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PROTECT YOUR DNA WITH QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY
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T-shirts are the ultimate wardrobe staple. This versatile and layerable basic has a place in every wardrobe, but if you’re looking for more sustainable tees, where do you even start?
The best basic
If we had to crown a single item of clothing as the best basic, it would be the versatile and ubiquitous t-shirt. Whether paired with jeans or worn under a jumpsuit or slip dress, t-shirts will see you through all outfits, seasons and styles. They make a great starting point for both giving your basics an ethical overhaul and for curating a capsule wardrobe.
What makes a t-shirt more sustainable and ethical?
Most of us will throw our t-shirt on in the morning without a thought about its origins. But as conscious consumers, we need to ask questions like: who made my tee? Were they paid a living wage? And is this item made from lower-impact fabric?
With that in mind, we’ve scoured the planet for more sustainable and ethical t-shirts and rounded up our top brands that meet our rating criteria to be classified as “Good” or “Great” overall.
It’s a long list, so we’ve organised it by country first. Don’t forget you can also search for brands in any category on the Good On You brand directory, where we’ve rated thousands of fashion brands. Let’s go.
The USA + Canada
ALTER X Company
Organic Boxy Scoop – Ships internationally from the US
US brand ALTER X Company crafts apparel that finds its true meaning and potential when a person of purpose decides to be the change they want to see in the world. Each purchase donates 20% to a cause of your choice at checkout.
Find the range in sizes XS-2XL.
FM 669
T102 Little T-Shirt – Ships internationally from the US
FM 669 is a US brand that offers apparel made from homegrown cotton, including t-shirts, tank tops, and long-sleeve shirts. It proudly sources its GOTS-certified cotton from a collective of farms in Texas using regenerative practices, and uses lower-impact dyes in its limited production runs. Its designs are effortlessly wearable, with its laid-back, casual aesthetic in gender-neutral pieces.
Offered in sizes XS-L.
Toad&Co
Toad&Co is a US brand working in a more socially and environmentally minded way. Its women’s and menswear is equally suited for the rigours of the trail or the tavern.
Most items are available in sizes XS-2XL.
Neococo
Formation Tee – Ships internationally from the US
Neococo is a mission-based apparel company founded for the sole purpose of creating jobs for women refugees through the art of hand embroidery. Faced with challenges such as adjusting to a new culture and securing a job, Neococo provides refugees with community and support to make them feel safe and achieve financial independence.
Crafting pieces representing women’s empowerment, find the range in sizes XS-3XL.
LA Relaxed
Bebe Organic Tee – Ships internationally from the US
“Simplicity, sustainability, style” is LA Relaxed’s motto. The brand reduces its climate impact by using renewable energy in its supply chain. It also uses some lower-impact materials, including organic cotton and TENCEL Lyocell.
Find the collection in sizes XS-XL.
Colorful Standard
Classic Organic Tee – Ships internationally from Denmark
Colorful Standard is a Danish clothing brand that makes organic fashion essentials for men and women. The brand doesn’t care much for seasons or trends, instead, it creates timeless and long-lasting products to avoid the downward spiral that is over-consumption.
Find most items in sizes XS-2XL.
ASKET
The Long Sleeve T-Shirt – Ships internationally from Sweden
ASKET has been creating timeless wardrobe essentials since 2015 with revolutionary sizing and fair pricing. The brand disregards seasonal collections, cuts out all the middlemen, and only sells directly to you—putting its entire focus on building a single permanent collection.
Find the range in sizes 2XS-2XL.
CAES
Ribbed Knit Top – Ships internationally from the Netherlands
“Fashion does not have to be fast or seasonal,” says CAES (pronounced like case). The Dutch brand creates timeless, minimalist clothes using lower-impact materials such as Desserto cactus leather, recycled cotton, and Tencel Lyocell. It partly traces its supply chain and has a code of conduct covering some ILO Four Fundamental Freedoms principles.
NIKIN
If you’re the kind of person who likes to wear their morals, look no further than Swiss brand NIKIN. Not only is a tree planted every time you purchase a NIKIN product, you also get to show your tree pride.
Products are available in sizes XS-2XL.
THTC
Hemp T-Shirt – Ships internationally from the UK
THTC is a leader in organic hemp t-shirts, hoodies, socks, caps and other streetwear. It also produced white label ranges for charities, NGOs, and others.
Shop THTC with 10% off (automatically applied at checkout).
WAWWA
UK brand WAWWA aims to make clothing that puts the Earth and its inhabitants first by creating organic, fair trade, and vegan-friendly clothing with a positive social impact. It uses lower-impact materials including recycled materials, lower-impact non-toxic dyes, and reuses its offcuts to minimise textile waste.
Find the range in sizes XS-2XL.
Citizen Wolf
V-Neck Hemp T-Shirt – Ships internationally from Australia
Citizen Wolf uses revolutionary technology to give you high quality custom-fit t-shirts that it guarantees will be the best you’ve ever worn. After capturing your customisations, the brand handmakes each tee in Sydney using certified lower-impact fabrics like cotton, hemp, and Merino wool milled in Melbourne.
Elk
A pioneer of independent Australian design, Elk was founded in Melbourne in 2004. Elk creates bi-annual collections that are informed by a design ethos where simplicity and sustainability meet innovation.
Find most items in AU sizes 6-18.
Etiko
Etiko is an Australian designer of organic fair trade clothing and shoes. The brand constantly sets the bar for upholding and campaigning the human rights of people working in traditionally exploitative industry supply chains.
Find the clothes in AU sizes 8-20, and the shoes in UK sizes 3-13.
Kowtow
Classic T-Shirt – Ships internationally from New Zealand
Kowtow is a New Zealand brand that uses organic, fair trade cotton and non-toxic dyes to produce its clothes. It designs elegant, timeless womenswear, and also has a range of ceramics.
Find the clothes in sizes XS-L.
STAPLE Co
STAPLE Co is an Australian clothing label specialising in premium organic cotton essentials.
See the rating.
The Summer House
Box T-Shirt – Ships internationally from India
The Summer House creates beautiful womenwear in India using locally made, lower-impact fabrics. It also partners with local artisans and NGOs to provide opportunities to those in the region. Look out for its elegant prints and flowing silhouettes.
Find the range in sizes XS-XL.
Shop The Summer House with 15% off (automatically applied at checkout).
SeamsFriendly
Off-White Cotton T-Shirt – Ships internationally from India
Offers
SeamsFriendly – Most Loved Designer Styles
These styles have been custom-made for hundreds of women, each to her exact measurements. Not off-the-rack. Made by artisans, made when you order, made for you. Exclusive 10% off with code SF-GY10 (Ends: 1 SEP)
Checkout code: SF-GY10
SeamsFriendly creates beautiful tailored pieces for all body types. It focuses on function and utility in its designs and uses lower-impact materials like organic cotton and linen. What’s more, shoppers can customise the brand’s designs to their exact preferences—change the neck style, depth, sleeve length, garment length, fabric, and more on anything in its array of clothes.
The brand’s product sizing is customisable (for womenswear: bust size range 26″-70″, waist size range 19″-63″, including petite, regular, and tall heights; and for menswear: chest size 34″ to 76″ and above with free custom sizing) to ensure you always find the perfect fit. There’s a kids range (bust: 18″-28″, waist: 19″-26″) available too.
Shop SeamsFriendly with 10% off (automatically applied at checkout).
No Nasties
Lagoon T-Shirt – Ships internationally from India
Another leader when it comes to responsible fashion, No Nasties makes simple and stylish clothing from Fairtrade organic cotton in India where it is actively working to grow the ethical consumer market.
Find styles in sizes 2XS-3XL.
Editor's note
Feature image via Elk, all other images via brands mentioned. Good On You publishes the world’s most comprehensive ratings of fashion and beauty brands’ impact on people, the planet, and animals. Use the directory to search thousands of rated brands.
We updated this article on 20 August 2025: Our editors frequently make updates to articles to ensure they’re up to date. We refreshed the selection of products in this article to ensure they’re in stock, and from recently rated brands.
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