Let’s not kid ourselves, it’s near impossible to rely on thrift stores for your entire wardrobe or every shopping need. Some things are more difficult to secure in general, and your luck often just depends on where you are and when. Sometimes I have better luck with sweaters and fun blouses at thrift shops than with basic tanks and tees. I suppose that’s why over the years I’ve invested in new sustainable basics more often than other pieces of clothing (I’ve always had decent luck with dresses, for example). Buying pre-loved will always be more sustainable than purchasing new, but it’s not always practical. So for those times you find yourself ready to invest in new clothing, I wanted to round up a few ethical alternatives for your shopping list.
Perfect Linen Top
Etsy seller Love and Confuse crafts the dreamiest 100% linen apparel, like June Linen Wrap Top. They also offer button ups, crop tops, long sleeves, and more.
Whether it’s a slouchy v-neck like this terracotta top, boxy t-shirt, dress, or even trousers, Linen Fox has tons of ethical basics in a variety of colors and sizes.
Cozy Long-Sleeve
You may have heard of Pact Apparel, as they are known for their earth-friendly wardrobe staples for men, women, baby, and kids. Their Rib crop long sleeve would get endless uses here in the PNW.
Offered in a similar colorway, LA Relaxed’s ribbed funnel top is cozy and light.
High Neck Tank
LA Relaxed also has a mock neck tank (made of organic cotton with 8% Spandex), which has a slight crop and slim fit.
A Relaxed Short Sleeve Tee
Los Angeles ethical fashion brand Mate is all about clean basics, whether it’s tees and tanks, lounge or activewear for adults and kids. BTW, I own several joggers from Mate and love them all, too.
Edit 2023: This product is no longer available on Indigenous, but you can shop their recent lines here.
Ringer tees are another obsession of mine, when it comes to basics. I love how the Crepe Ringer Tee from Indigenous has an extra thick hem.
I’ll probably never stop looking to Back Beat Co for sustainable basics. The Tomboy Hemp Tee is my favorite for a loose boxy fit, but you can get hemp, organic, and deadstock tees in other cuts like crop tees and long sleeves, here.
Edit 2023: This shop has since closed until further notice.
Hemp fans can another quality basic tee over on The Hemp Cooperative, like The Coop Hemp Tee. Kinda love this product photo, BTW. The thing sells itself!
Denim
Amour Vert sources their denim from AGOLDE (like the high waist jeans above) and Citizens of Humanity because they cut to order and let demand drive production.
There’s always RE/DONE, if you have the funds. How I live for a good black skinny jean. Since they began partnering with Levi’s, they’ve diverted 158,000 pairs from landfills by reconstructing vintage denim.
I’m pretty pro at the secondhand denim hunt by now, so out of every pair I own, only two were purchased new and they were from Just Black Denim, via Eco Vibe Apparel. If I remember correctly Just Black does make jeans that contain polyester + rayon. So it’s worth noting that they’re not the most sustainable option. It’s SO hard (and so important) to find a pair of jeans you really love, and their skinnies are it for me and one of the only ethical denim brands under $100, so I’m posting with that caveat.
Looking for more sustainable denim options? Check out our guide to sustainable jeans brands here!
Easy Day Dress
Dreaming of warmer days, thanks to the Olivia Linen Dress from Two Days Off, which comes in three shades.
For an easy maxi dress, the Harmony dress by TAMGA designs is easy to dress up or down and features a cute wrap tie.
Handmade linen clothing brand OffOn offers 100% linen dresses in airy feminine cuts (like this tiered linen dress) with the ability to customize size.
The Perfect Crewneck Sweatshirt
I could wear the Ami Sweatshirt in Canyon (or Dusty Rose!), from, Aliya Wanek allll the livelong day. Made and dyed in Oakland, and an organic hemp/cotton blend.
When I originally wrote this post, I linked to a dreamy white crewneck from Amour Vert. They no longer sell it, so I recommend this organic terry raglan sweatshirt from Mate.
Object Apparel is one of my favorite sources for eco friendly, organic basics. They offer handmade unisex sweats, underwear, and other essentials. This cloud crewneck is on my wishlist, and they have several other sweatshirt designs that are just as cute! I also love that they ship plastic-free.
Looking for more sustainable basics? Check out our post on the top eco conscious underwear brands!
your two cents