I'm a gift giver at heart, I practically came out of the womb with goodie bags for all the nurses, it's in my DNA, gift giving is my love language, number one, no doubt about it. BUT!!!! In a world where waste and over consumption is SUCH an issue, we NEED to be shopping ethically, we must keep our environment in mind when shopping for gifts this holiday season...
AND THUS WE HAVE THE ANNUAL ETHICAL HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE! HOORAY!
All brands are ethical, sustainable and do their best to give back to the community and environment, so I won't be discussing that explicitly for each brand. All brands are made in the USA unless stated otherwise.
Let's start with fashion and beauty, my personal favorite category! So I realize nothing is numbered to be quite honest I just didn't like how they looked, so I am going to do my best to explain things to you, from left to right and in rows. You'll get it, I have faith in you.
Outdoor Voices- I absolutely LOVE Outdoor Voices, do I own anything of theirs? No. Do I still love them with a burning passion? Absolutely. They're known for their sets, BUT this past quarter they released a collection of fleeces and oh man do I want to get my hands on one. They look so soft and durable.
Girlfriend Collective- Workout wear made from... water bottles? WHAT?! That's right, they do that. Something that makes my heart do a little jig for GFC is that they are 100% size inclusive. They are an activewear brand that shoves fatphobic standards back up your nose and says, "why yes, everyone CAN be active AND look cute while doing it AND while being sustainable!" They bring color to workout gear which I ALWAYS have a hard time finding, out with the black and grey LuluLemon, in with positive vibes, sustainability and COLOR!
Dazey LA- I talk about Dazey LA a lot on here, I have a few of their zero waste, handmade, high quality clothes and am in love. Dazey has since branched out and included a much more wide array of slow made slow fashion products to their collection that include other handmade female makers. In love. The photo in the center is Dani (creator, designer, founder) and some of her other pieces.
Daisy Natives- Similar to Dazey, Daisy Natives is female owned and operated making clothes for women that are made to EMPOWER! Everything has a positive message on it, encouraging people to live life to the fullest and simply be happy! How can you not be happy when wearing something ohhh so sustainable?! Looking for something a little cheaper? A stocking stuffer perhaps? Daisy Natives has PLENTY of other goods like mugs, keychains and STICKERS! Which are featured scattered above.
100 Percent Pure- For someone with sensitive skin AND a deep love for the environment, it can be tough finding makeup that is both ethical and natural. 100 Percent Pure has GOT IT! Seriously, this company is amazing. They have all natural things in all categories, skincare, makeup, haircare, you name it! The perfect stocking stuffer.
Fair Trade Winds- FTW has a two things on my guide this year! I've mentioned them in the past and seriously LOVE THEIR COMPANY! All of their products, their mission, how they give back, it's truly amazing. The rainbow earrings and embroidered clutch I am OBSESSED with. Not only do they complement each other so well, but they are fantastic statement pieces on their own. FTW is so spectacular in that all of their gifts are made from recycled products, and made ethically by hands that care, and they give back to so many causes, whether it be to stop human trafficking, empowering women, or simply giving back to people in need, their product cycle is fully transparent and you can really rely on FTW for a ethical gift. Feel good giving a gift from Fair Trade Winds.
Sydney Prusso- Sydney is actually a good friend of mine, she does the most AMAZING typography and graphic design which she recently brought into full fruition by creating her own clothing line! Each design is created by Sydney and every garment made to order in the US. How cool is that?! How cool is she!!!?? She reminds me a lot of Dazey and Daisy, female owned and operated companies giving back to women and empowering those around them. Show some support for Sydney and give her a follow on Insta and be sure to support small artists this holiday season!
The Classic Tee Company- Something that is SO important when creating an ethical wardrobe? Staples. You need those garments that you can wear over and over and over again while still being stylish. The Classic Tee Company is exactly that. They are made in the US and also have a totally transparent product cycle. They value their employees from cotton farmers to seamstresses to social media managers very highly and it's in their core values to make sure everyone is payed well, and work in a comfortable ethical environment, just like their shirts! I actually have one (pictured above) and it's seriously the SOFTEST tee I own. So versatile too for someone like me who wears a lot of color and patterns, it's a nice way to level out any fun fit.
Made Trade- Lastly, Made Trade. I LOVE Made Trade, all of their goods are very high quality, vegan, fair trade and just so dang cute. They have all sorts of things from accessories, clothes, right down to boots and even furniture. Their leather goods are sourced ethically and are vegan. What's not to love?!
Package Free- I'm a biiiiiiiig big fan of Package Free. I discovered their store for the first time this summer in Brooklyn when I began my journey on being (somewhat) waste free, at least package free! With the products I got at PF I was able to ditch most all my single use waste, no more plastic utensils, straws, paper towels, sponges, literally any household good you can think of they have. And more! They even have things like vibrators and lube, everything in your life can be package/waste free people!! Literally everything. Something that I love that they offer are starter kits, these make the best gifts.
Intrepid + G Adventures- In my quest to become more consumption conscious and just minimal in general I've begun to appreciate experiences as a gift WAY more. Both of these companies, Intrepid and G Adventures take people on group trips to see the world in a more conscious, sustainable way. They are totally ethical and see things that the average tourist might not in that they go out of their way to give back while still traveling the world! They have all sorts of trips from backpacking in Europe to tasting some of Asia's best foods. Seriously a GREAT gift to check out, and the prices are right!
New Creation- This brand has all sorts of things from clothing, to kitchen, to home. All their products are ethically made and the best part? Their primary mission is to give back to those in need fighting against human trafficking. They raise awareness and money for this good cause helping the woman affected. Something really important to look into! Plus with them having such a wide variety of things, you could shop for the whole family here!
Oui Fresh- One of my long time loves, A Beautiful Mess's brand, Oui Fresh offers lots of sustainable natural beauty products in addition to essential oils that they handpick and make themselves. A Beautiful Mess was the first blog I ever followed before getting started on one of my own, so obviously the customer loyalty is strong here, but I'm speaking from a totally unbiased perspective when I say their products are GREAT!!
Bite- So I haven't tried Bite yet, but OH MY GOSH I SO WANT TO! It was love at first Instagram ad, and then of course once I clicked on it, literally every other ad was Bite so it's pretty much a part of me at this point... Bite is a waste free TOOTHPASTE! Yeah that's right, toothpaste tablets! It totally eliminates the non-compostable plastic toothpaste tube and waste of remaining unsqueezable paste at the bottom of the tube. For sure worth trying. I'm really looking forward to trying it, just finishing up my last tube first!
Wordery- Since this summer I've been really getting into reading. I actually just learned how to, pretty excited about it! Just kidding... But I am excited about Wordery! It's a sustainable online bookstore that is committed to giving back and helping kids learn how to read! How COOL is that?! They donate to many charities and other good causes. Especially with so many local booksellers going out of business it's important to support the little guys where we can! Wordery is awesome!
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Okay folks! That's just about it for the ethical gift guide this year, I hope you found some of this useful and will do some of your shopping on these sites!! Happy holidays and happy shopping!! <3
xo, O