Men’s Eco-Fashion Shopping Guide: Part 1

We’ve heard your request for a comprehensive Men’s Eco-Fashion retailer’s list: And here it is! (It’s not just the ladies who care about where their clothes are made and who makes them, yay!). For the best men’s fashion and lifestyle, you can check out a good place like dapperclan.com for more info!

Below are some of the coolest eco-friendly brands that cater to an array of masculine styles, from trendy and formal to cool and casual. (And this is just Part 1—check out Part 2 of the Men’s Eco Fashion Guide here.)

Of course, even if you’re not a dude, you might be into this list—if you’re like me, even though I have a feminine personal style, I enjoy wearing men’s clothes. An oversized button-down from the guy’s section can be the perfect casual statement piece, right?

PATAGONIA

Patagonia has been in the eco-friendly retail business since 1996. They boast a variety of outdoorsy items such as jackets, shorts, and shoes. It’s easy to shop their site by activity (useful!) and they support an eco-friendly supply chain by paying their employees, at all levels of the production process, a fair wage. Patagonia believes that “a healthy planet is necessary for a healthy business” and this belief can be seen in their Common Threads garment-recycling program.

Though Patagonia is famous for its winter outerwear, I am a fan the adorable t-shirts and trucker hats. They are made of soft 100% organic cotton and accompanied with funny graphics. Check out this Dirtbag Monkey T-Shirt. Pair your Patagonia tee with some shorts and head over the beach for the salty air, and blue wave action.

HUIT

This company’s history is one of the most inspiring stories EVER. Hiut Denim is a company based on a town’s history of crafting denim from the best materials.  The story goes like this: The town of Cardigan, located in Wales, has about 4,000 residents, and 400 of them worked at for a denim manufacturing company for many years. The company moved, and decided to take its factory along, but the denim craftspeople stayed behind. Hiut Denim is dedicated to making sure that the townspeople, and their skills, survive in a global economy that values profit over people.

The company’s work environment  does that via loads of coffee and music in a small, but open, factory floor. The Hiut jeans are made of organic cotton denim and crafted specifically for longevity (so, NO WASHING.) The brand produces its jeans in small quantities—about 100 pairs of jeans a week. (Want to take a factory tour? Go ahead and check out this factory cam.)

Hiut makes jeans in the relaxed, and the ultra trendy skinny and straight-legged cuts. Pair them with any of the awesome vegan shoes that appear later on this list.

NAU

Nau is an outerwear retailer based out of Portland, Oregon. Their objective is to bring eco-friendly outwear to our very modern, and mobile lifestyles. “How do they do that?” You ask. Well, they have gathered a small team of about 20 people who design, test, sketch and pin everything before it reaches us, the customer.

They work hard at fostering a brand environment that is ethical from retail to production. Nau currently donates 2% of the sales of every item to their various Partners for Change, which include Mercy Corps, Ecotrust, and the Breakthrough Institute. With a purchase of one of their Nudie organic dry cotton denim shirts, you can contribute to the livelihood of a child needing education, or a family who is need of cheap and sustainable energy.

Nau’s target is definitely the active man. Their designs rely heavily on a glossy, and sexy sportswear finish, perfect for getting your errands done in the summer heat.

 

PACT

I’m a fan of the statement sock. Whether you are looking for some socks that will peek out at the ankle or something to cover your legs on a hot day, Pact has it. The company takes pride in calling itself, “a movement disguised as a clothing company.” Pact provides men (and women) with ethically sourced organic cotton tees, underwear in various styles, camis and, of course, the cutest socks! They use fun prints and colors with a perfect fit guarantee.

Pact is deeply involved in providing microloans for women worldwide. (Microloans given to women have been known the change the dynamic of male and female relationships in a community.) These women in turn educate their children, specifically their daughters.

PEOPLE TREE

People Tree is a UK retailer that has been mastering the eco-fashion business for over 20 years.  They have worked with fair trade artisans to bring fashionable and ethical items to the public.  They have been doing eco-fashion so well and for so long that their site boasts this incredible fact:

“People Tree developed the first integrated supply chain for organic cotton from farm to final product and we were the first organization anywhere to achieve GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certification on a supply chain entirely in the developing world.”

Sartorially, I find that the brand produces some of the trendiest designs on our list. Their stock includes unique graphic t-shirts, a wonderful collarless “grandfather” shirt—pictured above. The company also provides versatile office casual chino pants.  The striped “jumpers”—that’s Brit speak for sweater—are a wardrobe staple for any working man.  Thanks to the Internet, you can enjoy People Tree’s offerings from across the pond for a small shipping fee. (Hint: They often have really great sales!)

These brands are doing a lot of good and providing some beautiful fashion for men. Want more? Check out Part 2 of the Men’s Eco Fashion Guide. We get to discuss shoes! In the meantime, click here for more fair fashion.