Our Goose Studios run-down of the best sustainable fashion brands from the UK!
Here at Goose Studios, we make more sustainable clothing from organic cotton fabric and partner only with GOTS certified suppliers. Laid-back styles for men and women, including our best-selling organic cotton sweatshirts and supremely soft organic t-shirts, both ready for years of love - it's throw on and smile fashion!
All our designs are created from our sunny Brighton studio and shipped from our Essex warehouse base - so it's fair to say we've got a thing for good old Blighty.
So in honour of the incredible style and sustainability that British fashion brands are giving the world, we thought it only right to give our run down of the best sustainable fashion brands in the UK.
There's something for everyone in this list. So whether you're looking for womenswear or menswear, if you're fashion-conscious, capsule wardrobe-loving or an outdoors rambler who's never far from a fleece, and no matter your budget - there should be a brand that's perfect for you.
If you know of any other brands that you think fit the bill of being a fantastic UK sustainable fashion brand that has a fab contemporary look, then drop us a comment at the bottom of the post!
We absolutely love to hear about other likeminded brands helping to transform the fashion industry in the hope of a more sustainable future.
Right, let's get on with it! Enjoy our list of the 15 best UK sustainable fashion brands!
(All images are property and owned by the respective named brands, please contact info@goosestudios.co.uk for all image enquiries)
$ - Affordable
$$ - Mid Range/Premium
$$$ - High End
1. Finisterre
St Agnes, Cornwall, England
$$
Men + Women
Outdoors / Casual
Based on the wilds of the Cornish coastline, Finisterre are pioneers in ‘Cold Water Surfing’ gear.
Forget Hawaiian shirts and hula skirts, Finisterre create high quality functional and sustainable clothing designed for an outdoors lifestyle around freezing seas and cosy harbour-side pubs. A B-Corp certified business, Finisterre are guided by their 3 founding commitments, to Product, Environment and People.
Pioneers in FC-Free waterproofs, British Bowmont Merino wool and responsible denim. Alongside swimwear made from recycled fishing nets and a range of GOTS certified organic cotton styles, means Finisterre are an authentic leader in sustainable outdoors lifestyle fashion. To top it off they offer an in-house repair service and a range of accessories made from their left-over fabric!
For men and women, expect chunky fisherman knits, stylish insulated jackets, merino base layers and a host of high quality basics for layering. If you’re after a touch of world-leading innovation, check out their True North Range.
2. Birdsong
London, England
$$
Women
Casual / Weekend
Birdsong get it. “Fashion: it’s our own worst enemy, but also our best mate”.
Their range of mainly organic cotton and bamboo womenswear styles hold their own confident aesthetic. Think extra wide leg jumpsuits in a bold pastel palette, Kimono dresses with contrast stitching and tees with super happy illustrated graphics. It feels like the millennials taking slow-fashion and bringing it into the here and now.
Birdsong also have a social mission to connect women, from worker to wearer. It means they work with women’s groups and charities to create their design-led styles, helping to bridge the funding crisis for women’s organisations in their home town on London.
With their ethos of ‘no sweatshops, no Photoshop’ Birdsong are also championing ethical sourcing and the feminist perspective in fashion.
3. Goose Studios
Brighton, England
$
Unisex + Men + Women
Casual / Laid Back
At Goose Studios we make ‘throw on and smile’ sustainable clothing from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton.
Ours are the kind of tees and sweats that are your go-to for nights out, weekend city-break escapes and Sunday hangovers.You know that favourite sweatshirt you’ll literally wear till it falls apart? Yep, that’s what you’ll find with us.
Easy going styles that are ready for years of love!
With our mission to make fashion that doesn’t cost the Earth, Goose Studios is one of the most affordable sustainable options on the market - without compromising ethics or the environment. The majority of our suppliers are Fair Wear foundation members, so you can be safe in the knowledge your fave long sleeve tee has been by workers treated and paid fairly. While our vegan collection offers PETA certified styles, which guarantees no harm to animals in the production of the range.
Bonus sustainable points come from our plastic free packaging.
Expect to find unisex styles in ranges that include minimalist prints on short sleeve and long sleeve tees and super soft hoodies and sweats along with long-lasting basics for your wardrobe essentials.So grab your favourite pair of jeans, choose your favourite Goose Studios style and you’re sorted!
4. Beaumont Organic
Manchester, England
$$
Women
Casual / Office
Made from the softest organic cotton, Beaumont Organic create easy to wear minimalist sustainable womenswear that has a touch of luxury.
Their mission is to create ‘contemporary conscious clothing’ for the modern woman. This translates as a wardrobe of transitional pieces perfect for a strong foundation to your wardrobe. Strong earthy colours in tunic dresses and wide-leg cropped trousers, alongside striped super soft organic cotton jersey tops. Core styles that seamlessly take you from a creative office outfit to laid back weekend style.
The clue is in the name, but the Beaumont range is based in GOTS certified organic cotton, alongside Bamboo, Linen and Wool. Leather items are vegetable tanned from wood bark, fruit and roots rather than toxic chemicals. Meanwhile all of their styles are made in Portugal and Britain, meaning Beaumont have a direct relationship with all their suppliers.
Definitely a more grown-up feel to their aesthetic, Beaumont is a perfect partner for building out a sustainable wardrobe that will see years of love and can be dressed up or dressed down for nearly all occasions.
5. Mayamiko
London, England
$$
Women + Unisex
Weekend / Casual
There’s no getting away from the fact that Mayamiko are good fun. Stylish fun. But good fun.
This is sustainable style that will have you drowning in compliments with plenty of whispers in your ear of “where did you get that?”. Ethically sourced and made in Malawi, Mayamiko reflects its vibrant roots in bold patterned prints in super cute playsuits, jumpsuits and dresses. A great transition to an ethical brand if you’re coming from fast fashion, their patterned cigarette trousers are crying out to be paired with both ankle boots and leather jacket you’ve got in your wardrobe.
All the fun + all the ethics. What’s not to love?
Mayamiko buys all their beautiful fabrics from local cooperatives of women traders and trains and works directly with artisans across Malawi, Sri Lanka and Burma. The bulk of styles coming from their zero-waste workshop in Malawi, where every off-cut is used up.
The Mayamiko range is fairly diverse in terms of styles, prints, fabrics and sourcing. So it's well worth having a good route around their website. From organic cotton denims, to locally sourced prints, to naturally dyed ranges from Sri Lanka. It's bold and bright, and perfect for creating an individual style that's yours.
The local sourcing of fabrics means most styles only have 15-20 pieces available, so it’s always worth a browse of Mayamiko’s new-in styles.
6. Hiut
Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales
$$$
Women + Men
Casual
Sustainable denim with the royal seal of approval. Yes, your highness.
Hiut denim are based in the small town of Cardigan in Wales and aim to do one thing well. That is, make the finest jeans in all the land. So good, even the Duchess of Sussex, aka Rachel Zane from suits, aka Meghan Markle, owns a pair of their ‘The Dina’ skinny fit jeans.
Hiut are restoring a strong jeans heritage in their small town, with each ‘Grandmaster’ making a pair of jeans from start to finish, signing their name in them as a hallmark of an artist finishing their masterpiece.
Their denim is sourced from the finest mills in the world, including a full range of fits in mens styles made from Organic denim. This is serious denim that comes with a serious price tag, but with free repairs for life offered by Hiut, the cost is small for a lifetime of love.
Cuts and aesthetic are perfect for your every-day wardrobe, office and weekend friendly. Styles include on trend skinny high waist jeans for women and loose to skinny cuts for men. Grab your Veja’s and go.
7. Monkee Jeans
Derbyshire, England
$
Men + Women
Casual / Laid Back
Monkee jeans have been leading the way with sustainable denim since 2006, focussed on bringing organic cotton denim to a core collection of mens and womens skinny and slim fits with the addition of wide leg skate fits. Recommended are their Libby straight leg jeans for women in the light wash, with an ankle length to dream of.
A firm believer in Fashion Revolution and having a direct relationship, oversight and responsibility for who and how their products are being made, Monkee Jeans ensure the safety and welfare of their workers and make sure everyone making theirs styles are being paid a living wage.
Added bonus points come from their PETA certification for the vegan seal of approval.Monkee Jeans style is a laid back, skater and converse or front row of the latest indie gig vibe. Super comfy to wear in and great to wear out for days and nights of fun with friends. Monkee jeans is a little ray of sustainable sunshine in the denim world.
8. Riyka
London, England
$$
Women
Casual
Behind womenswear brand Riyka are a wife and husband team from East London with a focus on bold, confident pieces that know their own style.
Inspired by the diverse area of London they live in, Riyka has progressed from focussing on slouchy organic cotton sweatshirts to now releasing organic cord dresses and jumpsuits. All with their signature geometric panelling popping with playful colour.
Sustainability credentials come from fabrics that are all either, GOTS certified organic cotton, end of roll, fair-trade, British made or reclaimed. Their design studio waste is recycled and they’ve worked to make sure their Bulgarian manufacturer commits to the same zero waste standard.
Riyka holds a confident style position that puts boldness right next to versatile styles that cross seasons. Expect the unexpected.
9. Pico
London, England
$$
Women + Men
Basics
PICO produce everyday underwear essentials for men and women in Organic cotton. Traceable from fair-trade farmer co-operatives supplying GOTS certified organic cotton to a fair-trade factory in Southern India.
PICO is beautifully understated, no thrills nor frills. Just a range of super soft, super comfortable underwear. For women there are crop tops, vests, low rise and high waist knickers and full briefs. Whilst for men there is a Trunk Short.
PICO also offer their styles in a range of undyed, unbleached organic cotton fabric - perfect for anyone looking for the lowest impact possible styles, or anyone with skin conditions that benefit from zero chemicals against their skin.
Ethical, sustainable, simple.
10. The Level Collective
Cornwall, England
$$
Men
Casual
The Level Collective is a sustainable menswear brand that manages to marry together functionality, durability and style. It's an expression of what to make when you value products that gain character through age and adventure.
Founded by a very nice chap called Mark, who started off in Sheffield setting up a screen printing business to print organic cotton t-shirts and sweatshirts, with graphics inspired by the adventure of the Peak District on his doorstep.
Since then, Mark has collaborated with famed Sheffield knife makers, moved to Cornwall and collaborated with luggage designer Francli for exceptionally crafted backpacks - as well as expanding horizons to Portuguese manufacturers who create top quality organic overshirts.
It's a range of menswear that balances graphics and subtle colours to create a range of styles perfect for any man who finds themselves between the city and the great outdoors. There's adventure waiting around every corner!
The Level Collective also donate 3% of their annual profits to support charity partners - from providing food parcels to vulnerable families, helping people from disadvantaged backgrounds to access outdoor spaces and conservation charities who help to protect our natural world.
Finally, they also work with London-based Mail Out to send out deliveries. Mail Out are an epic social enterprise offering an ethical fulfilment services. Providing training, employment and well-being support for adults with a learning disability and autism.
11. Paynter
London, England
$$
Women + Men
Casual
Paynter make really rather nice jackets. Workwear fits that fit just right. Made to last from the finest fabrics around with a regular focus on organic cotton.
They're made in family-run factories in Portugal, which Paynter visit regularly to develop both styles and relationships with the people who craft their jackets.
They're also only open 4 days a year and it takes 6 - 8 weeks for delivery.
Paynter use a Made-To-Order that works in batches. For their newsletter subscribers, 4 times a year, you can pay a fabric-deposit and reserve yourself a lovely chore-jacket, carpenter jacket or car coat - there's only one type of jacket available in each batch - each appropriate to the seasonal weather ahead.
Then the joy of clothing really starts. Every week you'll get a video update of how your jacket is progressing, who's making it, where it's being made. You'll grow attached to the people and place where it's made, you'll build up genuine love for a jacket you've never even seen in person.
Then one day your jacket will land at your door, you'll put it on, and you'll likely be hard pressed to ever take it off.
This isn't sustainable fashion. This is slow clothing. And it's really rather nice.
12. Raeburn
London, England
$$$
Men + Women
Street / Casual
Raeburn are primarily interesting. They’re a more high fashion/concept brand that have a collection called REMADE, where they re-use materials. Materials like old silk parachutes, old silk maps, original Russian blankets. Using these materials to create a range of mens and women styles from their East London studio such as anoraks, hoodies, sweatshirts and tunic dresses.
Raeburn is also a collaborative design studio, meaning they work with other brands to create more design-led sustainable capsule collections with them. Recent brands to pass through Raeburn’s doors have been Timberland, Palladium and the ace Finisterre.
The styles tend towards a future utilitarian look, sometimes with a military/outdoors edge, sometimes more streetwear. And it’s also worth noting that Raeburn use organic cotton throughout their collections.
If you really want to get to know Raeburn, you can even book a tour of their studio!
13. Sarah Johnson
Helston, Cornwall, England
$$$
Womens + Unisex
Casual / Minimalist
Sarah Johnson is all about bringing the connection back to the clothing we wear. All made by Sarah and her small team from their studio in Cornwall, only one style is released every month in a limited number of pieces.
In a world where mass-market fashion (even supposedly "conscious styles" from big players) is based on a calendar of trends that change daily, the world of Sarah Johnson is an altogether slower and refreshing approach to sustainable clothing.
Using organic fabrics, corozo nut buttons and natural dyes - with a worthy obsession for indigo dyeing (coming from the indigo leaf, a plant traditionally used to create beautiful indigo blue shades) - every piece is not only functional, but made bespoke for you.
Sarah's styles are loose and relaxed, perfect for creative lives. From overshirts, to chore jackets - drapey linen dresses and corduroy slacks.
When you buy direct from the makers, you're getting full transparency and the knowledge that you're investing not only in quality for yourself, but the craft of the maker.
14. Wawwa
Manchester, England
$$
Unisex / Men / Women
Casual / Laid Back
Wow-wow-wee-wa, no wait, that’t not right - but what is right is pretty much everything about Wawwa. Lets start with the style and get onto the even better stuff.
Wawwa make unisex laid back casual styles that have a definite oversized skater vibe and have recently hit the gorpcore trend too. It’s damn cool with some seriously good cuts and even more exciting fabrics. We're loving the dry-waxed organic cotton that makes a number of Wawwa styles perfect for rainy days staying stylish.
So they've got the style credentials, but what else do Wawwa get up to? Funny you should ask, they pay the living wage, make their styles in Manchester and they’ve been experimenting with a recycled yarn made from recycled plastic bottles and organic cotton offcuts, they’re PETA-Approved Vegan too.
Phew, that’s quite the list. Oh, and they also have 1+1 collection. Where if you buy a beanie hat, scarf or socks, they’ll donate the same to someone homeless. We love it. Wawwa's scarves are also seriously cool - and warm.
15. Riz
London, England
$$
Men
Swim
Riz Boardshorts are a guys best friend at the beach. They make their boardshorts from recycled PET bottles that lived a previous life floating around in the ocean. There’s a happy irony in that they’ll make a return to the ocean when you’re riding/falling off your surfboard!
Riz have you covered for short, mid length, long and all-day board shorts that either come in slightly flamboyant prints, or something more average joe. It’s good of them to think of us all!
Better still when you buy a pair of Riz boardshorts they’ll donate £1 to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) to help support the ongoing efforts to protect our marine world.
Added bonus is from their ‘Rizcycling’ scheme, where once your shorts have played their last innings, you can send them back to Riz for recycling, repairing or re-homing. They’ll even give you 25% off your next pair for doing so.
Top chaps.