[dropcaps type=’normal’ font_size=’65’ color=’#232323′ background_color=” border_color=”]D[/dropcaps] enim jeans have become and enduring part of our fashion lexicon, a uniquely American yet truly global marker of both comfort and strength. But unfortunately they are also extremely resource-intensive to produce. We found the best – and most stylish – brands that are making their jeans truly more sustainably.
With increased interest in the sustainability of items around us – from home to fashion to our daily coffee cup – denim has come under increased scrutiny for its environmental footprint – which is substantial. To start with it, it is made from cotton, which takes an enormous amount of water and pesticides to produce. A study by Levi Strauss & Co found that producing one pair of Levi jeans requires 3,781 liters of water, or nearly 1,000 gallons. Our appetite for the pre-worn look we see on most jeans today has given rise to the use of various washing techniques applied to jeans. These techniques commonly use sandblasting and stonewashing to abrade the surface of jeans, along with extra washing. The additional washing not only creates more wastewater, but that water runoff also contains the chemical and physical abrading materials as well as the fabric fibers rubbed off the garment surface.
The good news is that this process can be dramatically improved without sacrificing the look or quality of finished jeans. Sustainable denim has become more accessible, but to varying degrees. Through working with the Better Cotton Initiative, Uniqlo has committed to reducing water usage by 99% in all of their denim by the end of 2020. Madewell’s denim is Fair Trade Certified™ to indicate that garment workers are treated fairly. Nashville-based brand Able focuses on fair wages for women around the world, and uses Cone denim for their jeans. As a founding member of the Better Cotton Initiative, as well as being the world’s largest denim brand, Levi’s has targeted reducing water usage and offers a line called Waterless that is made with this process. Everlane also goes the fair trade route, by showing the factory where jeans are made.
Ssōne
Launched in 2019 by founder Caroline Smithson, British label Ssōne is inspired by Smithson’s two decades of experience in the fashion industry. Having grown increasingly concerned about fashion’s lack of sustainability, she conceived of Ssōne from the start as being designed responsibly from the ground up – “using natural textiles and craft and going back to the origins of clothes-making.” The collection includes sharply tailored and beautifully crafted denim.
Boyish
Los Angeles based Boyish was founded by California native Jordan Nodarse. This denim brand focuses on many areas of sustainability: fibers, dyes, finishing, recycling and circularity. They use OEKO-TEX organic cotton, Dystar indigo and other natural dyes, and recycled cotton. Boyish is also a member of The Jeans Redesign from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which offers guidelines to tackle waste and pollution alongside the harmful practices associated with the current production of jeans. The collection is also widely available at large retailers, including Nordstrom, Shopbop and Free People.
DL1961
Known for its innovations in stretch denim as well as a collaboration with Honest Company co-founder Jessica Alba, DL1961 is the product of parent company ADM, a Pakistan-based producer of denim fabric. Because it is vertically integrated, DL1961 is able to address sustainably at many steps throughout the production process. Their factory uses safer dyes, recycles water and uses renewable energy. They use lasers rather than chemicals or water for finishes. The collection includes womens, mens and kidswear. And a pets collection of denim jackets for dogs.
MUD Jeans
Not to be confused with the Mudd jeans you may remember from the ’90’s (and would rather forget), Dutch brand MUD Jeans was founded in 2013 by a fashion veteran looking to produce clothing more ethically. MUD has widened its focus to include circularity: it offers a lease program that returns jeans back to the company, as well as recycling program. New styles are made with up to 40% post-consumer recycled denim. In addition to reducing water consumption in production, the company also offsets CO2 to be carbon-neutral. Although the MUD jeans website is only in Euros, they do ship internationally.
Outerknown
Founded by professional surfer Kelly Slater and creative director John Moore in 2015, Outerknown has made a strong commitment to sustainability as well as circularity, including various initiatives, such as using only Fair Trade certified partners, organic materials, and a line of ECONYL® products made from recovered fishing nets. Outerknown’s denim for men and women is Fair Trade and made from organic cotton, which uses uses 90% less water than conventional cotton, and fewer pesticides.
Outland Denim
Outland Denim uses their own production facility, and works closely with the community in Cambodia to employ at-risk women. They use technology-bases processes to reduce environmental impact. They reduce chemical hazard by only using Green-screen, Bluesign or Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX certified chemicals. Finishes are done with lasers and ozone rather than chemicals and abrading materials.
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