Quick Key Facts
- Upcycling is the reusing of discarded objects, materials and other waste, for repurposing into something new of higher value and different use.
- Upcycling reduces waste in landfills, where products take forever to break down and emit greenhouse gases while they do. Upcycling plastic in particular also reduces pollution from manufacturing and conserves resources, as it reduces the need for new plastic products.
- Upcycling is more environmentally friendly than recycling, which uses more energy (which means fossil fuels), water and other resources in its processes of breaking down. Recycling also is now found to release large amounts of microplastics into the environment.
- Some things that can be upcycled into other goods are: cardboard, glass, plastic, metal and tin cans, wood, paper, styrofoam and other non-biodegradable packaging, and clothing.
- Upcycling food waste is a process being utilized to create new food and beverage products, as well as others that utilize the oils in wastewater from food processing facilities to make fertilizer, cosmetics, feed and energy, which eliminates the need for wastewater treatment facilities.
- Indirectly, objects that are upcycled help reduce the energy and water needed to manufacture new materials.
- There are companies who are now trying to take care of construction and demolition waste, which amounts to 600 million tons of debris a year with new innovative and functional building design products made with debris.
- Upcycling in the fashion industry is one of its hottest current trends.
What Is Upcycling?
Many of us are familiar with the phrase, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” in terms of sustainability, but it’s become apparent that “Reduce, Reuse, and Repurpose” might be a smarter avenue in terms of reducing waste streams.
Right now globally, 2.12 billion tons of waste is dumped annually. Many industries, particularly textiles, contribute not only to microplastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, but also poisonous gases in the atmosphere.
Doubling down on not always purchasing new things helps to reduce waste and conserve valuable resources.
Upcycling is the process of using items that might be discarded to create a new use for them, often one with higher value. It’s currently being done in fashion, with household items, plastic waste and other areas with creativity and innovation by households and businesses.
History and Evolution of Upcycling
While the term “upcycle” didn’t make its way onto the scene until the 1990s, the concept could be as ancient as the stone tools that prehistoric humans may have reused for both practical and nostalgic reasons.
During World War II, Britain mandated clothes rationing because many supplies were used to produce war uniforms, and about a quarter of the British population was involved in war efforts. As a response, they created a “Make-Do and Mend” campaign to help citizens creatively figure out ways to make their clothes last longer.
Because supplies were so scarce, it became important to repair, recycle and make clothes from scratch. Women couldn’t buy fabric, and often had to resort to using household textiles like curtains and tablecloths. Sometimes parachute silk was used for underwear, nightgowns and wedding dresses.
In the 50s and 60s, upcycling entered the art scene with avant garde artists that will be discussed below.
When the UK faced a major recession in the 80s and 90s, upcycling or “customizing” became popular again, with many youth upcycling second-hand clothes.
The first mention of the term upcycling appears in a 1994 article in the architecture magazine Salvo, where mechanical engineer Reiner Pilz stated, “I call recycling down-cycling. What we need is up-cycling, thanks to which old products are given a higher, not a lower, value.”
The word upcycling then emerged and became popular in 1998 in Gunter Pauli’s book Upcycling: The Road to Zero Emissions, More Jobs, More Income and No Pollution.
Now upcycling is emerging through the lens of climate change, and with concern for how waste impacts the natural environment.
While many are creating an industry around it globally in developed nations, some are introducing it as an industry in developing nations.
Upcycling and the Environment
Upcycling has a number of positive direct and indirect environmental impacts.
First and Foremost, Upcycling Reduces What Ends up in Landfills
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 292 million tons of municipal solid waste was generated in 2018. Of this total only 94 million tons was recycled, 25 million tons was composted, and another 17 million tons of food was managed with other methods.
That still leaves a whopping 152 million tons of waste in the landfills generating greenhouse gases as they slowly break down, and increasing plastic pollution in the environment.
Upcycling Reduces the Extraction of Natural Resources
When you upcycle, you reduce the need to extract raw materials like steel, oil, lumber, forest resources, plastic, natural gas, coal and minerals to create something new. It also reduces the need for synthetic materials which are made from petrochemicals and not readily biodegradable.
It also helps you reduce water use. Textiles and garments alone are the second most water-consuming industry, with every process of manufacturing dependent on it from dyes, specialty chemicals and washing and rinsing.
Upcycling Lowers Carbon Emissions, Because of Less Manufacturing
According to the EPA, in 2019 the industry sector produced 23% of carbon emissions in the processing of raw materials into a finished product.
While recycling is better than going to the landfill, and it produces less greenhouse gas emissions than manufacturing of new materials, it still produces carbon emissions.
Upcycling and the Fashion Industry
Fashion, particularly fast fashion, is one of the largest issues of pollution in landfills.
Globally, about 85% of clothes ends up in landfills or burned. Many of these clothes are not recyclable in the first place, since plastic and synthetic fibers like polyester, nylon and acrylics are made from crude oil, which makes them impossible to reuse in other ways.
An estimated 13 million tons of textile waste a year comes from the manufacturers themselves, as well as retailers with the fashion industry contributing roughly 10% of all global carbon emissions and with plastic fibers in the clothes contributing to microplastic pollution.
Currently, there is a rise in the Zero Waste Fashion sector, with upcycling fashion brands emerging, many of them luxury brands.
In Asia, Cambodian company Tonlé sifts through leftover fabrics from large garment factories, using larger pieces to make new clothes, and smaller pieces for spinning into yarn for new designs. In Hong Kong, the brand Heritage ReFashioned makes luxury handbags with upcycled vintage textiles from China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Their mission is to turn forgotten textiles, like Japanese Kimono silk, into something more valuable.
In New York, Zero Waste Daniel by Daniel Silverstein uses fabric scraps to make custom clothing lines that look like mosaics. Zero Waste Daniel also has a buy back program.
RE/DONE is an online luxury label that features pieces made with reconstructed vintage sweaters, sweatshirts and denim.
Founded by surfer Kelly Slater, the brand Outerknown has a selection of upcycled items that involve upcycled cotton, recycled polyester and other materials. Their other clothing is Blue-sign certified, which means no harmful chemicals are used in its manufacturing process.
There are other more established brands doing upcycled lines.
Patagonia offers ReCrafted, which is clothing made exclusively from Patagonia products that have been brought back to the company through its Worn Wear Program.
Denim brands like Levi’s and Madewell allow customers to return old jeans so that the company can give them new life as something different. Denim collected by Madewell is upcycled into insulation for construction. Levi’s also offers instructions on how to repurpose their denim.
Coach also has (Re)Loved, an initiative in which consumers can shop pre-used Coach bags or even trade in their used bags so that they can be remade into a new design.
Upcycling and Art
In the early 1900s, French artist Marcel Duchamps coined the term “found art” or “ready-mades” where he created art from what was considered trash and other discarded items. This was later adopted widely by other artists in the Dada movement, a European avant-garde movement that emerged during World War I and would eventually give way to the Junk Art Movement of the 1950s.
Artist Robert Rauschenberg was a popular artist on that scene and was best known for making hybrid painting-sculptures he called “combines” out of litter from New York’s city streets – lightbulbs, chairs, tires, umbrellas, street signs and cardboard boxes.
In the 1960s, Franco-American artist Arman created a series called “Accumulations,” where he aggregated trash in airtight glass boxes to comment on a society in which everything seems disposable after a single use.
Contemporary artists have also employed other methods now to comment on the waste crisis through art, like Brazillian artist Vik Muniz, whose artistic project Waste Land used the trash from the world’s largest landfill in Rio to create pieces of art that featured renderings of the garbage pickers, with the goal to sell and donate all the proceeds back to them.
In the end he was able to raise $250,000 that went to the Association of Recycling Pickers of Jardim Gramacho to build houses and improve infrastructure.
Currently the upcycled art movement seeks to specifically help eliminate waste while creating art. One artist, Wim Delvoye, does an intricate carving of tires.
In Canada, artist Angie Quintilla Coates makes reclaimed art pieces like vases and lamp bases out of old plastic shampoo bottles, laundry detergent containers, mouthwash bottles and other items.
Upcycling Food Waste
About 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted annually, with food waste in landfills being one of the leading contributors of greenhouse gases. Upcycling food is one way to help reduce this waste stream.
The Upcycled Food Association (UFA) defines upcycled foods as those that “use ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption, are procured and produced using verifiable supply chains, and have a positive impact on the environment.”
Many companies use imperfect fruits and vegetables that wouldn’t be sold to market as they are, or to create other products like soups, sauces and chutneys. There are a number of brands now that also utilize it to create new food products like veggie chips and other snack foods in beverages.
There have also been a lot of innovations in upcycling food by using food byproducts left over during production.
Specialty spirit Wheyward Spirit utilizes whey, a liquid byproduct of cheese production.
The Supplant Company is creating sugars from fiber and upcycles the fiber-rich structural plant parts from agricultural side streams, such as straw and stalks, as well as cobs of corn, wheat and rice.
They claim it has the same texture and taste as cane sugar in baked goods and other treats. Since the ingredient is made from fiber, it retains certain beneficial fiber-based qualities: it is lower in calories, has a lower glycemic response and is a prebiotic.
The company Take Two makes upcycled barley milk, which is the first plant milk to utilize spent grain, of which over eight billion pounds is wasted annually from beer brewing processes.
Other companies are also creating new products while addressing socio-economic problems.
Australian company Aqua Botanical is working to create drinking water to combat water scarcity, by extracting, filtering and mineralizing the water used from the production of juice concentrate.
In West Africa, Sweet Benin is a company creating cashew apple juice. Only 10 percent of the nearly 280 million pounds of cashew apples are processed in Benin every year, contributing to massive amounts of food waste. In 2018, the company produced 180,000 bottles of cashew apple juice and is working to help cashew farmers supplement their off-season income.
There are many others.
A 2021 study published in Food and Nutrition Sciences revealed that only 10% of consumers are familiar with upcycled food products, but once educated about them, 80% say that they would seek them out.
Upcycling and Architecture
The construction industry accounts for nearly 40% of waste generated globally with an estimated 35% ending up in landfills. It consists of a variety of rejected debris, including concrete, wood, bricks, glass and steel. In 2018, according to the EPA, the U.S. alone created 600 million tons of waste in this sector.
As many seek to be more sustainable, upcycling has also been making its way into architecture through creativity and innovation.
In Las Rasas, Madrid, eco-fashion pioneer Ecoalf and tech design studio Nagami created their Net Zero, Zero waste boutique by 3-D printing the interior with plastics, repurposing more than 33 tons of it. Every wall, shelf and display table inside the store is also made from recycled plastics.
The Sint Oelbert gymnasium school designed by Grosfeld Bekkers van der Velde Architecten is the first permanent structure that utilizes cladding created by Pretty Plastic. Cladding is used on exteriors of buildings to provide thermal insulation and weather resistance, and to improve the appearance of buildings. Pretty Plastic’s shingles use recycled PVC windows and gutters to create products that are wind and waterproof, fire-resistant and capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions.
Scottish start-up Kenoteq has also created the world’s first sustainable bricks. K-Briq are bricks that look and weigh as much as a typical brick and behave like a clay brick in terms of insulation, but are made of 90% construction and demolition waste and emit less than 10% of the carbon emissions of traditional brick production.
The EcoARK, an exhibition hall in Taiwan, is one of the first buildings made with Polli-bricks made from plastic bottles. The Polli-bricks are translucent and have a honeycomb interlocking structure. The building’s Polli-bricks consist of more than 1.5 million plastic bottles.
In 2018, to align with the opening of the NYCxDesign Festival, Zero Waste Bistro, a food pop-up, was created with materials built from recycled food and beverage cartons made by the Rewall Company, which has since been acquired by Continuous Materials, which specializes in making roof coverboards from plastic and paper waste.
Ecobricks are more of a DIY-structured solution, where households and communities can take empty plastic bottles and fill them with clear and dry used plastic waste. The bottles can later be used and built into cement for garden structures or other uses.
Not everyone agrees that this is useful, particularly those who believe that reducing and stopping the use and purchase of plastic is the better solution.
Ideas for Upcycling at Home
One of the great things about upcycling is it allows you to exercise your creativity when trying to create something new. D-I-Y ideas for upcycling items, particularly for the home, are exhaustive and can involve utilizing old jars, paint cans, wine bottles, clothing, broken dishes, old furniture and other objects to make candles, glasses, pendant lights, planters, wreaths, baskets, different furniture and more.
Check out a curated list of some ideas from EcoWatch here.
Here are some more from DIY Craftsy.
Upcycling Clothing
Many things can be done with clothing by either upcycling old clothes into a new outfits by dying, embroidering, turning them into quilts, scrunchies or tote bags, or using them to clean the house.
They could also be turned into more interesting items. Denim, for instance, can be made into coin purses, organizers, jewelry, upholstery and other useful things.
Some people are also using fabric and linens, alongside plastic, to create upcycled zero waste baskets. Here is a tutorial on how to make them.
For the Garden and Yard
Unique upcycling ideas for the yard include upcycled wood pallet planters, used door sheds and windchimes from utensils.
Here is a link to ideas from Sustain My Craft Habit, which says you don’t always just have to limit yourself to what’s at your house — you can also find items at neighborhood yard sales, Facebook Marketplace, Freecycle and thrift stores.
Upcycling Food at Home
There are many ways to use as much as you can, and extend certain products you buy. You can reuse leftover jar juices as marinades or vinaigrettes, turn stale bread into croutons, regrow foods like romaine and onions, to name a few.
Food Scraps as Fertilizer for Plants
Besides composting, certain kitchen scraps can make excellent fertilizer.
Banana peels are filled with potassium that helps plants grow flowers and fruit. You can apply it by liquifying the banana, or letting the peel decompose on the soil. You can also soak the peels overnight in water, and pour the water into the soil.
Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen and other minerals plants like. It’s recommended that grounds be spread on alkaline soil or for acid-loving plants. A list of acid-loving plants can be found here.
Egg shells are an excellent source of calcium which can give plants a great boost. Crush them into a powder-like consistency and sprinkle on soil or around trees.
Upcycling Organizations and Businesses
Upcycled Food Association
An organization that is working to build a food system where all food is elevated to its best and highest use, has members internationally and offers Upcycled certification for products.
Upcycling Group
Collaborates with various entities to offer end-market solutions for waste materials such as LDPE bags and wraps, flexible film packaging, glass, bottles, beverage cartons, mixed plastics, paper, coffee and soda cups, hemp, solar panels and food waste.
Upcycle That
A website dedicated to ideas for what and how to upcycle fabric, glass, leather, metal, paper, plastic, rubber, wax and wood.
Upcycle Africa
An organization focused on re-orienting and re-educating African communities towards a greener future through the process of upcycling, where the community can reduce waste accumulation by transforming useless products, materials or energy into something functional.
Shop Repurpose
A nonprofit organization based in NYC that raises funds to support workforce development through the resale of high-end items in our online and Soho Vintage store.
Freecycle
A grassroots nonprofit movement of people who are giving and getting stuff for free in their own towns to keep good stuff out of landfills.
The post Upcycling 101: Everything You Need to Know appeared first on EcoWatch.
https://www.ecowatch.com/upcycling-facts-ecowatch.html
When the temperatures go up, all I want to reach for is natural fibers — specifically, my linen clothing. There’s nothing quite as breathable or breezy as linen. So in this guide I break down what to know about this quintessential summer fiber, and share my top selections for linen clothing brands. They’re all small to mid-sized brands, mostly women-led!
Some Background on Linen
Where does linen come from?
Linen fiber is extracted from the stalks of flax plants. This plant is also known for providing us with nutritious flaxseeds and linseed oil — talk about an overachiever!
In fact, linen is one of the oldest fibers known to man, dating back to the prehistoric era. Archaeologists and paleobiologists have discovered flax fibers during excavations that were twisted, indicating they were used to make ropes or strings among many proposed applications that must have been a great advantage to the hunter-gatherer society. In fact, linen wrappings were even used for mummification in ancient Egypt.
Linen fabric is then created by obtaining its fibers from the inner bark (or stalks) of the flax plant.
How is the linen cloth made?
Before the fibers are spun into the breezy linen you know and love, its fibers are loosened and separated from the rest of the stalk through a process known as “retting”. At that point, the fibers are still straw-like and coarse in texture.
To soften it, the fibers are broken up into small, short bits, while the actual fiber is left unharmed, and then “scutched”, where the straw is scraped off the fiber. After which they are then pulled through “hackles”, that comb the straw out of the fiber to finally prepare flax for spinning into linen fabric.
And linen clothing is, of course, garments comprised of linen fiber in its entirety or blended with other fibers. For this guide, I tried to select brands that only used 100% linen or at the minimum blended linen with other natural fibers like cotton.
The Benefits of Linen Clothing
Why wear linen? Known for being ideal during the summers, clothing made from linen will allow heat to escape from the body while absorbing moisture and drying relatively quickly. While linen may have a notorious reputation for wrinkling rather quickly, when blended with other fibers, the creases aren’t as discernible as they would be with pure linens.
While linen may be notorious for its high energy consumption owing to its need to be ironed more, linen clothing’s pros easily outweigh its cons.
Flax plants can be grown in the harshest of climate conditions that require minimum water. What’s more impressive is the plant’s ability to absorb carbon. The European Confederation of Flax and Hemp (CELC) states that one hectare of flax absorbs 3.7 tons of CO2 every year.
Is Linen More Sustainable Than Cotton?
While there are benefits and drawbacks to every fiber when it comes to environmental sustainability, there are a few points where linen stands out when compared to cotton.
First, we know that durability is a key aspect of sustainability, because it means our clothes will last, enabling us to keep our clothes longer and buy new clothing less frequently.
So how long does linen clothing last in comparison to cotton? Linen clothing is up to 12 times stronger than cotton, helping increase its longevity and taking away the need to be replaced so often.
Another question might be about flax’s water usage. While the irrigation needs of the crop are dependent on the region’s climate (just as with cotton), 450–750 mm of water per season is sufficient for flaxseed. In fact, some studies even indicate that flax could be regarded as a drought-tolerant crop.
How to Care for Linen Clothing
When it comes to caring for linen clothing, linen can be washed on a gentle machine cycle with a mild detergent. (Check out these low waste low-impact detergent options.)
In case you’re curious whether linen stretches or shrinks, then there isn’t much to worry about. Linen is mostly pre-shrunk during the manufacturing stages but pure linens may show about 4% shrinkage.
And when it comes to stretch, linens aren’t known to stretch out over time but can show some level of elasticity when blended with other fibers.
Finally, it’s no secret that linen clothing tends to wrinkle easily! You may choose to embrace the natural characteristics of linen and wear your linen clothing as is, or if you want a crisper look, you may either want to look for a linen blended fabric, or be prepared to steam and/or iron your garments relatively frequently.
Note: This guide includes partners and/or affiliates. As always, brands must meet high standards for sustainability and ethics — and I only share brands that I believe in.
How to Find Sustainable Linen Clothing
So of course, I’m a big advocate for “secondhand first” when it comes to all fashion, including linen clothing. While your local thrift store might not be filled with 100% linen clothes, online secondhand shops can be a great resource. For luxury and premium brands, Vestiaire Collective and The RealReal. For more affordable options, my favorite pick is ThredUp because you can filter by natural fibers only. To be clear: the listings aren’t always accurate, so I still double check the descriptions of any product that shows up with that filter, but it does save some time to start there.
When looking for new linen clothing, I always prioritize small to mid-size women-led businesses. And I check the product details to see if they use 100% linen or if they’re deceptively saying “linen blend” and then it’s actually 50% polyester!
And while not perfect you can also look for certifications. These are the ones most relevant to linen clothing and linen fashion brands.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certifies that the finished textile product has been tested for harmful substances (heavy metals, formaldehyde, pesticide residue). This is a chemical-safety certification, not a guarantee of fair labor or environmental practices. So it tells you the linen has been tested for potentially toxic chemicals, but it doesn’t tell you who made it or how. Note that some brands just say “OEKO-TEX certified” — that virtually always refers to OEKO-TEX Standard 100, the most common certification from OEKO-TEX.
GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certifies that a textile contains a minimum percentage of certified organic fiber and meets environmental and social criteria through processing. It’s the standard for verifying a fabric is genuinely “organic,” not just marketed that way.
B Corp certifies the company as a whole against social and environmental performance standards (labor, governance, environmental impact). This is a business-level cert, not a product-level one, so it doesn’t speak to any single garment’s materials.
Fair Trade Certified verifies that the specific factory/facility producing the item meets standards for labor conditions, wages, and worker safety, and that a Community Development Premium is paid to workers. It’s a labor and production-facility certification. It doesn’t certify the fabric’s environmental footprint or chemical content (that’s what OEKO-TEX covers), so a garment can carry both certifications and they’re speaking to different things.
Where to Find Eco-Friendly Linen Clothing
I scoured through dozens of brands to find my top picks for brands with sustainably-crafted linen clothing for women (some have men’s clothing too). I’ve included their conscious qualities, what they’re best for, and any caveats so you can make the best decision for yourself. Keep in mind while shopping that 100% linen garments won’t have any stretch — so if you run between sizes, I’d default to sizing up. But of course, check the size chart and reviews for each brand!
1. Linen Handmade Studio
Best for: tailored, elevated linen clothing
A lot of linen clothing can feel quite casual. And while Linen Handmade studio does have relaxed-fit options, what differentiates the brand in my opinion is their tailored options. I often hear from conscious readers that they want to wear natural fibers to work, but they can’t find something nice enough. Enter in: Linen Handmade Studio’s tailored pieces.
The brand has linen blazers and jackets, linen vests, and linen pants elevated enough for work or an evening out. (They even have bridesmaid dresses.) I’ve been wearing their Evelyn Longline Linen Vest in red clay on repeat and gotten so many compliments on it.
Price Range: $68 – $305
Size Range: US 2-18 (runs slightly small, I’d size up!)
Based in: Lithuania | Ships: Internationally; free U.S. shipping on orders $300+
2. MATE
Best for: casual GOTS-certified organic linen clothing
Prioritizing natural non-toxic materials, MATE has a collection of effortless linen shorts, button-downs, and pants made from GOTS-certified organic linen and colored with low-impact dyes.
That means that the color options at MATE are a bit more limited than you might see at other brands. They carry white, black, and “dune” — a soft beige.
I have their organic linen button-down in white and it’s been a reliable staple for me the past two years that’s held up beautifully.
Price Range: $88 – $178
Size Range: XS – XL
Based in: U.S. | Ships: Internationally
3. Linen Fox
Best for: romantic pastoral clothing in trend-forward colors and prints
Linen Fox is a Lithuanian small independent fashion brand — their team of 16 people make all of their linen clothing — including womenswear, menswear, and kids clothes.
The brand’s garments are made from OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified linen fabric. The label follows fair trade principles to production and reduces fabric waste by selling their fabric scraps as samples, and crafting accessories like scrunchies. They also ship in 98% plastic-free packaging.
Price Range: $74 – $187
Size Range: XS – XL (several products fit oversized; check each description!)
Based in: Lithuania | Ships: Internationally
4. Magic Linen
Best for: linen separates plus matching home linens
From classic linen shirts to linen aprons and linen pajamas, Magic Linen is your destination for finding summer-ready sustainable linen clothing for men or women.
The small business’ linen clothing is made with European flax linen certified by OEKO-TEX Standard 100.
The Etsy shop also has plenty of linen home goods — I have linen curtains and bedsheets from Magic Linen and the quality of the fabric has been fantastic, with the sheets holding up well even after years of washing.
Price Range: $93 – $298
Size Range: XS – XXL
Based in: Lithuania | Ships: Internationally
5. Beaumont Organic
Best for: European-made linen clothing with full factory transparency
Looking for breathable garments perfect for your summer getaway to the English countryside or sea? Look no further than Beaumont Organic.
Beaumont Organic is a UK slow fashion brand with garments made from natural fabrics, like flax linen clothing! The brand publishes a directory of the factories they source from — 97% of production takes place in Northern Portugal.
They also have a repair program and are launching a resale program (currently available within the UK only).
Price Range: $211 – $300
Size Range: XS – L
Based in: UK | Ships: Internationally
6. LoveAndConfuse
Best for: feminine style linen clothing
The linen clothing from this lovely small Lithuanian brand on Etsy are truly swoon-worthy!
From wrap dresses to ruffled midi’s to high-waisted linen shorts and linen crop tops, their collection of linen fashion will have you dreaming of a slow travel escape to somewhere warm and sunny.
Price Range: $116 – $225
Size Range: XS – XL
Based in: Lithuania | Ships: Internationally
7. Neu Nomads
Best for: classic linen garments and resortwear
With a mission to create simple, sustainable luxury, Neu Nomads offers quality classics made from earth-minded materials, including 100% OEKO-TEX Standard 100-certified linen.
You’ll find linen trousers, effortless shirts, resort-ready kaftans, and tailored linen blazers in classic colors like white, black, olive, and bright coral.
Price Range: $159 – $359
Size Range: XXS – XXL
Based in: U.S. | Ships: Internationally
8. EILEEN FISHER
Best for: classic linen clothing with circularity programs
Slow fashion brand EILEEN FISHER has elegant, minimalistic garments made from eco-minded fabrics including organic linen. Several of the pieces are made in Fair Trade Certified factories.
This is the largest company on the list, but still considered a medium-sized enterprise — and, of course, this namesake label is woman-founded.
EILEEN FISHER’s organic linen clothing is timeless and made with quality, as part of their circularity efforts. In addition to ensuring their pieces last, the brand also has a resale program called Renew and a “third life” program that repurposes unwearable garments into unique artwork and other goods.
Price Range: $98 – $268
Size Range: XXS – XL
Based in: U.S. | Ships: Within U.S.
Your Questions, Answered:
What about Quince’s linen clothing?
While Quince offers more affordable linen clothing, in my experience their linen clothing is ok quality, but does not compare with the quality of some of the other brands on this list. Also, I personally want to prioritize women-led small businesses for my guides, not venture-backed billion-dollar companies.
Should I look for organic linen clothing?
While organic linen is wonderful, it is quite rare. Only two brands on this list use certified organic linen. Note that OEKO-TEX Standard 100 linen is not “organic” linen, but rather linen clothing that has been tested against common harmful substances. The most common certification for organic fiber clothing is Global Organic Textile Standard, or GOTS.
Is there any linen clothing that’s work-appropriate?
This one depends on your work place’s dress code, but there are a few options on this list with linen blazers, trousers, and other more tailored pieces like Linen Handmade Studio and Neu Nomads.
More Sustainable Clothing Guides:
The Best Organic Cotton Fashion Brands
Actually Fashionable Hemp Clothing Brands
The post 8 Best Linen Clothing Brands With Easy Breezy, Beautiful Pieces appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
9 Best Linen Clothing Brands With Easy Breezy, Beautiful Pieces
Breezy, light, and breathable, we take a deep dive into how one of the best summer fabrics fares when it comes to sustainability while discovering these brands that are doing right by linen.
Some Background on Linen
Where does linen come from?
Linen fiber is extracted from the stalks of flax plants. This plant is also known for providing us with nutritious flaxseeds and linseed oil — talk about an overachiever!
In fact, linen is one of the oldest fibers known to man, dating back to the prehistoric era. Archaeologists and paleobiologists have discovered flax fibers during excavations that were twisted, indicating they were used to make ropes or strings among many proposed applications that must have been a great advantage to the hunter-gatherer society. In fact, linen wrappings were even used for mummification in ancient Egypt.
Linen fabric is then created by obtaining its fibers from the inner bark (or stalks) of the flax plant.
How is the linen cloth made?
Before the fibers are spun into the breezy linen you know and love, its fibers are loosened and separated from the rest of the stalk through a process known as “retting”. At that point, the fibers are still straw-like and coarse in texture.
To soften it, the fibers are broken up into small, short bits, while the actual fiber is left unharmed, and then “scutched”, where the straw is scraped off the fiber. After which they are then pulled through “hackles”, that comb the straw out of the fiber to finally prepare flax for spinning into linen fabric.
And linen clothing is, of course, garments comprised of linen fiber in its entirety or blended with other fibers. For this guide, I tried to select brands that only used 100% linen or at the minimum blended linen with other natural fibers like cotton.
The Benefits of Linen Clothing
Why wear linen? Known for being ideal during the summers, clothing made from linen will allow heat to escape from the body while absorbing moisture and drying relatively quickly. While linen may have a notorious reputation for wrinkling rather quickly, when blended with other fibers, the creases aren’t as discernible as they would be with pure linens.
While linen may be notorious for its high energy consumption owing to its need to be ironed more, linen clothing’s pros easily outweigh its cons.
Flax plants can be grown in the harshest of climate conditions that require minimum water. What’s more impressive is the plant’s ability to absorb carbon. The European Confederation of Flax and Hemp (CELC) states that one hectare of flax absorbs 3.7 tons of CO2 every year.
Is Linen More Sustainable Than Cotton?
While there are benefits and drawbacks to every fiber when it comes to environmental sustainability, there are a few points where linen stands out when compared to cotton.
First, we know that durability is a key aspect of sustainability, because it means our clothes will last, enabling us to keep our clothes longer and buy new clothing less frequently.
So how long does linen clothing last in comparison to cotton? Linen clothing is up to 12 times stronger than cotton, helping increase its longevity and taking away the need to be replaced so often.
Another question might be about flax’s water usage. While the irrigation needs of the crop are dependent on the region’s climate (just as with cotton), 450–750 mm of water per season is sufficient for flaxseed. In fact, some studies even indicate that flax could be regarded as a drought-tolerant crop.
How to Care for Linen Clothing
When it comes to caring for linen clothing, linen can be washed on a gentle machine cycle with a mild detergent. (Check out these low waste low-impact detergent options.)
In case you’re curious whether linen stretches or shrinks, then there isn’t much to worry about. Linen is mostly pre-shrunk during the manufacturing stages but pure linens may show about 4% shrinkage.
And when it comes to stretch, linens aren’t known to stretch out over time but can show some level of elasticity when blended with other fibers.
Finally, it’s no secret that linen clothing tends to wrinkle easily! You may choose to embrace the natural characteristics of linen and wear your linen clothing as is, or if you want a crisper look, you may either want to look for a linen blended fabric, or be prepared to steam and/or iron your garments relatively frequently.
Note: This guide includes partners and/or affiliates. As always, brands must meet high standards for sustainability and ethics — and I only share brands that I believe in.
How to Find Sustainable Linen Clothing
So of course, I’m a big advocate for “secondhand first” when it comes to all fashion, including linen clothing. While your local thrift store might not be filled with 100% linen clothes, online secondhand shops can be a great resource. For luxury and premium brands, Vestiaire Collective and The RealReal. For more affordable options, my favorite pick is ThredUp because you can filter by natural fibers only. To be clear: the listings aren’t always accurate, so I still double check the descriptions of any product that shows up with that filter, but it does save some time to start there.
When looking for new linen clothing, I always prioritize small to mid-size women-led businesses. And I check the product details to see if they use 100% linen or if they’re deceptively saying “linen blend” and then it’s actually 50% polyester!
And while not perfect you can also look for certifications. These are the ones most relevant to linen clothing and linen fashion brands.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certifies that the finished textile product has been tested for harmful substances (heavy metals, formaldehyde, pesticide residue). This is a chemical-safety certification, not a guarantee of fair labor or environmental practices. So it tells you the linen has been tested for potentially toxic chemicals, but it doesn’t tell you who made it or how. Note that some brands just say “OEKO-TEX certified” — that virtually always refers to OEKO-TEX Standard 100, the most common certification from OEKO-TEX.
B Corp certifies the company as a whole against social and environmental performance standards (labor, governance, environmental impact). This is a business-level cert, not a product-level one, so it doesn’t speak to any single garment’s materials.
Fair Trade Certified verifies that the specific factory/facility producing the item meets standards for labor conditions, wages, and worker safety, and that a Community Development Premium is paid to workers. It’s a labor and production-facility certification. It doesn’t certify the fabric’s environmental footprint or chemical content (that’s what OEKO-TEX covers), so a garment can carry both certifications and they’re speaking to different things.
Where to Find Eco-Friendly Linen Clothing
I scoured through dozens of brands to find my top picks for brands with sustainably-crafted linen clothing for women (some have men’s clothing too). I’ve included their conscious qualities, what they’re best for, and any caveats so you can make the best decision for yourself. Keep in mind while shopping that 100% linen garments won’t have any stretch — so if you run between sizes, I’d default to sizing up. But of course, check the size chart and reviews for each brand!
1. Linen Handmade Studio
Best for: tailored, elevated linen clothing
A lot of linen clothing can feel quite casual. And while Linen Handmade studio does have relaxed-fit options, what differentiates the brand in my opinion is their tailored options. I often hear from conscious readers that they want to wear natural fibers to work, but they can’t find something nice enough. Enter in: Linen Handmade Studio’s tailored pieces.
The brand has linen blazers and jackets, linen vests, and linen pants elevated enough for work or an evening out. (They even have bridesmaid dresses.) I’ve been wearing their Evelyn Longline Linen Vest in red clay on repeat and gotten so many compliments on it.
Price Range: $68 – $305
Size Range: US 2-18 (runs slightly small, I’d size up!)
Based in: Lithuania | Ships: Internationally; free U.S. shipping on orders $300+
2. MATE
Best for: casual GOTS-certified organic linen clothing
Prioritizing natural non-toxic materials, MATE has a collection of effortless linen shorts, button-downs, and pants made from GOTS-certified organic linen and colored with low-impact dyes.
That means that the color options at MATE are a bit more limited than you might see at other brands. They carry white, black, and “dune” — a soft beige.
I have their organic linen button-down in white and it’s been a reliable staple for me the past two years that’s held up beautifully.
Price Range: $88 – $178
Size Range: XS – XL
Based in: U.S. | Ships: Internationally
3. Linen Fox
Best for: romantic pastoral clothing in trend-forward colors and prints
Linen Fox is a Lithuanian small independent fashion brand — their team of 16 people make all of their linen clothing — including womenswear, menswear, and kids clothes.
The brand’s garments are made from OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified linen fabric. The label follows fair trade principles to production and reduces fabric waste by selling their fabric scraps as samples, and crafting accessories like scrunchies. They also ship in 98% plastic-free packaging.
Price Range: $74 – $187
Size Range: XS – XL (several products fit oversized; check each description!)
Based in: Lithuania | Ships: Internationally
4. OhSevenDays
Best for: deadstock linen with custom sizing available
OhSevenDays was founded by Megan Mummery after seeing the vast supply of surplus fabrics (i.e. deadstock) in Istanbul, Turkey.
While originally sourcing their deadstock fabric from middleman sellers, OhSevenDays now sources their surplus fabrics (including linen) directly from OEKO-TEX fabric mills for better transparency.
Price Range: $$
Size Range: XS-XL + custom sizing options
Based in: Turkey | Ships: Internationally
5. Magic Linen
Best for: linen separates plus matching home linens
From classic linen shirts to linen aprons and linen pajamas, Magic Linen is your destination for finding summer-ready sustainable linen clothing for men or women.
The small business’ linen clothing is made with European flax that means the pre-certification guidelines of OEKO-TEX Standard 100.
The Etsy shop also has plenty of linen home goods — I have linen curtains and bedsheets from Magic Linen and the quality of the fabric has been fantastic, with the sheets holding up well even after years of washing.
Price Range: $-$$
Size Range: XS – XXL
Based in: Lithuania | Ships: Internationally
6. Beaumont Organic
Best for: UK-made linen with full factory transparency
Looking for breathable garments perfect for your summer getaway to the English countryside or sea? Look no further than Beaumont Organic.
Beaumont Organic is a UK slow fashion brand with garments made from natural fabrics, like flax linen clothing! The brand publishes a directory of the factories they source from — 97% of production takes place in Northern Portugal.
They also have a repair program and are launching a resale program (currently available within the UK only).
Price Range: ££ – £££
Size Range: XS – L
Based in: UK | Ships: Internationally; covers EU customs & fees
7. LoveAndConfuse
Best for: ultra feminine style linen clothing
The linen clothing from this lovely small Lithuanian brand on Etsy are truly swoon-worthy!
From wrap dresses to ruffled midi’s to high-waisted linen shorts and linen crop tops, their collection of linen fashion will have you dreaming of a slow travel escape to somewhere warm and sunny.
Price Range: $ – $$
Size Range: XS – XL
Based in: Lithuania | Ships: Internationally
8. Neu Nomads
Best for: affordable linen garments
With a mission to create simple, sustainable luxury at affordable prices, Neu Nomads offers quality classics made from earth-minded materials, including organic linen.
You’ll find linen trousers, effortless shirts, chic blouses, summer dresses, and even linen blazers in a range of colors among Neu Nomad’s consciously crafted selection.
Price Range: $ – $$
Size Range: XS – XL
Based in: U.S. | Ships: Internationally
9. EILEEN FISHER
Best for: investment-piece linen with a circularity program
Slow fashion label EILEEN FISHER has elegant, minimalistic garments made from eco-minded fabrics including organic linen.
EILEEN FISHER’s organic linen clothing is timeless and made with quality, as part of their circularity efforts. In addition to ensuring their pieces last, the brand also has a resale program called Renew and a “third life” program called Waste No More that repurposes unwearable garments into unique items.
Price Range: $$$
Size Range: XXS – XL
Based in: U.S. | Ships: Within U.S.
Your Questions, Answered:
What about Quince’s linen clothing?
While Quince offers more affordable linen clothing, in my experience their linen clothing is ok quality, but does not compare with the quality of some of the other brands on this list. Also, I personally want to prioritize women-led small businesses for my guides, not venture-backed billion-dollar companies.
Should I look for organic linen clothing?
While organic linen is wonderful, it is quite rare. Only two brands on this list use certified organic linen. Note that OEKO-TEX Standard 100 linen is not “organic” linen, but rather linen clothing that has been tested against common harmful substances. The most common certification for organic fiber clothing is Global Organic Textile Standard, or GOTS.
More Sustainable Clothing Guides:
The Best Organic Cotton Fashion Brands
Actually Fashionable Hemp Clothing Brands
The post 9 Best Linen Clothing Brands With Easy Breezy, Beautiful Pieces appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
9 Best Linen Clothing Brands With Easy Breezy, Beautiful Pieces
Today’s Earth911 inspiration is from Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist and science writer, Natalie Angier: “The beauty of the natural world lies in the details.”
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https://earth911.com/inspire/earth911-inspiration-the-beauty-of-the-natural-world/
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