25 Feb

The 11 Most Ethical and Sustainable Brands from the Netherlands

There’s no denying it: sustainability is becoming increasingly important. More and more people are trying to reduce their impact on the planet and, as a result, a growing number of ethical and sustainable fashion brands are arising to both meet the demand and help change the fashion industry for the better. But which clothing brands are ethical? First, let’s learn about what makes a brand ethical in the first place.

What makes an ethical brand?

Long story short, an ethical brand makes sure it positively impacts on people, the planet, and animals.

An ethical brand ensures its workers are treated fairly across the supply chain. This includes policies and practices on child labour, forced labour, worker safety, the right to join a union, and payment of a living wage.

An ethical brand also cares about its use of resources and energy, reducing its carbon emissions, impact on our waterways, as well as using and disposing of chemicals safely.

Finally, an ethical brand uses no or very few animal products, like wool, leather, fur, angora, down feather, shearling, karakul, and exotic animal skin and hair. Ideally, the brand is 100% vegan!

Now that you know what to look for to determine whether a brand is ethical or not, you might decide to shop from companies located in your country or region. Whether it is to support your local communities or reduce your carbon footprint when shopping online, shopping locally has many great benefits.

So if you live in the Netherlands, you might be wondering which clothing brands are ethical. We know how you feel, which is why we compiled this list of eco-friendly and conscious fashion brands from the Netherlands. These 11 brands have all been rated ‘Good’ or ‘Great’ using our first-class methodology and are amongst our favourites.

Not from the Netherlands? Check out our favourite brands from Europe, Australia and New Zealand, the US and Canada, LA, Germany, France, Italy, London, Switzerland, and the UK.

MUD Jeans

Rated: Great
A man wears navy jeans and a blue top

Dutch denim brand MUD Jeans is all about sustainability. Not only does it offer a repair service, but it also provides a rental service where you can lease a pair of jeans for up to a year. MUD Jeans uses a combination of GOTS certified organic cotton and post-consumer recycled cotton. MUD Jeans are available in a range of sizes, usually from W25 L30-W33 L32 for women and W28 L34-W36 L34 for men.

See the rating.

Shop MUD Jeans.

Shop MUD Jeans @ Labell-D.

Jackalo

Rated: Good
boy wearing jackalo ethical outfit

Jackalo creates organic and ethical playclothes for kids. It uses a high proportion of eco-friendly materials including Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified cotton, and reuses all of its offcuts to minimise textile waste!

See the rating.

Shop Jackalo.

Shop Jackalo @ Cerqular.

Kuyichi

Rated: Great
woman wearing navy kuyichi shirt

Established in 2001, Kuyichi is the first organic denim brand. With ‘Great’ labour and environmental ratings, the brand designs ethical and durable, yet trendy and modern pieces that never go out of style. Sizes XS-L are available.

See the rating.

Shop Kuyichi.

Shop Kuyichi @ Staiy.

Kings of Indigo

Rated: Good

Kings of Indigo makes quality denims, tops, and accessories inspired by American classics with a Japanese eye for detail. The brand uses GOTS organic cotton as well as recycled cotton and wool, and avoids all chemicals from the REACH chemical list. Find sizes XS-L.

See the rating.

Shop Kings of Indigo.

Unrecorded

Rated: Good
image of person in shirt, cardigan and trousers by Unrecorded

Unrecorded is an independent clothing brand from the Netherlands that represents a new wave of unisex brands that are rebelling against the nature of fast fashion. Unrecorded is passionate about style, and produces apparel using eco-friendly materials. Its range includes items that are all year round essentials suitable for any wardrobe, available in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Unrecorded.

Saint Basics

Rated: Great

Saint Basics creates the next generation of vegan eco-basics for people inspired by change. The Dutch brand is fully OEKO-TEX certified and has adopted the GOTS Code of Conduct to protect its workers’ labour rights.

See the rating.

Shop Saint Basics.

A-dam

Rated: Good
funky green ethical boxers by A-dam on a shirtless muscular man wearing a tiger mask

A-dam is a fresh brand with character. It uses a high-proportion of eco-friendly materials, like GOTS certified cotton, and limits the amount of chemicals, water and wastewater used in production.

See the rating.

Shop A-dam.

O My Bag

Rated: Good

O My Bag merges style and a responsible approach, creating vintage inspired, rugged-chic bags made from eco-friendly, high quality materials. The Dutch label also uses low impact and non-toxic dyes in its products.

See the rating.

Shop O My Bag.

Goat Organic Apparel

Rated: Good

Goat Organic Apparel is a no-nonsense brand that features honest and organic apparel. This Dutch brand's motto is “Sustainability is not sustainable if it’s not accessible”, which we love. The brand stocks womenswear, menswear, as well as kidswear and all its collections are vegan.

See the rating.

Shop Goat Organic Apparel.

RVDK

Rated: Good
RVDKBrand dress

RVDK, who is a guest Haute Couture member, offers a positive and ethical high fashion alternative. It creates high-quality, long-lasting products, and uses a high proportion of eco-friendly materials including recycled materials and deadstock. Its use of eco-friendly materials reduces its climate impact and limits the amount of chemicals and water used in production.

See the rating.

Shop RVDK.

Noumenon

Rated: Good

This 100% vegan, PETA-approved fashion brand from Amsterdam started three years ago with the idea to combine “ethics with aesthetics”, and they have certainly succeeded. Noumenon’s pieces are sophisticated and timeless, with elegant cuts, and all made from eco-friendly materials like Tencel (recycled wood pulp). Find the range in sizes 2XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Noumenon.

Want to find more sustainable brands from the Netherlands? Find the best-rated brands near you with the location filter!

Editor's note

Feature image by MUD Jeans, all other images via brands mentioned. Good On You publishes the world’s most comprehensive ratings of fashion brands’ impact on people, the planet and animals. Use our Directory to search more than 2,500 brands. We may earn a commission on sales made using our offer codes or affiliate links.

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