Go with the Eco Flow: 12 Sustainable Yoga Brands
Call us fickle, but we’re firmly in the camp that believes cute (and sustainable) yoga clothes are nine-tenths of the motivation for getting your flow on.
It’s also true that active and yoga wear are making a real hot leap from ‘sometimes’ wear to all day, everyday items – and WE ARE HERE for it. Comfort is queen after all!
Whether you’re bending and stretching or just taking that fun matching set adventuring off-mat, here’s a collection of yoga goods (gear included) to take you from down dog to savasana – the best pose out there, just quietly – and everywhere in between.
(Before you say it, yes, you can wear any kind of clothing (including activewear!) – comfort with a capital C, remember – for yoga. But for the purposes of brevity, this considered list is focused on yoga-specific brands, and/or activewear brands that use sustainable, natural fibres and ethical practices to make yoga-friendly threads.)
TOP IMAGE: INDIGO LUNA
Pinky and Kamal
It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of Pinky and Kamal’s swoon-worthy sets, and the love just keeps coming. The Byron Bay-based, Bali-producing brand keeps serving serious yoga looks, combining trendy aesthetics – such as pastels, tie-dye tones, crop tops and three-quarter flares – with a slow fashion approach. Using ultra bend-accommodating blends of lush bamboo and elastane or GOTS-certified cotton and elastane, Pinky and Kamal’s pieces are as at home on your mat as they are on your daily errand run, paired with a slouchy tee and comfy (sustainable) sneaks or even a blazer to score street-style points.
Jarin Street
Aboriginal-owned and ally friendly, Jarin Street is the brainchild of Wiradjuri woman Jarin Baigent who is also a founding member of First Nations business collective Trading Blak. Frustrated with the proliferation of fake art and exploitation of Aboriginal creators by non-Indigenous businesses, Jarin created the brand as a way to showcase the work of Aboriginal artists, while building self-determination and economic independence. Jarin works closely with a handful of artists from around Australia to produce a range of culture focused artworks – which are then printed on the naturally sourced tree rubber mats (distinct from non-renewable materials such as PVC), activewear and yoga clothes plus accessories – so you can support First Nations’ self-determination and sovereignty while saluting the sun!
Indigo Luna
There’s something about slipping into super-soft bamboo or cotton bike pants and a matching crop that just sets the tone for getting into the yoga flow. An aesthetically pleasing set of naturally dyed, earthy hues doesn’t hurt either. It’s a philosophy that Victoria-based yoga clothes brand Indigo Luna leans into fully. Flex your way to nirvana in the Ananda yoga range of oh-so-soft GOTS-certified cotton and elastane shorts, leggings, flares and crop tops designed for gentle movement or day-to-day comfort, if that’s your jam. Designed in Torquay and hand-made ethically in a woman-run factory in Bali, the brand also offers intimates, swimwear and loungewear constructed using fabrics like linen, Econyl, plant viscose, organic bamboo and eucalyptus Tencyl. Extra love-heart eyes for a size range that extends to 3XL too.
Luve Yoga Mats
Created by dedicated yogi and vinyasa flow teacher Alexandra Champion de Crespigny, along with her husband, Luve Yoga’s microfibre mats are so soft, you may be tempted to stay in savasana for your whole practice. Our editor Desta was lucky enough to be gifted one from the microsuede collection (in the pistachio-like Nile Green colourway) and aside from the very luxe micro-suede feel, it’s the weight and cushioning of the mat that is *chef’s kiss* perfect. Having a mat not roll satisfyingly flat, is not an insignificant bug-bear if you happen to be asana obsessed; that they’re made with biodegradable tree rubber and water-based inks is the cherry on top in the good planetary karma stakes.
Solomon Street
You’ll definitely make friends with (fruit) salad thanks to Solomon Street’s sassy and bright activewear. Punchy colours and high-performance fabric come together across a delightful range of crops, leggings and shorts – all made in Australia from recycled post-consumer waste (the brand’s hemp activewear restocks in 2022), with water-based, eco-printed labels. If you’re less interested in yoga clothes but love Solomon Street’s fruit-fiend vibe, then hop, skip and jumpsuit your way to this all-in-one beauty – also known as the seed from which this whole orchard grew.
Yogat
If the goal of yoga is to be as much in the present moment as possible and hush that monkey mind, then the mats from Yogat should help with your stretch-filled mission. Emblazoned with mood boosting artworks – created in collaboration with an impressive roster of young, local talent (including Pepp’s fave Goreng Goreng artist Rachael Sarra) – these mats are also made with tree rubber, natural dyes and shipped using sea freight to reduce emissions. That’ll be a yes from us, yogis!
Read more: Lights, Camera, Climate Action: Press Play On These Documentaries Stat
BAY Active
Byron Bay has become something of a yoga heartland of late so it stands to reason that there’s a solid posse of ethical and sustainable yoga brands calling the coastal enclave home. Loved for its tights, made from a sleek blend of organic cotton and elastane, that’s knitted in Melbourne, before the pieces are constructed in Sydney, Bay Active also makes use of other natural fabrics such as merino and bamboo. Can we get a woo hoo?!
Dharma Bums
A cult fave among dedicated yogis, Dharma Bums devotees swear by these designed-with-yoga-in-mind pieces for hot and cool practices alike – as well as other active pursuits such as Pilates and gym-hitting. Passing the all important squat test with flying colours (speaking of which, there are plenty to choose from!), the tights are made from recycled plastic bottles in a water-saving process and Dharma Bums is a signatory to the Business Social Compliance Initiative, which ensures 11 ethical manufacturing principles are upheld throughout their partner factories.
Zone by Lydia
Former Olympian and aerial skier Lydia Lassila knows a thing or two about getting in the ‘zone’ after a lifetime of learning to quiet the chatter and focus on the moment. For Lydia, plagued by injuries and pain towards the end of her high-impact sporting career, yoga was a form of rehab and restoration – both physically and mentally, and something she hopes others will find through Zone by Lydia. The planet-conscious range of yoga mats, blocks and other accessories (made from sustainably sourced cork leather and tree rubber) is offset by a considered collection of gender neutral, hemp and organic cotton “active streetwear” – in minimalist and earthy tones that pass the exercise-to-everyday-wear test, easy peasy. Offsetting carbon emissions through Climate Neutral adds to the good feels for us and Mother Earth. Yeah, mama!
Ripple Yoga
Firstly, props to US-based Ripple Yoga’s remarketing – one click on the brand’s website, and you’ll be followed across the internet by their super comfy looking yoga clothes. Case in point: this modal yoga suit made for living your best Catwoman life has been shadowing us for weeks. Before you baulk at the idea of a yoga jumpsuit, think about how many times you’ve had to adjust your shirt, or an annoying waistband mid-flow before you come at us. Designed with flow and movement in mind, the supple stretchy fabric and size range that caps at 2XL makes for comfort at most sizes. If jumpsuits are just not your thang, there’s a full range of leggings, shorts, tops and crops – all made from the same lovely cotton. With a focus on ethical manufacturing, the brand’s responsible approach extends to their quality control process – returning imperfect items to factory for repair, using GOTS-certified fabric, reducing water waste and chemical use.
Vege Threads
Coveted for their basics and eco-swimwear, ECA-accredited Vege Threads’ succinct and sustainable yoga clothes selection – tights in two lengths and a pair of bike shorts – continues the brand’s iconic approach to the style and comfort equation. Made from super soft, Certified Organic cotton blended with lycra, knitted in Melbourne and made in Adelaide, the sustainable yoga clothes range punches well above its weight – and gives you a clever solution for getting your five a day in another way. It still counts if you wear your veg, right?
Mandala Living
If you’re keen to bolster your eco-cred while you twist yourself into a flying backbend lotus (jokes, that’s not a thing), then the cushions and bolsters from Mandala Living have got your back (quite literally). You’ll find round, rectangular and oval shapes here along with outdoor bolsters and meditation cushions that complement your yoga sesh or moonlight as natural-hued home decor. Made with your choice of fabric, the fillings range from buckwheat hulls to recycled plastic bottles and biodegradable Australian wool, plus they’re all made by hand in Sydney!
