Looking for fashion brands made in Australia that are also ethical and sustainable? You’re in the right place.
Australian-made fashion is still very much alive, even if it can take a bit of digging to find. Lucky for you, we’ve done all the digging and found the best fashion, shoe, and underwear brands made in Australia.
A quick note about our brand guides
The Green Hub has been covering sustainable fashion for more than a decade. Our guides are put together by sustainability researchers and industry specialists, drawing on independent research and years of reporting on the space. We don’t include brands lightly. We consider material quality and how transparent a brand is about its production, with preference given to clothes designed to last.
We update each guide regularly as brands improve their practices, or new labels emerge.
What “Made in Australia” means
Made in Australia usually means the final cutting and sewing happen locally, even if some fabrics are sourced from overseas.
Australia produces relatively few textiles at scale, so many makers rely on imported materials for consistency and quality. That said, some brands do manufacture locally from seed to seam, using locally grown cotton that’s spun, woven, dyed, and sewn entirely on Australian soil.
Most Australian-made fashion is produced in small factories or workrooms, often by machinists who work across multiple local brands.
Production runs are typically small, sometimes very small, and garments are made by people the brand actually knows. Local production also means Australian labour laws apply: minimum or living wages, superannuation, and health and safety requirements. Those protections don’t exist, or aren’t enforced, in much of the global garment industry.
Some brands are accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia, which audits Australian garment supply chains to confirm workers are being paid legal wages and employed under safe conditions.
None of this means Australian brands manufacturing overseas can’t be ethical; many are, but local production does mean you, as the buyer, have an easier time understanding where your clothes come from and who is making them.
Why Australian-made clothing often costs more
This is the question people ask most, and the answer is fairly simple: the clothes aren’t made using cheap labour.
Higher local wages, paid overtime, superannuation, and regulated working conditions all raise production costs. Factories are typically smaller, slower, and less automated, and there’s no option to cut prices by underpaying workers or producing at enormous scale.
Fast fashion stays cheap largely because production is outsourced to countries where garment workers are among the lowest paid in the world, often working long hours in unsafe conditions for wages that don’t meet basic living costs.
When clothing is made in Australia, it’s usually produced in smaller quantities, which pushes up the per-garment cost. Brands can’t spread expenses across tens of thousands of units, so what you’re paying for is labour, time, and compliance with local standards. In many cases, it also means better quality and clothes designed to last beyond a handful of wears.
Given the higher price point, we know all Australian-made fashion isn’t accessible to everyone. If you want to start somewhere, smaller everyday items like socks, underwear, or basics are often a more affordable entry point.
And as always, the most sustainable thing you can do is wear what you already own, no matter where it was made.
Here is a growing list of fashion brands made in Australia
1. The Social Outfit
Part fashion label, part social enterprise, The Social Outfit has spent the last decade helping refugee and new migrant women kick-start their careers in Australia. Based in Sydney’s Inner West, the label trains and employs women in their on-site manufacturing studio and retail store, with many landing their very first local job. Their bold, joy-filled collections are made using deadstock and donated fabrics, giving new life to materials that would otherwise go to waste.
2. Kuwaii
One of Melbourne’s most loved labels, Kuwaii, has been doing slow fashion since before it had a hashtag. Ethical Clothing Australia certified, every piece is designed in Brunswick and made locally in small runs, using natural fibres and careful tailoring to create clothes that feel as good as they look. Kuwaii operates under the belief that fashion should be made to last and is one of the few local brands offering lifetime repairs. Just bring your pieces back, and they’ll patch them up.
3. Bassike
Bassike has been making some of the best organic cotton basics onshore since 2006. Their collections are produced in Australia through long-standing partnerships with local makers and certified by Ethical Clothing Australia. Drop your worn pieces at their Sydney store, and they’ll repair them for you — part of their push for fewer, better clothes that last well beyond a season.
4. Kristin Magrit
Designing from her home studio in Subiaco, Kristin Magrit makes clothes from natural fibres such as linen, hemp, raw silk, and organic cotton. Every piece is sewn by local makers within 12km of the studio, and trims, from nut buttons to biodegradable elastic, are chosen to break down at the end of life.
5. FRSKE
Made in Melbourne and grounded in slow fashion values, FRSKE designs trans-seasonal staples using natural fabrics and timeless shapes. Designer Adriana Frescura draws from Japanese tailoring and classic French silhouettes to create relaxed pieces that work hard in your wardrobe year-round. Built for comfort, longevity, and everyday life, these are pieces you’ll reach for again and again.
6. Clothing The Gaps
This Aboriginal-led social enterprise uses fashion as a tool for change. Based in Naarm/Melbourne, Clothing The Gaps creates “merch with a message” that sparks conversation, celebrates culture, and supports Aboriginal health and community programs. Their collections are labelled ‘Mob Only’ or ‘Ally Friendly’, so everyone knows how to wear them with respect. Certified by Ethical Clothing Australia, the brand channels profits into health equity work through the Clothing The Gaps Foundation.
7. Citizen wolf
Citizen Wolf does custom-fit basics using their Magic Fit® tech, a mix of body data and algorithms that gets the size right without measuring tape. Each one is made to order in their Sydney factory from organic cotton, cut with laser precision, and sewn by a local team. They’re carbon-negative, Ethical Clothing Australia certified, and also offer free repairs for life to keep your favourite tee going strong. You can even send your old ones back to be turned into new fabric.
8. Denimsmith
Founded by a team of veteran Australian designers and makers committed to making really good denim staples. Denimsmith has been making jeans in Melbourne for decades. Every pair is cut and sewn in their Brunswick East factory, backed by 30+ years of patternmaking and production experience from the same tight-knit team. They’re Ethical Clothing Australia certified, offer in-store hemming, and run a flagship shop in Fitzroy that’s well worth a visit if you’re in town.
9. Noble Label
Based in Sydney and produced between a Marrickville studio and family-run ateliers in Japan, Noble Label makes modern wardrobe staples from natural and deadstock fabrics. Founded by sisters Jessyme and Courtney Noble, every style is made in small batches with a focus on versatility. Relaxed shirts, reversible dresses, and softly tailored pieces that hold their shape and wear well over time.
10. Dominique Healy
Built on years of hands-on experience in the textile industry, Dominique Healy’s namesake label is known for its fun but wearable pieces designed for women and inspired by them. Made locally in her Melbourne studio or in an ethically accredited factory. Made in small runs or made to order, using deadstock fabrics and thoughtfully cut to minimise waste.
11. Australian Stitch
Premium basics using Australian-grown cotton, Australian Stitch makes basics for all genders in small batches, made entirely in Melbourne. From knitting and dyeing through to cutting and sewing, everything happens locally within a few kilometres of our Fitzroy store. They have great quality staples at a refreshingly accessible price point for a locally made brand.
Australian Made Shoes
12. RM Williams
An Australian icon, RM Williams has been making boots in Adelaide since 1932. Each pair is crafted by hand from a single piece of leather, shaped and stitched by skilled makers with years of experience. The brand still manufactures all of its signature boots locally, with repairs and resoling available through its Adelaide workshop, a solid argument for buying once and buying well.
13. Emu Australia
EMU is best known for its sheepskin boots and cosy cold-weather staples. Select styles, including their signature Platinum collection, are still handmade in Geelong using Australian sheepskin. Others are made offshore, so it’s worth checking the product details if buying local is your priority.
14. Nelson Made
With a focus on minimalist design and exceptional comfort, Nelson Made crafts consciously designed footwear using low-impact materials like recycled and LWG-certified leather. Their flat styles are made locally, with some heels crafted offshore in audited workshops that share the brand’s commitment to fair, safe working conditions. Founding shoemaker Jamie Nelson started the brand in her North Melbourne studio, and that same care still runs through every pair. Made in small batches and built to live in your wardrobe for years to come.
15. Post Sole Studio
Made-to-order footwear that’s designed to be worn, resoled, and loved for years. Born out of a shared love of shoemaking and a desire to keep Melbourne’s local industry alive, Post Sole Studio has been crafting slow, made-to-order shoes since 2014. Each pair is designed and made in their Abbotsford workshop, often using deadstock leather and trims salvaged from Melbourne’s once-thriving footwear industry.
16. Wootten
Rooted in a family legacy of shoemaking, Wootten invites you into the process to co-design shoes that are truly yours. They offer the kind of personal service you don’t often find in fashion anymore, specialising in made-to-order footwear that’s tailored to your feet and your lifestyle. Every pair is designed and handmade in their Ballarat workshop using premium leathers and slow methods that honour the shoemaking craft.
17. Kuwaii
Kuwaii’s footwear collection is made in Melbourne with the same care and intention as their clothes. Think wearable art for your feet with long-wearing comfort built in. Each pair is made from high-quality leather and designed to stand up to daily life, with local production and authorised repair services to help keep them in circulation longer.
18. Uggs Since 1974
Still made under one roof in South East Queensland, UGG Since 1974 is one of the few original ugg boot brands that still manufactures locally. Each pair is handcrafted from A-grade Australian merino sheepskin by a small team of skilled makers, many of whom have been with the brand for decades. With over 50 years of heritage behind them, their classic boots are built for comfort and longevity, not just a single season. The brand also offers repairs and even factory tours for those curious to see the process up close.
Australian Made Underwear & Socks
19. Wonderpants
Exceptionally comfy, and a little bit cheeky, Wonderpants are designed and sewn in Victoria using Fairtrade-certified organic cotton knitted right here in Australia. The team sources from ABMT and TFS, two of the country’s most responsible mills, and even repurposes offcuts for art projects, garden ties, and student sewing. There’s also a limited merino range for winter warmers. Made by a team of local mums who run the brand around their families, the kind of undies you buy once, and wonder what you ever wore before.
20. Humphrey Law
Making socks in Melbourne since 1947, Humphrey Law are true sock specialists, it’s all they do. The family-run brand still operates from the original factory in Heathmont, crafting socks with fine Australian wool, cotton, alpaca, and bamboo-rayon blends. Their much-loved Health Sock®, made without tight elastic tops, is a go-to for all-day comfort and better circulation. They use Wool Connect’s 19.5-micron merino fleece, grown around Boorowa in NSW, and control the process from fleece to final pair. They dye in-house, power their factory with solar, and even launched a “Sun Sock” to celebrate knitting with sunshine. Still proudly made in Victoria, and still making feet happy after 75+ years.
21. The Very good Bra
On a mission to eliminate post-consumer waste, The Very Good Bra does exactly what it says on the label. It makes bras that are actually properly good. No polyester threads or spandex. Not even synthetic labels. Every component is compostable and toxin-free, right down to the elastic, making this the world’s first truly zero-waste bra. Award-winning, B Corp certified, and once eaten by a worm farm (true story).
22. Bushy
Bushy makes men’s and women’s underwear in Melbourne using silky-soft TENCEL™ spun into fabric locally, thanks to a 90-year-old knitting mill and maker Stephen, who’s been in the business for decades. Everything is cut and sewn in Collingwood by Aki, who now runs the garment factory his parents opened just days before he was born. The elastic waistbands are the only part not made in Australia (manufactured in Vietnam), and they’re working on a bio-based alternative to complete the loop. An excellent example of local production, quality, and comfort, all in one very good pair of undies.
23. Merino Country
Born out of a sheep station in Queensland and a refusal to let good wool go to waste, Merino Country has been making locally grown and sewn merino clothing since the early ’90s. They work directly with woolgrowers and handle everything from fibre to fabric to finished garments at their Brisbane factory. Their much-loved Wundies (yes, wool undies) are just the beginning. They also make thermals, tees and everyday staples using certified Australian merino, including non-mulesed wool and fabric knitted and dyed locally. Today they are still family-owned and still proudly made in Australia.
Jewellery, handbags, and other accessories are coming soon!
We only recommend products we genuinely like at The Green Hub. Every brand you see here has been independently chosen by our editors. Some links may be affiliate links, meaning we might earn a small commission if you make a purchase—at no extra cost to you.
The brands in this list meet various ethical and sustainable standards, from certifications and factory audits to paying living wages and tracking parts (or all) of their supply chain. But we know ethics are very personal. This guide doesn’t cover every factor – like whether a brand uses animal products or where their goods are made – so it’s always worth checking a brand’s About page to see if they align with your values.
And just a heads-up: sustainability is an evolving journey, and companies change over time. If you notice something that no longer adds up, let us know!
