Essentially the blueprint for how to create a minimalist Scandi organic basics brand. Which presumably is why they went for the ultimate eponymous name. With a mission to create ‘sustainable and better made basics’ they’ve gone from marketing darlings to serious innovators with their latest range of signature tees, socks and boxers for men.

You’ll find organic cotton styles mixed with antibacterial silver yarn and just the right amount of elastane to keep everything in place without any clammy snugness. The sustainable fabrics continue with recycled nylon leggings while they make sure their Turkish and European fabric suppliers and factories are audited, fair paying and transparent. They’re also part of the Sedex not-for-profit organisation that empowers ethical supply chains.

Definitely at the premium end of your everyday basics. Expect regular cut tees in the softest cotton and wicking boxers to keep your balls and the planet feeling good.

organicbasics.com

Know The Origin are best known for as the ethical home for sustainable brands covering Womenswear, Menswear and Homewares. However they do have an own-label range of basics and not-so-basic basics. With Fair-trade and organic cotton tees, including very nice  striped number alongside some zipped hoodies that are all very reasonably priced.

Know The Origin are leaders in total transparency, so when you buy one of their pieces they’ll be able to tell you, and have relationships with everyone along the entire supply chain. From the family farming the cotton plants to the final factory. All safe in the knowledge that it has been fairly traded and made to the highest ethical standards.

This is easy going, wearable essentials for the uncompromising conscious consumer. 

knowtheorigin.com

Bask In The Sun are french. Very french. Not breton top and garlic round the neck french. But South West french. That means black coffee in the morning, long lunches with cold beers and an Atlantic ocean breeze flowing through their locks of tousled hair.

If Bask In The Sun had a haircut it would be that mid-length, sweeping, out-of-bed but not messy, frustratingly good looking haircut that only cool European men seem to be able to achieve/are born with.

Bask In The Sun make grown-up feel-good menswear using premium organic cotton. With medium weight crisp white tees with cute hand-drawn illustrations inspired by the Guéthary area of France the brand was born in. Added into the mix are illustrated French Navy sweatshirts in heavier weight organic cotton and even some rather nice blue oxford shirts.

This is really well made stuff, all locally(ish) made just round the coast in Portugal. So you know the quality is going to be spot on.

The fit is a little closer rather than relaxed - which means that if you’re going for a slightly smarter style with a nod to a lid back life, then Bask In The Sun is a great pick.

Yes, you might be in your mid-thirties but Bask In The Sun is going to keep you smiling and turn a few heads too…

Bask In The Sun

There’s a quote on Outerknown’s website by their Co-founder, John Moore, that perfectly describes Outerknown, “We’re surfers who grew up with surf brands, but we grew out of logos. And we want to wear clothing that’s made better and looks better”

To be honest I could probably leave it there. But in the interest of comprehensive coverage I can also add that sustainability lies as the basis of Outerknown’s existence.

Whether that’s using Econyl for tough-as-nails jackets, or the organic cotton that’s used throughout their entire ranges alongside ethical credentials of Fair Trade certified manufacture - you can be safe in the knowledge that every business decision taken by Outerknown is a conscious one.

The style is grown-up surfer dude with relaxed organic cotton terry sweatshirts and hoodies that come in bold yellows or washed out blues, alongside faded light wash denim in straight leg fits that honestly just want to be paired with bare-feet and preferably a beach bar. Put these alongside really nice mustard, earthy striped tees and plain pocket tees and you have a really solid collection.

Bonus cool points come from buying from a brand that Surfer Kelly Slater founded too. Surf’s up boys.

Knarly.

outerknown.com

Dr Denim say they create affordable staples to live your life in. And they really do! This Swedish brand is the perfect entry point into affordable sustainable fashion, by creating the most valued piece in everyone’s wardrobe - a decent pair of jeans.

Dr Denim has a whole organic range that is happily large. With 4 core fits across indigos, greys and black. There’s a slim tapered fit, a skin tight fit, a cropped straight leg (that’s a touch tapered) and a classic slim straight fit. Roll ‘em up or wear them loose, grab one of their classic plain tees, a pair of vans and you’re sorted.

Now that was easy wasn’t it. Good job Dr Denim. No fuss jeans at no fuss prices.

Ba-da-bing-ba-da-boom.

drdenim.com

Myrka studios is minimalist design without being overly edgy, it’s considered with a touch of interest. It’s formal while staying casual. It’s a terrible phrase to use, but it’s all just quite nice.

The menswear is a fair bit smaller than the women's but it covers some strong foundations. For guys there’s a collarless jacket with a strong minimalist silhouette along with an oversized sweatshirt and classic white tee.

Simple and effective.

Sustainable credentials come from Organic cotton (including recycled) and Tencel fabrics, European sourcing and a move towards genuine circular fashion. Check out there website for more info!

myrkastudios.com

Admired far and wide, Veja are the sustainable sneaker brand that has made its way into the mainstream fashion conscious through impeccable design and planet and people loving principles. If you live in East London right now we’re fairly sure every fifth person and their pet dog is wearing a pair.

Style and substance is the name of the game, the author here can testify that their Veja’s are still going strong after 36 months of daily abuse on the streets of London, Brighton and Sheffield. That includes a fair few nights out that would otherwise be death to a different pair of off-white sneaks.

Covering mens and women’s styles that are of similar kin, Veja designs sit into 3 styles. The classic thick soled everyday one (great for a throw on some jeans vibe), the more pump/achilles one (think well, er, achilles and the sporty runner one (think the retro New Balance design).

Sustainability comes in heaps. Organic cotton is bought directly from farmers using fair-trade principles, soles are made from rubber incorporating natural rubber, natural dyes are used where possible, 1/4 styles are vegan, their logistics are handled by a non-profit that helps vulnerable individuals to find a job and regain social stability, their ethical production comes from a Brazilian factory they’ve used since day 1.

Basically Veja are great.

veja-store.com

Hund Hund have that European 'too cool for school' vibe, only they’re not too cool, they just make sustainable styles that look deceivingly like you just throw it on and instantly become 10x cooler. The brand was founded by a fashion designer and a videographer, so I suppose if it was anything less than incredibly aesthetically pleasing you’d wonder what went wrong!

There’s a masculine androgynous feel to their collections that cover mens and women's. For guys there are cuban collared shirts in oversized fits, coach jackets in soft hues and flannel straight leg trousers in a killer fit.

Hund Hund use natural materials across their collections, including Organic cotton, Tencel and Wool, with much of their sourcing coming from Europe along with production. They also promote their own radical transparency (the phrase first coined by Everlane) to show how much your garment actually cost to make. All good stuff.

hundhund.com

Ekn make everyday shoes with a premium look and feel. Their style is laid back with a touch of class covering mens and women ranges, including Vegan styles. For men, the highlights are chunky soled fashion trainers made with recycled neoprene and vegetable tanned uppers alongside equivalents of Nike Air Force 1’s in earthy tones.

Sustainable shoe credentials start with the whole process being controlled and completed in Portugal using family businesses. With vegetable tanned calf skin leather insoles and lining, soles made from recycled waste product from the sole industry, organic cotton outers, recycled neoprene outers, waxed seams and recycled polyester for stitching.

If you’re looking for a more grown up fashion shoe that protects the planet, Ekn are a great choice.

eknfootwear.com

If you’re into a minimalist urban aesthetic you need Rotholz in your life. This is a modern slow-fashion take on more workwear and streetwear inspired pieces. It’s like taking Folk clothing and Carharrt and adding a dose of sustainable love. It’s not cheap, but it’s all contemporary timeless style with quality that will last years.

Expect to discover woollen flannel shirting, oversized organic cotton hoodies with great striped drawstring detailing, merino knit 1/4 zips and even some loungewear.

Sustainability comes from organic cotton, lots of wool, recycled polyester and Tencel. It's all above-board here with their suppliers having Fair Wear Foundation and GOTS certifications. 

rotholz-store.com

Jann ’n June make minimalist menswear that is more towards wardrobe essentials.

The mens range is a bit small, but it covers your wardrobe foundations. With wide necked sweatshirts, lounge pants, boxy tees and a solid bomber jacket. All coming in understated guy friendly navy, black and greys.

Lots of sustainable fabrics and also Jan ’n June use a single manufacturer in Poland. Which is always a great way of seeing how a brand treats relationships with production and here, there’s evidently a solid and transparent supply chain.

jannjune.com

On the one hand, we shouldn’t like Jungmaven, they stock the classic hemp and tie-dye products that pigeon holed sustainable fashion as only for people leading alternative lifestyles. But the problem is, try as we might, we can’t help but like them. Their ranges all contains some form of hemp, often mixed with organic cotton and thankfully the range goes far beyond the curse of tie-dye.

Jungmaven’s clothing is an array of slightly rugged, honestly casual essentials. Dreamy peach striped sweatshirts, striped tube socks, twill chore/worker jackets (including a popping yellow one) and tees with ‘California Dreamin’ printed on the front with some palm trees.

Jungmaven aren’t trying to be the most fashionable out there. They’re trying to make hemp a sustainable alternative to cotton and they’re making as much as possible in the USA. In doing so they’ve also created a potential wardrobe that transports you to lazy days in sepia-toned California sun. Surfs up.

jungmaven.com

Naadam make really excellent and overly humorous about videos. We recommend visiting their website even if it’s just for that. They also make exceptionally reasonably priced cashmere jumpers. We’re talking £60/$75 for a 100% cashmere jumper, using cashmere sourced directly from Mongolian herders who get a fairer price for one of the softest fibres on the planet.

If we’re being honest, the straight forward camel, black and grey crew-necks are by far the best style Naadam do and is an absolute wardrobe essential must-have. Worth checking out the olive colour too. When you look after cashmere, it will definitely look after you. Cashmere is super soft, super warm and the styles are normally fairly drapey, so expect the fit to be nicely relaxed without looking oversized. Naadam also do a wider range of cashmere hoodies and quarter zips, although these are a slightly older look that what can be achieved with a staple crew-neck.

Naadam sweaters are Cradle to Cradle certified, meaning Naadam can prove to be making their sweaters in a process that optimises for reducing harm to the planet through the materials they source, limiting material waste, using renewable energy, water stewardship and social fairness. Naadam also support over 1,000 herding families in Mongolia and have provided veterinary care to 250,000 cute cashmere goats!

naadam.co

Lyme Terrace are something of an anomaly in the fashion world. A sustainable menswear brand focussed at the mid-range urban workwear aesthetic, with a view to creating slow fashion for men, made in Britain.

Their designs are relaxed, simple, in ash greys, blacks, olives and off-white.Lyme Terrace’s brushed organic cotton shirting with contrast brown cores buttons is the stand out piece from their small but perfectly formed collection. In addition there are easy going organic cotton and recycled sweatshirts and organic cotton and bamboo t-shirts.

With transparent supply chains, the Lyme Terrace guys personally visit all their suppliers - including one Cornish supplier who ‘happens’ to be by a favourite surf spot!

This is high quality, modern, urban workwear. Perfect for hopping on your fixie and heading down to your favourite coffee spot. 

Lyme Terrace

Dedicated are unsurprisingly dedicated to making easy-going printed and embroidered tees and sweatshirts in a wide range of basic, illustrated and fun designs.

A big favourite here is the plush organic cotton lofted fleece hoodies and sweatshirts that look like the perfect style to snuggle up in on a Sunday afternoon.

All of Dedicated’s styles are either organic cotton or Tencel (for some of their shirting) and also happily Fairtrade. It’s a great brand to check out if you’re a ‘throw on a fun tee with some jeans’ kinda person that wants to have a smile here and there rather than searching for the ‘latest look’.

dedicatedbrand.com