Your Ultimate Guide To UK Ethical Kids’ Clothes Brands

Looking to green your kid’s wardrobe? Here are lots of great places to buy ethical kids’ clothes – from super sustainable secondhand clothes to organically and ethically sourced clothing, catering from birth to age 16.

Something I get HEAPS of emails about is where to buy ethical kids’ clothes. As a mum of two girls, I understand your frustration in not being able to easily find sustainable clothes for your growing children.

There are loads of organic and sustainable baby clothes companies out there. However, once you pass the toddler years then options for ethical kids’ clothing start to diminish. By the time you get to age 10, it’s a pretty sparse picture.

What I will say is that if you are thinking about going into business making and selling organic babywear then stop right there. Instead, consider making older kids’ clothing instead, where there is a massive gap in the market!

That being said, there are a number of places to buy ethical and sustainable clothes for kids from birth to age 16, at a wide range of different price points. My kids are aged 9 and 13 so we’ve gone through all the stages, and I’ve got tons of tips to cover dressing babies, toddlers, kids, and teenagers ethically.

Where To Buy Ethical Kids’ Clothes

Ready for the big guide? Here you go!

eBay

👕Caters for premature babies to age 16

eBay is one of my all-time favourites for ethical kids’ clothing. There’s nothing more ethical or sustainable than secondhand clothing, so eBay is brilliant if you want to shop ethically but on a tight budget.

eBay is also a great place to stock up on clothes for older kids and teenagers – just make sure you click the used filter at the side.

One thing I particularly love about eBay is the fact that parents sell bundles of clothes that their kids have grown out of. Just search, for example, “girls bundle age 3 4” and you can find hundreds and hundreds of bundles of clothing. Here you can pick up practically everything your kid will need in one parcel for very little.

If you really want to get the most for your money then my top eBay thrifty trick is to stock up on winter wear in the summertime, when fewer people are searching and bidding on winter wear. And likewise, searching for summer gear in winter is a superb way to grab some great bargains.

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Vinted

👕Caters for premature babies to age 16

Vinted is another top spot to find sustainable preloved clothing for kids at affordable prices. If you’re not familiar with Vinted, it’s an online marketplace where people buy and sell second-hand clothes, shoes, and accessories.

It’s really easy to search for what you need. You can filter by age, brand, colour, condition or even pattern, so whether you’re after a bundle of basics or a jacket in a particular colour (handy if you’ve got a toddler that only wants to wear yellow!), then it’s all just a quick search away.

I’ve found that, like eBay, sellers often list bundles of kids’ clothes. This can be a great way to stock up for the season ahead without breaking the bank.

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Oxfam Online

👕Caters for premature babies to age 16

My other favourite place to shop ethically for kids is in charity shops. I’m really lucky to have a Barnados charity shop near me that exclusively sells kids’ wear and gear. I’ve come out of there with a pile of fantastic clothes for my kids and spent a little over £10.

If the charity shops near you don’t cater much for kids then Oxfam Online is a super place to shop for secondhand ethical kids’ clothes online. Here you’ll find sizes ranging from birth to age 16, all at really reasonable prices.

Delivery is a flat fee of £3.95, no matter how many items you buy. What’s more, they also offer free returns making Oxfam Online a hassle way to shop for preloved and sustainable kids’ clothes.

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Frugi

👕Caters for newborns to age 12

Frugi (available at M&S) is a great shop if you are looking to buy some new ethical pieces in the UK. Catering for babies and kids up to age 12, Frugi’s bright and colourful durable clothes are made from organic and ethically sourced cotton that’s Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified. And all of Frugi’s outerwear is made from recycled plastic bottles.

There are handy repair guides for when your kids get holes in their clothes. And for any small tears you can’t fix up or stains you can’t get out, Frugi cleverly sell patches to hide those imperfections.

Meanwhile, in terms of ethics, Frugi ensures its suppliers adhere to a strict code of conduct. This includes prohibiting child labour, enforcing free employment choices, paying fair wages, maintaining safe conditions, and preventing discrimination. Frugi also regularly audits suppliers through SMETA and BSCI standards to uphold ethical and environmental standards.

SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) is a widely used audit process that assesses suppliers’ ethical standards, focusing on areas like labour rights, health and safety, and environmental impact. Meanwhile, BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) is a global framework designed to improve working conditions in supply chains, ensuring that suppliers comply with ethical practices regarding worker treatment, wages, and environmental standards.

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Toby Tiger

👕Caters for newborns to age 8

Toby Tiger is another ethical kids’ online shop that’s big on colour. Offering sustainable, vegan-friendly and Fair Trade clothing that is GOTS-certified organic, this is a great choice for kids aged up to eight years old. This independent certification ensures that all Toby Tiger clothing meets strict organic environmental standards. 

Each piece is designed with comfort in mind, whilst being designed to withstand play and repeated washing. What’s also to love about Toby Tiger is that its kids’ clothing is not gendered. Instead, its bright and fun unisex clothing is designed to be worn with love and then passed along to another kid.

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Etsy

👕Caters for newborns to age 16

If you’re looking to shop directly from independent makers then Etsy is the place for you. Here you’ll find great ethical kidswear from makers like Sussex-based Sprout Organic (pictured).

Sprout Organic makes colourful GOTS-certified organic cotton clothing for newborns up to kids age five. All clothing is handmade in its workshop in East Sussex, where it strives to be as close to zero waste as possible. All fabric scraps are repurposed or recycled, and all parcels are sent out in fully recyclable packaging.

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PO.P

👕Caters for newborns to age 10

Catering from birth up to age 10, PO.P (formerly known as Polarn O. Pyret) makes ethical kids’ clothes in a range of sustainable materials. From GOTS-certified organic cotton to organic wool and more. All of their clothes are designed to last. In fact, PO.P says that every garment is made to last at least 3 children if not many more.

PO.P also has many great sustainability measures in place. It offers a free repair service to fix zips and replace broken poppers on all of its outerwear garments. This is regardless of when they were purchased.

It also runs a handy buy-back scheme to help reduce clothing waste. Here, when your child grows out of their PO.P clothes, it will help you find a new owner for them. In return, you’ll receive a voucher to use on new items online. This applies to all clothing, from socks to swimwear, no matter where you bought it from or how old it is. All you have to do is make sure the item is clean and not damaged before sending it back.

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Organic Zoo

👕Caters for newborns to age 5

Organic Zoo makes 100% organic cotton clothing for kids up to age five, with a focus on timeless and minimalist designs that are made to last and be passed on.

It prioritises sustainability and ethical practices. As such Organic Zoo sources its cotton from Fairtrade suppliers, ensuring fairer prices for farmers. It manufactures its clothes in Europe and all fabrics are Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified – ensuring no harmful dyes, finishes or components are used. Its factory even uses leftover fabric for mattress filling!

When your kids have grown out of their clothes, Organic Zoo offers a handy Buy-Back scheme to extend the lifespan of your clothes. You’ll even get rewarded with a voucher towards a future purchase.

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Kite Clothing

👕Caters for newborns to age 13

Finally, Kite Clothing (available at Ethical Superstore), makes beautiful sustainable kids clothing using organic cotton, recycled materials, and Oeko-Tex-approved fabrics and dyes.

Durability and circularity are also a big part of Kite’s mission – each piece is designed to last, ensuring that clothes can be worn and washed again and again, before being passed down to a sibling or friend, resold, or traded in using Kite Clothing’s partnership with thelittleloop. You’ll then get a voucher to spend on new clothes.

More Top Tips

Try my post on how to buy kids’ clothes that last for some useful pointers on how to get the most out of what you buy.