20 Best Basics You Need To Have In Your Wardrobe

Now is the time to build the perfect wardrobe with the best clothing essentials. Transform your closet with a few simple, versatile, and stylish basics that every woman should own.

Staple clothing pieces are crucial to improve your fashion style and look your best without breaking the bank. Fashion essentials help you look fabulous, grow your confidence, and save the planet.

Simplify your wardrobe by choosing original fashion aesthetics and combining a few classic, chic, and timeless garments into many beautiful outfits that make you look stylish effortlessly.

Here are some of the best basics you need to have in your wardrobe to dress realistically without being too complicated and build a strong foundation of timeless pieces that you can pair with anything.

I've got you covered if you also want to create a capsule wardrobe with beautiful and affordable minimalist clothing essentials.

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1. Tentree T-Shirts

Category: Basics, shirts, tees, sweatshirts, tanks
For: Women, men, children
From: Vancouver, Canada
Values: Organic, B Corp, recycled, vegan, give back
Prices: $20-$120

Tentree is an ethical fashion brand designing clothing for a healthy, sustainable world with recycled materials and organic fabrics such as cotton and hemp.

Tentree is the perfect destination to buy affordable and sustainable basics for your wardrobe, including shirts, tees, tanks, and more. Currently, every single piece of Tentree apparel is vegan.

The sustainable clothing brand is B Corp certified and partners with charitable organizations across the world to plant trees and rehabilitate natural ecosystems.

Tentree aims to guide you on your journey and empower you to do your best when it comes to the environment. It already planted over 48 million trees and restored land in over eight countries.

SHOP TENTREE T-SHIRTS

2. Made Trade Pajamas

Category: Basics, loungewear, sleepwear, pajamas, pants, shirts
For: Women, men, children
From: Portland, Oregon, United States
Values: Organic, Fair Trade, recycled, vegan, BIPOC, made in the USA
Prices: $30-$150

Made Trade is a sustainable and ethical company that makes goods for the modern wardrobe and home. It offers eco-friendly and affordable basics for every wardrobe, as well as footwear and accessories.

The company produces stylish and comfy clothes, including pants, blouses, shirts, dresses, skirts, pajamas, and other wardrobe classics with sustainable and vegan materials.

Made Trade is committed to transparency and making a positive impact on the world. The curated online marketplace sells a great selection of ethical and animal-free products handcrafted in the USA and around the world.

Made Trade adheres to sustainable and fair practices that support both artisans and the environment. It strives to make the world a more beautiful place through higher ethical standards.

SHOP MADE TRADE PAJAMAS

3. Girlfriend Collective Leggings

Category: Basics, activewear, leggings, bras
For: Women
From: Seattle, Washington, United States
Values: Organic, recycled, inclusive
Prices: $10-$70

Girlfriend Collective makes sustainable underwear, loungewear, and activewear out of recycled materials, such as recycled polyester from PET bottles and regenerated nylon.

Husband-and-wife duo Ellie and Quang Dinh launched the brand in 2016 to create flattering, comfortable, and supportive leggings.

Girlfriend Collective aims to make luxurious, responsible sportswear and be as transparent as possible. It fosters a community of people who care about beautiful designs as much as the people making their clothes.

The sustainable label makes eco-friendly and high-quality textiles from recycled materials in its facility in Taiwan. It offers affordable leggings, bras, shorts, briefs, thongs, basics, sweats, and more.

SHOP GIRLFRIEND LEGGINGS

4. Organic Basics Tights

Category: Basics, underwear, tights, briefs
For: Women, men
From: Copenhagen, Denmark
Values: Organic, recycled, local, give back
Prices: $30-$90

Organic Basics is an eco-friendly brand making underwear, loungewear, and essentials ethically in Europe with organic cotton, Tencel, recycled materials.

Organic Basics is committed to sustainable fashion production and puts sustainable thinking at the center of everything it does. Sustainability is its core mission.

The clothing label invests in quality fabrics and designs its apparel with simplicity and function in mind. It also has a fund that supports grassroots activists and organizations that address environmental crises.

SHOP ORGANIC BASICS TIGHTS

5. Thought Blouses

Category: Basics, tops, sleeves, blouses, shirts, tunics
For: Women, men
From: London, United Kingdom
Values: Organic, recycled, give back
Prices: $10-$150

Thought is an ethical fashion brand that creates affordable and sustainable basics for women and men with organic materials, such as cotton and hemp, as well as upcycled and recycled materials.

The eco-friendly clothing brand is committed to considered design, responsible sourcing, and fostering change. It aims to show that there are more sustainable ways to live, dress, and be.

Thought supports TRAID, a UK charity that works to minimize, improve, and transform the environmental impact of clothing manufacturing. Send your clothes back to TRAID to support the people and places making your clothing.

SHOP THOUGHT BLOUSES

6. Outerknown Shorts

Category: Basics, bottoms, pants, shorts
For: Women, men
From: Los Angeles, California, United States
Values: Organic, Fair Trade, recycled
Prices: $50-$160

Outerknown is a clothing label that creates effortless clothes for women and men rooted in sustainability and transparency. It makes versatile essentials for the modern wardrobe with the most planet-friendly fibers.

Outerknown keeps strict sustainability rules and aims to raise the standard for sustainable design in the global fashion industry. It uses organic and recycled materials to reimagine design and embrace circularity.

Accredited by the Fair Labor Association (FLA), the ethical fashion brand invests in the livelihoods of over 5K workers through Fair Trade USA. Three of its partners are Fair Trade Certified.

SHOP OUTERKNOWN SHORTS

7. Boden Swimsuits

Category: Basics, swimwear, one-pieces, bikinis
For: Women, men, children
From: London, United Kingdom
Values: Organic, recycled, give back
Prices: $40-$120

Boden is a British clothing retailer selling high-quality and individual styles for women, men, and kids. It uses a large proportion of sustainable materials such as recycled polyester and regenerated nylon.

Boden takes climate change seriously and is taking steps to reduce its environmental impacts, such as using regenerated fibers in its swimwear, bikinis, swimsuits, and tankinis.

The clothing label also donates to numerous charities to support vulnerable families, educate young people, and empower workers in fashion supply chains.

SHOP BODEN

8. Everlane Bags

Category: Basics, transit bags, weekenders, backpacks, purses, totes
For: Women, men
From: San Francisco, California, United States
Values: Organic, recycled
Prices: $20-$170

Everlane is an ethical brand creating modern and beautiful essentials, at the best factories, without traditional markups. It's a great destination to buy quality, fair, affordable, and sustainable purses made from recycled materials.

The fashion retailer is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and sells primarily online. It uses a high proportion of sustainable materials such as organic cotton and recycled fabrics.

The sustainable brand also offers ethically made and designed to last clothes, transit bags, backpacks, handbags, weekenders, shoes, and accessories for women and men. It believes in exceptional quality to make a difference.

Everlane is widely known for its radical transparency. It educates consumers on its supply chain, factories, employees, and the price breakdown of each product.

SHOP EVERLANE BAGS

9. Reformation Juliette Dresses

Category: Basics, dresses, skirts, jumpsuits
For: Women
From: Los Angeles, California, United States
Values: Zero waste, organic, recycled, made in the USA
Prices: $30-$350

Reformation makes sustainable women's clothing and accessories. It offers a collection of stylish and affordable garments for petite up to extended sizes.

The clothing retailer designs effortless silhouettes that celebrate the feminine figure with the most beautiful and sustainable fabrics possible. It pays attention to minimize its social and environmental impacts.

Reformation uses sustainable materials such as organic cotton, recycled cotton, linen, and Tencel. It also makes some of its clothes with recycled materials, such as regenerated nylon and deadstock fabrics.

SHOP REFORMATION DRESSES

10. Veja Sneakers

Category: Sneakers, shoes
For: Women, Men
From: Paris, France
Values: Organic, recycled, vegan, Fair Trade, artisan craft
Prices: $120-$150

Veja is a French footwear and accessories brand selling a collection of sustainable sneakers for men and women. It distributes eco-friendly shoes, bags, and accessories to 1,800 retailers in 45 countries.

Veja manufactures its shoes using a large proportion of recycled materials. Its upcycling process creates a smart, breathable, and water-repellent fabric.

Veja uses organic materials, fair trade sourcing, and promote transparency in its supply chain. It already sold more than 4 million pairs of sustainable sneakers worldwide.

Veja is one of the few great places where you can buy affordable, classic, and chic shoes. It aims to make the most ecological sneakers possible.

SHOP VEJA

11. People Tree Trousers

Category: Basics, pants, trousers, jeans, shorts
For: Women
From: Tokyo, Japan
Values: Organic, Fair Trade, recycled, artisan craft, give back
Prices: $60-$250

People Tree is an online garment retailer making minimalist clothes from environmentally-friendly materials, including Fair Trade, certified organic cotton.

The clothing brand offers a wide range of organic basics for women, including pants, trousers, denim jeans, shorts, and more.

In 2013, it became the first fashion company to be awarded the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) product label, guaranteeing dedication and compliance with the principles of Fair Trade.

People Tree is committed to working with disadvantaged farmers and workers to promote fairer trading conditions. It helps combat poverty and employs people in underserved communities around the world.

SHOP PEOPLE TREE

12. Amour Vert Russo Dresses

Category: Basics, dresses, skirts, jumpsuits
For: Women
From: San Francisco, California, United States
Values: Organic, made in the USA, give back
Prices: $40-$220

Amour Vert is a sustainable fashion brand that makes classic wardrobe staples like beautiful dresses, skirts, and jumpsuits in timeless colors like light blue, white, black, heather gray, and more.

The clothing label creates garments in limited quantities to contribute to a more eco-friendly future. Its essential pieces are chic, comfortable, and better for the planet.

Amour Vert is committed to making fashion thoughtful, versatile, and sustainable. You'll want to keep its timeless pieces in your wardrobe forever.

The eco-friendly label has been planting trees in North America since it first opened its doors with its partner American Forest. It promotes sustainable practices and positive environmental impacts.

SHOP AMOUR VERT

13. Mud Jeans Rocks

Category: Basics, jeans, shorts, skirts
For: Women, men
From: Laren, Netherlands
Values: Organic, recycled, vegan, B Corp, rental
Prices: $80-$150

Mud Jeans is a sustainable denim brand based in the Netherlands sustainably and ethically making high-quality jeans, jackets, shorts, and skirts for women and men.

The denim brand aims to make ethical jeans available to more people and change the fashion industry for the better.

It creates essentials pieces for a minimalist wardrobe with organic cotton and according to the principles of the circular economy.

14. prAna Sweaters

Category: Basics, knitwear, sweaters, cardigans, hoodies, tunics, pullovers, wraps
For: Women, men
From: Carlsbad, California, United States
Values: Organic, recycled, Fair Trade
Prices: $60-$140

prAna is an outdoor brand that makes sustainable clothing for positive change, to inspire new generations to thrive and stay active. Its premium lifestyle clothing is classic, chic, and stylish with many affordable options.

prAna offers sustainable and timeless wardrobe essentials for yoga, travel, and outdoor adventure enthusiasts. It also stocks a wide range of cozy vegan sweaters, cardigans, hoodies, and sweatshirts.

The clothing label uses a variety of sustainable materials such as organic cotton, hemp, recycled polyester, and regenerated nylon, as well as cellulosic fibers made from renewable resources such as lyocell and modal.

15. Mara Hoffman Jackets

Category: Basics, outerwear, coats, jackets, blazers
For: Women
From: New York City, United States
Values: Organic, recycled, luxury, give back, made in the USA
Prices: $60-$340

Mara Hoffman is a premium designer brand that creates organic clothing basics and sustainable wardrobe essentials out of hemp, recycled textiles, and other eco-friendly materials.

Mara Hoffman is well-known for its sustainable, luxurious fashion pieces from pre and post-consumer waste. The designer label aims to reduce its impact and generate awareness.

It offers stylish and unique alternatives manufactured responsibly by smaller artisan groups under fair conditions. All its clothes are made in Los Angeles to foster a healthy local economy.

16. PACT Sweatshirts

Category: Basics, loungewear, joggers, sweatpants, sweatshirts, hoodies
For: Women, men, children
From: Boulder, Colorado, United States
Values: Organic, Fair Trade, recycled
Prices: $20-$70

PACT is a leading sustainable fashion brand using organic fabrics and Fair Trade factories to design stylish essential clothing for the modern wardrobe. It creates ethical apparel for women, men, kids, and babies.

PACT offers a change you can wear, organic cotton clothing, and home goods, sustainably and ethically made. It strives to inspire change by doing better and being better.

PACT promotes organic clothing for everyday use. It designs clothes that are affordable, practical, comfortable, and easy to wear. It offers organic loungewear that fits the lifestyle of conscious consumers because doing good should be easy.

17. Ecoalf Coats

Category: Basics, outerwear, knitwear, coats, jackets, parkas, vests
For: Women, men, children
From: Madrid, Spain
Values: Zero waste, natural, recycled, vegan, B Corp, give back
Prices: $30-$260

Ecoalf is a Spanish fashion brand creating inexpensive, ethical, and sustainable clothing made entirely from upcycled and recycled materials to reduce its environmental impact.

Ecoalf is Bluesign, Oeko-Tex-certified, and makes garments under the REACH regulation. Many third-party organizations verify Ecoalf suppliers' compliance with the highest social standards, such as BSCI, SA 8000, and SMETA.

Ecoalf offers affordable clothes for women, men, and kids made with durable and light materials. They are comfortable, sustainable, form-fitting, and stylish.

Ecoalf also uses fabrics that reduce the amount of waste going out into the world, such as recycled polyester and regenerated nylon.

18. Matt And Nat

Category: Basics, shoes, flats, sandals, boots, sneakers, heels
For: Women, men
From: Montreal, Canada
Values: Natural, vegan, recycled, inclusive
Prices: $40-$150

Matt And Nat is a Canadian designer brand that makes premium quality vegan leather flats, boots, sneakers, and accessories. All its shoes are cruelty-free, fashion-forward, and made with recycled materials.

The designer brand's values include social responsibility, excellence, inclusiveness, integrity, learning, authenticity, and love. It aims to protect nature and appreciate the humanity, creativity, and positivity found in all of us.

Matt And Nat uses eco-friendly materials such as recycled nylon, cork, rubber, and polyurethane. Its flats, sandals, and boots are high-quality, affordable, durable, chic, and timeless.

19. Patagonia Rompers

Category: Basics, jumpsuits, overalls, rompers
For: Women, men, children
From: Ventura, California, United States
Values: Organic, recycled, local, second-hand, B Corp, give back
Prices: $20-$130

Patagonia is an American apparel company that markets and sells outdoor clothing and gear for silent sports: climbing, surfing, skiing and snowboarding, fly fishing, and trail running.

The outdoor brand makes many sustainable and affordable basics for a classic, conscious wardrobe using upcycled and recycled materials such as regenerated nylon and recycled polyester.

It also uses a large proportion of natural materials such as organic cotton, as well as reclaimed cotton and polyester fibers with a low environmental impact.

Its first store opened in 1973, and since then, the brand has quickly expanded its product line. Patagonia is a Certified B Corporation and commits 1% of its total sales to environmental groups.

The apparel and accessory brand is committed to higher quality, integrity, and environmentalism. It's highly successful and a leader in the sustainable outdoor market.

Patagonia encourages repairing, sharing, and recycling through its WornWear marketplace of second-hand gear. It's committed to making high-quality products that last for years, so you don't have to buy more.

SHOP PATAGONIA

20. Kuyichi Jeans

Category: Basics, denim, jeans, jackets, shorts, shirts
For: Women, men
From: Utrecht, Netherlands
Values: Organic, recycled, vegan
Prices: $100-$120

Kuyichi is a Dutch fashion brand founded in 2000 and named after the rainbow God K'uychi or Coichi worshipped by the Incas, connected with fertility, bringing color and positivity to the earth and all living things.

Kuyichi started after a visit to the cotton fields of Oro Blanco, Peru that made apparent the disastrous impact of the cotton industry on people and nature.

It's the first denim brand that launched jeans from 100% organic cotton back in 2003. It aimed to create a production chain that benefits everyone.

Kuyichi wants to stay a pioneering, style-conscious brand that inspires younger generations to wear organic jeans. It creates collections that last beyond the season, including timeless essentials, with a perfect fit and premium quality.

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Alex Assoune (MS) is a global health and environmental advocate. He founded Panaprium to inspire others with conscious living, ethical, and sustainable fashion. Alex has worked in many countries to address social and environmental issues. He speaks three languages and holds two Master of Science degrees in Engineering from SIGMA and IFPEN schools.