While we’re not fond of sunburn, feeling the warmth of the sun on our skin is one of life’s simple pleasures. As we move into Spring, the anticipation of the warmer weather rises and we start thinking about the fun we’re going to have with friends and family during brighter days. Oh what fun we’ll have! Looking stylish too while we’re at it!
Now if you’re anything like us, you’ll want to make sure that your clothes are not only stylish but also sustainably made. In which case, you’ve come to the right place. The history of the t-shirt has some nuance but its role as a medium of expression is undeniable. This is not just about campaigning for something; sometimes you just want to channel a particular aesthetic. We cover the different types of t-shirt styles here. Sustainable values tend to lean towards capsule wardrobes and the consequences can be neutral colours with limited to non-existent graphics. This means that there is often significant convergence in style but we cover brands below that offer variety.
Note that below, we are using Good On You’s ratings as a proxy for sustainability scores. Their ratings are based on publicly available data.
Patagonia
Good On You rating: 4/5
Aesthetic variety: 4/5
T-shirts are often made from organic cotton or recycled fabrics, fabric scraps and recycled bottles. Varieties of t-shirts include brand-name infused illustrations of natural scenery and often adopt a small logo on the front and large print on the back of the t-shirt. Some t-shirts adopt a horizontal stripes/hoops pattern.
Everlane
Good On You rating: 4/5
Aesthetic variety: 2/5
Everlane has set itself a target to have 100% of its materials meet the criteria of being responsibly sourced as well as either certified recycled, organic or renewable. While t-shirts are largely without graphical designs and mostly without patterns, there is a good range of colours for their logo-free t-shirts.
Asket
Good On You rating: 5/5
Aesthetic variety: 1/5
In case you are not aware, Asket are incredibly focused on the concept of a capsule wardrobe such that we can in fact list all of their t-shirt products here:
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The T-shirt
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The Long Sleeve T-shirt
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The Lightweight T-shirt
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The Long Sleeve Pique Polo (Men only)
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The Pique Polo (Men only)
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The Lyocell T-shirt (Women only)
These products are all logo free and without graphical designs meaning that they can go with most other items of clothing although the range of colours is limited. Each fabric is custom-developed from GOTS certified organically farmed cotton and TENCEL™ Lyocell.
Pact
Good On You rating: 4/5
Aesthetic variety: 3/5
Pact is another company that prefers logo-free and graphic-free clothing. It offers more by way of patterns, opting for Breton stripes and other colour combinations. Note that while a large number of clothes are organic cotton, there are some stretch items that contain elastane.
Organic Basics
Good On You rating: 4/5
Aesthetic variety: 3/5
The name of the brand rather gives the game away. It is essentially a brand that sells clothing made from organic materials and basics talks to the nature of their designs (conventional shapes, logo- and graphics-free). There are some interesting colours, however, and note that there are some recycled nylon products.
Tentree
Good On You rating: 4/5
Aesthetic variety: 4/5
With a take-back scheme promoting recycle and re-wear principles as well the option to buy/sell preloved clothing, tentree has a strong sustainability and circular pedigree. Furthermore, its t-shirts offer graphical variety, albeit limited to nature-related imagery.
Community Clothing
Good On You rating: 3/5
Aesthetic variety: 3/5
While the company works towards its goal of becoming circular, at present the company makes products from cotton, wool, linen and nylon in its socks. Community Clothing has the usual basics but with a nice range of stripes, from the familiar Breton to thicker stripes seen on rugby shirts.
Finisterre
Good On You rating: 4/5
Aesthetic variety: 4/5
This brand naturally leans into its roots as a brand for “hardy British surfers” when it comes to the graphics on its tees. The range is rounded with logo-based classics as well as stripes, all of which appear to be made from organic cotton.
Kotn
Good On You rating: 4/5
Aesthetic variety: 2/5
The brand started with the desire to craft the perfect t-shirt. As the name of the brand suggests, there is a deep focus on cotton: Egyptian cotton, Ecotec cotton form part of the material library that also includes linen. Aesthetically, the brand opts for logo- and graphic-free designs.
SKFK
Good On You rating: 4/5
Aesthetic variety: 5/5
This Spanish brand’s name is short for Skunkfunk, a brand born in the 90s streetwear scene and music festivals. This may explain some of the neon colours you see in their designs. Alongside the logo- and graphic-free designs there is genuine variety with some t-shirts seemingly inspired by various prominent artists and artistic styles.
WAWWA
Good On You rating: 4/5
Aesthetic variety: 4/5
The range is limited in terms of quantity yet despite this, there is significant aesthetic variety and not a single graphic-free t-shirt in sight. The brand prints to order on GOTS certified organic cotton.
Pomp
Last but not least! We must admit that our aesthetic variety focuses on essentials: logo- and graphic-free. However, our range is expanding and more will be revealed soon! In the meantime, you can be sure that our sustainability credentials remain high: certified organic cotton clothing which can be returned to us to be recycled into new clothes in line with our circular principles!
