If there’s one complaint about dressing ethically that we hear more than any other, it’s the price. For thoughtful environmentalists, the Internet has made deciding what to wear much, much easier. But sometimes figuring out how to afford it is another matter entirely. So I’m always thrilled to stumble upon clothing lines that manage to marry fashion consciousness, earth consciousness, and price consciousness.

A few weeks ago while visiting an old friend in Sweden, I had the opportunity to see the most ancient and unspoiled parts of Stockholm. But it was in this historic setting, amid 13th-century bricks and cobblestones, that I stumbled upon a modern eco-fashion boutique with a sign that read “The Earth Collection.”

Inside, a warm entrepreneur named Jennifer Thwaites shared stories with me about her shop, her stock, and her history. She started life as a human resources consultant before catching the ethical style bug. And like most Swedes I met, her English was fantastic (far better than my Swedish, to be sure).

Ms. Thwaites’s store shares its name with a Danish clothing brand that dates back to 1992. That other “Earth Collection” began as a mom-and-pop business selling environmentally friendly t-shirts, back when that alone was newsworthy. Today the brand is sold at more than 500 shops in 30 countries, including a particularly strong presence in France and Greece. Ms. Thwaites was the first to introduce the line to her fellow Swedes.

“I always wanted to have my own business,” she told me. “I’ve always had bold ideas. So when I ran into The Earth Collection, I was surprised we didn’t have it in Sweden yet. I knew I had to bring it here.”

Ms. Thwaites’s shop is in its sixth year, and its third in central Stockholm. (She first launched it on the southern Swedish island of Öland.) And as her offerings expand, she’s in the process of renaming the shop to “Earth ‘n More.” But The Earth Collection, she assures me, will remain at the center of her inventory.

“It’s a great product line,” she says. “And the price point is very low. It’s in the basic philosophy that the clothes should be affordable.”

So how does The Earth Collection make eco-wear without any sticker-shock? By not biting off more than it can chew. Like most of the ethically driven decisions we make, there are compromises involved. But the end product represents an ethos that most consumers can live with.

For starters, if you’re an organic loyalist, the Earth Collection isn’t for you. There are some organic offerings, but relatively few and mostly for small children.

“The Danish couple who started the brand worked with the same factory for many years before ‘organic’ was a big hit,” Ms. Thwaites advises. And they’ve never had a hand in the growing of raw materials. “Being that rigid wouldn’t fit in with the price philosophy.”

Instead The Earth Collection is a sort of ready-to-wear Serenity Prayer — seeking to accept what it can’t control (the sometimes difficult expense of organic fabrics), and to boldly control what it can. That includes observing a Code of Conduct that calls for no synthetic materials. Just cotton, silk, linen, ramie, and hemp. They use bamboo buttons instead of plastic. And the accessories are all hand-made from natural materials.

The Earth Collection also insists on low-emission and low-waste production practices; recycling of materials whenever possible; limits on the use of harsh detergents and bleaches; the elimination of dyes containing heavy metals; and a strict prohibition against child labor.

The company also returns some of its profits to charity in the form of Third World sponsorships. One program builds schools and nurseries in Togo; another digs wells and erects medical clinics.

Again, there’s very little organic cotton here unless you’re in the under-two set. But it’s worth remembering that if all you know about a shirt is that its cotton was grown without synthetic pesticides, you probably know little about how the garment itself was produced. In the absence of a budget to buy $100 t-shirts, fashion remains full of compromises.

This particular formula set of choices works nicely. In sleepy Gamla Stan, I saw locals and tourists alike ogling pressed cotton shirts for $38, silk scarves for $40 and blouses for $50, woven sweaters in the $75 range, and linen dresses starting at $90. Ever tried bamboo socks? You can try a pair for less than $10. And an organic cotton onesie for a toddler will set you back a modest $18.

Now these aren’t Wal-Mart or ASDA prices, but they compete nicely with Benetton and H&M. And toting your purchases away in a plain recycled paper bag, it’s easy to get the warm fuzzies. This is the equivalent of tasty, small-batch brewing. And it’s clearly catching on.

The Earth Collection, Stora Nygatan 14, Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Sweden 111 27.

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