When scrolling on Tik Tok, Instagram, or Facebook you may have heard the word “hemp”, or more specifically “hemp clothing”. It may even have popped up while you were shopping at your favorite store or browsing an online boutique.
Often when buying new clothes, it’s easy to get lost in the sea of information thrown at you by brands. We know the majority of shoppers are not always searching for what fabrics to avoid and what fabrics to purchase. Luckily, we are here to steer you in the right direction and help you learn why clothing made from hemp may be your new best friend.
What is “hemp”?
Hemp is a plant fiber that comes from the stem of a plant (similar to linen). The fiber originates from the plant Cannabis Sativa, and is unique compared to other crops due to its vast marketability. Hemp has been utilized in oils, food, and beauty products as well as clothing. It is also considered one of the strongest and long-lasting of all the natural textile fibers.
The reason why U.S. consumers may not be seeing hemp-fabric as frequently as buyers in other countries is due to its use in the United States being restricted as it comes from the same species of plant as marijuana, though industrial hemp contains only 0.3% of THC. However, due to its many advantageous qualities, lobbyists are pushing back against this. To learn more, Patagonia offers a unique, informed perspective on the history of hemp usage in the U.S. in this short film.
Why buy hemp products?
Hemp fabric is seen as a more sustainable natural textile option than some of its competitors. Hemp cultivation has been proven to have little negative impact on the environment and it does not require chemical pesticides/fertilizers to be able to grow. Further, it requires little water and no extra irrigation.
Instead of harming the land it grows on, hemp roots can actually help prevent soil erosion. It can be used as a “rotation crop”, and often is. This means that it is used to heal the soil between planting seasons of other crops.
With all this being said, when buying hemp, we recommend looking specifically for certified organic hemp, dew-retted hemp as some of the procedures used on the fiber after growing and harvesting are not as eco-friendly. Processes like retting (in which the natural fibers are divided from the stem of the plant) can be bad for the environment when chemicals or an excess of water are used. Dew retting, which requires no additional water or chemicals, is the preferred method of separation.
As a consumer, we love hemp-fabric not just for all of its eco-friendly properties, but also because it has excellent temperature-regulating properties (making it great for hot summers and bitter winters), it becomes softer with age, you can machine wash and dry the fabric, and it is UV-resistant. If you are looking for great, breathable summer clothes we guarantee you that you are going to want hemp t-shirts in your closet.
What are the best brands for hemp t shirts?
1. AlterX Co. – Hemp T-Shirts Made in USA
This brand is unique from the other brands on this list in the fact its main product is a hemp t-shirt. Coming in several different colors and sizes, we adore AlterX Co.’s mission and commitment to creating the ultimate hemp tee. Similar to the others, it can be dressed up or down, it is flexible, comfortable, and cute, and you can style it with nearly anything (especially if you get it in several colors). Different from the other brands is that this tee is made in LA, with manufacturers all in a 12 mile radius of the city, and they are relatively new to the sustainable fashion scene. However, do not let that put you off.
Already, AlterX Co. is making waves, donating 150 meals to people in need with every t-shirt sold. On the label of their shirt, they offer a barcode you scan that will direct you to their mission, their sustainability goals, and their sourcing materials. Further, they are Organic and Fair Labor certified and ensure livable wages for their garment workers. Since their shirts are made in the USA, they are abiding by safe wastewater guidelines. Finally, since they only use organic cotton and hemp fabrics, their t-shirts are made from sustainable sources.
AlterX Co.’s Brand Rating | Silver
Shop AlterX Co. | $
2. Taylor Stitch – Hemp and Organic Cotton Tee
While this clothing brand is specifically advertised as menswear, we believe anyone can fall in love with a hemp t-shirt from Taylor Stitch. With a variety of colors and prints, Taylor Stitch is perfect for anyone looking to make a casual hemp t-shirt professional. However, if you are simply looking to size up for some comfy loungewear, Taylor Stitch is also the brand for you. They have mastered the effortlessly classic yet cool style many consumers are searching for in the hotter months, we highly recommend not overlooking this brand.
Taylor Stitch has put effort into being a responsible clothing label. When it comes to sourcing, they only use organic, recycled, or sustainable components when it comes to their garments. Like the other brands on this list, they, too, have worked on becoming a circular brand. They started this by working on creating more durable materials, and even guarantee customers repairs if clothing becomes damaged. By creating a program called Restitch, when a buyer is ready to part ways with a piece of clothing, Taylor Stitch allows them to send the item back to be recycled for store credit.
While their goal moving forward is to continue reducing their impact on the environment, through their efforts, they have saved 8.4M gallons of water by using 100% organic denim, 7.9M gallons of water by using recycled fabrics in their “heavy bag” tee, and 33.6M gallons of water from switching to 100% organic woven shirting. They also are actively working on offsetting their carbon footprint by being mindful of shipping and packaging their materials.
Taylor Stitch’s Brand Rating | Certified
Shop Taylor Stitch | $$
3. Toad&Co – Hemp Tee
Our third pick for hemp tees is Toad&Co, a brand with a vast variety of hemp-fabric selections and tops that include plain, striped, or graphic t-shirts for all genders. Toad&Co offers everything from your casual hemp undershirt to cute, colorful hemp tee options with witty slogans and trendy graphics.
What’s even better about Toad&Co? Their dedication to sustainable garment-making practices. They have implemented a circular model to their brand, meaning they work to design long-lasting clothes that can then be recycled, renewed, or upcycled. They have even partnered with LimeLoop, a company that recycles billboards into environmentally-sound packaging, in order to utilize eco-friendly shipping practices.
Further, they have a program in place called ToadAgain Resale. This allows you to resell your previously purchased Toad&Co clothing for cash or Toad&Co credit. The brand allows you to take an active part in supporting circular fashion practices, while also making some of your money back.
Beyond just recycling old garments, Toad&Co has shared the environmental goals they are working toward currently. Some of these include using 100% recycled synthetics (by 2025), saving 100,000L of water per year (by 2025), and no more plastic packaging (by 2026).
Not only can you look good while wearing Toad&Co, you can feel good about their impressive commitment to a positive environmental impact.
Toad&Co’s Brand Rating | Silver
Shop Women’s | Men’s | $
4. Tentree – Hemp Tops
Tentree is the perfect pick for the “granola” person in your life. While we may be stretching the definition of “t-shirt” here just slightly, we simply cannot exclude this brand from our list. Their hemp tops are the quintessential basic for your closet. They can be either dressed up or down and their t-shirts are perfect for layering. We also love that they allow flexibility for movement and comfort. From tank tops, to button-ups, to cropped, graphic, and plain tees– Tentree has it all.
One of the (many) reasons we love Tentree is their commitment to restoring forests. On their website, they offer subscription services to offset consumers’ carbon footprints by planting trees. The services offered are two monthly payment plans that each relay details on how many trees your subscription will help plant a month, and how much carbon that will reduce in the atmosphere. They go further by offering different carbon offset packages you can buy to support their mission in saving forests.
Further, Tentree also has an impressive circularity plan to keep garments out of landfills. By partnering with SuperCircle, a textile recycler, they allow you to send any clothes you no longer want to them where they will be assessed by SuperCircle and then resold or recycled into new materials. You are even offered store credit as soon as you ship your items.
As if all of that was not inspiring enough, Tentree has been carbon neutral since 2020. In 2022, they launched a full circle traceability program, so you can keep track of where and how their materials are being produced as well as how their recycling/resale programs work. They have issued a commitment to only working with garment manufacturers that employ ethical workplace practices (such as a safe, fair, and respectful environment for all garment workers) and suppliers are regularly audited to “ensure commitment to their code of conduct”.
In the ten years they have been in business, Tentree has planted over 100 million trees due to consumers choosing them as the brand to shop from. You can be a part of that community impact by shopping from Tentree.
Tentree’s Brand Rating | Gold
Shop Women’s | Men’s | $$
5. Patagonia – Hemp T-Shirt
If you are looking for a solid, long-lasting t-shirt that you could wear to work, on a day out, or for comfort– Patagonia has the hemp tees for you. While their hemp t-shirt selection is not incredibly large, the ones they have are popular and cute. With a front pocket, minimal graphics, and complimentary colors, they can be married with a variety of bottoms. Patagonia also offers long-sleeved hemp tops for cooler weather. Overall, Patagonia remains a solid option on your hunt for the perfect hemp tee.
One of our favorite things about Patagonia is their commitment to proper working conditions and environmentally friendly sourcing. They disclose both the name, location, and conditions of every one of their facilities for complete traceability. Further, ⅔ of their manufacturers are Fair Trade certified.
Another cool aspect of Patagonia’s outreach is their commitment to activism. On their website, they have a Take Action tab, offering links to several different campaigns concerning human rights and environmentalism. Each link takes you to a page discussing how you can help. Patagonia also has instituted a new policy in which they funnel all of their profits into environmental non-profits, meaning they have expanded beyond their own ecological footprint and are actively working to help others improve their impact on the environment, as well.
Patagonia’s Brand Rating | Gold
Shop Patagonia | $$
Looking for more ethical brands?
Our Sustainable Brand Guide has more options for you. Even better, we recently added more sustainable brands so you have a wider selection to pick from.
Our Brand Guide not only offers a short summary of the brand, but also a Brand Rating and a rundown on their commitment to ethical and sustainable fashion practices. We have done the work for you so you have an easier pathway to eco-friendly shopping.
On the hunt for more hemp clothing?
If you are still looking for more hemp clothing, check out Our Shop. You can find an array of hemp-fabric choices and even hemp accessories and shoes. You do not have to wait for the perfect hemp options to fall into your lap, our shop is curated for you.
You might also like…
- Guide to the most and least sustainable fabrics
- How sustainable is organic cotton?
- 15 sustainable summer dresses
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Abby Bishop is a writer at Eco-Stylist. She has had a passion for writing since she was 8 years old. Abby also runs a blog where she publishes her short stories and hopes to continue utilizing her writing as a tool for advocacy.
