8 Best Places to Buy Ethical Kids Clothing

A parent’s love truly knows no bounds. Everything you do as a mother, father, or grandparent for your children comes from love and concern.

You want to ensure that what they are wearing or playing with is safe for them and not full of toxic chemicals or made by people in distress and poor working conditions. Ethical kid's clothing is good for the environment and the best option to dress your littles in.

Children grow fast, especially in their first two years, and mountains of textile waste come with that. Over 183 million pieces of clothing children have outgrown end up in landfills.

Approximately 120 billion units of packaging go to waste annually, so opting for sustainable brands that offer clothing free of chemicals that come from Fair Trade facilities, offset their carbon emissions, and reduce their impact is key!

Fair Trade and Ethical Kids Clothing Brands

Kids are the center of our world, and it’s natural that you only want the best for them, especially regarding the eco-friendly toys we give them, school supplies, nursery furniture, and even diapers.

Regardless of what you’re shopping for, ensuring it is safe and chemical-free for your child is the utmost priority. Often, clothing bothers little ones' skin and irritates them, especially if they already suffer from eczema.

Navigating sustainable shopping can be challenging. There are so many things to be on the lookout for. To help you, we've got a section at the end of this called how to shop for ethical kid's clothing. It'll make the whole process so much easier.

1. Jazzy Organics

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With modern designs and beautiful colors, Jazzy Organics thoughtfully makes super soft baby clothes from GOTS-certified organic cotton. They have easy-to-change features and have ensured that their organic kid’s clothing is safe for sensitive skin and made with non-toxic materials.

Jazzy Organics has cute designs like orange lions, colorful sea turtles, and adorable hippos. They come in a variety of colors that reviews have raved about, especially their vibrancy of them.

Jazzy Organics — Fabrics and Materials

Jazzy Organics only uses GOTS-certified organic cotton when it comes to their garments. 

Jazzy Organics’ Ethical Sourcing

They use organic farming methods to source their cotton. This means the cotton is never grown from a modified seed and the farmers work without pesticides and fertilizers.

Jazzy Organics’ — Corporate Responsibility

On top of only using organic cotton, they also support Fair Trade practices for their producers in developing countries. This ensures that the workers are paid fair living wages and are protected by labor laws. THEECOHUB10 for 10% off.

2. Mightly

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Mightly is a children's clothing company prioritizing comfort, durability, and sustainability in its designs. They understand that getting dressed in the morning can be a challenge for many kids, so they focus on the needs of children in every step of their design process. As a result, even touch-sensitive kids can feel comfortable and confident in their clothes with flat seams and itch-free labels.

Mightly's — Fabrics and Materials

Mightly's products are certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), ensuring that their cotton is genuinely organic and that every stage of the manufacturing process meets strict safety and environmental standards.

The organic farming practices used by Mightly's cotton suppliers prioritize soil health and reduce water and energy usage by 71% and 62%, respectively, compared to conventional cotton farming methods.

They also use non-toxic dyes in their clothes to promote a healthier environment for children and cotton farming communities.

Mightly's — Ethical Sourcing

Mightly partners with Fair Trade Certified factories that prioritize the health and safety of workers through rigorous social, environmental, and economic standards. For each Fair Trade Certified product sold, Mightly pays an additional Fair Trade Premium directly to the workers who make their clothes.

These workers then democratically allocate the funds to support local projects that address their community's needs, promoting long-term well-being for their families and future generations.

Mightly sources its organic cotton from the Chetna Organic Farmers Association, a farmer-owned non-profit in India that supports smallholder farming families.

Chetna works to create sustainable and profitable farming practices while also addressing poverty in marginalized communities. The organization supports numerous development projects in remote farming villages, including schools, vocational training centers, women's enterprises, and eco-centers.

Mightly's — Corporate Responsibility

Mightly has partnered with RePack to offer customers the option to reduce single-use plastics by choosing reusable shipping mailers. Customers who choose RePack at checkout receive durable, transit-safe bags that can be returned to RePack for cleaning and reuse.

RePack bags replace up to 20 single-use mailers and reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to disposable packaging. Mightly also uses cotton waste paper packaging, a solar-powered process that consumes one-tenth of the wood used in paper production.

Cotton waste is combined with post-consumer textiles to create a pulp that can be used to make various products. Using these sustainable packaging options, Mightly reduces plastic waste and promote eco-friendly practices.

2. Crann Organic

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Inspired by their children having clothing and sensitive skin issues, Crann Organic created kid’s clothing that no longer bothered their kids and others.

This family-owned business started making underwear for their children and has expanded from there. This kids’ sustainable clothing brand sells underwear, sweatshirts, shirts, leggings, sweatpants, and dresses made from non-toxic materials.

They sell items in solid colors like blue, red, and green. They also have adorable patterns that pair with their solid colors, like trees, roses, and fish. All of the styles are unisex, making for some cute family-matching outfits.

Crann Organic — Fabrics and Materials

Crann only uses natural fibers, including GOTS-certified organic cotton, TENCEL™ Lyocell, and TENCEL™ Modal. The clothing is also dyed with eco-friendly and non-toxic dyes.

Crann Organic’s — Ethical Sourcing

The facility that makes the clothing is GOTS-certified, which guarantees that the products are made without pesticides or harmful materials. The Tencel™ Lyocell is made in a closed-loop system, meaning everything used in production is reused.

Crann Organic’s — Corporate Responsibility

Along with ethical manufacturing and sustainable fabrics, Crann Organic is also part of 1% for the Planet.

3. Pact

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Pact loves the environment and has branded itself Earth’s favorite clothing company. It’s no wonder though due to their commitment to only using natural and organic fabrics, and thinking about the environment when it comes to creating the clothing.

They Keep your little ones in the most up-to-date fashion trends in these adorable ethical kids’ clothes. There are tons of options to choose from, everything from underwear and socks to sleepwear and dresses.

Pact has beautiful, sustainable basics for your kiddos and some adorable patterns like their current holiday patterns. They also make it on our lists for ethical bedding, bras, undies, slow fashion brands, and eco socks.

Pact’s — Fabrics and Materials

All children’s clothes are made from Organic Cotton that is GOTS certified, and some items, like the shorts, have 5% elastane in them.

Pact’s — Ethical Sourcing

Pact only works with Fair Trade Certified™ factories to guarantee that the workers are properly compensated for their time and work, have rights that protect them, and also empower communities that live in poverty.

Pact’s c— Corporate Responsibility

Pact cares about its impact on the world, so they have ensured to show how much carbon is offset with each one of its garments.

You will also receive your order in a 98% post-consumer recycled box. You will also notice that when you are shopping for your items, you can see how many Fair Trade Factory employees work at the location your item is made at.

4. Tentree

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Tentree is a prevalent name on The Eco Hub. They are based out of Canada and plant trees with every clothing purchase. You will find them in many of our guides inducing: ethical hats, sweatpants, ethical sweaters, sustainable men's clothing, and Canadian sustainable baby brands — to name a few.

Created in the basement of the founder Kalen, his friend and his brother set out to make clothing in Canada better and with less of an impact. In their kid’s section, you will find many options like hoodies, tee shirts, and accessories for your kids.

The clothing is super stylish and features designs that promote a love for the environment like their collaboration with the Lorax or national geographic collaboration.

Tentree’s — Fabrics and Materials

Tentree uses TENCEL™ Lyocell, recycled polyester, and organic cotton and also features a patch with the brand's logo made from cork. 

Tentree’s — Ethical Sourcing

All the factories Tentree works with are Fair Trade Certified™ and certified with WRAP, BSCI, and SA8000. 

Tentree’s — Corporate Responsibility

Tentree plants trees for every purchase; they are certified as a climate-neutral company. They are also a B-corp Certified company that meets the highest environmental impact standards. To date, Tentree has planted 91,662,817 trees and plans to hit a goal of 1 billion by 2030.

5. Threads 4 Thought

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This company was founded in 2006 and has since worked hard to improve fashion for our planet and people. They have worked hard to change the fashion industry by offering quality products that are organic or recycled and come with certifications to guarantee there is no greenwashing.

Threads 4 Thought makes high-quality basics, the most affordable ethical kid’s clothing. They have pants, baby clothes, and activewear, all in solid patterns or very simple designs.

Threads 4 Thought’s — Fabrics and Materials

Threads 4 Thoughts only uses recycled polyester, GOTS-certified organic cotton, and TENCEL™ modal. The dyes in their fabric are BlueSign® certified, and they use Clean Colour to dye the clothes without harmful chemicals.

Thread 4 Thought’s — Ethical Sourcing

The recycled polyester diverts plastic bottles from landfills and is used to create yarn, the organic cotton comes from an organic field that does not use pesticides or other chemicals, and the TENCEL™ modal fibers are naturally grown in beech wood. They also have four facilities that are Fair Trade Certified.

Thread 4 Thought’s — Corporate Responsibility

All the packaging at Thread 4 Thought is FSC certified, and they are also close to being 100% free of single-use polymer bags with the WAVE bag, which dissolves in water (not rain) and composts naturally even in a landfill. They can also be consumed by animals without threat to them as well.

6. Mate The Label

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This all-women brand thoughtfully creates clothing meant to last a lifetime but also can pair well with anything in your wardrobe thanks to its color palette and timeless styles.

They are local in LA and have longstanding partnerships with garment workers in the area, and the majority of their products are made within 15 km of the office. The ethical kid’s unisex clothes are very simply designed in solid colors like charcoal, rose, natural, and sage. They have sweatshirts, joggers, classic tee’s, and baby onesies.

Mate The Label’s — Fabrics and Materials

The kid’s clothes are made from 100% organic cotton 

Mate The Label’s — Ethical Sourcing

The cotton is grown in Maharashtra, India, and then knitted and dyed in LA. Organic cotton does not use pesticides or other harmful chemicals. The people who grow the cotton are taken care of and work in a safe and fair working environment. 

Mate The Label’s — Corporate Responsibility

Mate The Label does not use plastic in its labels or packaging. They are also circular, meaning they make products that come back and can be recycled and repurposed into something new. They are certified climate neutral and are part of 1% for the planet.

7. Conscious Step

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As a kid, I remember never having to match sustainable socks and losing them to the dryer monster constantly! Have no more fear of not having enough socks for your little one because Conscious Step makes the most incredible socks that are naturally made and help support different causes with every purchase.

You can buy sets of socks or sign up for their subscription box to always get a new product. The socks have super cute designs that align with the cause it supports, like the koala socks that help save koalas or the rainbow socks that help save LGBTQ lives.

Conscious Step — Fabrics and Materials

The socks are made from Fairtrade organic cotton, recycled polyester, and elastane. The toddler size also features silicone grippers for sliding.

Conscious Step — Ethical Sourcing

The cotton is sourced from India and is a non-GMO pesticide, and insecticide-free, the facility is Fair Trade certified and follows minimum wage compliance, and the workers are paid overtime.

Conscious Step — Corporate Responsibility

Conscious Step supports a specific cause with every sock or product they design, featuring candles and sweatshirts. They have 18 causes you can support through their products, such as providing disaster relief, restoring the ocean, fighting for equality, and empowering women.

What To Look For When Shopping for Ethical kids clothing?

Thrifting items remain one of the most sustainable shopping methods, especially with how fast kids grow out of things.

But there is nothing wrong with wanting to buy something new or gifting something new. Remember that how you care for your garments also significantly impacts their lifespan. Washing your children’s clothes in natural laundry detergent or natural baby detergent will keep the fibers from stretching. Here’s how to shop for kid’s clothing:

What kind of fabric and materials are used?

Look for items made from TENCEL™ Lyocell, modal, bamboo, organic cotton, vegan silk, or even hemp. All these fabrics typically come with certifications like GOTS, Fair Trade, OEKO-TEX, or Better Cotton Standard. We tend to avoid nylon and other synthetic materials like spandex.

How are the fabrics sourced?

Are they made naturally in fields without the use of chemicals and toxins? Are the workers safe and paid fairly? Can the fabrics be composted? Are they recycled materials? All these questions are always good ones to ask when shopping for sustainable clothing items.

What is the brand’s corporate responsibility?

What do they do that goes above and beyond just using sustainable materials? Do they make their tags out of compostable or recycled materials or enrich the communities that make their products? Make sure that companies do more than just the bare minimum to be sustainable.

A final word on sustainable kid’s clothing 

Kids are the center of our world, and it’s natural that you only want the best for them, especially regarding the toys we give them, school supplies, nursery furniture, and even diapers.

Regardless of what you’re shopping for, ensuring it is safe and chemical-free for your child is the utmost priority. Often, clothing bothers little ones' skin and irritates them, especially if they are already suffering from eczema. 

This list of clothing is hopefully the only cheat sheet you need for ethical and sustainable children’s clothes. If you loved these brands and maybe found something new for your child to wear, give this blog a like and share!

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