If you could name one sector or niche that gives 20.77 billion dollars to charity in one year – what would it be? How about big corporations?
Not what you had in mind? While it’s a hard-to-believe concept (and amount), it’s what corporate giving amounted to in 2017. And that was up eight percent from the year before.
20 billion dollars is a lot of money! It went to groups who do a lot of good. But who were the generous donors of those billions of dollars?
We can’t list them all, but we can list those that sell clothing for a cause. Want to learn more about how doing good can look good? Read to find some new favorite (guilt-free!) brands below.
Clothing for a Cause
When you shop, you’re supporting companies policies. That means everything from how they treat suppliers to what kind of investments they make.
Don’t you want to feel good about what you buy? You can if you shop from charity-conscious brands.
Toms
The shoe brand TOMS has a buy one, give one policy for their slide on shoes. Whenever you buy a pair of shoes, it gives one pair to a child in need, usually in Africa.
They started out as simple canvas slides. They’re almost like Keds if Keds didn’t lace up on the top.
They launched with relative success in the 2000s and have only gotten bigger to date. Now they make shoes for men, women, and children.
Men can choose between classic slides, loafers, and sneakers. Women have a similar range of choices, but now TOMS carries heels. We don’t think they send a pair of heels to someone in the African desert, though.
While their early designs were plain, now you can get shoes in about any color or material you want. They have a very popular glitter option, in trendy colors like rose gold, as well as classics like silver.
They often partner with artists, large and small, who do exclusive designs for their shoes. Those artist-designed shoes are limited edition and you can way overspend for them on eBay.
The shoes themselves are very comfortable. They’re great if you have wide feet or if you just want a break from pointy-toed flats.
The insoles are leather and all the materials are responsibly sourced. Eco-friendly and they give back for every pair? You need some, now!
Thread Up
While technically not its own brand, the online consignment retailer Thread Up is doing a great job spreading awareness. The company was founded to combat pollution that comes from clothes.
Americans threw away 15 million tons of clothes this year! Their mission is to make the reuse part of reduce, reuse, recycle more accessible.
Instead of having to sift through thrift store racks, never knowing what you might find, they sort and photograph the clothes for you. If you’re interested in sending old clothes in, all you do is request a bag (that has prepaid shipping).
Fill up the bag and send it into their warehouse. They’ll then award you store credit for what you sent. You can use this to (basically) trade the clothes you sent in for ones on the site.
Want to find a leather jacket on the cheap? Just search “leather jacket” in the search bar. It feels exactly like online shopping, except it’s good for the earth.
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The retailer has charities it donates proceeds to, as well as its mission to reduce textile waste.
Those include worthy causes like Big Brother Big Sister, Feeding America. Head Start Programs, and about 3 others.
(RED)
You know what we don’t talk about that often anymore? HIV/AIDS. But the threat hasn’t gone away. While fewer and fewer Americans are contracting the disease, there are towns in Africa where almost everyone has it.
Bono, the famous philanthropist – we mean musician, founded this brand/company. His goal for founding this charitable organization? To see the first AIDS-free generation before he dies.
But he has more timely goals as well. The brand helps provide treatment to those who have the virus already. AIDS medication can cost as low as 30 cents a day – but that’s still too high for some people.
How does this tie into fashion? Well (RED) does collabs with a few different companies each year. They’ve done clothing and we’re sure they will again.
Most recently, they did a high-profile partnership with Beats by Dre, which can be a fashion accessory if you get creative with them.
The company’s goal is working, too. According to their website, they’ve helped over 140 people either treat or prevent contracting HIV and AIDS.
Right now they have a partnership with – still trending – Alex and Ani, which you can shop on Amazon.com.
Speaking of accessories, pins are totally back in now. Start your collection with these buttons.
Your Charitable Closet
You know the Carrie Bradshaw quote, “I like my money where I can see it, hanging in my closet”? What if you could not only see your money, but you could see your charitable donations too?
You can if you choose to buy clothing for a cause. All of the brands above are reasonably priced and accessible online. They have sales often and their sales don’t impact the amount they give.
Even if it’s something as simple as a pin that shows you support AIDS research – we hope you’ll adorn yourself with something from this post.
Want to learn how to rock that pin trend? Click here.
