The Best Organic Cotton Jeans from Eco-friendly Denim Brands
Jeans are a classic staple of American’s wardrobe. These timeless pants are great for everyday wear and can occasionally be dressed up and worn to a wide range of events.
While jeans are great for practicality, have you ever stopped to consider how jeans are made?
Let's explore the sustainability of denim and meet some brands that are crafting jeans from organic materials.
This post does contain some affiliate links which means The Honest Consumer may receive a commission if you decide to purchase, however, at no additional cost to you!
How are jeans made?
Jeans are made from denim fabric which are basically cotton fibers woven together.
The fabric is created with machines by weaving together vertical and horizontal threads.
After weaving, the fabric is cut and sewn to form jeans. In tune with the current trend, “distressing” is also a common procedure done using sand, stones, shotgun pellets, and potassium acid to give the distressed look.
After this process, washing and drying of the jeans is done multiple times to tone down and prevent the bleeding of the indigo color.
Is the process harmful to the environment?
Denim has an enormous environmental impact, so much so that jeans are one of the least eco-friendly articles of clothing that are produced in the market.
Producing a single pair of jeans requires at least 1800 gallons of water and significant energy use.
As mentioned in previous articles, cotton is one of the most environmentally taxing crops to grow.
Commercially grown cotton requires a large amount of pesticides and a high amount of water consumption.
Although jeans are primarily made from this conventionally produced cotton, it can get worse.
Most times, synthetic fabrics like polyesters are also combined which makes denim even less eco-friendly.
After manufacturing, jeans go through rigorous processes of being treated for dyeing and finishing to give it that indigo blue color.
Even after the dying process, repeated treatments and washing with chemicals like bleach are common to soften or texturize the fabric.
These chemicals make their way to nature through waterways.
Are dyes used in jeans harmful?
The blue color of jeans was originally sourced from the indigo plant. Those days are now long gone and indigo has been replaced by synthetic alternatives.
One in every three jeans produced in the world comes from Xintang in China. By the year 2013, the rivers in Xintang were said to have turned deep blue and foul-smelling.
This was the result of the denim industry dumping chemically loaded water directly into the waterways.
Upon testing, it was found that the water in the river was laden with toxic metals like mercury, copper, lead, and a variety of harsh chemicals.
Workers and residents of the city had reported rashes, and lesions on their bodies from using this water, and some people also believed that it caused infertility. This story is proof enough that the dyes used in manufacturing jeans are extremely toxic.
It's obvious the industry standard has not considered the harmful impact on local communities and human health.
Why are organic jeans a better choice?
In the US alone, people purchase 450 million pairs of jeans every year.
Moreover, people living in the west enjoy their jeans for a cheap price because we don’t have to worry much about the price that is being paid by those living on the other side of the world.
Organic jeans uses organic fabric which translates to not only sustainably grown fabric but also better conditions for people working in the industry. Organic cotton uses less water, energy, and toxic chemicals than conventionally grown cotton.
They also use eco-friendly dyes and water-saving techniques to ensure that eco-friendly denim is produced.
7 Organic Cotton Denim Brands for Sustainable Style
Brands have recently started realizing the importance of manufacturing organic jeans and we now see them popping up in collections from many companies.
Here are four organic cotton denim brands that have known the importance of organic jeans from the beginning.
These brands all also prioritize ethical manufacturing, sustainable practices through out their supply chains, and social responsibility.
Nudie Jeans Organic Cotton Jeans for Men & Women
Nudie Jeans Co doesn’t just offer jeans. With a wear and tear-way of thinking, reuse and repair program Nudie Jeans Co provides and maintains a tradition true to the fabric’s tradition and characteristics.
Founded in Gothenburg in 2001, the Swedish denim company has been recognized for their work with sustainability, both environmental and social.
With a denim selection made from 100% organic cotton and transparent production, Nudie Jeans Co is in the fore edge and has taken a prominent role in the industry’s work for a more sustainable existence.
Conscious consumers can select the length and width of each jean and choose from a variety of styles creating a custom fit and unique look.
They carry jeans for men and women for around $200 a pair.
Toad & Co’s Sustainable Organic Denim
Toad & Co. is an eco-friendly clothing brand using organic cotton, recycled fibers, and other high-quality materials known for low-impact growing and clean manufacturing. They offer organic cotton denim for men and women ranging from $90-$100.
Patagonia's Organic and Recycled Cotton Denim
Patagonia is a brand that most of us trust and love. They have been turning into an eco-friendly brand bit by bit with 64% of their fabrics this season being made with recycled materials.
Some jeans like the women’s straight-fit jeans are made with a blend of regenerative organic certified pilot cotton and recycled cotton.
The jeans from Patagonia are fair trade certified sewn and dyed using the innovative foam process.
You can also find corduroy jeans priced at $89 made of 100% organic cotton 14-wale corduroy.
The price range for their jeans is from $48 to $119.
Taylor Tall's Fair Trade Organic Cotton Jeans
Taylor Tall focuses on made to order clothing crafted with eco-friendly materials. Their jeans feature a fitted waste with a wide leg.
These jeans are made with 100% organic cotton in a fair trade cooperative. Taylor Tall's jeans feature a style that is flattering on a variety of body types.
This sustainable denim brand offers customizations options such as the ability to customize the inseam to find the perfect length.
Ethical shoppers can purchase Taylor Tall's fair trade jeans for women for $185.
prAna's Bold Colored Organic Cotton Denim
Whether you need a slim fit, stretchy jeans, slimmer straight fit, or a high-rise fit organic cotton jeans, prAna is your go-to online store.
From this brand, you can pick out jeans made from colors like gingerbread, blackout, indigo, evergreen, and classic denim.
They provide a wide variety of options for organic cotton jeans with price ranges between $44 to $109 based on the color and fit that you choose.
Some jeans are also available in three in-seam options so that you can choose the length that works best for you.
Reviews mention that these jeans have a superb amount of stretch with some designs designed with spandex to give it even more stretch.
The secret to the stretchability is prAna’s organic cotton performance stretch denim. prAna carries jeans for both men and women along with denim skirts
Etica's Low Impact Dyed Denim
Etica produces ethically made apparel and denim by fit.
As members of the Better cotton initiative, this brand provides many options like stretch denim, high-rise, mid-rise, cropped, straight, skinny jeans, relaxed, and wide-leg jeans.
Jeans from Etica have a premium finish and are priced between $168-$198. The majority portion of the jeans is made of organic cotton, while the rest is made from biodegradable fibers such as Refibra and Tencel.
These are cellulose fibers produced without pesticides, fertilizers, irrigation, or genetic manipulation.
Etica jeans also have sustainable practices such as their low impact wash process as they use 90% less water, 63% less energy, and clean chemical alternatives.
Although most jeans are available in classic denim colors, some designs are also available in other colors such as vintage white and petrified oak.
This ethical fashion brand also has an ongoing fall denim collection which has been made to look modern and authentic!
If you're in the market for new jeans, I encourage you to consider one of the sustainable brands listed above as they are making a positive impact in the fashion industry. Another great sustainable option is to shop secondhand denim.
Hopefully this guide helped give you learn a bit about the supply chain and how jeans are made.
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