down and made a good list of sustainable and fair fashion brands, including a list for swimwear, basics, accessories and more. In my book, I take you through my sustainable quest. For each lifestyle topic, I tell you what is going on in (and with) the world, I tell you how the process has been for me personally and I share lots of tips I have gained over the past few years. Clothing is also covered extensively in my sustainable lifestyle book. And of course, part of it is also about second-hand shopping and other ways of wearing clothes without having to buy them. But if you decide to buy something new, buy it more sustainably. My book is about that too. In my book, you will find shopping lists. Well, they are QR codes to shopping lists, like this article, that is. Because that is more convenient because I can then easily update those online lists when a new fashion brand is added or one unfortunately disappears. And so this is the list for sustainable fashion brands and shops.
There it is: your new sustainable shopping guide!
This list of sustainable fashion brands is not exhaustive, but is meant to get you started. Do you have a great tip or a more sustainable fashion label of your own? If so, feel free to contact me and I can expand the list. You can get in touch via the follow and contact buttons at the bottom of this page.
Are you curious about my book? I get that! You can order it from my webshop. I would love that!
What is sustainable fashion?
In compiling this list, I have tried to pay attention to a number of things:
- Does the brand produce honestly, preferably at good workshops in Europe?
- Does the brand consider the environmental and climate impact of clothing production and do they do something to minimise it?
- Does the company use sustainable (certified) materials?
- Is more known about the mission and vision of the company and its founder?
- Are they doing other things like supporting social initiatives, recycling, upcycling, et cetera?
- Is it fun, contemporary or original?
Sustainable clothing brands
- Alchemist (established sustainable and fair women's fashion brand from the Netherlands)
- Alohas (Spanish fair and fashion label with impressive collection, including vegan shoes)
- Arber Studio (quality durable wardrobe essentials with a timeless character)
- ArmedAngels (Famous German fashion label with wide collection for men and women)
- Atelier Felie (Beautiful women's fashion that is only made fairly and sustainably once you place an order. You can also buy a sewing kit to make your own Atelier Felie clothes)
- Basic Apparel (wide collection of sustainable fashion from Scandinavia)
- Bask in the Sun (sustainable menswear from France)
- Brava Fabrics (Upbeat sustainable fashion from Spain for him and her)
- Beyond Nine (boutique womenswear brand from Great Britain)
- Bufandy (Scarves made of sustainable alpaca wool, Dutch company)
- by-bar (large sustainable women's collection, Dutch entrepreneurial story, fairly produced in Europe)
- Capsule Studio (stylish suits from Amsterdam)
- CharlieMary (circular fashion brand from Amsterdam)
- Christy Dawn (beautiful sustainable dresses, do come from the United States)
- Common & Sense (sustainable and fair fashion brand from two Dutch founders)
- Colorful Standard (huge collection of affordable basics for him and her)
- Cotton Apparel (beautiful Danish fashion brand with remarkably large men's collection too)
- Dariadéh (Austrian inclusive and transparent women's label)
- Dedicated (famous Swedish fashion label with impressive collection for everyone, including kids)
- Ecoalf (Spanish fashion label with sustainable and recycled clothing for men, women and kids)
- Ekyog (French women's fashion brand)
- Elements of freedom (cheerful women's fashion brand from Amsterdam)
- El.residue (feminine designs in colourful prints, fairly made from upcycled Indian saris)
- Embassy of Bricks and Logs (especially jackets, shoes, socks and accessories)
- Ivko (Colourful knitwear made of natural materials from Serbia)
- Filippa K (Established Swedish designer label, known for high-end classics)
- Floria Collective (Beautiful Dutch brand for durable suits and timeless classics, made honestly and sustainably)
- Girlfriend Collective (activewear in all sizes!)
- GIVN (sustainable fashion brand from Berlin for men and women)
- Hussein (sustainable activewear from the Netherlands)
- House of Useless (fair, inclusive fashion label that produces fair in Utrecht and works mainly on demand)
- Ilse Jacobsen (large collection, mostly women's, by Danish designer, good mackintoshes too!)
- Insane in the rain (Cheerful mackintoshes made of recycled PET)
- Inti Ferreira (sustainable fashion label and shop in The Hague)
- Jan ‘n June (Sustainable fashion for all, Hamburg-based company)
- Jeanerica (denim & co from Sweden)
- J Label (Dutch sustainable fashion brand)
- Joline Jolink (Rotterdam-based women's fashion brand that stands for people, animals and the planet)
- Lotte Oudshoorn Design (super comfy items with a relaxed fit, made in the Netherlands)
- Lovely Lane (Beautiful high-end dresses by an Amsterdam-based designer inspired by the seventies and Brigitte Bardot. The showroom is a houseboat).
- Jyoti (German-Indian fair fashion label)
- LangerChen (sustainable urbanwear from Germany)
- Lanius (sustainable women's fashion brand from Cologne, family-run business since 1999)
- LOOP.A LIFE (circular knitwear from Amsterdam)
- Lucy & Yak (Upbeat sustainable label from Great Britain, great attention to materials)
- King Louie (Amsterdam-based fashion brand with large colourful women's collection)
- Kings of Indigo (established sustainable denim brand from Amsterdam)
- Knowledge Cotton Apparel (Sustainable Scandinavian fashion label with a large collection for the whole family)
- Kuyichi (Dutch denim pioneer who made the world's first organic jeans)
- Komodo (established sustainable fashion brand from Great Britain)
- Maium (Amsterdam (rain) jackets made of recycled PET for everyone, including kids)
- MUD Jeans (circular jeans brand from the Netherlands)
- New Optimist (circular and fair fashion brand from Amsterdam)
- Nudie Jeans (Swedish jeans brand, also a frontrunner)
- OffOn (fair fashion from Latvia, also for kids)
- Paala (T-shirts with hand-designed prints)
- Patagonia (world-famous outdoor brand)
- Palaver (slow fashion women's brand from the Netherlands with workshop in Poland)
- People Tree (extensive sustainable, fair women's collection, also fine underwear)
- Poppy Field the label (Super-feminine women's fashion with lots of dresses and dashing items)
- Phyne (minimalist streetwear)
- Rains (famous brand with waterproof gear, famous mackintoshes)
- Rainkiss (Festival-worthy rain ponchos from Amsterdam made from recycled materials)
- Recolution (Fresh German fashion label by two enterprising men, for him and her)
- Seasalt Cornwall (Enduring fashion with the story of Ireland's rugged coast)
- Sezane (B Corp company with festive collection, you immediately feel like a wedding)
- SFKF (colourful Swedish women's fashion brand)
- Simply Grey (Linen clothes for everyone, including kids. Beautiful dresses too)
- SISSEL EDELBO (hippie vibes from Denmark from left-over substances)
- Studio Anneloes (Sustainable fashion by Dutch designer)
- Studio Heijne (minimalist clothes shopping that are then finished to your size)
- Suite13 (Upbeat sustainable fashion from Mallorca, also spotted a unisex collection)
- Swan and the people (sustainable maternity wear from Dutch entrepreneur)
- Teym (Dutch fashion brand for whole family with minimalist look, produces in Europe)
- The Slow Label (timeless, minimalist and feminine designs, fairly made from sustainable materials)
- Thinking MU (Happy sustainable fashion from Spain for everyone, including kids)
- Thought (major sustainable fashion brand from Great Britain)
- Tranquillo (decent fashion from Germany, but fairer and more sustainable)
- TWOTHIRDS (Sustainable fashion from Spain & Portugal for him, her and the kids)
- Unrecorded (sustainable menswear from Amsterdam)
- Unsalted (sustainable suit brand from Amsterdam)
- Yevu (Great clothes in African fabrics from a social impact company from Ghana run by women, for the whole family)
- Vanilia (sustainable fashion from the Netherlands)
Durable shoes
- ACBC (Sustainable trainers for everyone from Spain)
- allbirds (shoes and basics)
- Alohas (Spanish shoe brand with also many vegan options that works on demand and produces fairly and locally)
- A Perfect Jane (hip vegan booties by appelleer, cool Dutch entrepreneur story)
- Motorhome (wide selection of stylish shoes from Spanish family company, made of sustainable materials, also for kids)
- DECHASE (handmade shoes from Ethiopia)
- DUUO (Upbeat, vegan urban footwear (lots of trainers) from Spain for everyone, including kids)
- EKN footwear (sustainable trainer brand from Germany with production in Portugal)
- Floris van Bommel (only shoe label with its own production in the Netherlands)
- Indosole (huge collection of sustainable slippers made from old car tyres)
- Inkkas (colourful trainers with/inspired by Peruvian fabrics, handmade, for every pair they plant a tree, also for kids)
- Komrads (vegan & fair trainer brand that uses sustainable materials such as apple leather and ocean plastic)
- KUNOKA (Fair sustainable women's shoes from Belgium)
- NAE (Portuguese vegan shoe brand that produces locally in Spain and Portugal)
- SAYE (vegan trainers)
- Sole Rebels (Handmade fair trade shoes made of circular material from Ethiopia)
- TOMS (these iconic shoes are eco and social: a third of profits are donated, including for kids)
- VEJA (sustainable trainers, also for kids)
- Victoria shoes (a shoe for every type of trainer wearer, for the whole family)
- Wildling Shoes (sustainable barefoot shoes from Portugal, also for kids)
- WEAR (pre-loved trainers)
- Will's Vegan Shoes (large collection of vegan shoes and accessories for everyone, made in Portugal)
- Womsh (beautiful trendy trainers made of sustainable materials, fairly produced)
- Solemates (Homegrown: sustainable leather trainers made in the Netherlands)
- 95 per cent (sort of pre-loved shoes: buys ‘complaint pairs’ and repairs them for sale)
Sustainable swimwear
- AAVA
- Adam Underwear (also for men)
- Anekdot
- Asket (also for men)
- Augustine Amsterdam
- AYA Label
- Dedicated (also for men)
- JUNGL
- The Lingerist
- Organic Basics (also for men)
- Underprotection
- Via di Gioia
- Vitamin A
- Woodlike Ocean
- Zingara
Underwear, socks and other basics
- Adam Underwear (boxers, lingerie, swimwear and more)
- allbirds (shoes, sportswear, underwear, socks and other basics, including for men)
- Anekdot (including beautiful lingerie)
- Deiji Studios (linen bedding and loungewear)
- Dilling (clothing and basics in sustainable merion wool, also for kids)
- Felix Flos (durable socks)
- HEMA (Nice basics with a fine value for money)
- More than Basics (minimalist basics for men and folds)
- Narah Soleigh (fair swimwear from Germany)
- ninpin (minimalist sportswear and basics from Sweden)
- Organic Basics (all the basics you need under one roof, also unisex collection)
- People Tree (fair underwear made from certified sustainable materials)
- Saint Basics (also a super extensive collection)
- Savara Intimates (Fair, sustainable lingerie and swimwear, good Dutch entrepreneurial story)
- Swedish Stockings (tights and socks)
- Swole Panda (basics made of sustainable bamboo)
- The Lingerist (gorgeous collection of lingerie and basics)
- Underprotection (again, the choice is vast)
- Woron (Danish basics for women)
- Seaman (You might not immediately expect it, but even at Zeeman they work hard on sustainability and affordability too)
Durable eyewear, watches, hair fringes and other accessories
- The green hut (hair accessories made from leftover fabrics)
- ITS OOAK (Hair accessories from recycled ties)
- Dick Moby (glasses)
- Fraenck (Circular bags & accessories from Arnhem)
- GOBI (sustainable sunglasses from Amsterdam)
- Eco Eyewear (durable eyewear from Sweden)
- Oh My Bag (sustainable bag label from Amsterdam)
- Matt & Nat (vegan bags made from recycled fabrics and cruelty-free)
- Myomy (Dutch fair & sustainable bag label, uses eco-leather and vegan appelleer)
- Parafina (Spanish eco eyewear fashion)
- Peep Eyewear (vintage eyewear)
- Pinqponq (huge collection of practical bags, fairly made from recycled materials)
- Vinylize (Glasses made from old vinyl records from Hungary)
- WoodWatch (watches made of wood)
Jewellery: the choice is vast!
The choice of more sustainable jewellery is so vast that you could almost devote a separate article to it. Therefore, a few general tips: go for second-hand, vintage or choose jewellery made from recycled materials (such as recycled silver). Choose jewellery that is honestly made or from local designers. The latter is important, because everything can go wrong in the extraction va precious metals, such as toxic discharges and other environmental pollution, human exploitation and child labour. So all that beautiful jewellery is not that beautiful, so with a conscious choice you can make a big difference. Ahead, still a few brands and sustainable jewellery makers: A Beautiful Story, Ana Dyla, Akind, Charlotte Wooning, Jules Bean, Wildthings Collectives and Bracelets for Charity, NoWa (circular jewellery made from gold from old phones, among other things).
List of sustainable clothing shops with webshops
- 512-nijmegen.nl (fair and sustainable fashion shop in Nijmegen with webshop)
- awear.nl (webshop for sustainable fashion, also available in Utrecht at Green UP department store)
- firemission.nl (sustainable fashion shop in Amsterdam and Haarlem with webshop)
- fairbee.com (sustainable webshop that buys back clothes when you no longer wear them)
- hetfaireoosten.nl sustainable concept store from Amsterdam with webshop)
- gutsy.fashion (handmade clothes made to order)
- character webshop.nl (sustainable clothing shop in Gouda with webshop)
- kokotoko.nl (sustainable fashion shop in Groningen with webshop)
- makemydaynijmegen.nl (Colourful clothing and gift shop in Nijmegen with webshop)
- natur-el.nl (sustainable shop in Rotterdm with webshop)
- popupgaard.nl (sustainable shop in Utrecht with clothes, accessories, gifts, books and plants)
- puhashop.nl (sustainable shople in Utrecht with items by local designers - really different!)
- sheepcloths.com (wool-silk basics for everyone, including kids)
- shoplikeyougiveadamn.nl (sustainable, fair, vegan webshop)
- sophiestone.nl (Utrecht-based sustainable fashion shop with webshop)
- theblindspot.nl (sustainable clothing shop in Goes with webshop)
- thecollectionone.com (webshop in timeless slow fashion neutrals with also a physical shop in Amsterdam)
- where.shop (fair trade gift shop including clothing and accessories)
- wanderwooddenbosch.nl (sustainable fashion shop in Den Bosch with webshop)
- waschbär.nl (eco-webshop with loads of clothes and other products)
- wolfandstorm.com (webshop with vegan and sustainable clothing)
- wwen.nl (colourful fair made & fair trade clothes and other gifts in The Hague, with webshop)
Also useful to know
- goodonyou.eco (website that allows you to check the sustainability of brands)
- projectcece.com (collection website with sustainable clothing from different shops)
- whensarasmiles.nl (sustainable fashion expert and blogger who gets to the bottom of it for you)
- Sustainable Fashion Gift Card (gift card that you can only spend at sustainable fashion brands and entrepreneurs. The cool thing is: you can also redeem the card at entrepreneurs where you can do something, such as a sewing course or a styling workshop)
More sustainable tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Also see: The list of sustainable children's clothing brands.
- Also see: clothing materials: which fabrics are sustainable and which are not at all?
- Also see: sustainable swimwear: what to look out for?
- Also see: how durable is gold jewellery?
Photo credits: Main image: Ksenia Chernaya (Pexels).
