Ethical Clothing Brands You Can Feel Good About (and Customize, Too)

“Ethical clothing” isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a movement that puts people and the planet first. At its core, ethical clothing means garments made with care: fair labor practices, responsibly sourced materials, and manufacturing processes designed to reduce harm to the environment. It’s about creating apparel that feels good to wear and aligns with your values.

In a world where fast fashion dominates and the true cost of cheap clothing is becoming harder to ignore, more brands—and consumers—are making the shift toward conscious choices. From climate concerns to social responsibility, the demand for ethical apparel is growing. Whether you’re building a merch line, outfitting your team, or just looking for better basics, choosing ethically made garments is one of the simplest and most impactful ways to do good through design.

What Makes a Clothing Brand Ethical?

With so many companies claiming to be “sustainable” or “eco-friendly,” it can be tough to know what truly makes a clothing brand ethical. At its core, ethical fashion is about respecting both people and the planet throughout the entire supply chain—from the way raw materials are sourced to how the final product is made and shipped.

Here are a few key pillars that define ethical clothing brands:

1. Sustainable Materials

Ethical brands prioritize low-impact, high-quality materials. This often includes organic cotton (grown without harmful pesticides), recycled fabrics, or innovative materials made from things like plastic bottles or wood pulp. Choosing better materials helps reduce the environmental footprint of each garment, from water usage to carbon emissions.

2. Fair Labor Practices

Ethical clothing means putting people first. That includes ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, and reasonable working hours for everyone involved in the manufacturing process. Many ethical brands work with certified factories or maintain close relationships with their production partners to ensure accountability and transparency.

3. Environmentally Responsible Manufacturing

Beyond materials, ethical brands look at the whole production process. That includes using eco-conscious dyes, reducing water usage, minimizing energy consumption, and working to cut down on waste. Some brands go even further by offsetting carbon emissions or adopting circular production models.

4. Supply Chain Transparency

The more transparent a brand is, the easier it is to trust that they’re doing things the right way. Ethical brands are upfront about where their materials come from, where their products are made, and how they’re holding themselves accountable—often through third-party certifications like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), OEKO-TEX®, WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production), or B Corp status.

5. Long-Lasting Quality

Ethical clothing isn’t just about how it’s made—it’s about how long it lasts. Brands that create durable, well-fitting garments help fight fast fashion and reduce the need for constant replacements. When your apparel holds up over time, it’s better for your wallet and the planet.

Our Favorite Ethical Clothing Brands for Customizing

Original Favorites

Since 2016 Original Favorites has been relentlessly focused on sustainably producing the finest luxury basics made with ultra-soft Supima® cotton. They pride themselves on valuing not only the raw materials, but every step of the production process as well. This is most evidently highlighted with their GOTS organic certification – the most comprehensive and thorough organic certification process available. 

Original Favorites blank garments are perfect for those seeking a premium, high-end product that prints beautifully and is crafted to last for the long haul. 

Allmade

Founded in 2017, Allmade was created by screen printers whose main goal was to create a better shirt to print on for both customers and the planet. Allmade products are created with less water than conventional tees, are carbon neutral and utilize solar panels in the WRAP-certified production facilities. They prioritize using eco-friendly materials such as recycled polyester, organic cotton and TENCEL™ Modal sourced from sustainably harvested beech trees. 

Beyond manufacturing, Allmade invests in the communities where their products are made, supporting education, safe housing, and environmental protection initiatives. 

AS Colour 

For two decades AS Colour has been creating products that are built to last, with an aim to reduce waste and encourage conscious consumption. They exclusively work with OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified facilities, ensuring that products are free from dangerous substances—chemicals like pesticides, heavy metals, formaldehyde, and undesirable surfactants. 

Additionally, by partnering with the Better Cotton Initiative they are part of a collective that is committed to improving social, environmental and economic outcomes for the clothing industry. They are also committed to reducing plastic within their production chain including eliminating single use product bags, using plastic free shrink wrap on all pallets, switching to paper tape, and more. 

AS Colour has become one of the most popular brands with Real Thread customers and for great reason. They are creating premium, elevated products without losing their core focus on ethical and environmental standards. 

Marine Layer

When Marine Layer was founded in 2009 the goal was to create shirts so soft that you’d want to wear them forever (and keep them out of the trash.) They redefined what a soft shirt meant – essentially creating that long lived feel on day one of wearing it. 

Since then, they have become more focused on the environment and ethical initiatives, including becoming B Corp certified in 2022. They’ve also made great strides (and aren’t stopping anytime soon) on using low impact fabrics and materials like organic cotton, recycled polyester and sustainable packaging. Plus, they’ve made sure 100% of the supply chain they use is in line with their values (they even sign their code of ethics.)

These shirts are perfect for custom projects where the story and impact matter just as much as the look and feel. 

Why Choose Ethical Apparel for Your Custom Merch?

• Your brand reflects your values – show your crew how much you care about them and the world we live in.
• Higher quality products will stay in closets (and out of landfills) a lot longer than a cheap, poor fitting alternatives. Better for the environment and  better for sharing your story.
• Ethical brands are far from boring – these brands offer stellar, timeless pieces with great fit, style and color options.

Printing Ethically with Real Thread

At Real Thread, we love partnering up with these brands to create one-of-a-kind custom apparel that will stand the test of time. Our water-based inks are extremely high quality and much more environmentally friendly than the common plastisol alternative. It’s not easy to print with water-based inks, but we’re committed to making great apparel and keeping our product aligned with a great purpose. Learn more about our commitment to sustainability here.