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It’s a new year — new decade even — and 2020 is the year to recycle fast, unethical and unsustainable fashion for Mother Nature’s sake. R.I.P. to buying cheap men’s clothes that don’t last and come from retailers that don’t have the best of reputations when it comes to sustainability and ethics.
Instead, you should make the swap to ethically sourced men’s clothing. Research which brands are actually committed to finding ways to make products that are easier on the environment — including using recycled fabrics and ditching materials like fur and feathers for good. It’s the “year of purpose,” after all.
Luckily, it’s not so hard to make some sustainable changes, like packing eco-friendly lunches and getting compostable trash bags for your bathroom.
And being more conscious about how your clothes are made and how you’re contributing to the world’s clothing waste is getting easier, too, with more and more new sustainable brands popping up and traditional sellers trying to keep up with the demand for eco-friendly fashion.
You might not think of your outerwear as something that can be even more sustainable — especially if you wear the same coat year after year — but there are a lot of jackets out there that aren’t cruelty-free and are made from fur and feathers.
But don’t worry. In the spirit of sustainability, we found men’s coats and jackets from brands that are trying to be more ethical with their products.
Want to save even more? Take a look at HuffPost Coupons, where we have promo codes from top brands, like Nordstrom coupon codes and L.L.Bean coupon codes.
Take a look below at a few ethically sourced men’s fashion brands for coats and outerwear:
1. Outerknown
Outerknown might not be as well-known as some other brands. But last summer, we included the site in a story about sustainable swimsuits — including swim trunks made from recycled polyester.
The brand’s mission is to combine style and sustainability, saying that “the two should be synonymous.” The site even includes a list of Outerknown’s suppliers.
Lots of Outerknown’s outerwear is made from recycled polyester. You could even pick up a colorful blanket shirt jacket that’s made completely from organic cotton.
Take a look at our favorite coats from Outerknown:
Lost Coast Moleskin Jacket
Evolution Reversible Puffer
2. L.L. Bean
L.L. Bean is known for its outdoorsy vibe. A couple of years back, stories kept popping up — including in The Atlantic and GQ — about the brand’s beloved snow boots that were always selling out.
Luckily, L.L. Bean has also been making more of an effort to be sustainable. The brand says it’s trying to use more organic cotton and recycled fabrics in its products. Plus, it’s focusing on using down that’s 100% responsible, meaning that the down is from animals that are being treated humanely and able to be traced from farm to factory.
Check out these sustainable options from L.L. Bean:
PrimaLoft Packaway Jacket
Stretch Primaloft Packaway Jacket
United By Blue’s mission is all about working with sustainable materials and supporting an ethical work environment. The brand hopes to remove all single-use plastics from its supply chain by the spring of this year.
In United By Blue’s impact report for 2019, the brand said it launched national cleanup partnerships with other businesses to remove trash from oceans and waterways. For every product purchased, the brand says it removes a pound of trash from bodies of water.
Many items in United By Blue’s outerwear section feature bison fiber, which Fashionista called “the future of sustainable materials.” Bison fiber has traditionally been discarded as a waste product, but luckily, no bison are harmed in making the material, according to United By Blue.
Take a look at these coats from United By Blue:
Flannel-Lined Salvaged Hemp Shirt Jacket
Bison Sport Jacket
4. Everlane
Everlane is a favorite of editors at HuffPost Finds. A mock neck top and Chelsea boot from the brand were among our best buys for 2019.
The brand has constantly championed its “radical transparency” approach —from spotlighting its factories to using recycled materials for some designs.
You might not have realized that Everlane has a men’s section on its site with everything from suits to underwear.
Everlane’s coat section has puffers and parkas that are made from renewed plastic bottles. And two styles of puffers, the ReNew Lightweight Hooded Puffer, and ReNew Lightweight Puffer Jacket, are each less than $100. The latter is sold out in most sizes, though.
Check out our two favorites from Everlane:
The ReWool Overcoat
The ReNew Lightweight Hooded Puffer
Nordstrom made some efforts to spotlight more sustainable brands last year. In August 2019, the site introduced a “sustainable style” section that curates ethical and eco-friendly products across three categories.
The proceeds of products in the “gives back” category go to charitable causes that benefit animals, people and the planet. Products in the “responsibly manufactured” section come from factories that are trying to better protect their workers and the planet. And the “sustainably sourced” tab has products that are made with at least 50% sustainably sourced materials like recycled polyester.
One of the brands that shows up again and again across the different categories is Patagonia. The brand is known for its puffy vests, parkas, flannels and ethical policies — like using recycled materials and organic cotton. So if you’re looking for an ethical brand, Patagonia’s a pretty popular option. GQ even deemed Patagonia “fashion’s favorite outdoor brand.”
Here are our top two Patagonia picks from Nordstrom:
Nano Puff Bivy Water Resistant Jacket
Weather Resistant Thermogreen Insulated Recycled Ripstop Hooded Jacket