How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe With 9 Key Pieces
Capsule wardrobes are made up of pieces that transcend trendiness: a straight-leg jean, a khaki trench coat, a staple sweater.
eco-friendly
"Straight legs are the new essential denim silhouette and can be seamlessly styled for both dress-up and casual moments," Kate Bellman, managing fashion editor at Nordstrom, tells us. "There is a diverse variety in washes from soft vintage washes to super dark and refined, so you can take your pick based on your occasion." Denim brands are also wisening up to <anchor>eco-friendly</anchor>, long-lasting design techniques, so they're even more inherently environmentally approachable.
The 11 Best Sustainable Denim Brands to Know (and Shop)
# The 11 Best Sustainability-Minded Denim Brands

Cleaning up how jeans are made

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two models at milan fashion week wear head to toe denim outfits to illustrate a story about sustainable denim

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The search for the best sustainable denim brands starts with a reality check: Given the many, many negative impacts denim production has on the environment, the most eco-friendly way to find new jeans is shopping secondhand.

A second reality check: We don’t expect you to quit buying brand-new denim. (It’s not a promise we’d make either.) Your best option? Seeking out denim brands that are doing their part to become more eco-conscious.

Finding jeans whose sustainability methods live up to their marketing is a challenge: In 2021, retail marketing firm Edited reported that listings of so-called “sustainable” denim have increased 176 percent since 2019 and 52 percent since 2020. So we surveyed the sustainable denim landscape to find labels that are putting in the work to make the best eco-conscious jeans. These brands’ efforts span the entire production process, from the materials sourced to the cut-and-sew tech used. While a 100 percent sustainable pair of jeans doesn’t exist yet, the following 11 brands make denim you can feel better buying.

## Pangaia

Now 55% Off

Credit: Pangaia

Pangaia is as focused on eco-conscious materials as designs you’ll want to live in. When the brand introduced denim in 2021, we knew it would be a game changer. Its approach to classic jean silhouettes blends certified organic cotton with regenerative Himalayan nettle—making jeans that are both soft to the touch and intended to be recycled when they’re worn out.

## Re/Done

Credit: Re/Done

Repurposing used denim is in Re/Done’s DNA. The brand began upcycling vintage Levi’s in 2014 and has since turned more than 225,000 landfill-bound garments into upcycled pieces. Re/Done is now making its affinity for stretching a jean’s life cycle a part of every aspect of its business. Recent eco-minded initiatives include shipping orders in reusable and returnable packaging (to cut down on waste) and offsetting carbon emissions from every order placed—now and in the past.

## Warp + Weft

Credit: Warp + Weft

Warp + Weft hits the right shopping notes for a modern denim brand—its jeans are available in sizes 00–24, and every style retails for under $110—but sustainability initiatives are where the brand really shines. It has reduced the average amount of water used per pair of jeans from 1,500 gallons to 10, and 98 percent of the water that goes into its denim is treated and recycled for additional use. Warp + Weft also prioritizes people in its definition of eco-friendliness, guaranteeing ethical conditions and fair wages and hours for its factory employees.

For an even closer look at how the denim gets made, the brand’s website includes a virtual factory tour that lets you see the supply chain in action.

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## Levi’s

Now 25% Off

Credit: Ssense

After decades leading the world of denim, the home of 501 is revamping its commitments to eco-friendly design. Some jeans, like the pair here, weave cotton with Tencel (a responsible fiber derived from wood); others are made with proprietary tech that reduces the water needed for each pair and cuts down on waste. By 2025, Levi’s hopes to incorporate 100 percent sustainably sourced cotton into its jeans, and power all its facilities with renewable energy.

Part of Levi’s approach is offering services to make your favorite jeans last as long as possible. Send your damaged denim to its tailor shop for a light touch-up, or skip the brand-new jeans for a used pair in the Levi’s secondhand shop.

## Reformation

Credit: Reformation

Reformation is more than Instagrammable sundresses and vintage-inspired denim. The brand is committed to eco-conscious production across its product line, including jeans in straight and extended sizes. The L.A. label is certified as releasing net-zero carbon emissions (vetted by nonprofit Climate Neutral), and its proprietary RefScale tracks the environmental impact of all its products on their shopping pages.

To extend the life cycle of its denim with more recyclable materials, Reformation joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign program. Reformation has also shared quarterly reports detailing how its sustainability efforts are improving, which anyone can access here.

## DL1961

Now 50% Off

Credit: DL1961

DL1961 started using upcycled materials before reducing and reusing became mainstream in fashion. Your trash is the foundation of the brand’s treasured (and soft) jeans: A blend of thrown-out denim, recycled water bottles, and eco-friendly fibers are shredded and rewoven to create each pair. Before placing your order, you can go behind the scenes at the family-owned factory to learn more.

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## Boyish

Credit: Boyish

Boyish denim is all about minimalism, both in the menswear-inspired fit of its jeans and the reduced environmental impact of its production practices. Eco-mindedness is crucial to every step in crafting Boyish's perfect kick flares, from the weave of each jean (including deadstock fabrics and eucalyptus-based Tencel) to the third-party verifications backing the safety of its factories. It is also building a circular supply chain as a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign project—meaning that many materials going into a pair of Boyish jeans can be used again … and again.

## Kuyichi

Credit: Kuyichi

Kuyichi has championed better denim production since 2000, and its commitment to sustainability hasn’t wavered. All Kuyichi denim is made with 100 percent organic cotton—which reduces carbon emissions by up to 60 percent—and some pairs incorporate postconsumer recycled denim. Transparency isn’t just a buzzword at Kuyichi: The brand shares an updated list of its suppliers twice each year, so you can trace exactly where every rivet and thread in your jeans came from.

The boldest commitment Kuyichi made is its limit on the jeans it makes. To curb overconsumption and focus on jeans you’ll always wear, Kuyichi sells only a few timeless styles—and it never holds sales.

## Rails

Credit: Rails

Rails is new to the eco-friendly denim game, but its early styles are trending in a clean direction, making jeans and jackets with recycled materials and Better Cotton Initiative–certified cotton. (Translation: This cotton meets seven criteria for improved sourcing, ranging from safe working conditions to responsible land use.) Adding Rails’ denim to your wardrobe also gives back. For every pair purchased, the brand will provide a year of access to safe water to families in need, through a partnership with international nonprofit Water.org.

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## Frame

Now 51% Off

Credit: Frame

Allow celebrity-favorite denim brand Frame to reintroduce itself as a home for responsible denim. Since 2019, the brand has rolled out a slew of improved supply-chain practices, including integrating recycled materials into jeans, cashmere, and even pocket liners. Frame wants its shoppers to reuse, too: In a partnership with resale site ThredUp, you can request a ThredUp shipping label to list old jeans on the marketplace and earn a credit back to Frame for what you sell.

One note: Some Frame styles aren’t yet made with eco-minded materials, so look out for the “Sustainable” tag when shopping the brand’s site.

## Mother

Now 55% Off

Credit: Mother Denim

To move forward in eco-consciousness, Mother denim has looked back—at its used jeans, that is. The brand’s 60 percent Mother collection incorporates upcycled materials from its own deadstock collection and discarded vintage. The results are one-of-a-kind pieces that are also responsible-minded. (Check out this second installment of the capsule, from October 2021, featuring model and environmental activist Carolyn Murphy, and which used repurposed textiles in quilted, Americana accents.) The brand has also donated at least $50,000 to the Sierra Club to protect U.S. wilderness and water supplies.

## Why trust Harper’s Bazaar?

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For more than 150 years, Harper’s Bazaar has been the preeminent fashion, beauty, and lifestyle resource for women at every age. We cover what’s new and what’s next in fashion by working with the world’s leading authorities in ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and more. Every story we publish has been thoroughly researched and vetted by our team of editors and industry experts.

Lettermark

Fashion Commerce Editor

Halie LeSavage is the fashion commerce editor at Harper's BAZAAR. Her style reporting covers everything from reviewing the best designer products to profiling emerging brands and designers. Previously, she was the founding retail writer at Morning Brew and a fashion associate at Glamour.

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