34 Flattering Sustainable Shorts You’ll Want to Wear This Summer

Outland Denim brings you this quintessential staple in sustainable shorts! Outland Denim makes premium denim jeans and clothes, and offers ethical employment opportunities for women rescued from human trafficking in Cambodia. This Australian brand was founded as an avenue for the training and employment of women who have experienced sex trafficking. Find most of the brand’s range in US sizes 22-34.

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We’re loving the vibe of these relaxed fit, super high rise black sustainable denim shorts from Nobody Denim. Nobody Denim has a longstanding commitment to ethical manufacturing principles and offers a unique vision of responsible design. It traces its supply chain, ensures a living wage for workers, and is accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia. Find most of the jeans in sizes 23-32.

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Abby by MUD Jeans is the perfect sustainable short short, with a mid rise and frayed hem to keep it casual. This Dutch denim brand is all about sustainability. Not only does it offer a repair service, but it also provides a rental service where you can lease a pair of jeans for up to a year! MUD Jeans uses a combination of GOTS certified organic cotton and post-consumer recycled cotton. MUD Jeans are available in a range of sizes, usually from W25 L30-W33 L32 for women and W28 L34-W36 L34 for men.

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Shop MUD Jeans @ Labell-D.

Guys, if there’s one pair of denim shorts in your wardrobe, let it be these stylish regular fit organic shorts. Nudie Jeans designs 100% organic cotton denim and is transparent about its production. The brand also offers a free repair service, resells second hand products, and even recycles worn out items! Find the perfect fit with the Virtual Size Guide on the product pages.

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Shop Nudie Jeans Pre-Owned @ Vestiaire Collective.

For something a little fun and fancy, try these fringe denim shorts on for size! Triarchy creates eco-friendly jeans, skirts, shorts, jumpsuits, and jackets. The brand’s production system uses 85% recycled water by consistently reusing the ‘thick indigo laden sludge’ that unmonitored factories dump into water systems. Find most of the jeans in US sizes 24-32.

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Sustainable fashion pioneer and leader People Tree is a seriously ethical brand and one of our favourites. The brand uses eco-friendly materials and addresses labour risks by adopting the Fairtrade International - Small Producers Organisations Code of Conduct. Find most products in UK sizes 6-18.

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Shop People Tree @ thegreenlabels.

The Cai Short is a high-rise jean short that sits naturally at the waist and the inseam hits the middle of thigh for an easy weekend vibe. True to its heritage, Edwin USA combines thoughtfully designed jeans and innovation in sustainable manufacturing methods. It uses a medium proportion of eco-friendly fabrics including GOTS certified organic cotton, and uses renewable energy in its supply chain to reduce its climate impact.

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unspun is an American brand, creating a denim world that reduces global carbon emissions by 1% through a zero-inventory and low waste process. Its product sizing is totally customisable to ensure you always find the perfect fit.

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Shop unspun @ Cerqular.

Love the & Other Stories vibe, but hate their fast fashion business model? Boyish has all the quality, fit, and authentic washes that you could want without the harmful practices. Find sizes 2XS-XL.

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Shop Boyish @ Reve en Vert.

Nothing says summer like a pair of linen shorts. These ones by Whimsy + Row come in 4 great colours and are breezy and breathable. Whimsy + Row is an eco-conscious lifestyle brand born out of a love for quality goods and sustainable practices. Since 2014, its mission has been to provide ease and elegance for the modern, sustainable woman. By limiting each garment to short runs, Whimsy + Row utilises deadstock fabric, reduces packaging waste, and takes care of precious water resources. Find most products in XS-XL.

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Shop Whimsy + Row @ Earthkind.

How cute are these two-tone upcycled linen sustainable shorts? OhSevenDays was started by Australian-Canadian Megan Mummery to promote slow fashion and the ‘power of circularity’. Based in Istanbul, the brand reclaims end-of-roll fabrics from the city’s garment factories and creates sharp, everyday womenswear that’s as wearable as it is ethical. Essentially, it makes slow fashion from fast fashion’s leftovers! OhSevenDays’ garments are available in sizes XS-XL or custom sizing.

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Shop OhSevenDays @ SlowCo.

The paperbag waist, the delicate black and white stripes, the relaxed fit. The Theodore linen shorts in Vineyard are aptly named—we’re picturing a Mediterranean holiday in the not-too-distant future! LA-based Reformation creates killer clothes that don’t kill the environment. The brand also ensures that a large proportion of its suppliers pay a living wage. Go Reformation!

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Shop Reformation Pre-Owned @ Vestiaire Collective.

Shop Reformation @ Farfetch.

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Colorful Standard is a Danish clothing brand that makes organic fashion essentials for men and women. The brand doesn't care much for seasons or trends, instead, it creates timeless and long-lasting products to avoid the downward spiral that is over-consumption. Find most items in sizes XS to 2 XL.

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ISTO.’s mandate is simple: create clothes to transcend the seasons and work as staple items in your wardrobe all year round. It has one single collection and pursues quality over quantity to try and make its items permanently available. It uses organic and natural materials, like in these organic cotton chinos, and is incredibly transparent in showing you the true cost of your clothes when you go to purchase a piece for your wardrobe. The range is available in XS-XL.

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If you’re the kind of person who likes to wear their morals, look no further. These unisex organic cotton chinos will take you from the city to the garden party. Bonus: a tree is planted every time you purchase a NIKIN product. Products are available in sizes XS-XL.

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Versatile chino shorts made with adventure in mind. Näz is a Portuguese fashion brand that aims to make fashion look good, not only on you, but on the planet too. It uses a high proportion of eco-friendly materials including GOTS certified organic cotton, and traces most of its supply chain. Most garments available in sizes S-L.

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For those living in Europe, you’re lucky enough to be able to get your hands on the beautiful 100% GOTS cotton products created by Jyoti, like these sustainable shorts in a ‘Curry’ colour we adore! Truly embodying ethical fashion practices, this company provides employment for people from marginalised or disadvantaged groups in India. Sizes available are S-XL.

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A pair of black drawstring shorts is a sustainable summer staple, and this pair from Unrecorded is unisex and made from 100% organic cotton! Unrecorded is an independent clothing brand from the Netherlands that represents a new wave of unisex brands that are rebelling against the nature of fast fashion. Unrecorded is passionate about style, and produces apparel using eco-friendly materials. Its range includes items that are all year round essentials suitable for any wardrobe, available in sizes XS-2XL.

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Toad&Co is a US brand that creates socially and environmentally committed womenswear and menswear that is equally suited for the rigours of the trail or the tavern. Most items are available in sizes XS-2XL.

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Hemp is a sustainable fabric booming in popularity, and Afends is an Australia-based fashion brand leading the way in organic hemp fashion like with these cute pink corduroy shorts and elastic waist walkshorts. It uses renewable energy in its supply chain to reduce its climate impact, and you can find the full range in sizes XS-XL.

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Elastic waist-band? Tons of pockets? Easy to wear? Check, check, and check thanks to these hemp sustainable shorts by tentree! tentree is a Canadian lifestyle brand that plants 10 trees for every item purchased. The certified B-Corp brand has already helped to remove tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere and reforested over 5,000 hectares of land (that’s equal to 12,000 football fields). But its commitment to sustainability extends way beyond trees. Using recycled, organic, and circular fabrics, tentree cuts down on huge amounts of waste and water usage with every piece. We love it for its super comfy fabrics and easy wardrobe staples that are typically available from XS to XL.

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These vegan TENCEL shorts are ethical and on-trend. Germany’s Armedangels gets a ‘Great’ rating overall from us. The brand covers all the basics for women, men, and kids. Armedangels’ quality and long-lasting pieces are made from eco-friendly and certified materials, like Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified cotton. The brand also adopted the Fair Wear Foundation Code of Conduct to protect its workers abroad. Its products are available in sizes XS-XL.

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Shop Armedangels @ thegreenlabels.

Shop Armedangels @ Earthkind.

Shop Armedangels @ Veneka.

Mila.Vert offers timeless, minimal, and chic clothing, adding sophisticated details that give the garments a modern feel—like with these Tencel sustainable shorts that are ready to become your new favourite companions for sunny days! The Slovenia-based brand wants to make desirable clothing, avoiding the ethical and environmental issues that the fashion industry represents. Find the garments in sizes XS-XL, or make a custom fit order free of charge!

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A.BCH is a Melbourne-based, Australian-made fashion label for individuals who care about garment provenance. It utilises renewable, organic, and recycled materials like Tencel. “Lightweight and fancy-free, no worms were harmed (or spoken to, even) in the making of these Tencel shorts.” Love! Find the range in sizes XS-XL, or customise to fit you!

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Love the look and durability of leather but don’t want to directly contribute to the unethical leather industry? Celebrating ageless rebellion and free-spiritedness, Stockholm-based Deadwood creates upcycled leather clothes like these shorts, aiming to reinvent how we think about fashion. It recycles cut-offs created during the manufacturing process and traces suppliers in all of its supply chain. Find the garments in sizes XS-XL.

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British streetwear brand RÆBURN makes an art out of upcycling. This is a fashion-forward brand for men and women that creates sharp looks from military surplus, with materials that include 1950s Airforce silk maps, and Danish military wool blankets. Look fly in these unique upcycled parachute sustainable shorts! The brand offers free repairs so you can take care of your precious investment pieces. Find most of the range in sizes XS-2XL.

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Founded by surf champion Kelly Slater, Outerknown is a sustainable brand that aims to blend style and function with the protection of natural resources. What better way to do that than create hemp and organic cotton ‘sweatshorts’ that can take you from the couch to the trail? They even have a zip pocket so your phone doesn’t go flying. Find the range in sizes XS-2XL.

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Underprotection is a Danish brand combining ethics and aesthetics, creating underwear, loungewear, and swimwear from sustainable materials like recycled polyester and organic cotton. All of its packaging, paper, and polybags are either recycled or biodegradable, and it only works with certified factories as it believes “fair working conditions and fair wages are human rights”. Underprotection exists to celebrate women of all kinds, and its goal is to make them feel as beautiful and comfortable as possible. Speaking of beautiful and comfortable, how chic are these boho lounge shorts? You can find the full range in XS-XL.

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Shop Underprotection @ LVR Sustainable.

337 BRAND’s leisurewear is designed to make you feel at ease, always. Inspired by nature, comfort and kindness, the brand introduces effortless-style clothing made from earth-friendly materials, like these recycled and upcycled fabric lounge shorts! Find the range in sizes XS-L.

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Believing in sustainable menswear that makes a difference, KnowledgeCotton Apparel creates long-lasting and high-quality products, using a high proportion of eco-friendly materials, including GOTS certified organic cotton. For some casual loose-fit shorts that are comfortable, versatile, and stylish, these are your best bet. Find sizes S-2XL.

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Shop KnowledgeCotton Apparel @ Brothers We Stand.

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Who said shorts have to be casual? These sustainable work shorts are perfect for the office on a hot day, and there’s even a matching blazer to complete the look. The R Collective’s womenswear collections are made by reusing rescued excess materials from leading luxury brands and reputable manufacturers. The brand uses a high-proportion of eco-friendly materials, which limits the amount of chemicals, water, and wastewater used in production. It also ensures the payment of a living wage in its supply chain, which is why we rated it ‘Great’! The garments are offered in two sizes: XS-S and M-L.

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Shop The R Collective @ ourCommonplace.

ASKET has been creating timeless wardrobe essentials since 2015 with revolutionary sizing and fair pricing. The brand disregards seasonal collections, cuts out all the middlemen, and only sells directly to you—putting its entire focus on building a single permanent collection. The Shorts are perfect whether you’re on or off the clock! Find the range in sizes XS-XL.

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Seek Collective is a US brand of thoughtfully made items with a dedication to transparency, authenticity, craft, and sustainability. Seek is focused on establishing connections between art, product, consumers, process, and makers. Its items are made in India through partnerships with like-minded communities and people. The short version of Seek’s best-loved Savista Pants, the Lola Shorts offer plenty of room in the thighs and come in this gorgeous summer-inspired graphic print. Find most products in XS-L.

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For travelwear designed for adventures, look no further than Australian brand Tasi Travels. Boasting a stunning collection of handmade garments in eco-friendly materials that are made-to-order, you can feel good out in the world knowing you are leaving a light footprint behind. If florals are your jam, the Journey sustainable shorts are cute, comfy, and conscious! Garments come in sizes XS/S, S/M, and M/L.

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