There are so many ways to wear a humble t-shirt, from throwing them on as baggy loungewear to dressing them up with some jeans and a nice jacket or even layering them under some overalls or a jumper – it’s no wonder t-shirts are a staple for building a sustainable capsule wardrobe!

If you’re going to wear something so frequently, you want to make sure that every time you put it on, you feel confident that the people who made it were treated fairly and that it didn’t cost the Earth to get it to you. The most sustainable shirt is, of course, the one you already own, but if you need to buy a new t-shirt, read on to find out how to identify which shirts are sustainable and ethical as well as which Aussie brands are getting things right.

How can you know if a t-shirt has been made ethically and sustainably?

It’s important to look at what a brand is willing to tell you about how they make their t-shirts. Transparent brands often have a section dedicated to sustainable and ethical practices, usually linked either along the top bar or at the bottom of the webpage under a label like ‘Sustainability’ or ‘Responsibility’. If you’re having trouble finding it, check a brand directory like Good On You that compiles the same sort of information.

However, plenty of brands know how popular sustainable clothing is becoming and will talk vaguely about helping the environment without actually making their clothes more sustainable or ethical; this is a marketing trick known as greenwashing. To make sure you aren’t being fooled, read what the brand says about their manufacturing processes to see if it actually addresses the things you’re concerned about.

If you’re not sure what signs to look for, here are some questions that will help you tell if a brand is serious about being sustainable and ethical:

• ‍What materials do they use? Many materials that go into t-shirts can harm the environment. For instance, growing cotton often leads to pesticide use and overcultivation, while creating and dying fabric can use a lot of fuel, energy, and water (not to mention pollution!). To avoid these impacts, see if your t-shirt is made from organic or recycled materials, or if the brand opts for more sustainable natural fibres like bamboo or hemp.‍
• Are they treating their workers fairly? Many brands outsource their manufacturing to factories in countries with weaker legislation around working conditions. See if your brand is open about their supply chain and whether they support workers’ rights, like a living wage, well-ventilated workspaces, and protection from abuse.‍
• What are they doing about carbon emissions? T-shirt manufacturing will almost always involve some carbon or other greenhouse gas emissions, but sustainable brands try to reduce the impact by finding less carbon-intensive manufacturing methods, minimising how far their materials and goods need to be transported between production stages, or by funding carbon offsetting projects.‍
• Are they accredited? There are many accreditations that give you a fair third-party assessment of a brand’s practices in a particular area, such as the Worldwide Responsible Accreditation Production, the Responsible Wool Standard, the Global Organic Textile Standard, and the B Corp Certification. Brands will usually display accreditors’ logos on their websites if they meet the standard.