11 sustainable denim brands you need to know

Unsure where to find sustainable denim? Feel like your quest for the perfect pair of sustainable jeans is never-ending? You’ve come to the right place! Read on to learn about 10 of the most sustainable denim brands and shops for women and men. From denim made from recycled cotton to Japanese and tailored denim, the perfectly cut and washed jeans are out there waiting for you! Curious? Keep reading!

1. MUD Jeans

DUTCH CIRCULAR DENIM BRAND

MUD Jeans goes hand in hand with circular. This sustainable denim brand is the textbook example of how to combine ethical and transparent production with recycled materials and a slow fashion circular business model. MUD Jeans offers women, men and gender-neutral styles, ranging from skinny jeans to flared jeans, to straighter cuts and wide leg models. It’s basically a one-stop shop where whatever your body shape, you’ll be able to find a timeless pair of sustainable jeans in the perfect style and cut for you. MUD Jeans also has nice pairs of jeans shorts, denim skirts and denim jackets. If you’re in Amsterdam, head to the MUD Jeans flagship store Eerlijk Waar! for a large selection, but you can also score cool MUD Jeans at Brandmission in Amsterdam. Or borrow a pair from the LENA Fashion Library and test them out before buying them! In Breda, buy a nice pair of MUD Jeans at LOYA.

If you’re in Belgium, MUD Jeans are available in Antwerp at Supergoods and HOST, in Ghent and Mechelen at Supergoods, in Leuven at Harvest Club and Freedom in Aalst and Dendermonde and Brooklyn shops. Supermarché in Berlin also sells MUD Jeans.

Discover MUD Jeans here.

2. Kings of Indigo

Sustainable jeans that will fit everyone 

Thanks to Kings of Indigo​’s sustainable denim, you can look stylish and fashionable without having to feel guilty! Their jeans are produced in ethical and environmentally friendly conditions. They’re also very high quality and timeless, meaning you’ll be able to enjoy your Kings of Indigo clothes for a long time. 

This Dutch brand was founded in 2011 by Tony Tonnaer and is now one of the leading sustainable denim brands in Europe. Initially focused on jeans, you can now also buy jumpers, t‑shirts, blouses and jackets from Kings of Indigo! 

Kings of Indigo is available at loads of sustainable shops: in Amsterdam, you’ll find them in Het Faire Oosten, Tally-Ho and Pek & Kleren; In Breda, you will find KOI at LOYA. In Belgium you’ll find a large selection of Kings of Indigo clothes at Café de Nîmes in Aalst en Supergoods in Antwerpen. 

In Berlin in Germany, shop Kings of Indigo clothes at Slow Friday and supermarché, at green guerillas in Düsseldorf and green guerillas Rathenauviertel or green guerillas Südstadt in Köln.

Discover KOI here

3. Nudie Jeans

ENDLESSLY REPAIRABLE JEANS

Nudie Jeans is a beautiful sustainable denim brand from Sweden. This brand for both men and women doesn’t just focus on ethical production (Fair Wear Leader) and environmentally friendly materials (such as organic and recycled cotton), but cares about the entire picture, from displaying the supply chain of each product to care instructions, they do it all! In fact, you can even get your Nudie jeans repaired for free at one of their repair shops. If you get your sustainable pair of jeans from here, it’s clear you’re going to get years and years of wear out of them! 

Would you like to give Nudie Jeans a go? Head to Brandmission, Tally-Ho, or Het Faire Oosten, if you’re in Amsterdam. 

In Belgium, you can shop the men’s collection at César Menswear, the collection for both men and women in Aalst and Dendermonde at Freedom and in Knokke, Bruges, Ostend, Roeselare, Kortrijk and Waregem at Brooklyn.

In Germany you can shop the Nudie Jeans collection at green guerillas in Düsseldorf and green guerillas Rathenauviertel or green guerillas Südstadt in Köln.

Discover Nudie Jeans here

4. Kuyichi

Pioneer in more sustainable denim brand since 2001

Kuyichi is a well-known name in the sustainable denim world. This brand, for both women and men, was founded by the NGO Solidaridad in 2001. Solidaridad had been exploring the cotton industry in Peru and wanted to do something about the pollution and poverty they came across. Kuyichi is the result of this: a brand of fair and environmentally friendly clothing that supports positive change.

They were also the first brand to produce 100% organic denim! Some of their products are no longer 100% organic but that’s because they are using other sustainable alternatives, such as recycled cotton from collected jeans! Looking for a pair of jeans with a truly unique and ethical story? Check out the undyed and unbleached collection!

Kuyichi has also made it a priority to design timeless essentials rather than follow seasonal trends. Are you missing a pair of slim fit, jeans, jeans, tapered fit or wide leg jeans in your wardrobe? 

Buy Kuyichi in Belgium at Café de Nîmes in Aalst and KNAP Concept in Hasselt. Find Kuyichi in the Netherlands, in Amsterdam at Tally-Ho and Brandmission. Or head to LENA Fashion Library to borrow a pair. In Breda shop your Kuyichi bij LOYA.

In Berlin in Germany, find Kuyichi Jeans at Slow Friday and supermarché, green guerillas in Düsseldorf and green guerillas Rathenauviertel or green guerillas Südstadt in Köln.

Discover Kuyichi here

5. Godfrieds

Tailor-made jeans

At Godfrieds jeans from Wakken, you will find the trousers of your dreams! The brand works with high-quality materials. Men can choose between standard jeans or tailored jeans. You can also find a unique jeans jacket or dungarees at Godfried’s. The brand offers a total package from styling, to cutting and stitching and shipping. What makes Godfrieds Jeans so special are the materials Godfried works with. He chooses 100% GOTS-labelled organic cotton from Japan, or 40% BCI-labelled cotton and 60% conventional cotton from a small-scale weaving mill in Italy.

Buy a unique pair of Godfried’s jeans.

6. Armedangels

Sustainable jeans made from organic cotton

Armedangels Jeans is well known for its ​‘DETOXDENIM’, which is this German brand’s way of fighting against the extremely polluting way in which denim is usually produced in the fashion industry. They make sure no dangerous toxins, harmful fertilisers, synthetic pesticides or toxic bleaches are used in their production – great for the planet! In addition to jeans, the Armedangels brand also makes many other items of clothing for men and women, so you’ll be able to get beautiful t‑shirts and shirts to match your sustainable jeans.

Looking for some mom jeans? Or skinny, slim fit, straight or wide leg jeans? 

Head to one of the sustainable stores that sells Armedangels in Belgium and the Netherlands!

In Belgium you can find Armedangels jeans at Paplou in Hasselt, SOFlien in Essen, HOST in Antwerp-Berchem, Moose in the City in Antwerp and Supergoods in Mechelen, Antwerp and Ghent and César Menswear in Mortsel.

In the Netherlands, you can try on Armedangels jeans at Brandmission in Amsterdam and Het Faire Oosten in Amsterdam.

In Germany, shop Armedangels jeans at Rosenblatt & Fabeltiere in Hamburg, Slow Friday in Berlin and HIT​-IN​.TV in Berlin, green guerillas in Düsseldorf and green guerillas Rathenauviertel or green guerillas Südstadt in Köln.

7. Petra de Jonge

Luxury made-to-measure jeans for women

Do you like luxury fashion and clothes that are perfectly tailored to your body? Then Amsterdam-based designer Petra de Jonge is waiting for you with her made-to-measure sustainable jeans! 

To ensure her jeans have some stretch to them, Petra uses a type of elastane made from recycled PET bottles that have been fished out of Amsterdam’s canals. There’s also a collection of unique denim jackets made from worn jeans and leather from old furniture. 

Interested in getting your very own perfect fit jeans or denim jacket, head to Atelier Petra de Jonge Collection & Couture in Amsterdam for your measurements to be taken, and then your custom item made by local talented tailors! 

Discover Petra de Jonge here

8. Edwin

Innovative jeans from Japan

Edwin is an innovative denim brand from Japan. By using exclusive fabrics and unique technology, they make high-quality denim collections for him and her. The brand combines its Japanese background and denim craftsmanship with European, contemporary designs and fits.

Sustainability is their number one priority in several collections and models. For example, by working with organic cotton and natural dyes. All of their jeans, however, do not (yet) benefit from this. Edwin also makes some unique selvedge denim in Japan. 

Find a pair of Edwin sustainable jeans at Freedom in Aalst and Dendermonde, the Brooklyn stores in Knokke, Bruges, Ostend, Roeselare, Kortrijk and Waregem.

9. Natascha von Hirschhausen

Local, unusual and (almost) zero waste denim from Berlin

Looking for unique denim trousers? Nata­scha von Hirsch­hau­sen strives to set the standard for sustainable and mindful design. 

The Berlin brand offers an alternative to mass-production, with a focus on endurance in every facet of the brand. In addition to using quality materials, they produce their entire collection locally and zero waste. Natascha von Hirschhausen reduces the roughly 20 per cent of material that is lost during the cutting process in the conventional fashion industry to less than one per cent.

At Natascha von Hirschhausen, you will also find beautifully designed unisex trousers in a denim fabric. 

Discover them here!

10. format

Comfortable timeless denim

Berlin brand format offers casual, urban clothing made from organic and natural fabrics. The designs exude casual elegance through clean shapes, details and lines. The brand’s commitment to quality and timelessness in design ensure that the collection stands the test of time.

Like all their products, format’s denim trousers are made in their own atelier behind the shop in Berlin. You’ll find different versions, consisting of either a mix of hemp and organic cotton, or 100% organic cotton.

Shop format’s trousers at WESEN in Berlin.

11. HNST Jeans

Jeans made from 56% recycled cotton

HNST Jeans is a Belgian sustainable denim brand which focuses entirely on jeans made with a high percentage of recycled cotton. As their brand name already suggests, they produce honest jeans. Since Spring 2022, they have also started making t‑shirts made from recycled cotton. 

Their jeans are made from 56% recycled content, of which 21% is post-consumer waste (non-reusable old jeans) and 35% is pre-consumer textile waste (leftovers from pattern cutting). HNST don’t stop there though and are always looking for further ways to make their jeans more sustainable and increase the percentage of recycled content. Stay tuned for their collection of jeans, coming soon, which are made from 62% recycled cotton and other collections where special dyeing techniques have been used. The non-recycled content in their clothes is Greek cotton and Tencel. The entire production of HNST Jeans takes place in Europe.

Wondering if there is a pair of sustainable jeans for you in the HNST collection? You can admire all the different models for men and women at the HNST headquarters in Mechelen by appointment or shop at Supergoods in Mechelen, Ghent and Antwerp.

Discover HNST jeans here

Found some new sustainable denim brands thanks to this article? Check out all our COSH! lifestyle blog posts for more inspiration and tips for local and sustainable shopping.