8 Stylish and Cozy Sustainable Scarves
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Ah, scarfs, the most underrated fashion accessories but yet the most versatile garment you have. Scarves are not just for keeping you warm in the winter or a cute element to add to your fall jacket… they are for all the seasons, heck you can even wrap them around your purse handle.
Scarves will never go out of style the only thing that can make them better is making them sustainable. Sustainable scarves are going to be your next favorite accessory, not only will you look good, but you’re also going to feel good knowing you’re wearing something that didn’t come with an impact on the environment.
Our Top Recommendations For Sustainable Scarves?
Cozy Sustainable Scarves for all occasions
Do you know what to look for when shopping for a scarf? What certifications should you be on the lookout for? What are the most sustainable fabrics to choose from? Don't worry, we got you covered, at the end of this post we've got a guide on what to be on the lookout for when shopping for sustainable scarves, it'll help so much!
1. Slate + Salt
Slate + Salt was founded by Lyndsay an avid traveler who fell in love with the traditional techniques of the artisans who made the items she was purchasing, this led to the idea of Slate + Salt. As a small batch company, their inventory is constantly changing and there are only limited quantities of the items they offer.
You can shop for their items directly from their website or the Ocelot Market which is a great alternative to Amazon.
There are a lot of scarves to choose from depending on the style you are after and thickness, for a warmer scarf in the winter they have knitted Alpaca scarves, these are long so they can be easily wrapped, and they come in colors like navy, grey, cream, black, and almond.
For something lighter and made for spring or summer the Khmer silk scarves will be your next go-to. They are lightweight and breathable and large enough to unwrap and make a shall if needed, you can grab these in solid colors such as plum or sapphire.
If you are looking for an option between light and heavy the Organic cotton scarf or the Ethiopian silk blend scarf, both featuring a light stripped pattern or a solid color. These retail anywhere between $58 - $140.
Slate + Salt — fabric and materials
Slate + Salt ethically and sustainably sources Himalayan cashmere, organic cotton, Alpaca, Ethiopian silk, and sustainable linen.
Slate + Salt — ethical sourcing
As they are on a mission to improve the lives of rural artisans that live in extreme poverty, Slate + Slate follows the natural and cultural practices from where they gather their materials. They respect the people and the culture and uphold the highest level of Fair Trade practices and organic sourcing of fabrics.
Slate + Salt — corporate responsibility
They are a Fair Trade company that ensures recognition of the work that it takes to make these beautiful products by purchasing products from locals around the world that make the items. They also have transparency throughout the supply chain by informing you of their impact and connecting with the people behind the products. They are also part of The Aspen Institute Artisan Alliance and The Social Enterprise Alliance.
2. Organic Basics
This company focuses on sustainability and applies it to everything they do and is producing its products in Europe. They also have collaborations with other factories that align with their values. Organic Basics started out as an underwear subscription box in 2015 and now has expanded to full bodies, check out their eco-friendly tee shirts!
They make beautifully crafted ethical wool scarves and cashmere ones come in one length that is easy to wrap around if you’re feeling cozy. They come in solid colors which makes this the perfect scarf to pair with your fall capsule wardrobe! The colors are neutrals like tan, crimson, grey, and black and retail for $180 but watch out for sales!
Organic Basics — fabric and materials
They use recycled material from well-worn garments so that they limit their textile waste, they have recycled organic cotton and cashmere.
Organic Basics — ethical sourcing
They source their dyes from natural, non-edible agriculture that would have gone to waste in a landfill, they also utilize recycled materials and small amounts of virgin materials such as nylon. Their products are primarily made in Turkey and Portugal where they use knitters and yarn spinners to naturally create their scarves and 71% of their suppliers are raw materials.
Organic Basics — cooperate responsibility
Organic Basic is part of 1% for the planet in which they donate 1% of their sale to three organizations that are trying to improve the earth. They are also a certified B-corp company that is aiming to reduce its emissions by 50% and plant seeds for regenerative growth with organic cotton.
3. Minna
This brand is a tight-knit team of artists and creators who are queer led which is the guiding light to everything they do at the company.
Minna was founded by Sara Berks back in 2013, some of their core values are honesty, intention, and human… which means that they really care about the people buying their products.
Minna sells one scarf the Dunes Scarf Lilac, which is hand knit by women in Uruguay using manual knit machines and is 100% wool.
The scarf is super warm which makes it perfect for winter weather, it is also really long the dimensions being 20” x 75” so you can wrap it around you and really bundle up.
It has a beautiful abstract pattern with colors that complement each other such as peach, beige, a more vibrant pink, cream, and a slight greeny grey. The scarf typically retails for $265 but be on the lookout for sales because it is currently on sale for $98 (at the time of the article).
Minna — fabrics and materials
All the fabric and materials that Minna uses are collected with consideration for the location it comes from. Minna has hand-spun merino, naturally dyed hand-spun cotton, they also use hand-spun yarn that was made in Uruguay.
Minna — ethical sourcing
Minna sources its wool and cotton from various places in the world such as Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, Uruguay, and Bolivia. The places are chosen for their natural fibres and ability to produce these fabrics and materials, they are also selected due to their culture and the way they handcraft the items Minna sells.
Minna — corporate responsibly
This is a B-Corp-certified company that believes in respecting how raw materials are made in the natural process it takes to create truly sustainable and organic scarves. They apply Fair Trade practices to all their employees, and they employ local artisans in the countries that naturally create their fabric and materials.
4. The Knotty Ones
Created by three best friends growing up in Lithuania, The Knotty Ones pays homage to their roots and the knitwear that their grandmas used to make. They employ over 70 female artisans who live in rural Lithuania and are also passionate about hand-knitted items.
All their pieces are timeless designs that will last through every season, their inspiration comes from their natural surroundings and plays into the colors they use.
They offer two types of scarves a merino wool scarf, and a recycled wool scarf as well. The recycled wool scarf is a great staple piece to go with your winter coat because of how long it is and things fabric that will keep you warm, it features a super cute fringed bottom and comes in two colors, beige, and terracotta.
The merino wool option has three color choices, grey, black, and beige, it is extra wide and it is also long making it perfect to wrap around your layers. This retails for $92 - $123.
The Knotty Ones — fabric and materials
The Knotty Ones only uses OEKO-TEX-certified non-toxic dyes for the colors in their scarves, and their 100% recycled wool scarf is made from used garments in the US that are re-spun. The merino wool is cruelty free and 100% natural.
The Knotty Ones — ethical sourcing
They ensure that their wool is 100% natural that's of Responsible Wool Standards, they also feature on the tags a section about who made your product and a little bit about them.
The Knotty Ones — corporate responsibility
They are part of OEKO-TEX Standard 100, GOTS, and RAS, as well as they, try to create financial independence for all 70 of the female workers they partner with.
5. Tentree
Tentree is another familiar company for The Eco Hub, they are based in Canada and offer sustainable essentials including bras, socks, and backpacks. They pride themselves on creating a lasting impact with their materials and create garments that stand the test of time.
There are five scarves to choose from, two wool woven scarves, a cotton one, a jersey knit style, and a fuzzy one. The two wool woven scarves come in either a blue plaid or a cream scarf with a beige ending that has a fringe at the bottom, these are both thicker scarves and go past the waist.
Both the jersey knit and cotton come in black or a special edition color (cream or a deep brown), these are in the middle for thickenss and are very long. Lastly, the fuzzy scarf comes in oatmeal or fig and is super soft and extremely comfortable, this can also be wrapped due to its length. They retail for $44 - $68.
Tentree — fabric and materials
Tentree uses 100% RWS-certified wool, and organic cotton and they also use recycled nylon and polyester.
Tentree — ethical sourcing
This company sources its materials as responsibly as possible, and the factories they have paired with have to follow strict international labor standards that align with its values. Tentree regularly audits its business to ensure everything is up to standard. They also pay all their worker's fair wages and give equal opportunity to everyone.
Tentree — corporate responsibility
Tentree plants trees when you purchase anything from this shop, to date they have planted 75 million trees. They are also a B-corp-certified company and certified climate neutral which reinforces its commitment to its consumers and the planet.
6. Tonlé
This is one of the best zero-waste fashion brands, they have a circular business model, and all of their clothing is designed from recycled textiles. Tonlé plans to change the way we shop by reducing the exploitative nature of the fashion industry by protecting employees and supporting the people who make their garments.
There are five stunning scarfs to choose from the Maleng is very long, going past the waist, and has four color patterns to choose from, blue, red, yellow, and orange, keep in mind that each piece will vary as it's made from reclaimed yarn.
The Cowl scarf is an infinity scarf that rests right on your collarbone, it has the same colors as the Maleng. The Vihear and scarves fall right in the middle for length and include two solid colors (black and white) and five handwoven colors in orange, green, blue, and grey.
As for transitional scarves, you will want the Nisai or the Rotha, the Nisai comes in four colors (beige, black, white, and grey), and the Rotha has a striped pattern that comes in black, blue, orange, and red. These retail from $45 - $135.
Tonlé — fabric and materials
Tonlé uses reclaimed jersey yearns, and handwoven blends of scraps left over from the production process.
Tonlé — ethical sourcing
This company believes that every scrap of fabric has a purpose which they repurpose to make new items such as an eco-friendly scarf. They collect pre-consumer textiles from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and piece together textiles into new items, any scraps left over from this process are sewn into yarn that is handwoven into other pieces which means it is double recycled.
Tonlé — corporate responsibility
They use Fair Trade practices to ensure that all their workers are craftsmen are not being exploited by the fashion industry. They empower people through fair wages and eliminating systematic stereotypes. They are always trying to eliminate fast fashion from taking advantage of people at the “bottom” and instead attempt to enrich their lives. This company is one of the most innovative brands for recycled clothing.
7. PrAna
This brand embraces earth-conscious designs that believe in giving back to those who make our clothing items. PrAna also uses a circular manufacturing model that ensures there is no textile waste from the products created.
When it comes to scarves PrAna makes wonderfully crafted staples that are easy to pair with as there are six to choose from, each varying in material like TENCEL™ Modal and recycled polyester. The patterns and colors are earth-toned and natural and can be used for any season.
They feature an infinity scarf that is long enough to wrap twice, two thicker scarves (Flora and Karsee), and a traditional scarf (Skylan) that comes in plaid. They retail between $22 - $49.
PrAna — fabric and materials
They use natural dyes in their fabrics, wool, TENCEL™ Modal, Nylon, 100% recycled polyester, hemp, acrylic, and organic cotton.
PrAna — ethical sourcing
When PrAna sources its organic cotton and wool they ensure they follow the five freedoms of animal welfare and are RDS (Responsible Down Standard) certified and also GOTS and OCS certified. They ensure as well, that every employee is treated fairly and gets equal opportunity.
PrAna — corporate responsibility
PrAna is partnered with The Venture Out Project which is a non-profit that takes people of all ages in the queer, trans, and LGBTQ+ community outdoors. They have also partnered with Outdoor Outreach which takes kids and teaches them a variety of new activities like climbing and surfing.
PrAna is a founding member of the OIA Climate Action Corps which means they are committed to measuring and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sharing annual progress.
8. Naadam
You can find Naadam in our list of the best ethical fashion brands they are known for sourcing the world’s best cashmere from the Gobi Desert. They were founded in 2013 by two college friends who traveled to the desert and came back with an understanding and friendship with local herders.
Matt and Diederik cut out the middleman and start selling premium quality clothing for less.
All this makes for one hell of a scarf made from ethical cashmere choose between their solid scarf or the ribbed scarf both come in neutral solid colors like latte, cement, caramel, and smoke.
The Cashmere solid scarf is the widest of the two and the longest in length, great if you are using it to stay warm or as a staple for your outfit. The ribbed scarf is skinnier and makes for a perfect layering scarf. These retail for $145 - $195.
Naadam — fabric and materials
Naadam is incredibly ethical when it comes to the welfare of the animals they collect their cashmere from, and they are also part of the Farm Animal Welfare Committee’s Five Freedoms. They are GOTS, OEKO-TEX®, and Global Recycled Standard certified.
Naadam — ethical sourcing
They work directly with herders so they can pay them fair wages that are in line with the regional wage standards. In order to work for Naadam you must have documented labor and environmental certifications that are verified.
Naadam — corporate responsibility
Nadaam gives back to the community as much as possible by supporting local non-profit work and they support the anti-desertification program. They reduce their impact on the environment by using 100% pre-consumer recycled paper, it’s backed by the Forest Stewardship Council so there is no greenwashing happening here!
What to be on the lookout for when shopping for sustainable scarves?
Here’s what you need to look for when it comes to sustainable scarves, this can also be applied when you thrift your scarves too, just look for the tag and make sure the fabrics are eco-friendly.
What kind of fabric and materials are used?
The best fabrics to be on the lookout for when shopping for scarves are TENCEL™ Lyocell, TENCEL™ Modal, organic cotton, hemp, linen, or anything that bares an organic or recycled certification. To really ensure that your product comes from an ethical source look for certifications Like OEKO-TEX, Better Cotton Standard, GOTS, OCS, or Fairtrade.
How are those fabrics sourced?
Some things to consider when buying ethical fashion are how the materials are produced and where they are manufactured, by whom, and under what conditions. It’s important to know that your fabrics are not coming from sweatshops and that the employees have rights and are paid fair.
What is the brand’s corporate responsibility?
This demonstrates how committed to their values and the standards they have set for themselves; this means they go the extra mile and offset their carbon emissions or worked hard to get certain certifications like B-corp. Do they really do everything they say they do… and then some.
A final thought on sustainable scarves
Whether you’re pairing your scarf with a beanie and mittens in the winter or a sustainable dress in the summer, a scarf is a perfect accessory to tie your look together.
Making sure they are sustainable and ethical is an important aspect of shopping for scarves, sometimes it can be hard to know if your item is really eco-friendly or if some company just claims it is especially with fast fashion brands being so dominant in the market.
Being able to trace where it came from how it gets to you and all the certification in between is the best way to know you’re buying an authentically sustainable garment.
We hope you found this article helpful and that it has sparked some inspiration to get some more use out of your scarves!
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