Sustainable Ethical Kids Clothes 2024*

France

La Queue du Chat is a French based children’s clothing brand offering certified organic cotton clothing for babies and kids for kids  <10 years of age made in a certified factory in Umergam, Gujarat, India, a coastal town located some 150 km north of Mumbai. The whole production chain is certified FLO (Fairtrade Labelling Organizations) and the Factory is certified SA8000 for social accountability. The company is also subsidising the rent of an orphanage in the locality of the factory and in France, they send baby & children clothes to charities that provide essential assistance to homeless mothers annually.

French brand Peau Ethique make pyjamas and socks for kids <12 from GOTS certified organic cotton in a factory in India that is SA8000 standard for fair working conditions. Their garments also comply with REACH regulations and are free of formaldehyde, azo dyes and aromatic solvents. UK based By Nature is is a stockist of theirs along with Do you Green (see above) and German company Living Crafts (see above).

Poudre Organic offer clothing for babies and children <10 years, made in Portugal, from organic cotton.

Kadolis is a French company that has some organic cotton sleepwear for babies.

La Redoute is a French company offering a range of baby clothes some of which are organic. They don’t have a great filter option so you’ll just have to search for organic and then click on the category that best suits your needs.

Greece

Greek brand Kanula sells organic cotton t-shirts and hoodies and donates for adults and kids <12years with 8% of each sale to a local sea turtle charity. They also aim to be as plastic-free as possible.

Germany

Monkind make organic clothing for women, babies and children <8 years of age in factories in Portugal that have either already met the requirements to be certified under the Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS), or are actively working towards this certification. They state that the bags that they pack finished items in are 100% recycled and 100% biodegradable. The company also only uses electricity created from renewable energy sources and recycled paper in the office. They also ship all of their items from either our warehouse located close to their production in Portugal or their warehouse in the Netherlands, whichever is closest to the customer. Interestingly they explain that they don’t do free returns and explain that often free returns result in lots of perfectly good clothing being destroyed because large retailers don’t want to invest the time or money in processing them.

Armed Angels is a German brand making ethical fairtrade clothing for men, women and children <8 years of age using only sustainable materials such as organic cotton, organic linen, organic wool, recycled polyester, Lenzing Modal® and Tencel®. They have been GOTS certified since 2011 and work with Fairtrade and Fair Wear Foundation to ensure they are working to ethical standards.

Living Crafts is a German fair and certified organic clothing brand for men, women, babies and children <12 years of age from organic cotton, organic wool, organic linen or silk. Their organic textiles and are certified according to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) along the entire manufacturing chain. They say that they also pay attention to the working conditions of the producers and to fair trade and the company is an official member of the Fair Wear Foundation.

Thokk Thokk is a German brand offering casual clothing for men, women and children <14 years of age made from organic cotton, sometimes blended with synthetic fibres. They have a Fairtrade Licence for its basic shirts and is certified as being organic by GOTS. They also offer free shipping.

Another German brand Sense Organics make Fairtrade and GOTS certified organic clothing for babies and kids <8 years of age.

German company Loud + Proud make clothes for <7 from GOTS certified organic cotton, which has been grown and harvested in Turkey in factories in Portugal, Hungary and Germany.

Blutsgeschwister in Germany makes clothing for kids <10 from organic cotton, close-loop viscose and recycled polyester in Fairwear accredited factories. They’ve been a member of the Fairwear Foundation since 2013 and reached the top standard for fairness in 2016.

Tranquillo makes dressed and leggings for kids <11 in organic cotton blended with recycled polyester, spandex and elastane,

Wooly Organic use 100% organic cotton from Turkey to make clothing for babies in Latvia. They also use only trusted European manufacturers in order to stay as local as possible from thread to packaging. Their packaging is also mostly card.

Infantium Victoria in Germany specialises in high-end certified organic cotton and certified vegan clothing for kids <16 years of age. The material, components, supplier and hours paid, is listed for every product on the website. They use factories that they feel are sustainable in Portugal, Spain, Germany and India. They also have a preloved section.

Spain

Nadadelazos based in Spain offers a wide range of clothing for babies and kids <10 years of age,  some of which are made from GOTS certified organic cotton. They also spend a percentage of their profits environmental non-profits and charities.

Osokoa make fashion-forward clothing for kids 4-12 in Barcelona from organic cotton, sometimes blended with elastane.

Wituka offer organic cotton t-shirts for kids <14 with cool graphics printed on them. They plant a tree for every t-shirt sold. They also sell a range of well-priced adult sweatshirts in organic cotton in XS, which might suit older kids.

Bob & Oli provide some of their clothing in organic cotton, recycled polyester for kids <14 including pyjamas. They rehome second-hand clothes from their instore clothes bins through a textile reuse cooperative.

Sweden

Maxomorra are a Swedish brand of clothing for babies and kids <10 years of age and have been a GOTS certified brand since 2012, meaning that they only use organic cotton or recycled fibres, harmless chemicals and provide safe and good working conditions in their factory and traceability throughout the entire value chain.  They also installed solar panels in their factory in 2019 and have created craft kits from their fabric remnants. They don’t sell directly to the public but you can buy through stockists listed here.

Morromini are based in Sweden and provide organic cotton clothing for women, babies and kids <8 years of age made in Tirupur, India. Their entire production is certified by GOTS.

Duns Sweden makes it’s GOTS certified organic cotton clothing for women, babies and children <14 years of age, in India.

Mini Rodini in Sweden make kids clothing from Fairtrade organic cotton, Model, Tencel and recycled fabric. All of their garments comply with the OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 for harmful substances, the organic fabric they use is GOTS certified, their blended fabric is OCS certified, their recycled fabric is GRS certified and their wood based fibre is FSC certified. They publish a report on their sustainability efforts every year.

Houdini in Sweden make activewear have a few garments for kids made from natural and recycled fabric, which they cover with a lifetime guarantee and take back at the end of their life. Most of their production takes place in Europe using fabrics from Taiwan, Italy and Japan. The company lists their suppliers and factories on their website. The make garments for babies right up to <14 years of age.

Belgium

Froy and Dind in Belgium only use sustainable materials such as organic cotton, bamboo, tencel and recycled PES to make their clothing for men, women, babies and kids <14 years of age. All of their organic cotton is GOTS certified and all their clothing is produced in Turkey and Portugal. They don’t sell directly to the public but you can buy their garments through a number of online outlets.

Denmark

Danish based Danefae have quite a bit of clothing made from organic clothing for kids <12 years of age.

Alba of Denmark is a kids clothing brands providing certified organic clothing for babies and kids <12 years of age, sometimes blended with other fibres like polyester. They state that the factories they use are run fairly and use solar energy.

Smalfolk in Denmark offers clothing for babies and <12 years of age made with organic cotton, blended with other fibres. They state that they use organic cotton and that their collections are OEKO – TEX certified but there is no sign of independent certification of the organic cotton they use.

Another Danish brand Serendipity Organics creates clothing for women, babies and kids <11 years of age from GOTS, Fair Trade (SA 8000) and Flo-Cert certified organic cotton, baby alpaca, llama wool and GOTS certified Organic Himalayan Merino wool. Apart from one garment their manufacturing processes are also fully GOTS certified. Their alpaca and llama wool is spun and partially knitted by collectives in Bolivia.

Danish brand FUB use only OEKO-TEX® certified non-mulesed merino wool and lambswool, and GOTS certified organic cotton, to make clothing for children <10 and adults. They limit production to three types of yarn and one supplier to reduce waste.

Konges Sloejd in Denmark offer clothing for babies and children <8 years of age. They from have gone from offering a few organic cotton pieces in 2018 to 90% of the cotton in their range being organic and over half GOTS certified.

Norway

A technical sports brand established in 1877, Helly Hansen is known for its long-lasting outdoor wear and is now focussing on sustainability through materials, production and technology as well as life cycle. Its kids range includes extendable arms and legs, repair kits and name tags that allow for multiple names.

Finland

Finnish brand Pure Waste make some garments for kids <4y from recycled cotton and recycled polyester in a wind powered factory in India . They use reusable mailers to ship their garments.

The UK

UK based Little Dot to Dot make clothing for kids <4 years of age from certified organic and recycled fabric.

Boy Wonder, run by fashion designing Mum makes garments for 5-10 year olds from certified British-made organic cotton.  All their garments are printed and made ethically just over 20 miles from their studio by family run small businesses.

We Love Frugi is a large UK-based company making clothes for kids <10 years of age from organic cotton that has been certified by GOTS and the Soil Association, and recycled polyester.

Toby Tiger is a UK clothing brand for babies and kids <6 years of age from organic cotton that has been certified by GOTS and the Soil Association.

Little Green Radicals is a UK brand of clothing for babies and kids <8 years of age, made from certified Fairtrade organic cotton and free from chlorine bleach, formaldehyde or dangerous dyes. The factory they use is based in India.

Pigeon Organics is based in the UK and creates clothing for babies and kids <8 years of age from organic cotton fairly in factories in India. All but their knitted shawls are GOTS certified and their certification covers the whole supply chain, not just the fabric. The shawls are made (from organic cotton) in India by a factory that is not yet GOTS certified (although it does hold internationally recognised certificates in social and environmental management). The electricity the company uses comes from renewable sources and any ‘seconds’ (eg. garments with small printing faults) and spare stock is donated to charities working with vulnerable babies and children. 

Picallily in the UK make clothing for adults, babies and kids <10 years of age from GOTS certified organic cotton from a project called Chetna Organic, a fair trade cotton programme with a mission to improve the livelihood of smallholder farmers by making their farm systems more sustainable and profitable. The Chetna farmers also own a 10% share in the factory that makes the clothes too. The company says that the workers in it’s factories receive a living wage, as well as extra benefits including free lunches, healthcare and funding towards their education, but no independent verification of this is provided.

Based in the UK Kite Clothing for babies and kids <13 years of age is either made from certified organic cotton or recycled plastic bottles. The clothing made from recycled plastic bottles appears to be certified as not having any harmful chemicals in it, i.e. OEKO – TEK standard.

UK-based Palava make the most delightful ‘storybook’ inspired clothing for women, babies and children <10 years of age natural and biodegradeable fabrics: organic cotton, linen, wool and Tencel™ in factories in Turkey and London. Palava uses up all of the offcuts possible to make tote bags and hair ties and also operates a repair service.

Cambridge baby in the UK sell clothing for men, women, babies and children <12 years of age from the following eco clothing brands. The garments are made from natural fibres like wool, organic cotton, alpaca and silk, with the majority of their products being made from Merino wool.

From Baby with Love in the UK donate all of the profits from the sale of their baby clothes, gifts and toys to orphaned and abandoned children around the world.  Their clothes are made from certified organic cotton and cater for children <2.

MamaOwl in London specialise in natural clothes for children <8, mostly from organic European merino and wool, and organic cotton. They also sell slippers for kids made from felted wool and natural rubber, and their offering has grown to include books and toys as well as a selection for adults..

Little Leaf Organic in the UK offer GOTS and soil association certified organic cotton clothing for babies and children <2.

Where does it come from sell organic clothing for adults and kids <11 made from cotton grown in India and spun and woven by hand by workers in a local co-operative, part of the khadi movement promoted by Gandhi to support traditional skills and empower rural workers, particularly women.  Virtually no carbon is used during production plus they use low water techniques and eco-friendly dyes. Their clothing comes with a number of features to help survive a growth spurt – including button elastic waists, long leg jeans, adjustable straps and dresses that convert to tunic tops.  Most of their clothes are unisex too, so you can pass them on to siblings or friends and because their clothes are so long lasting they facilitate the purchase of preloved garments on their website. They package their orders using recycled tissue and double thickness re-usable posting envelopes. Wherever they do use plastic they’re working to eliminate it. The company is a Fairtrade company and a member of British Association of Fairtrade shops and suppliers, which assesses their sustainable and ethical procedures annually. They work with a fairtrade accredited supplier Moral Fibres for their children’s denim clothing range. The company also collaborate with charities on fundraising initiatives.

UK based Lost Shapes screen-prints t-shirts and sweatshirts for men, women, teenagers and children that are made from organic cotton, recycled fibre from plastic bottles, organic cotton waste, or Tencel lyocell in Fair Wear certified manufacturers. They ink used by Lost Shapes does not contain CFC’s, HCFC’s, aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile solvents, lead, heavy metals or any toxic chemicals , and is suitable for vegans. And as they do not use photo emulsions for their printing screens they avoid the need for solvents in the cleaning process. They also provide plastic free packaging, all of which is recyclable, and most recycled.

Insane in the Rain in the UK make rain resistant jackets from recycled plastic for men, women and children <10 years of age. The recycled plastic fabric they use is called RPET, which stands for recycled polyethylene terephthalate, or recycled PET.

The Pangaia make t-shirts, sweatpants / track pants, sweatshirts and hoodies in a wide range of colours from organic and recycled cotton, using dying technology that saves water and ensures no toxins are discharged. Some of the dyes they use are from food waste, plants, fruits and vegetables and they incorporate plant material into their cotton to create new materials. They also plant one mangrove tree for every order and use biodegradable packaging. Their garments are for children 3-12 years of age.  Their 2021 Pangaia Impact Report provides an extensive insight into some of the innovations taking place in this area.

Tommy & Lottie make unisex clothing for babies, children <14 years and adults from vertically produced Oeko-Tex® certified (toxin-free) cotton. Vertically produced cotton means that the cotton is grown, produced, manufactured in one place and not all over the world helping towards reducing the carbon footprint impact.  The people employed in the factory where their garments are made come from the local community and the company state that they are treated fairly with good working conditions, a fair wage and many other benefits. Some of their garments are made in the UK.

Tutti Frutti Clothing makes colourful non-gendered clothing or kids <6 in organic cotton, in small batches to avoid waste.

Petit Pli is a UK material technology company offering innovative clothes that grow in size to fit children from 9 months to 4 years. The garment is recycled PET and made in Portugal in a factory that derives it energy from renewable sources. They offer a free repair service.

Jammie Doodles offers pyjamas made from organic cotton for kids 0-14. They sell adult sizes too

Kidly have a growing number of items made from organic clothing for <5 years of age. They have an Irish website but it looks like goods are shipped from the UK.

Global brand, Childrens Salon, with a UK base, now sells a range of GOTS certified organic cotton babies and children’s wear. It has introduced a ‘Conscious Living Edit’ to promote those labels who put sustainable materials and earth-conscious manufacturing processes at the heart of their design manifesto.

The following are UK online retailers of organic kids clothing from various brands

• Oxfam (UK) have a website where you can buy children’s clothing that has been donated to them.
• The Ethical Market (UK <10 years) is an online retailer for sustainable ethical crafters. Good spot for something unique.
• Bapipur (UK <8 years) sell Frugi, Maxomorra, Picalilly, DUNS of Sweden, Kite and JNY
• Boobalou (UK <7 years) sells a few items from Maxomorra and DUNS of Sweden.
• Funky Monkey (UK <2 years) sells clothing from Blade and Rose, JNY, Frugy, Kite, Maxomorra, Picalilly
• The Natural Store (UK <8 years) sells Picalilly, Supernatural Kids, Tatty Bumpkin, Kite and Red Urchin
• Yes bebe (UK <8 years) stock Kite, DUNS Sweden, JNY, Little Green Radicals, The Little Green Sheep, Maxomorra, Picalilly, Slugs and Snails, Smafolk, Toby Tiger, Polly Pony
• The Natural Collection , Spirit of Nature, The Ethical Superstore  (UK <11 years) sell Frugi, Fableists, Kite, Marzipants, Pigeon Organic, Rider and Sense Organics.

Canadian brand Hatley offer some ranges of GOTS certified organic cotton pyjamas for kids <12 years of age. Their clothing can be purchased through quite a few stores in Ireland.

Grech & Co is a Danish / American brand making glasses from recycled plastic for children, along with a few organic cotton accessories and natural rubber boots.

Till next time

Written by Elaine B, revised by Elaine McD