13 Best Sustainable Clothing Manufacturers In The USA

It’s no secret that today’s consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of their ecological footprint.

In fact, a recent study revealed that 78% of customers are more likely to purchase an item labeled as environmentally friendly, while 75% of millennials are willing to pay more for earth-friendly goods.

This growing demand for sustainable products has transformed the fashion landscape, paving the way for a new generation of responsible clothing manufacturers in the USA.

In this blog post, we’ll introduce you to the 13 best ones of them that are meeting this eco-conscious consumer demand. These trailblazing companies are dedicated to producing stylish and high-quality garments using eco-friendly materials, ethical labor practices, and transparent supply chains.

Best Sustainable & Eco-friendly Clothing Manufacturers In The USA

Here’re the 13 best organic & eco-friendly clothing manufacturers in the United States.

1. Bella+Canvas

Established in 1988, Bella+Canvas is one of the best ethical & sustainable clothing manufacturers based in Los Angeles, United States.

It offers premium t-shirts, tank tops, crop tops, hoodies, pants, dresses, streetwear, and activewear that can be completely personalized to your needs or made ready for sewing on your branded labels.

The customization options range from patterns, color, stitching, to fabric. The development process includes custom lab dips, tech packs, and development sample approval.

Bella+Canvas owns massive production facilities that use 7x less water than the average garment producer and recycle pretty much everything that can’t be turned into clothes.

In addition, Bella+Canvas’ supply chain partners are carefully evaluated based on quality, price, speed, and a shared vision around environmental and social responsibility as well as fair working conditions.

Pros

• No minimum for in-stock blank clothes.
• 50% off on up to 7 blank product samples per calendar year (only available to customers with a valid resale certificate).
• Accept credit cards, PayPal, and bank transfers.

Cons

• The minimum number of items for custom orders starts at 25,000 units per style/color.
• The development process takes 1-3 weeks and the production times start at 2 weeks.
• Do not ship to PO boxes or APO/FPO addresses.
• You have to contact the company to arrange shipments outside the USA.

2. Royal Apparel

Royal Apparel is a top eco-friendly & organic wholesale clothing manufacturer located in New York, USA.

Its product line includes men’s & women’s imprintable polos, blank tees, sleeveless tops, plain sweatshirts, blank jogging sets, athleisure wear, and kids’ wear made from eco triblend fabrics, cotton, hemp viscose, bamboo viscose, etc.

Royal Apparel started in the early 90s offering private-label knitwear to luxury stores, national fashion brands, and big retailers. Nowadays, its products are picked by musicians, artists, wellness brands, entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 corporations, the tech industry, national parks, museums, breweries, wineries, and restaurants.

Regarding customization options & services, they include colors, patterns, fabrics, pigment dye, labels, screen printing, embroidery, and graphic designs.

Pros

• No minimum for in-stock blanks.
• International delivery via FedEx and UPS.
• Free freight shipping on stocked orders over $350 (within the continental US only).
• Approved wholesale accounts can order 7 blank product samples per calendar year at a 15% discount.
• Dropshipping services.
• You can pay with all major credit cards, certified checks, and money orders.

Cons

• Custom order minimums range from 1200-2400 units, per style and color.
• The lead time is 8-10 weeks from the date your samples are approved.

3. Expert Brand

Expert Brand is one of the best manufacturers of sustainable made-in-USA sportswear & athletic apparel, including short-sleeve/long-sleeve shirts, tanks, crops, hoodies & sweatshirts, cardigans, etc.

It started in 1993 creating technical performance fabric for famous brands. Since then, the company has combined expert engineering and an eco-conscious approach to craft elevated basics that meet the rigorous demands of professional athletes and the armed forces.

Pros

• No minimum for in-stock items.
• Free shipping in the continental USA for catalog orders over $500.
• Accept all major credit cards (Discover, American Express, Visa, and Mastercard), PayPal, and Google Pay.

Cons

• A minimum of 144 units for custom neck or logo prints on stocked blanks, 1500-3000 units for custom colors, and 3000-5000 units for custom styles.
• If you’re an overseas customer, you will need to arrange your own shipping carrier.

4. SoftShirts

SoftShirts is a private-label clothing manufacturer in the US that uses 100% combed ringspun & GOTS-certified organic cotton to produce comfortable t-shirts with an awesome print surface, minimal lint, and tear-away tags.

Additionally, the company employs low-impact dyes to further reduce ecological footprints.

Pros

• No minimum order for stocked blanks.
• Worldwide shipping.
• Accept major credit cards.

Cons

• Limited customizable services.

5. The Good Tee

Established in 2020 in the United States, The Good Tee is dedicated to becoming an eco-friendly & organic fair trade cotton clothing manufacturing company that supports farmers and connects fashion brands, designers, and customers together by managing the entire production process and supply chain.

Currently, it provides batwing tees, crewnecks, pocket t-shirts, boxy tunics, pullovers, biker shorts, midi dresses, yoga pants, joggers, and more.

Pros

• Blind dropshipping services.
• Accept credit cards or 4 interest-free payments over 6 weeks via Sezzle.

Cons

• MOQs for custom products start 250 pieces.
• Only shipping to the USA and within Canada.

6. Bomme Studio

Bomme Studio is the next US-based manufacturer offering full-service development, sourcing, and production for custom ethical & sustainable custom clothes.

Its services consist of personalized neck tapes, size labels, care labels, hang tags, patches, laces, plastic or metal aglets, heat-press stones, etc.

The company owns and operates manufacturing sites in California and Mexico, with an additional sourcing office in South Korea to ensure you get competitive costs at the highest quality available.

Pros

• Digital marketing agency services, including Shopify website building, product photography/video content, SEO, paid advertising, email marketing, brand coaching, etc.
• Payment can be made through Visa, MasterCard, Affinity Card, American Express, and PayPal.

Cons

• For custom production orders, the MOQ is 150 units per style.
• The MOQ for private-label blanks programs is 50 units per style.
• Sample development takes 4-6 weeks to complete.
• Production takes 10-12 weeks from the time your sample is approved.

7. Lefty Production Co

Lefty Production Co is a reliable wholesale sustainable apparel manufacturing company based in the heart of Los Angeles, California, USA.

It has collaborated with some famous fashion brands like Matthew Williamson, Rosetta Getty, Christian Siriano, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus.

When working with Lefty, you’re provided with one-stop OEM/ODM service, from sketching, designing, fabric & trim sourcing, pattern making, branding, virtual 3D sampling, marking & grading, cutting, size testing, to production, laser cutting, and packing.

Pros

• Deliver to the USA, UK, Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, and France.
• Consulting and website development services.
• Pay with credit/debit cards.

Cons

• A MOQ of 50 pieces.
• Not delivering globally.

8. Tailored Industry

Tailored Industry is a sustainable on-demand manufacturer specializing in custom knitwear. Its catalog contains over 120 production-ready styles that can be made with your labels. You can also request adjustments to create a custom style.

Tailored Industry is located in New York, United States.

Pros

• No MOQs for on-demand services.
• Support Shopify dropshipping.
• Payment via Visa, Mastercard, Affinity cards, American Express, PayPal, etc.

Cons

• On-demand services cost $299-$699/month.
• No-subscription bulk production services require a MOQ of 300+ pieces.

9. West Coast Blends

Based in Los Angeles, USA, West Coast Blends is an excellent full-package manufacturer of eco-friendly clothes made from 100% cotton and 0% synthetic fibers.

It provides custom style & color programs, personalized dyes & washes, sustainable printing & embroidery, private labeling, etc.

With a focus on quality and longevity in mind, the company uses the strongest stitch types along with strategically placed details and bar tacks.

Pros

• No MOQs for in-stock blanks.
• Ship timely throughout North America.
• Pay by common credit/debit cards.

Cons

• Minimum quantities for custom orders start at 500 pieces per style/color and a minimum of 1000 pieces per production run.
• Lead times start at 2 weeks.
• Doesn’t deliver globally.

10. Cotton Heritage

Cotton Heritage features ethically produced & environmentally-friendly blank apparel like short-sleeve t-shirts, long-sleeve t-shirts, sleeveless shirts, fleece pullovers, french terry zip-ups, shorts, and joggers that are available for private-label/custom programs.

It’s a mill-direct & WRAP-certified bulk manufacturer in the USA with warehouses in Dallas TX, Los Angeles CA, and Ridgeway VA.

Pros

• No minimum for stocked orders.
• Free UPS ground shipping on catalog orders from $250.
• Generous pricing and freight discounts based on order quantity.
• Payment methods include major credit cards, company checks, and COD.

Cons

• The minimum for custom orders is 600-1200 pieces.
• Production turnaround times are 90-120 days.
• Need to contact the customer service team to arrange international shipments.

11. Good Clothing Company

Good Clothing Company is an ethical & sustainable clothing producer that provides both small batch and large scale production services for independent designers and established brands.

Its manufacturing facilities are located in Fall River, Massachusetts, United States.

Pros

• Accept major credit/debit cards.

Cons

• The minimum is 50 per size, style, and color.
• Do not offer services such as screen printing and embroidery.
• Do not manufacture knitted garments, under garments, and bathing suits.

12. Avendors

Avendors is a US-made eco-friendly apparel manufacturer that works with clients such as Pangaia, Fear Of God, Vuori, Vince, etc.

As for services, Avendors provides pattern making, sample making, fabric knitting, fabric dying, grading, marking, cutting, production sewing, private labeling, and trimming & packing.

Pros

• Global delivery.
• Pay via major credit/debit cards.

Cons

• 95-piece minimum.
• The production turnaround time is around 4-6 weeks.

13. Nature USA

Nature USA was launched in 1997, having helped many brands and retailers to develop, source, and manufacture private-label & custom clothes in a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable manner.

It’s also located in Los Angeles County, California, United States.

Pros

• Accept common credit/debit cards.

Cons

• The minimum order quantity is 4500 pcs per style and 1500 pcs per color.
• Turnaround times are typically 12-14 weeks.

How To Start An Online Custom Sustainable Clothing Store In The USA Without Buying In Bulk From Manufacturers

If you don’t want to invest a large amount of money upfront to buy inventory from manufacturers, you can still start an online custom eco-friendly & organic clothing store in the USA by leveraging a fulfillment model called “print-on-demand.”

It’s a process in which a product is only printed with your own design and shipped to your customer after an order has been placed. This allows for greater flexibility and reduced costs, as there is no need to maintain inventory or pay for large runs in advance.

To start, check out the best print-on-demand partners to create and sell custom sustainable products online.