5 ethical denim labels for your capsule wardrobe

There’s no argument denim is an absolute wardrobe staple. Across all seasons it’s what we turn to when we want to look casual yet put-together, polished yet ‘oh-I-just-threw-this-on’.

If you’re starting out on your ethical fashion journey, or you’re creating a capsule wardrobe you love, investing in quality, ethically-made denim is a MUST!

Here are 5 brands doing do-good denim.

outland denim

This Australian denim label began with the aim to create jobs for women who really needed them - victims of sexual exploitation. They wanted to create a 100% socially sustainable label but soon realised they could play a big role in cleaning up the dirty denim industry too.

Outland Denim are as transparent as they come and every question you have they’ve answered it publicly - read the Outland Denim 2020 Sustainability Report here, and more on their human empowerment here. They know their seamstresses by name, and each one is paid a fair wage to make the garments. They use organic cotton and say ‘Every button, rivet, and stitch is selected with intention to minimise impact on the environment’.

nudie jeans

Hurrah for brands that champion transparency! Nudie Jeans also produce a sustainability report and have their environmental and social cred for anyone to access on their website.

They use only organic cotton and produced a Rebirth range that used 20% recycled cotton from their own post-consumer garments. They’re all about loving your jeans for as long as possible, with their customer ‘Free Repairs Forever’ promise and they even sell secondhand Nudie jeans in their stores and online!

Justice Denim

Australian made Justice Denim have a zero waste model when it comes to their fabrics, donating denim offcuts to quilters to be upcycled into other items.

They’re also committed to funding education for children rescued from child slavery and had given more than 2500 weeks of education at time of publishing.

Keeper denim

Another Aussie-made brand, Keeper Denim was created after founder Kate Bartuccio saw the True Cost fashion documentary and wanted to be part of a positive shift for the industry.

This brand is women-owned, designed and made, with a bunch of certifications under their belt (pun intended!) from Ethical Clothing Australia to PETA-approved vegan and Climate Neutral.

Denimsmith

Melbourne-made Denimsmith is a collab of Australian designers and makers who just really love quality denim. There’s not a lot of detail on their manufacturing and materials on their website, but they share more about their process and their people on the Denimsmith blog, like that approximately 10 pairs of hands touch each pair of jeans.

They offer a ‘repair and re-wear’ service with the first mend free and anything after only $30. I love that they also use deadstock fabric (destined for landfill or the incinerator) sourced locally.

Featured