Looking for affordable sustainable clothing brands in the UK? Contrary to popular belief, ethical clothing isn’t always a byword for expensive. Here are my top picks of men’s, women’s, and gender-neutral brands offering ethical clothing lower at more affordable prices.
Something we’re told with increasing frequency is that ethical clothing is expensive. Why shouldn’t it be after all? When we want our clothes to be made ethically by garment professionals paid a living wage, and using sustainable fabrics and processes that don’t harm the planet, that undoubtedly comes at a price.
It’s true that ethical clothing brands can’t compete with the rock-bottom prices of ultra-fast-fashion retailers. The simple truth is that you can’t buy a £2 t-shirt, that has been made using sustainable fabrics by a garment professional paid a living wage, whilst working in safe conditions.
However, you may be surprised to learn that many ethical retailers do actually compete with high-street retailers on price. Many ethical brands are, price-wise, on a similar par with high-street fashion retailers such as Zara, Gap, M&S, and Next, amongst others.
The Affordable Ethical & Sustainable Clothing Brands In The UK To Know
But wondering where to find these more affordable sustainable clothing brands in the UK? Worry not. I’ve done all the leg work for you and rounded up some of the best ethical clothing brands offering more affordable and consciously made ethical fashion for men and women, and in unisex styles.
Use the quick links below to navigate to the sections about each brand, or keep scrolling for the full post:
Yes Friends
- Caters for men (3XS – 4XL and women (UK sizes 6 – 16)
- Available at Yes Friends
With a commitment to making ethical fashion accessible, Yes Friends is a brand to check out if you are on a budget.
This Bristol-based brand makes vegan-friendly wardrobe staples such as T-shirts, hoodies, and sweatshirts from GOTS-certified organic cotton. However, sustainability doesn’t stop at the fabric used. The entire production process is designed to minimise impact on the environment, through using renewable energy and reducing water usage.
People aren’t left out of the equation. All workers in the Yes Friends supply chain are paid living wages, and work in Fairtrade factories, ensuring fair treatment for everyone involved.
T-shirts start at just £12 and hoodies cost around £35 – proving that you don’t have to compromise on ethics when shopping on a budget.
Rapanui
- Caters for men (XS – 2XL and women (UK sizes 8 – 26)
- Available at Rapanui
Isle of Wight-based Rapanui is another great affordable brand championing sustainability.
A leader in circular fashion, Rapanui makes clothes that are designed to be remade. It makes its clothes in solar-powered factories from GOTS-certified organic cotton and non-toxic, water-based inks. And when you’re done with them, its innovative take-back scheme ensures your old clothes are recycled into new ones – keeping textiles out of landfills.
Rapanui hasn’t overlooked people. It works with its partner factories to ensure the fair treatment of workers, safe conditions, and fair pay – including visiting factories in person to make sure standards are being met. And as part of its GOTS certification, the Rapanui supply chain is audited to ensure safe, positive and fair working conditions and pay.
Its collection includes essentials like T-shirts from £20, and hoodies, sweatshirts and trousers from £35.
Dip & Doze
- Caters for men (sizes XS – XL) and women (UK sizes 6 – 24)
- Available at Buy Me Once
Dip & Doze may be better known for its sustainable bedding and towels. However, it’s a little-known secret that it’s a great place to look for sustainable and ethical loungewear and pyjamas on a budget.
This UK brand offers a solid collection of sustainable loungewear. These are ethically made from a blend of GOTS-certified organic cotton and eco-friendly hemp, and are all free from harmful chemicals. What’s more, they are all made in a Fair Wear-certified factory, which guarantees that workers are provided with safe, dignified and properly paid employment.
Find T-shirts for £20, sweatshirts for £35, and trousers under £40.
Use the discount code HIGH5 to get £5 off any order over £60 at Buy Me Once.
Not Basics
- Caters for men (sizes XS – 3XL), women (UK sizes 6 – 22)
- Available at Not Basics
Another top budget-conscious brand to check out is Not Basics. This sustainable independent label breathes new life into unused fabrics, turning deadstock material into comfortable, stylish underwear for men and women. This reduces waste and diverts fabric from landfills.
As well as underwear from deadstock fabrics, Not Basics also makes women’s wardrobe staples from organic cotton – including leggings, tops and t-shirts, sweatshirts and more.
Transparency is key. Most Not Basics garments are ethically produced in SEDEX factories – an ethical trade membership organisation, that works with businesses to improve working conditions in global supply chains. Not Basics also visits its factories to ensure the highest standards of worker welfare and safety, and that workers are paid fairly.
Get 10% off your first order when you sign up for the Not Basics mailing list.
Sassy Spud
- Caters for unisex styles (sizes XS – 2XL)
- Available at Sassy Spud
Sassy Spud is an Irish ethical clothing brand I’ve recently discovered, that makes fun vegan-friendly and organic cotton clothing that’s printed or embroidered to order to minimise waste.
Promising to be 100% sweatshop-free, it makes all of its unisex clothing in Fairwear Foundation-approved factories. This guarantees that workers are provided with safe, dignified and properly paid employment.
Sassy Spud also gives back. 10% of the profits from every order are donated to UK mental health charities, including The Mix, Mind, and Shout, among others.
Find T-shirts for £37, sweatshirts and hoodies under £50, and jogging bottoms under £45. All orders are shipped from the UK, so there are no customs fees.
Plainandsimple
- Caters for men (sizes XS – XXL) and women (UK sizes 4 – 18)
- Available from Plainandsimple
London-based Plainandsimple lives up to its name by offering high-quality sustainable wardrobe essentials designed for everyday wear.
This circular clothing company ethically makes all of its apparel – including t-shirts, hoodies, jumpers and sweatpants – from organic cotton certified by GOTS. It guarantees its factories sustain and promote fair labour practices, safe working conditions and environmental responsibility.
Plainandsimple is also entirely plastic-free. Everything from the threads used to the garment labels are free from plastic. This means your clothes can be recycled or composted once you’re done. Simply send them back to Plainandsimple (for free) for recycling or composting, and you’ll get 15% off your next order.
Find t-shirts from £17, sweatshirts under £50 and more.
Get 10% off your first order when you sign up for the Plainandsimple mailing list.
VO
- Caters for unisex styles (sizes XS – 2XL)
- Available at VO
VO creates 100% vegan-friendly clothing, with designs that feature witty slogans promoting veganism and animal rights.
However, it doesn’t stop there. VO exclusively uses GOTS-certified organic cotton and eco-friendly printing techniques to make its range of slogan T-shirts, hoodies, and sweatshirts. And it donates a portion of its profits to animal rescue charities.
To minimise waste, VO have a robust zero-waste policy. This promises that wherever possible it makes your garments to order, or will be made in small batches that VO know will sell out.
T-shirts are priced around £22 for t-shirts, and hoodies and sweatshirts come in at under £45.
The Spark Company
Sustainable apparel brand The Spark Company uses the power of fashion to promote progressive feminist and LGBTQ+ messages, all with the environment in mind. As such it makes slogan T-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies all from organic cotton.
The Spark Company say “We promise to manufacture ethical products with humane and fair work practices – absolutely no sweatshops or child labour, ever. We also promise to work sustainably and to keep finding more ways to do so. Whether it’s our zero-waste policy, using vegan dyes, or opting for biodegradable packaging.”
Every purchase you make includes a donation to Bloody Good Period – a charity that fights for menstrual equity on behalf of displaced people who are in need of period supplies.
Find t-shirts from £26, and sweatshirts under £45.
Depop
- Caters for all genders and sizes
- Available at Depop
Depop is a handy app-based platform for individuals to buy and sell pre-loved clothing. Shopping second-hand is one of the most sustainable and affordable choices you can make, and Depop’s vast marketplace has something for everyone, from vintage gems to high-street favourites and even luxury brands at lower prices.
Using the app, you can browse a massive variety of clothing, shoes, and accessories, with prices starting from just a few pounds. The app makes it easy to find what you need, whilst reducing waste and the demand for fast fashion.
Depop caters to all ages and sizes, as the inventory depends entirely on its community of sellers. And whether you’re after a vintage jacket, a dress for a special occasion, or an affordable designer bag, Depop makes sustainable fashion accessible and fun.
Vinted
- Caters for all genders and sizes
- Available at Vinted
Vinted is another major player in the second-hand fashion scene, offering an easy-to-use platform where you can buy or sell pre-loved clothing.
The platform features everything from vintage clothing to high-street favourites and designer pieces, catering to a variety of budgets. Prices are set by individual sellers, often starting as low as a couple of pounds, making sustainable shopping more accessible. The extensive selection includes women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing, as well as shoes, bags, and accessories.
Girlfriend Collective
Girlfriend Collective has become synonymous with sustainable activewear, making inclusively-sized high-performance pieces from recycled materials like plastic bottles and discarded fishing nets.
As well as using recycled materials, Girlfriend Collective focuses on transparency and ethical production to ensure that every item is as kind to people as it is to the planet. It uses eco-friendly dyes and operates in SA8000-certified factories, which prioritise fair wages and safe working conditions.
Their collection features leggings, sports bras, shorts, and loungewear, with prices around £35 for shorts, and £32 for sports bras.
Asquith
Asquith produces stylish and ethically made yoga wear and loungewear for women in the finest quality organic cotton and bamboo fabrics. Asquith’s ethos is sportswear without the “sporty” look, so its pieces also make for great, comfortable working-from-home or laidback weekend wear.
Prices start from £35, for stylish sustainable t-shirts and vest tops.
Colorful Standard
- Caters for men, women and unisex styles (sizes XS – 2XL)
- Available from Harvey Nichols
Colorful Standard specialises in organic wardrobe staples for men and women in various colourways. From organic cotton t-shirts to organic cotton hoodies, sweatshirts, jogging bottoms, and more – it’s all here. And although its sold in luxury department store Harvey Nichols, you will be surprised by the prices. T-shirts cost around £30.
Colorful Standard also specialises in recycled merino wool products – from cosy socks, hats, scarves, and jumpers, again, in a riot of different colours. Look out for unisex styles as well.
Frugi
- Caters for women (UK sizes 8 – 22)
- Available at Frugi
Frugi, the ethical kidswear brand, also makes ethical clothing for women. Frugi’s focus is mainly on maternity wear, however, they do offer a small non-maternity range that is bright and fun.
Clothes in Frugi’s adult range are responsibly made from 95% GOTS-certified and Soil Association-certified organic cotton jersey fabric.
Most items cost £55 or under, making the brand a good choice for more affordable sustainable clothing for women.
You can also take 10% off your first order when you sign up for Frugi’s mailing list.
Joha
- Caters for men, women and unisex styles (sizes XS – 2XL)
- Available at AlpineTrek
If you are looking specifically for cosy ethical baselayers, then try Joha, a Scandinavian brand that’s been going for over 50 years. All of its products are made from wool and/or organic cotton – there are no synthetic fibres here.
What’s more, all of Joha’s products have Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification. This means that every component – right down to the thread – has been tested for harmful substances.
For extra peace of mind, Joha also holds Scandinavian independent certification for the responsible sourcing of wool.
Prices start from £22 for cosy baselayer vests, up to £45 for dresses, turtlenecks, cardigans and more at Alpinetrek. Sign up for the Alpinetrek newsletter, and receive £5 off your next order too.
Komodo
- Caters for men and women (sizes S – XL)
- Available at Komodo
As one of the original pioneers of ethical clothing, since 1988 all of Komodo’s products are ethically made from sustainable fabrics. From GOTS-certified and Soil Association-certified organic cotton to linen, Tencel, and hemp. What’s more, they use traditional local manufacturing skills where possible.
Komodo does have some pricier pieces but do look out for stylish tops around the £35 – £45 mark. What’s more, sign up for the Komodo newsletter and get 10% off your first order.
Oxfam Online
- Caters for men’s, women’s and unisex styles (sizes XS – XXXL)
- Available at Oxfam Online
Oxfam has a super collection of second-hand clothes for sale on its website, making it a great accessible and affordable place to track down sustainable clothing from a variety of brands.
This means you don’t have to spend hours wandering around charity shops, where it can be tricky to find exactly what you want.
Instead, grab a cup of tea and peruse their vast secondhand collection, catering for men and women, as well as gender-neutral styles, from the comfort of your sofa. You’ll also get that warm rosy glow knowing that all profits go towards supporting Oxfam’s work on alleviating global poverty.
As with all secondhand clothing sites, the sizes available do vary depending on stock, although they do have big, tall, and plus-size filters to make it easy to find what you are looking for.
Check out my guide on where to buy secondhand clothing online for more secondhand shopping ideas.
Rokit
- Caters for men’s, women’s and unisex styles (sizes XXS to 3XL)
- Available at Rokit
Rokit offers a huge selection of men’s, women’s and unisex vintage clothing online, inclusively catering for sizes XXS to 3XL. Its vast collection of pre-worn vintage & designer secondhand clothes means there is something for everyone. From sports, street, and designer to vintage, whatever your style, Rokit stocks it.
Every item is cleaned and pressed before being added to the web page or sent to the store, meaning no nasty surprises either.
Rokit has also developed its own Rokit Originals Range – a collection of reworked vintage pieces. This gives a new life to old garments and creates new items to be loved over the long term, cleverly keeping old clothes out of landfill.
Get 10% off at Rokit by using the discount code TAKE10 at the checkout.
Silverstick
If you’re specifically looking for ethical hoodies, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and polo shirts for active lifestyles, then Silverstick is the place to go.
Silverstick has put the outdoors and sustainability at the foundation of its clothing, so much so that its motto is “Buy once, wear often, and love forever”. With ethically made men’s and women’s clothes made from high-quality organic cotton fabric and hand-printed with outdoor motifs in eco-friendly inks, you’ll definitely wear them often and love them forever.
Find sustainably produced t-shirts at £28 and under, long-sleeved tops around the £28 mark and sweatshirts no more than £50.
Other Ways to Make Sustainable Fashion Affordable To You
When it comes to sustainable clothing, there are also lots of ways to make your wardrobe more sustainable without spending any money.
Cherish Your Existing Wardrobe
First off, it’s a myth that a sustainable wardrobe is one that is full of ethical and sustainable clothing brands. As I have been saying for 10 years now here on Moral Fibres, the most sustainable item of clothing is the one you already own. You don’t need to throw out all those Primark, H&M or BooHoo pieces to have a sustainable wardrobe.
If you already own fast fashion, slow things down. Instead, commit to wearing what you have over and over again. Mend the items when they need some TLC, and wear them again. And when your clothes come to the end of their life, find ways to reuse or upcycle your clothes. Even if you don’t consider yourself crafty, there are heaps of clever no-sew ways to upcycle clothes for beginners.
Look After Your Clothing
Looking after the clothes we already own really helps to slow down our need to buy new clothes. Simply following the laundry care labels on your clothing can help to make your clothes look newer for longer. See my guide to laundry care labels for help if you are confused by any symbols you don’t recognise.
And as Stella McCartney says, washing your clothes less often also helps keep them looking better for longer. If your clothing isn’t dirty or smelly, consider hanging it up to air, before wearing it again.
If your clothes get stained, I recommend tackling any stain as quickly as you can. This is because the longer your stain sets, the harder it is to remove. I’ve got a complete guide to natural stain removal tips to help you out.
Ask Yourself Will I Wear This Again And Again
When you’re buying new clothes – and regardless of where you are shopping – a top tip is to simply ask yourself “Will I honestly wear this item again and again”.
It hardly sounds revolutionary, however, a survey of 2000 women in the UK found that the majority wore an item of clothing an average of 7 times before discarding it.
To help turn things around, journalist Lucy Siegle coined the idea of “30 wears”. This means that when we buy a new item of clothing, we should commit to wearing it at least 30 times. If you don’t see yourself wearing the item for at least 30 wears, then you should pass on it. Likewise, if an item doesn’t look like it will stand up to repeated washing, then it should be passed on.
Why 30 wears? Repeatedly wearing a piece of clothing works off the clothes’ carbon emissions created during production.
More Budget Friends Ways To Support The Ethical Fashion Movement
I’ve also got lots of other ways to support the ethical fashion movement, even if your wardrobe doesn’t stretch to these more affordable sustainable clothing brands showcased today. From how to responsibly pass on your old clothes, to supporting garment professionals, to having conversations around ethical fashion, there are heaps of ideas that don’t involve spending any money.
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