Ethical, affordable women’s jeans

June 1, 2021 6:19 PM

I’m looking for ethical jeans (not made with slave labor, made in a somewhat environmentally friendly fashion) that are affordable AND come in a midrise. Everlane discontinued theirs. Does anyone else sell them?

Everlane’s mid-rise jeans have been discontinued and they now only sell high rise jeans, which I can’t wear - I’m too short and high rise jeans go past my lower ribs. Low rise jeans are uncomfortable after kids.
I do want:
Mid-rise, either skinny or a slim straight cut
Must come in ankle or short inseams (26-27ish inches)
Must be ethically made to the extent possible - non negotiables are no child labor or sweatshops; strongly prefer jeans made with less water and no dye pollution; don’t want to shop at a company that burns their returns; really prefer it when clothes aren’t shipped wrapped in plastic; agnostic on organic cotton
Under $100 preferred, budget max is $125
I don’t want:
I’m a middle aged, short cis woman. Nothing super hip. Nothing already ripped. Nothing intended to be super tight. No wide leg jeans, it looks like I’m playing dress up.
Nice to have: some stretch; I am very active and spend a lot of time on the ground with small kids

Stuff I’ve tried: Patagonia jeans haven’t fit quite right and are too long. American Giant only sells jeans for tall people. Universal Standard is not universal if your universe includes small, slim people. Gap/ON, H&M and Madewell aren’t ethical. When I Google all I find are lists of $200-400/pair jeans by niche independent designers that are way too cool and expensive for me.

I just want jeans that are comfortable, fit me, and aren’t requiring terrible things for production. Do they exist?

posted by john_snow to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total)

Best answer: Try Radian Jeans? They have mid-rise straight jeans in 28-inch inseams and the bottoms have a pattern on the inside so you can roll them up. Also they have amazing deep pockets. According to the Kickstarter FAQ, their fabrics are OEKO-Tex Standard 100 and the jeans are made at a facility that follows the Business Social Compliance Initiative.
posted by mogget at 6:53 PM on June 1, 2021 [2 favorites]

"Universal Standard is not universal if your universe includes small, slim people."

I know that they used to have larger sizes only, but I see a mid-rise denim skinny jean with a 27" inseam that goes down to a size 00 (24-25") waist for $98. Are you smaller than that? Apologies if you have tried this exact one and it doesn't work for you.
posted by sparkling at 6:58 PM on June 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Ok so I know you said no high rise, but these are under 11 inch rise and fit your other criteria, I think. Able is transparent about their wages and sustainability, their stuff is pretty high quality, and the price is right.
posted by kitschfrau at 7:01 PM on June 1, 2021

You might also consider looking for brands you can’t afford on sites that sell used clothing. Postmark, and ThredUp are two I know of. Or, look in local consignment stores or thrift shops. From my point of view, buying used is the ultimate ethical choice - the only additional labor is what it takes to get it to you.
posted by dbmcd at 7:41 PM on June 1, 2021 [10 favorites]

Best answer: This list of 11 Sustainable Denim Brands You Should Know Exist might be helpful.
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 8:26 PM on June 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I pretty much wear only Prana jeans and have a lot of your same requirements. The Kara specifically, which is technically low-rise, but not nearly so low as what jeans brands make. The Kayla is a newer cut that sounds like what you are aiming at. I tend to buy a pair, figure out my sizing, then buy future pairs from Poshmark.

They are an outdoor/active brand, so they have a lot of stretch. The sticking point for your requirements might be the length -- some of their styles (Kara included) are specifically made to be either slouched or rolled up, so they run a bit long.
posted by pixiecrinkle at 6:24 AM on June 2, 2021

Response by poster: Thanks all! Marked as best the brands I haven’t heard of that might work. Goblin Barbarian, thanks especially for that link. All I was getting were lists from Vogue and other fashion mags, not helpful at all.
Sparkling, I tried Universal Standard and was super disappointed. I love the idea but unfortunately the execution isn’t there in the small sizes. There’s a ton of excess fabric around the front pockets/zipper area, like I could fit a small water bottle in there with plenty of room to spare. They were possibly the most unflattering jeans I’ve ever tried on.
dbmcd, I neglected to say I don’t usually buy used clothes, my bad…I know it’s the most ethical but after a really bad and expensive experience with bedbugs several years ago it’s too much risk for me.
posted by john_snow at 7:10 AM on June 2, 2021

When I asked a similar question 5 years ago, I ended up feeling like Levi's were probably ethically okay. So, maybe Levi's? I ordered some by mail from them and it worked fine.
posted by kristi at 1:35 PM on June 2, 2021

The most ethical jeans, by my calculus, are used jeans that would otherwise go into the landfill. So I highly recommend checking out thredup.com for some jeans! Their filter options are fantastic - I don't know what size you are, but there are over 400 pairs of jeans that are like new or actually new (tags still attached), are mid-rise, skinny or straight cut, 26" or 27" long, AND under $10 their site. The more popular brands - gap, banana republic, j crew, ann taylor - are available at cheap prices, because a ton of people send them in. Try it out.
posted by Jaclyn at 8:16 PM on June 2, 2021

Note that you could stick the bag your ThredUP clothes come in into the freezer for a few days and it would kill any bedbugs.
posted by dbmcd at 12:32 PM on June 3, 2021 [1 favorite]