As we all know, April is Earth Month but over at AmongMen, we believe it is our duty to support eco-conscious and sustainable practices all year round. And one of the easiest ways to do so is to ensure you are wearing and supporting sustainable fashion brands. To make it easier for you, we have rounded up our favourite Canadian menswear brands that are sustainable and still fashionable.
KOTN
Every man needs a great white t shirt; it’s a wardrobe staple. But the perfect crisp white cotton tee can be detrimental to the environment. So why not stock your closet full of t shirts (and other great basics) that aim to be more sustainable? KOTN is a B Corp certified basics brand based in Canada. Like farm to table, for your clothes, the brand believes in having traceability from the first seed to the final stitch of each garment. Further, it works with local NGOs on the ground at the Nile Delta to provide every child in their farming communities with quality education. So with every purchase, not only will you get the perfect minimalist basic, but you’ll also help fund school infrastructure, materials, and salaries for teachers.
Spencer Badu
Spencer Badu is an independent fashion brand founded in 2015 in the eponymous designer’s native Toronto. Badu is all about transforming how we think about our daily uniform (which in itself is eco friendly) with a streetwear edge. But what we love most about Spencer Badu’s capsule collections is that the designer strives to use deadstock fabrics and recycled materials to create the modern-day uniform of genderless workwear pieces. This is upcycling to its finest.
Triarchy
Denim has often been seen as one of the most polluting sectors within the fashion industry, but Triarchy is here to make a difference. This Canadian brand is all about leading the way in sustainable fashion and responsible denim manufacturing. They do this by using only certified organic cotton, recycled cotton, Tencel and Refibra, alongside the world’s first plastic-free stretch denim. This natural rubber stretch means the jeans will biodegrade in 2 years or less at end of life (instead of the industry standard 200+ years for plastic based stretch). Further, your Triarchy jeans are processed and washed responsibly using a combination of e-flow, ozone, and laser technologies. These practices drastically reduce or eliminate water consumption and chemical use, while still making authentic vintage looking denim.
Unbound Merino
One way to embrace sustainable fashion is to wear fabrics that are 100% natural, but I bet you didn’t know you could dress year round in 100% merino wool. Merino is inherently natural, biodegradable and renewable. Moreover, it is simultaneously breathable and insulating, keeping you warm when it’s cold and staying cool, dry and comfortable when it’s hot out. Thanks to Merino wool’s natural antibacterial properties, you can wear your Unbound Merino clothing for weeks without ever needing to wash it. This just might be the perfect travel wardrobe. But at Unbound Merino they do more than that, they create the perfect everyday wardrobe staples that are minimalist and functional yet high-performing. The brand works with independent, mulesing free wool farms in Australia to produce ethically sourced, sustainable, long-lasting garments.
Wuxly
Finally, we can’t talk about Canadian fashion without talking about outerwear brands. And Wuxly is one of our favourites. This Canadian brand produces outerwear designed to be a unique combination of tech-based and recycled materials for elite performance. The brand is all about creating great outerwear that will keep you warm while using more responsible materials all while peacefully leaving animals out of the equation. Further, with every purchase you are helping to keep our oceans clean by reducing ocean-bound plastic (they work closely with Ocean Co). This vegan and cruelty free brand is also B Corp certified.
Want to discover more earth friendly fashion? Read more here.
