Last updated on November 25th, 2023 at 08:34 am
If you’ve been waiting for sweater season to wear all the cozy items you’ve knitted, well, it’s here! Not only are fair trade sweaters required this season onwards, but what other kind of sweater would we even consider buying?!
This post looks at sustainable sweaters from brands that care for not just the end product, but also the conditions that created the product. Ethical, eco-friendly, and fair trade principles are top priority for these companies!
Take a look at some eco-friendly winter boots (or eco-friendly slippers if you’re staying at home) to complete your fall/winter style. And check out ethical wool if you’re into knitting!
What Are Sustainable & Fair Trade Sweaters?
These are environmentally sustainable sweaters made by companies that adhere to fair trade principles in their business. The companies use ethical fabric (including, for example, sustainable wool and environmentally friendly dyes), while also treating their employees fairly. This means paying them transparent and fair wages, following legal requirements for work hours, time out, overtime, etc., and helping to empower the entire community instead of exploiting it.
These sweaters are basically the most socially and environmentally responsible sweaters available on earth!
Fair Trade Sweater Brands to Try This Sweater Season
1 // ABLE
Price: Starts from $85
Not only are ABLE’s sweaters made with GOTS-certified organic materials, in lovely shades and styles, but they go the extra mile to take good care of the employees and artisans they work with (in Ethiopia, Mexico, Brazil, and India). The majority of their employees are women, and ABLE publishes their wages on their website.
ABLE uses recyclable packaging.Their sweater line is made of 100% organic cotton, which is traceable from seed to garment. Their vendor operates as a zero waste factory and is GOTS-certified.
THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE DETAILS.
2 // Amour Vert
Price: Starts from $88
Amour Vert means ‘green love’ and, when you look at their ethical fabrics, you know their green love is in place. Also, Amour Vert’s products are mostly manufactured in the US, and they’re very transparent about the working conditions and other vital information.
Amour Vert use 100% organic cotton, lanolin-free baby alpaca, and merino wool for their products. All their material is biodegradable and dyed with non-toxic dyes. Their Tees = Trees program plants one tree for every t-shirt purchased.
3 // Back Beat Co.
Price: $95 and up
Back Beat Co.’s sweaters come in hemp, tencel and organic cotton (all eco-friendly fabrics), with the quintessential LA vibe. The designs are bright and cheery, are “low impact, high comfort,” and many of them will keep you warm even in the coldest of winters (not seen in LA!). The fabrics they use are either recycled or sustainably farmed,
Back Beat Co. uses recycled paper mailers and compostable bags for shipping. They ensure fair working conditions for their employees and partners.
4 // Colorful Standard
Price: Starts from €60
Colorful Standard’s ethical sweaters are made from 100% recycled extra-fine merino wool (certified by the Global Recycled Standard (GRS)). By using recycled wool, Colorful Standard is able to reduce the spinning and dyeing process, which saves water and energy. The dyes are OEKO-Tex certified and 100% environmentally friendly.
Their Portuguese manufacturing center follows European labor standards for ethical labor practices and transparent, fair trade production.
5 // Cuyana
Price: $175–$265
Cuyana is a slow fashion brand with their items ethically made by skilled craftsmen in Europe, South America, China, and the United States. They use sustainable and OEKO-TEX certified materials for their sweaters, and offer warranties and repair options in order to maximize their wear period. They also encourage customers to donate or resell the pieces once you’re done with them.
Cuyana is partnering with ThredUP as part of their Lean Closet program. They encourage “intentional buying” of quality pieces that will last a long time.
6 // NAADAM
Price: $75-$575
Can cashmere ever be ethical? Well, NAADAM thinks so, with their promise of the “world’s fairest cashmere.” Their cashmere is sourced from Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, where NAADAM follows strict ethical practices: they pay fair wages to the herders and also work with the herders to ensure their sheep are well cared for, and that the hand-combing is responsible and cruelty-free. This results in the softest, most sustainable cashmere sweaters. They also used recycled cashmere to make sweaters.
NAADAM uses eco-friendly packaging. They work with anti-desertification programs, local nonprofit work and supplier partnerships committed to ethical and environmental standards.
7 // Outerknown
Price: $118–$498
Outerknown founders Kelly Slater and John Moore appreciate the natural world, having spent so much of their time surfing the oceans. Outerknown uses sustainable materials (organic, recycled or regenerated) and practices to create clothing that lasts. They are accredited with the Fair Labor Association, work with Fair Trade USA, and follow bluesign-certified manufacturing practices.
Outerknown supports several organizations, including Ocean Conservancy. They plan for 100% of their products to be circular by 2030.
8 // Pact
Price: Starts from $85
Pact is a very versatile sustainable wear brand, and when it comes to ethical sweaters they do not disappoint. Their sweaters are made from 100% fair trade organic cotton. Most of their organic cotton is sourced from India, and, for this reason, their fair trade certified factories are also located there. They use water and energy-saving production methods.
Pact accepts your old, used sweaters as donations to their Give Back. Wear Forward program. Simply pack them in the Give Back box that your new Pact sweater came in, and mail it back to them for passing on to charities.
9 // Passion Lilie
Price: $56 onwards
Passion Lilie’s sweaters are made out of 100% organic cotton, and dyed with azo-free, eco dyes. Their printed sweaters are worth a look!
Passion Lilie manufactures their products in India in fair trade factories and local, family-run organizations. They follow fair trade practices, offering fair wages, safe working conditions, health care, and loan opportunities. They also support communities and causes, and donate to several organizations.
10 // Patagonia
Price: $69–$399
Patagonia is a pioneer in the sustainable clothing business, and their sweaters are made from materials such as organic cotton, recycled wool, and recycled fibers such as polyester. 87% of their latest garments utilize recycled materials. They use non-toxic inks to dye the products. Their Worn Wear clothing buyback program repairs, recycles and re-sells worn gear. This is a boon to those of us who cannot afford brand new ethical sweaters; just go there and find something awesome that you can afford!
Patagonia is also a pioneer in transparency (as evidenced by The Footprint Chronicles on their website). They manufacture their products in fair trade factories via responsible supply chains. They also subject their supply chains to regular audits by third-party authorities as well as their own internal teams.
Patagonia encourages volunteers to participate in environmental activism. They have also, over the past year, funded over 1,000 groups that are working on issues from biodiversity loss to climate action.
11 // Reformation
Price: $78–$228
Reformation uses responsibly sourced fabrics such as Tencel, linen and recycled cotton. Their products are ethically manufactured in China and the USA.
Reformation is climate-neutral certified, pays fair wages to their employees, and is committed to low-waste production. Customers can see how much water and carbon is saved during the production of a piece.
12 // Seasalt
Price: £22.50–£79.95
Seasalt is a UK-based company that uses organic, sustainable and recycled materials in their products, including bamboo, cotton and linen. They ethically manufacture their products in China, where they ensure fair wages and safe working conditions.
Seasalt uses plastic-free packaging. The Seasalt Reloved program accepts used Seasalt clothing, and recycles it for sale (it will not end up in the landfill). Seasalt works with several charity partners in the UK, and supports artisans through a bursary.
13 // Sézane
Price: $90–$160
Sézane is a Paris-based ready-to-wear brand that makes long-lasting items with natural and sustainable materials (with several certifications). They have absolutely stunning pieces in their knitwear collection! Their cashmere jumpers are made of recycled fibers, which reduce carbon emissions by 97% compared to conventional cashmere.
Sézane’s pieces are ethically produced in Europe and India. They have a recycling program, they use eco-friendly packaging, and their factories are powered by renewable energy. They also have a philanthropic program, called DEMAIN, that supports thousands of recipients through partner charities.
14 // Summersalt
Price: $65–$125
Summersalt uses recycled and sustainable materials suich as Tencel, cotton, and recycled polyester to make their products. They promise “honest pricing” and follow fair trade processes for their employees and partners. They use eco-friendly packaging, and give back to several organizations.
15 // Synergy
Price: $96–$178
Synergy makes their sweaters with sustainable materials, including organic cotton and wool, spandex, acrylic and recycled polyester. Their garment recycling program gives you, in exchange for your old stuff, a 25% discount on purchases.
Synergy is a certified B-Corp and is a Fair Trade USA partner. They source their certified organic cotton from a fair trade source in India and manufacture in fair trade factories in India and Nepal, employing fair labor practices.
Synergy gives to numerous causes, including schools, art programs and sustainability issues.
16 // tentree
Price: $68–$118
Tentree is a certified B-Corp making affordable fair trade sweaters, among many other outdoor clothing items. They make their sweaters from organic cotton and REPREVE® recycled polyester, with some elastane. And they plant ten trees every time you purchase a sweater from them (hence the name).
Tentree’s products are ethically manufactured in several countries, and they are transparent about the details of each factory. The Factory Ledger lays out where each product was made. They uphold ethical labor rights for all their employees, pay them living wages, provide safe workplaces, and essential insurance coverage.
17 // Thought
Price: £39.95–£74.95
This UK-based brand uses sustainable and organic materials (such as bamboo, GOTS-certified organic cotton and recycled polyester) in their pieces. They upcycle leftover fabric at the source to reduce waste and create new products. They work with TRAID for recycling used clothing. Their eco-friendly practices include using plastic-free packaging and compostable garment bags, and 100% sea freight for transportation.
Thought is committed to ethical fashion and is one of the partners of Common Objective. Thought makes their suppliers and supply chains commit to their Environmental Policy. They work with ethical factories in China, India and Turkey, where they follow fair trade practices.
18 // Universal Standard
Price: $78–$168
Universal Standard is an ethical, size-inclusive fashion brand that uses quality, sustainable materials and fair labor standards to create beautiful, long-lasting pieces. They pride themselves on quality sourcing of their materials (including Peruvian cotton, Italian merino wool, and French satin-back crepe), which make for pieces that last for years.
Universal Standard has upcycling and recycling programs. They give back to several organizations, from recycling programs to supporting women returning to the workforce.
THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE DETAILS.
Care Tips for Long Lasting Sweaters
There’s no point in buying new sweaters every year. The point of being sustainable is to buy items that last as long as possible. That entails buying quality products, and also maintaining them well so they last for years and years. So how do you take good care of a knitted item?
How to care for your beloved knitwear and make them last long? Here are some tips:
- Follow the garment’s care labels. This is the best thing to do when it comes to knowing how to care for the items – including whether to machine-wash or hand wash, whether to dry-clean or not, etc. Ideally, wash the sweater once every four-five wears. Use a mild detergent or soap like Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castille soap. If it’s a woollen item, get it dry cleaned when you feel it’s not so clean anymore.
- Always air dry your sweaters after washing them. Once you have washed your sweater, handle it carefully to avoid stretching of the fibres. Lay it out flat to dry, in the shape of the sweater (don’t stretch it out to a different shape!).
- While storing your sweaters, always keep them folded up. Do not hang them from a hanger. The fibres can stretch while hanging and put the sweater out of shape.
Better yet, store your woollens and knitwear folded and in garment bags. This prevents moth holes.
Read More About Ethical Fashion
Cozy, Ethical Socks for Winter
Eco-friendly Winter Boots for Toasty Feet
Ethical Puffer Jackets for Winter
Sustainable Knitwear Brands in the UK
If you liked this post, please share it with your friends. Thank you!<3
THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE DETAILS.
NOTE: All brand photographs belong to the respective brands/businesses.
Leave a Reply