Sustainable fashion is very important to college students. In fact, over the last few years, many college students have purchased clothing from sustainable clothing brands to reduce their carbon footprint.
It’s no secret that eco-friendly fashion can be expensive, especially if you’re trying to be an ethical shopper. Luckily, there are more sustainable brands than ever. This means there are sustainable clothes for every college student, no matter their budget.
As a recent college graduate, I know first hand which sustainable brands college students are wearing, and where you can find them.
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12 Most Sustainable Clothing Brands for College Students
1. Everlane
Everlane is the most popular fashion brand among eco-conscious influencers. You’ve probably stumbled upon Everlane on social media if you’re into ethical fashion, as they have over 1 million followers!
When it comes to the ethical fashion game, Everlane is one of the first sustainable clothing brands to enter the industry. Since being founded in 2010, Everlane has prided itself on being radically transparent with its customers, and they have a strong commitment to creating clothing ethically.
Everlane is one of the most popular ethical clothing brands among college students. Their huge presence on social media and collaborations with influencers have made Everlane one of the trendiest brands on college campuses.
As a brand, Everlane uses natural fibers and recycled synthetics to craft denim, shoes, underwear, swimwear, accessories, and casual wear. Everlane is a brand that reduces its impact on the environment at every step of its production process.
Everlane holds the Cradle To Cradle Gold and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certifications. So you can trust that Everlane is following the ethical practices they say they are.
2. All Birds
All Birds is one of the best sustainable fashion brands, offering everything from footwear to ethically made casual and activewear. When it comes to popular shoes for college students, All Birds is one of the trendiest brands right now.
Currently, All Birds has 58 locations, so you can visit the store in your local mall. I’ve been to the All Birds store on my most recent visit to New York, and it had a super cool look, and the service was great.
All Birds is a carbon-neutral brand that uses Lyocell, Recycled Nylon, ZQ Marion Wool, and Tencel. Furthermore, the All Birds factory uses renewable energy.
When it comes to ethical brands making a real difference in the fashion industry, All Birds deserves a lot of credit. Their website features All Birds’s operation, supply chain transparency, and code of conduct.
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3. KNOWN SUPPLY
The goal of KNOWN SUPPLY is to honor and celebrate the people behind the clothing that we purchase. The clothing you buy from KNOWN SUPPLY will be hand-signed by the person who made it.
When it comes to casual clothing for college students, KNOWN SUPPLY has many amazing options. They have a great selection of men’s and women’s clothing that is stylish, comfortable, and well-made.
On the KNOWN SUPPLY website, you can take a look inside the various facilities where your clothing is made. This is a great way to see how the employees are treated and how your clothing is made.
Overall, KNOWN SUPPLY is a great brand that prioritizes the well-being of its employees and the planet.
4. Girlfriend Collective
If you’re a college student looking for an ethical clothing brand that is size-inclusive and sustainable, then check out Girlfriend Collective. Girlfriend Collective uses recycled plastics that were once dumped in landfills.
Girlfriend Collective offers t-shirts, hoodies, leggings, and joggers. Their sizing ranges from XXS to 6XL, so there is something for every college student!
One of the cool things about shopping at Girlfriend Collective is that they are 100% transparent about their design and manufacturing practices and fair labor initiatives. Girlfriend Collective has a Social Accountability International (SAI) Fair Trade certification, which is essential for eco-friendly brands.
5. GOEX
If you’re a college student looking for affordable fashion basics, then check out GOEX. GOEX is a great brand for college students as they have many great styles of clothes. It’s a sustainable brand, and it’s on the affordable side.
As a college student on a budget, one of the biggest challenges of living an eco-friendly lifestyle is that it’s super expensive. However, GOEX has many affordable options, including shirts priced as low as $14.
Many of GOEX’s clothing and products are made with recycled plastic bottles, which are turned into recycled polyester. As a brand, GOEX operates out of the US and Haiti, and they guarantee their workers a living wage and crafting basics with fair trade practices.
6. prAna
Among college students, prAna is one of the most popular sustainable brands right now. PrAna offers high-quality and durable fashion staples, and they have a variety of sizes ranging from XS-XXL.
PrAna’s Fair Trade Certified program has given back over $400,000 to over 33,000 employees worldwide. The brand crafts its sustainable clothing with hemp, organic cotton, and other eco-friendly fibers.
Whether you’re a college girl or a college guy, prAna has a great selection of clothing that is made with sustainable materials.
7. Made Trade
If you’re a college student looking to shop for sustainable clothing, accessories, and other products, check out Made Trade. Made Trade is a company that carries over 150 brands that follow sustainable practices.
Made Trade puts artistry above efficiency, fair wages above profits, and sustainability over mass production. Made Trade is a slow fashion brand with the opposite values of the fast fashion industry.
When you purchase Made Trade clothing, you directly support small businesses, makers, and artisan collectives. Each company that Made Trade is partnered with has to go through a thorough application process to ensure they are an ethically responsible brand.
8. Tentree
Tentree is an ethical fashion brand that is very popular among students on college campuses. As a brand, Tentree does an amazing job at doing its part by producing sustainable clothing.
If you’re a college student looking for wardrobe essentials, check out what Tentree offers. Tentree has a wide variety of men’s and women’s clothing that is stylish, comfortable, and reasonably priced.
Tentree offers Climate+, an initiative where you can pay a subscription fee to plant trees and offset your footprint. This program is great for college students looking to make a difference and help the environment.
Tentree has planted over 100,000,000 trees and aims to plant 1 billion trees by 2030. For every order you place, Tentree will plant 10 trees!
The clothing from Tentree is made with eco-friendly materials, award-winning technical fabrics, and recycled materials saved from landfills. Tentree is a B-Corporation, so your sustainable casual wear, activewear, and loungewear are trendy and ethically made.
9. ABLE
ABLE is a feminist brand that prides itself on providing a living wage for its employees and creating safe and dignified jobs. When you shop at ABLE, you will find women’s essentials ranging from sustainable bags to dresses, jeans, and shoes that women ethically make.
As a sustainable fashion brand, ABLE is making a positive impact on the industry, as they are providing well-paying and secure jobs for their employees while being conscious of their environmental impact.
10. KOTN
If you’re looking for modern casualwear with a timeless look, check out KOTN. KOTN offers various colors, ranging from pastels to white and black styles.
Right now, KOTN is one of the best sustainable brands for college students, as it offers a wide variety of products. Whether you’re a college girl, or college guy, take a look at KOTN if you want to add some sustainable clothing to your wardrobe.
KOTN is known for its ethical manufacturing and strict fair trade policies. Furthermore, they are recognized as one of the top 5% B corporations globally.
One of the cool things about KOTN is that they use organic cotton, which is grown by local farmers in Egypt. When you shop at KOTN, you do your part to be an ethical consumer!
11. Passion Lilie
If you’re a college student on a budget, check out Passion Lilie. When Katie Schmidt, the creator of Passion Lilie, launched the brand in 2013, she aimed to create sustainable, well-fitted, and affordable apparel.
As a college student, it can be hard to find sustainable clothing that is on the affordable side. However, Passion Lilie has some great choices and frequent sales.
Passion Lilie has a large selection of women’s clothing, offering button-up shirts and shorts for men. If you’re looking for sustainable and affordable brands, check out Passion Lilie.
12. For Days
For Days is an ethical apparel brand that creates good clothing with high-quality and sustainable materials.
This sustainable garment brand carries ethical clothing for women, men, and unisex styles ranging from $25-$180. Whether you’re a college girl looking for leggings or a college guy looking for sweatpants, For Days has got you covered.
The unique thing about For Day is its “Take Back Bag” program. You can purchase a “Take Back Bag” for $20, fill it up with old clothing, and send it back to For Days, and they will give you $50 of store credit. This is a great way to incentivize millennial and Gen Z consumers to donate their clothing instead of throwing it out.
For Days works with Cradle to Cradle for certified dyes, and they use GOTS materials, which are recycled fabrics and materials to meet the Global Recycling Standards.
5 Tips For Shopping For Sustainable Clothing Brands
Here are 5 tips to help college students shop for sustainable clothing:
1. Look For Eco-Friendly Materials
When you’re shopping for sustainable clothing, look for brands that use eco-friendly materials. Eco-friendly materials are better for the environment, and they are more sustainable.
Typically, you can find the materials used on the clothing item by checking the tag inside the shirt. Materials like hemp, organic cotton, recycled polyester, and lyocell are most commonly used when producing eco-friendly clothing.
2. Sign Up For Newsletters
As a college student, it can be hard to afford sustainable clothing. One of the big differences between fast fashion brands and eco-friendly brands is the price. Oftentimes, the price differs because sustainable brands pay more for labor and sourcing materials.
If you want to save money while supporting sustainable brands, sign up for their newsletters! By signing up for a newsletter, you will get an email when there is a sale going on. This is an excellent way for college students to save money while wearing eco-friendly clothing.
3. Avoid Fast Fashion Brands
As a college student, shopping at fast fashion brands is convenient and cheap. However, fast fashion brands are not sustainable, and they are bad for the environment.
Check out eco-friendly and local clothing stores instead of shopping at fast fashion brands. Oftentimes, eco-friendly stores are less focused on profit and are focused on sustainability instead.
4. Shop At Thrift Stores
The best way to be a sustainable shopper is to purchase clothing from thrift stores. Purchasing second-hand clothing is an effective way to reduce your footprint and reuse clothing that will end up in landfills.
Thrifting has become very popular among millennials, Gen Z, and college students all over North America. Not only is thrifting a good way to save money, but you can also find unique clothing styles.
5. Focus On Quality
If you want to reduce your footprint, focus on the quality of clothing you purchase. A good quality clothing item will last for longer, which means that it will reduce the amount of clothing that gets thrown out.
The major issue with fast fashion is that the clothing is cheaply made. That means that consumers will have to purchase clothing more often, which equates to more clothing ending up in landfills.
Although it can be more expensive to purchase high-quality clothing, it can be a good investment in the long run as you will have to purchase clothing less frequently.
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Final Thoughts On Most Sustainable Brands For College Students
As a college student, building a sustainable wardrobe can be pricey and challenging. However, this list has stylish brands for everyone, regardless of budget.
Sustainability is important to many college students. Supporting eco-friendly brands is a great way for any college student to do their part in reducing their footprint.