Buying New Jeans? How About a Pair From One of These Sustainable Denim Brands?

In 2017, French label Sézane debuted its first-ever denim line. For 2020, after listening to customer feedback to improve its offerings, the brand has launched a new line of eco-friendly denim. With a range of essential fits and cuts reimagined and designed to hug in all the right places (and enhance curves), the brand's biggest goal was to overhaul its production process at every step. Now, each pair is made from 100-percent GOTS-certified (Global OrganicTextile Standard) organic cotton that requires two times less water in the production process.

Sézane The Brut Sexy Jeans ($125)

You're surely familiar with Stella McCartney's luxurious handbags, cool sneakers, and minimal-chic clothing. But did you know her brand's ethos is rooted in ethical practices and sustainability? As for her jeans, they're made from organic cotton (and have been 2008!), which uses up to 70 percent less water than conventional cotton, and are void of toxic chemicals. For Fall 2020, the brand, in partnership with Italian manufacturer Candiani, is launching the world's first biodegradable stretch denim made from plant-based yards.

Stella McCartney Blue The Straight Boyfriend Jeans ($530)

You're probably familiar with Everlane's ethical practices, but when it comes to its denim specifically, every style is made at the world's cleanest denim factory, Saitex, which recycles 98 percent of its water, relies on alternative energy sources, repurposes byproducts, and uses innovative air-drying methods to create premium jeans — minus the waste. Its affordable price points are icing on the cake!

Everlane The Cheeky Straight Jean ($78)

Reformation has rigorous fiber standards for every piece it designs (all of which undergo fabric verifications), and the same goes for its jeans. Utilizing natural and recycled fibers like recycled cotton and Tencel Lyocell, its assortments of jeans are perfect if you're after a vintage-inspired look.

Reformation Cynthia High Relaxed Jean ($128)

G-Star Raw is a true leader in the world of sustainable denim, from the brand's responsible supply chain to its sustainable operations and materials. The label's Kir stretch denim organic fabric is the world's first Cradle to Cradle Certified gold stretch denim, which is a follow-up to its first gold denim fabric, which was introduced to the market in February 2018. By investing in sustainable innovation and incorporating it in everything the brand does, its mission is to future-proof denim for more responsible consumption.

G-Star Raw Lhana High Super Skinny Jeans ($170)

Offering a range of wardrobe-essential jeans from skinnies to straight legs and cropped silhouettes, Outland Denim is another leader in sustainable denim. The company was founded as an avenue for the training, employment, and career progression for women who had experienced exploitation with transparent and sustainably driven practices. Headquartered in Australia with a training and production facility in Cambodia, the company carries out innovative, ethical, and environmentally responsible production practices, which earned the brand an A+ score in an external audit by the World Aid Ethical Fashion Report.

Outland Denim Mia Full Length Jeans ($245)

For figure-flattering jeans with menswear influence, look no further than Boyish Jeans. The collection of sustainable women's denim was founded by California native Jordan Nodarse, is made in LA, and utilizes men's fabrics and fits but tailors them for a woman's body. From the brand's commitment to working with a local supply chain to reduce emissions and increase efficiency to the use of nontoxic materials and working toward a zero-waste goal, Boyish delivers on sustainable denim with a cool-as-hell feel.

Boyish The Casey Jeans ($168)

Agolde has quickly become a fashion-girl favorite for premium denim with killer fits, and even better, the brand continues to evolve its sustainable efforts. A sister brand of Citizens of Humanity (a cult favorite!), both labels are manufactured in company-owned facilities (and have been since each of the brand's inceptions) to ensure maximum control over quality and to lessen environment impact.

Getting down to the nitty gritty, both Citizens of Humanity and Agolde implement high-efficiency dye and washing machines, which cut down on water, chemical, and power usage by over 50 percent; use high-efficiency dryers, which use 20 to 30 percent less gas than previous machines; have introduced laser technology, Ozone wash, and E-Flow processes, which cut down on water usage; and have implemented recycled materials during the stone wash process, which greatly reduces the number of stones used.

Agolde Pinch Waist High Rise Kick Jeans ($188)

In Spring 2019, Citizens of Humanity and Agolde took their sustainability efforts a step further with the launch of their Organic Cotton Collections, which are crafted out of 100 percent organic and recycled cotton, and will continue to expand both collections for future seasons to come.

Citizens of Humanity Annina Trouser Jean ($238)

With a mission "to change the industry in every way to represent the inclusive, aware and environmentally conscious customer," according to the company's website, Warp+Weft is a family-run company offering a range of affordably priced jeans (every pair is under $100!) for various heights, sizes, and shapes. Every pair of jeans is made in an eco-friendly mill that is fully compliant with International Social and Environmental & Quality Standards; its process drastically cuts down water usage and incorporates a cutting-edge Dry Ozone technology, which is an alternate to chemical bleach. What's more, the brand is committed to ethical practices, expressed through fair wages, reasonable hours, and positive working conditions.

Warp+Weft Den Plus Slim Bootcut Jean ($97)

You know and love Levi's jeans, but you might not be as familiar with the brand's sustainable practices. The Levi's WaterLess process is the company's sustainable initiative that can reduce up to 96 percent of the water normally used in denim finishing, which is the final stage in making a pair of jeans. So far, Levi's has saved more than three billion liters and recycled more than 1.5 billion liters of water through WaterLess innovations, and as of today, more than 67 percent of all Levi's products are made with WaterLess techniques. It's the brand's goal to hit 80 percent in 2020.

Levi's 501 Skinny Jeans ($98)

If you're a lover of Levi's, then you're definitely familiar with Re/Done, the luxury-denim label that repurposes vintage Levi's denim. By taking apart old silhouettes and putting them back together to create one-of-a-kind, modern fits, this process conserves water, is void of harsh chemicals, cuts down on waste, and ultimately diverts product from ending up in landfills.

Re/Done High Rise Stove Pipe Jeans ($250)

J Brand is a cult-loved denim label who, with full transparency, is slowly transitioning to become a 100-percent sustainable brand over time. Rather than rush its journey (which started in 2018 with a 10-piece sustainable denim capsule collection), over time, it is evolving its processes while maintaining the quality of its product, which includes a proprietary eco wash process, sustainably sourced materials from fabrics to trims (which include recycled cotton, biodegradable Tencel fibers, botanical polyester, recycled thread and hardware, and handtags made from recycled paper), and reduction in waste, chemicals, and water usage.

J Brand Alana High-Rise Cropped Skinny ($228)

Frame's vintage-inspired denim silhouettes are some of our favorites, and now, the London- and LA-based brand has introduced sustainably made versions of its bestselling fits, made from raw materials like 100 percent organic cotton and recycled polyester. Each season, Frame plans to introduce more eco-friendly washes and fits as a means to reduce its environmental impact.

Frame Sustainable Le High Straight Jeans ($215)

If you're an avid Aritzia shopper, then you're privy to the slew of amazing denim brands carried by the retailer, which now includes its own in-house premium denim label, Denim Forum. Every silhouette is inspired by fashion icons and is made from organic cotton that's without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers that can be harmful to the soil, the surrounding environment, and the health of those who produce it.

Denim Forum The Farrah Wide Leg High-Waisted Jean ($110)

Timed to the French label's 20th birthday, Maje entered the sustainable-denim arena in October 2019 with a capsule collection called First Stone as the brand's first step toward more sustainable fashion. How did it do it? By implementing sustainable washing methods and replacing conventional techniques with an eco-friendly process that significantly decreases energy and chemical use, which, in turn, reduces water consumption by up to 95 percent. Maje has also started to use recycled wool in its collections and plans to transition to cotton and viscose packaging and implement more friendly transport for its product for its next steps. For sustainable extra credit, the brand even moved its headquarters in 2018, taking up residence near the Louvre museum in a building renovated in accordance with the French High Quality Environmental Standards.

Maje Cropped Washed Jeans ($265)

Another legacy denim brand changing up its processes, AG launched its Good Karma sustainability initiative, which is rolling out one ethical component at a time in a long-term approach. This includes the use of Ozone technology and friendly lasers (which were updated in 2017), updating dryers to recycle heat, installing solar panels at the AG headquarters and factory, and implementing water-recycled systems in 2019. AG also partners with charitable organizations around the world, including Water For People, where it made a commitment to donate a portion of qualifying purchases to provide clean water to those in need across nine different countries.

AG The Tomas Jeans ($235)

LA-based Ética is one of the only manufacturers fully certified for Global Impact, Clean Industry Practices, and Social Responsibility — a major feat! — offering premium, vintage-inspired jeans with refined fits. Going beyond ethical materials and labor standards, this brand filters factory water and uses it for farmland initiatives, repurposes wash stones by compressing them into bricks to build low-income housing, and has banned the use of single-use plastic utensils, straws, plates, and cups in its company.

Ética Tyler Ankle Jeans ($165)

DL1961 is a vertically integrated company that is able to measure and minimize its energy and resource consumption at every step of the manufacturing process, from spinning the yarn and weaving the fabric to cutting and sewing the garment and washing the final product. The label's denim offerings are made with botanic fibers that are woven in house to create high-retention fabrics for your best fit, as well as staple cotton that meets Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Global Recycled Standard(GRS), Organic Content Standard (OCS), or Recycled Claim Standard (RCS). Also focusing on water conservation, the average pair of DL1961 jeans uses just eight gallons of water to produce, while the average non-sustainably-made pair of jeans uses approximately 1500 gallons.

DL1961 Hepburn High-Rise Wide Leg ($209)

Anther brand giving old jeans new life, East London-based E.L.V. Denim is a Zero Waste brand that crafts new pairs of jeans out of two halves of vintage jeans — a responsible method for making one-of-a-kind jeans and diverting materials from landfills. To wit, the brand works with local factories to keep its carbon footprint to a minimum.

E.L.V. Denim Mid Blue Match Straight Leg Jean ($385)

Zara is doing its part to become more sustainable with the Join Life intuitive, a collection of products — including jeans! — made from more sustainable raw materials such as ecologically grown cotton, Tencel lyocell, or recycled fibers. These garments are produced with technologies that save water and made with processes that allow for reduced emissions and the use of chemicals in production processes.

Zara Mom Fit Jeans ($40)

With goals to conserve 5.5. billion liters of water by 2020, use 100 percent preferred chemistry throughout its supply chain by 2020, use 100 percent organic cotton by 2025, and power all owned and operated facilities with 100 percent renewable energy by 2025, Wrangler's ethics run deep. With an Indigood initiative that focuses on sustainably dyeing denim, the brand takes it a step further with a commitment to an ethical supply chain via The Wrangler Science and Conservation Program, which advocates for land stewardship and soil health, setting forth farming practices that build the soil's capacity to function as a vital ecosystem and sustain plants, animals, and humans.

Wrangler Icons 11WWZ Slim Jean ($119)

H&M is known for its Conscious collection — a selection of organic and sustainable clothing — with a goal to become climate positive throughout its entire value chain by 2040. Current efforts include reduced water usage, a Material Ethics policy, and implementing circularity, which maximizes resources and minimizes waste.

H&M Mom High Ankle Jeans ($30)

AYR — standing for All Year Round — is a brand centered on a less-is-more ethos, designing wardrobe-essential pieces that stand the test of time. Items like its Aloe jean are made from ISKO fabric woven from recycled materials and finished with technology that replaces the use of chemicals and washed using less than one cup of water.

AYR The Aloe Jean ($245)