The Best Organic Cotton T-Shirts

The classic tee shirt. Great for dressing up, dressing down, or just lounging around. The average tee shirt is a wardrobe staple, but it may not be sustainable. If you are looking for a T-shirt made from organic cotton that is gentler on the environment, then let’s look at the top brands available.

Why Organic Cotton?

You might wonder, if t-shirts seem so similar, why they aren’t all the same. Cotton conventionally grown can be harmful to the environment and contribute to unethical practices.

Cotton is grown with a lot of pesticides, which can affect workers as well as nearby plants and animals. Butterfly decline is an example. Cotton production also uses a lot of water, largely due to the use of pesticides and ineffective farming methods.

Regenerative agriculture and the methods used to produce organic cotton, on the other hand, use much less water and reduce runoff which normally pollutes waterways and streams. Like many brands in this list, organic cotton uses fair-trade labor. It means that the farmers and others in the production process are treated fairly and paid fairly. This is important for an industry as labor-intensive as cotton.

Organic cotton has an unexpected advantage: it is often stronger and more durable. This is because it is picked at a healthier stage and doesn’t undergo a lot of bleaching or other processing that could compromise the integrity of the material.

If you are looking for a tee that is more environmentally friendly, then you have come to the right spot. Since t-shirts are simple, and they’re often cheaper than other sustainable clothing options, this is an excellent place to begin if you want your wardrobe to become more eco-friendly.

Our favorite organic cotton t-shirts:

1. Pact

Pact is a sustainable clothing brand that has gained popularity.

Men and women can choose from organic, fair trade, and carbon neutral clothing.

Click “Learn More” for each item to learn more about its sustainability features, and view the factory where it is made.

Portside Simple Crew, for example, saves 12 gallons water and offsets 3 pounds Co2 to help the environment. It is also made in a factory that employs 247 people. This organic cotton tee comes in five fashionable colors with a cotton/linen mix.

2. The Good Tee

The Good Tee is an ethical brand with a focus on fair trade. The Good Tee cultivates mutually beneficial relationships with farmers and knitters as well as dyers throughout the entire process of creating a sustainable T-shirt. The Fave & Fair unisex tee is available in a single shirt or a 2-pack that includes one black and white shirt. This ultra-soft tee was also dyed with Global Organic Textile Standard dyes (GOTS), meaning that it meets all eco-friendly dyeing standards.

3. Fair Indigo

Fair Indigo offers a variety of organic cotton tee shirts to suit every occasion.

The t-shirts, which are comfortable and sustainable, are made from pima cotton, a Peruvian cotton that is durable, breathable, and has a slight stretch.

The company also uses low-impact materials to reduce the amount chemical input in the environment. It tracks its supply chain, and visits its suppliers on a regular basis.

Fair Indigo’s organic scoop or v-necked tees make a great starting point for basic basics. The slim short-sleeved mock neck is a comfortable tee with a stylish look you can wear to work or out.

4. Harvest & Mill

Discover organic cotton basics that are neutral or pastel in color. They go with anything.

Harvest and Mill does not only create ethical supply chains, but they also rebuild existing supply chains through reopening historic mills and by leveraging local sewing communities. The t-shirts are made with 100% American cotton, which is grown, spun and knitted in the USA. The white tees retain the natural, creamy off white color of organic cotton rather than the bleached, white that is often found in white tee shirts.

organic style unisex tee is available in a 2-pack that includes both a white and black shirt. These are truly unisex sized, so size down if you want a more fitted fit.

The Superbloom Tee is available in both short and long sleeves. It features California native poppies that light up the hillsides along the coast. The Premium-Weight T-Shirt is a soft, thick and airy tee that’s great for autumn days.

6.People of Leisure

People of Leisure manufactures all of its clothing in Los Angeles, using recycled, upcycled and organic materials.

The people behind this brand are former fast fashion workers. They have created a brand that aims to undo the damage caused by the commercial clothing and footwear industries. The t-shirts are mainly rock n’roll tees with images of bands such as The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd.

There are also basic tanks, tees and hoodies such as Clementine Hoodie and Holly Tank . People of Leisure also takes their environmental impact very seriously. They have committed to four sustainable development goals, including clean water and sanitation; life on the land; reduced inequalities, and responsible consumption.

Tentree offers a wide range of apparel, including t-shirts that are comfortable, supportive, and long lasting. There are scoop necks, graphic tees and v-necks. But the Organic cotton Relaxed t-Shirt is a staple. It comes in many colors and won’t fade or shrink with washing.

8. MATE Label

MATE the Label, a Certified B Corporation, follows eight sustainability principles in their product development, such as using organic materials, creating ethical working conditions, and focusing on women.

Made in Los Angeles. MATE the Label T-shirts have a mission: to reinvent fashion and place purpose above profit.

Organic Cotton Classic T-Shirt uses almost 30% less CO2 and 88.6% fewer water resources than leading non-organic brands. This shirt is available in colors such as jet black, sedona and safe.

The Women’s Short Sleeve Crew Neck T-Shirt is a great basic. It comes in 17 gorgeous colors and a larger size range than other brands.

10. Terra Thread

Terra Thread is a fair trade company that produces products in factories with a carbon neutrality. This helps the environment. Gallant International is the parent company of this father-daughter duo, who make wholesale totes and tees as well as aprons. Terra Thread’s Regenerative organic Certified(r), cotton t-shirts come in all sizes and are made with GOTS certified cotton. They’re manufactured in an Indian fair trade factory.

The tag on this incredibly soft shirt is not itchy and the t-shirt has been known for its color and shape to last long after first wearing.