Outerknown
Rated: Excellent
Price: $$$
Location: USA
Quick verdict
Outerknown is best for men (and increasingly women) seeking elevated surf-inspired sustainable fashion with strong supply chain integrity. Co-founded by 11x world champion surfer Kelly Slater, their standout achievement is becoming FLA-accredited in just 2.5 years, faster than any clothing brand in history. The main caveat is premium pricing (Blanket Shirt at $168) and recurring complaints about corozo nut buttons breaking on their signature product.
Key info
- Headquarters
- Culver City, California, USA
- Founded
- 2015
- Product categories
- Menswear, Womenswear, Swimwear
- Price range
- $$$
- Key certifications
- Fair Labor Association (FLA), Fair Trade USA, Bluesign, GOTS, RDS, ROC, Textile Exchange member
Outerknown sustainability rating
Our ratings are based on a scale from 1 (We Avoid) to 5 (Excellent). How we rate
Rating breakdown
95% preferred fibers as of 2022, including organic cotton, ECONYL regenerated nylon, recycled polyester, hemp, linen, TENCEL, and Regenerative Organic Certified cotton. They were the first brand to create a product from ECONYL. Woolaroo merino swim trunks eliminate microplastic shedding.
Full FLA accreditation and Fair Trade USA certified factories, Code of Conduct covers all ILO principles. Public Fair Compensation Commitment. However, there is no evidence workers are paid living wages across most of the supply chain.
S.E.A. Jeans use 1/80th the water of conventional jeans via Saitex's LEED-certified factory. Eight supply chain facilities run on renewable energy. 100% plastic-free packaging. But there is no evidence of textile waste minimization.
100% of Tier 1 supply chain mapped and published on Open Apparel Registry with factory names, addresses, and employee counts. Significant Tier 2 mapping completed. Eco-Stylist awards their highest Gold rating.
Tees at $42–$92 and the Blanket Shirt at $168 position them as premium, comparable to Faherty and Taylor Stitch but significantly above Patagonia. The S.E.A. Jeans lifetime guarantee adds genuine long-term value, but entry prices remain a barrier.
What they do well
- FLA accreditation achieved faster than any clothing brand: initiated before shipping their first product, signaling sustainability was foundational, not retrofitted
- S.E.A. Jeans lifetime guarantee: repair, replace, or recycle, sets a standard few competitors match, manufactured at Saitex, the world's cleanest denim factory
- 95% preferred fibers including pioneering use of ECONYL regenerated nylon from discarded fishing nets and Regenerative Organic Certified cotton
- Outerworn resale platform (launched 2021) enables peer-to-peer resale of pre-loved Outerknown garments, keeping 1,818+ pieces out of landfills
- 100% Tier 1 supply chain publicly disclosed via Open Apparel Registry with plans for full Tier 1–4 disclosure by 2025
Room for improvement
- Living wages unverified. Despite a published Fair Compensation Commitment, there is no evidence workers are actually paid living wages in most of the supply chain.
- B Corp status unclear, the brand works with B Corp certified suppliers (notably Saitex) but does not appear to hold B Corp certification itself, despite some third-party sites incorrectly claiming otherwise.
About Outerknown
Kelly Slater (the most decorated surfer in history with 11 World Surf League titles) and fashion designer John Moore co-founded Outerknown in 2015 after recognizing the clothing industry's massive waste problem. Before shipping a single product, they aligned with the Fair Labor Association, an unprecedented move that led to full FLA accreditation in just 2.5 years.
The brand's material portfolio has reached 95% preferred fibers, spanning organic cotton (GOTS), ECONYL regenerated nylon from fishing nets, recycled polyester, hemp, and Regenerative Organic Certified cotton via Bergman Rivera in Peru. Key manufacturing partner Saitex in Vietnam, a B Corp and LEED-certified facility, recycles 98% of water and air-dries 85% of jeans. The S.E.A. Jeans line comes with a lifetime guarantee and uses roughly 1/80th the water of conventional denim.
Outerknown launched the Outerworn peer-to-peer resale platform in 2021 and runs Project Vermont, repurposing fabric scraps into blankets and surfboard bags. Pricing is premium: the iconic Blanket Shirt costs $168, jeans run $128–$228, and trunks $98–$145. The women's line launched in 2019 after four years of men's-only offerings. The brand sells through its own stores (including SoHo NYC and Georgetown DC) and 400+ wholesale stockists worldwide.
Product highlights
Blanket Shirt
100% organic cotton BlanketWeave twill with corozo nut buttons; relaxed layering piece
$168
The brand's #1 bestseller with 1,892+ reviews (4.8 stars); available in 26+ plaid colorways
S.E.A. Jeans
100% organic cotton denim with lifetime guarantee; made at Saitex
$128–$228
Uses 1/80th the water of conventional jeans; repair, replace, or recycle promise
APEX Trunks by Kelly Slater
100% recycled polyester performance surf trunk; ultralight 4-way stretch
$145
Slater's signature design; Fair Trade Certified; packs into its own pocket
Sur Sweatshirt
55% hemp / 45% organic cotton French terry; garment-dyed, raglan sleeves
$118
Unique hemp-cotton blend offers a lived-in feel with lower environmental impact than pure cotton
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