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Many of us live in and love our denim. 👖 A good pair of jeans blends fashion and function in a way that not many pieces of clothing can.

That’s why, when we searched for sustainable denim brands, we looked specifically for brands that combine ethics and quality to revolt against the trends of fast fashion and irresponsible denim production. These sustainable denim brands are pushing the limits when it comes to eco-friendly and ethical manufacturing, asking tough questions about supply chains, and building products that last—or, in this case, your new favorite pair of jeans.

For American-made denim, check out our guide to the best denim brands made in the USA.


Best Overall | Best Curvy | Best for Men


1. Reformation

Climate neutral
OEKO-TEX® certified
Recycled materials
Size inclusive
Woman owned

Best For | Sexy denim
Sizing | 23–38 (up to 2X)
Prices Starting At | $78

Reformation’s vintage-inspired jeans are sure to turn heads, from its simple bootcuts to flirty shorts. Made from organic cotton, Tencel, and two percent elastane, this denim will last you for years to come. These pieces are sewn together in Turkey where employees are paid fair wages. Plus, Reformation’s eco-friendly processes save thousands of gallons of water, too. Chic, affordable, and sustainable.


2. Mott & Bow

Natural materials
Recycled materials
Small business

Best For | Hemp denim
Sizing
| 24–33 (0–14)
Prices Starting At | $149

Sourcing quality cotton denim from the world’s finest mills like Turkey’s Orta Andalou and blended with sustainable Modal, Mott & Bow is making the best denim at an accessible price. By keeping production in-house—at a longstanding family-run fair wage factory in Honduras—Mott & Bow can sell directly to consumers without all the retail markups. Our Mott & Bow jeans are as comfortable and stretchy as our favorite leggings; if you’re looking for skinny jeans (that aren’t distressed beyond recognition), this is the brand for you!


3. Warp + Weft

Budget friendly
Family owned
Size inclusive

Best For | Size-inclusive denim
Sizing
| 00–24 (3X)
Prices Starting At
| $68

As one of the more size-inclusive, ethically made, and sustainable denim companies on the market, it’s no surprise that Warp + Weft is on our list. This family-owned brand of three decades is obsessed with the perfect fit, with options up to women’s size 24 and 44” waists for its Big and Tall collection. Warp + Weft also saves and recycles 98 percent of the water it uses, thanks to its vertical manufacturing operation. Now that’s the kind of denim we want to invest in.


4. Just Black Denim

American made
BIPOC Owned
Budget friendly
Natural materials
Woman owned

Best For | American-made contemporary denim
Sizing
| 24–31 (XS–L)
Prices Starting At | $68

For the jeans of your dreams in any cut you can imagine, we look to Just Black Denim for our favorite easy going styles. Each pair is meticulously crafted by hand in their LA factory, and dyed with a sustainable liquid indigo ink that uses less water and’ll stay pigmented for many washes to come. They also won’t break the bank, as you’ll be able to snag some classic denim shorts, skirts, and everyday jeans for under $100! Just Black Denim offers tall and petite lengths for your perfect fit, with extended sizing available and on its way for many of your favorite styles. 


5. Buck Mason

American made
Natural materials
Size inclusive

Best For | Men’s denim
Sizing
| 28–40 (Men’s XS–3XL)
Prices Starting At | $148

Buck Mason was founded by Erik Allen and Sasha Koehn with the ideals of American staples (from tees to Oxford shirts to ethical denim) at its core. To date, the brand has made hundreds of thousands of products in the U.S. growing its domestic production by over 100 percent per year since 2014. The team has now expanded to international production as well, ensuring that products are fairly and responsibly made. You can also find Buck Mason’s retail shops in LA, NY, and SF.


6. AGOLDE

American made
Natural materials
Recycled materials

Best For | Relaxed and loose styles
Sizing | 22–34 (00–14)
Prices Starting At | $138


AGOLDE prides themselves as much on their sustainability practices as their forward-thinking designs that  create fresh interpretations from classic silhouettes. Owned by TGT fave Citizens of Humanity, the brand cuts to order and lets demand drive their production, keeping waste to a minimum. Ethically made in the USA and Turkey, the brand also places an emphasis on sustainable production and materials like regenerative and recycled cotton. We love their looser styles that make comfy jeans look super chic–our founder loves her Riley crops so much that she has multiple colors in two sizes (because we all deserve to size up on bloated days).  


7. Outerknown

Fair trade
Natural materials
Recycled materials

Best For | Flares and bell bottoms
Sizing | 24–32 (0–16)
Prices Starting At | $178

Founded by surfer Kelly Slater and designer John Moore, California-based Outerknown uses environmentally sustainable practices and eco-friendly materials to produce their casual wear. Using organic cotton and recycled polyester (made from 100% post-consumer waste), their jeans come with a lifetime guarantee. Their styles are comfy with a vintage-inspired feel– we love their high waisted 70’s inspired flares and bell bottoms for a casual yet universally flattering look. 


8. ABLE

B corp
Budget friendly
Recycled materials

Best For | High rise shorts and jeans
Sizing | 23–33 (0–16)
Prices Starting At | $70

ABLE makes each pair of denim pants and shorts to perfection– whether it’s skinny jeans or boyfriend styles, the brand’s designs are cut perfectly and made to last. The Certified B Corp makes garments you can feel good about, in ethical factories with fair wages and safe working conditions. If you’re looking for the perfect high waisted pair to highlight the booty, look no further! 


9. Outland Denim

B corp
Natural materials
Recycled materials

Best For | Straight-leg jeans
Sizing
| XXS–XXXL (22–34)
Prices Starting At | $155

For over a decade, Outland Denim in Australia has worked tirelessly to make the fashion industry better. This certified B Corp teams up with at-risk women in Cambodia to produce its ethical denim collection. In 2020 alone, the brand employed 750+ staff, used 57 percent less energy in production, and gave back around $250K AUD. Help uplift people and the planet with these jeans.


10. Loup

American made
Size inclusive
Small business

Best For | Colored denim
Sizing
| XXS–4X (up to 53” hips)
Prices Starting At | $160

If you’ve ever struggled with the right fit for jeans—we know we have—then you’ll love Loup as much as we do. Designed with real bodies in mind, curves included, this NYC-based brand offers work pants you can also play in. Available in a variety of sizes, styles, and colors, you can grab the gorgeous terracotta wide-leg pants or the sunflower gold denim jeans and everything in between. Best of all, Loup touts a generous repair program so you can enjoy this ethical denim for years to come.


11. Ética

1% for the planet
Family owned
Natural materials
Plant trees
Plastic/Pfas free
Recycled materials
Vegan

Best For | Lived-in, soft denim
Sizing | 24–32 (0–16)
Prices Starting At
| $165

TGT staff favorite Ética’s denim feels soft and well-worn right away, like our favorite pair of jeans we never want to take off. We especially love the wide-leg styles so our legs can breathe! A vertically integrated company, the brand has full transparency into their supply chain. Living up to their name (ética is the Spanish work for “ethical”), the brand demonstrates a commitment to exceeding Fair Labor standards by  providing their workers with living wages, health benefits, and free meals. In addition to a safe environment for their workers, they offer ability-inclusive employment to senior citizens and individuals with disabilities. Love that! 


12. Oliver Logan

Natural materials
OEKO-TEX® certified
Recycled materials

Best For | Classic styles in every wash
Sizing
| 24–34 (00–18)
Prices Starting At | $74

Oliver Logan uses denim as a force for good. Based in the heart of Los Angeles, OL’s pieces are made from recycled yarn and organic cotton in ethical factories across China. (You can read about all three partner factories on the OL site!) We love how soft these jeans are, the flares offer a comfortable and versatile fit. If you have shorter legs, we recommend double-checking the inseam as we’ve found these pants can run a little long!


13. DL1961

BIPOC Owned
Family owned
Natural materials
Recycled materials

Best For | On-trend denim styles
Sizing
| 23–34 (00–16)
Prices Starting At | $128

For DL1961’s dreamy jeans, the team uses innovative recycled fibers and a vertically integrated system to reduce its amount of water, dye, and energy needed. The pieces also incorporate Tencel and Modal to increase durability, softness, and sustainability. And of course, DL1961 has an undeniable pulse on chic denim fashion and ethical innovation. We especially love the bootcut and boyfriend styles that come with a range of waist-rise options. (Psst—we also find this is a great denim brand to keep an eye on when thrifting, as so many of their styles are timeless and have quality construction.)


14. Everlane

Budget friendly
Natural materials
Plastic/Pfas free
Recycled materials

Best For | Affordable, capsule denim
Sizing | 23–33 (00–16) 
Prices Starting At | $78

Our readers named Everlane as their favorite denim brand and our team agrees—there’s a style for every body type and at accessible prices. (See all our reader favorites here). Even better? They are committed to clean denim– produced in factories that use recycled water and renewable energy, using organic cotton, microplastic-free dyes and recycled trim to have the least harmful environmental impact possible. This is a trend-free zone: check out the brand for designs and styles meant to last a lifetime. 


15. Citizens of Humanity

American made
Natural materials
Recycled materials

Best For | Wide leg and baggy styles
Sizing | 23–34 (00–16) 
Prices Starting At | $158

Citizens of Humanity takes their sustainability practices seriously, from sourcing responsibly to manufacturing in the USA and Turkey with the highest ethical standards. The brand does everything, from designing to sewing to shipping, in-house, making it one of the only vertically integrated denim companies we know. They are transparent about their process, tops to bots, which we love! A bit more on the investment side, these pieces more than make up for their initial price tag with a superior quality that will last through thousands of wears.


Featured image is from Boyish