16 Ethical Clothing Companies That Give Back

women from the Wakami women’s empowerment artisan group in Guatemala crafting beautiful bracelets

Looking for clothing companies that give back?

Then you’re in the right place!

In a world overflowing with fast fashion and throwaway trends, it can feel impossible to find brands that genuinely care.

To help, the companies below give back to the environment, support artisans, donate to meaningful causes, and do good at every step of their supply chain.

Bonus: They also happen to offer some seriously stylish pieces you’ll want to wear on repeat.

Clothing Companies That Give Back

1. Earthlove

Earthlove is a mindful living brand that offers eco-friendly clothing and accessories adorned with nature-inspired designs—think mushrooms and mountain landscapes—along with books, wellness products, and low-waste home goods like loose-leaf teas, plastic-free sponges, and bamboo cutlery.

The company has a strict ingredient-vetting process to ensure every item meets high environmental and ethical standards.

A member of 1% for the Planet, Earthlove donates a portion of every purchase to environmental nonprofits chosen by its community, supporting initiatives from reforestation to pollinator conservation.

Wolven Threads is a brand that gives back
Photo via Wolven Threads

2. Wolven Threads

If you love clothing brands that give back to the environment, Wolven Threads is an activewear and swimwear company that will quickly become one of your favorites.

With a team made up of artists and activists, you can expect high-quality, ethically-made garments featuring bold and beautiful prints. In fact, their garments are climate-neutral and are made with recycled PET plastics and minimal packaging.

In terms of giving back, Wolven Threads is a member of 1% For The Planet and donates at least 1% of its annual sales to environmental causes.

Snag 20% off with code EPICUREANDCULTURE.

A woman standing outdoors in a dry grassy field wearing a pink plaid blouse with ruffled front, dark jeans, and layered beaded necklaces, with mountains visible in the background under a bright sky.
Photo via Theodore Samuels for Paneros Clothing

3. Paneros Clothing

Paneros Clothing creates timeless, small-batch women’s apparel designed to reduce waste and protect the planet. Each piece is made from deadstock or sustainably produced fabrics in family-run factories that provide fair wages and safe working conditions.

The brand partners with women artisans around the world to preserve traditional techniques and create limited-edition pieces that celebrate craftsmanship.

A proud 1% for the Planet member, Paneros donates a portion of every sale to environmental causes and uses eco-friendly packaging to further lower its impact.

Cotopaxi is one of the top clothing brands that give back
Photo via Cotopaxi

4. Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi‘s tagline is “gear for good”, and every outdoor adventure garment and piece of gear they sell is meant to be high-quality while also giving back.

How? Well, for one, Cotopaxi writes grants that help fund education, health and livelihood projects.

Moreover, as a member of Pledge 1%, they donate at least 1% of their revenue toward philanthropy.

Just a few of the many ways they made an impact just in the last year include:

  • aiding 822,000 people directly and 3.2 million indirectly through poverty alleviation programs
  • donating over 110,000 masks
  • providing over 661,000 people with malaria treatment
  • donating $447,000 over 36 major and community grants
  • raising over $42,000 for the IRC Crisis Response Fund
able is an ethical brand that gives back
Photo via ABLE

5. ABLE

If you want to support women through your purchase, ABLE allows you to do just that.

Not only do they sell clothing and accessories for women — including gorgeous bags that give back — but they also train, educate, and invest in women.

Additionally, 96% of their employees are women, and they share their company wages right on their homepage for transparency and to help create a more equitable fashion industry.

ABLE also works hard to limit its environmental impact. For instance, their sweaters are made from 100% organic cotton and are produced in a zero-waste factory. Moreover, their packaging will soon be 100% recyclable.

A flat lay of several pairs of colorful Conscious Step socks arranged on a white blanket outdoors. Each pair has a label with text such as 'socks that protect bees,' 'socks that plant trees,' 'socks that protect sloths,' 'socks that protect oceans,' 'socks that save cats,' and 'socks that save dogs.' The socks feature matching patterns like bees, trees, sloths, waves, and paw prints. Surrounding the socks are yellow flowers, a pair of sunglasses, a woven basket, and a silver film camera.
Photo courtesy of Conscious Step.

6. Conscious Step

Love fun socks? Not only does Conscious Step create socks with comfortable organic cotton and fun prints, but each pair has a unique cause attached.

The brand partners with nonprofits to support causes like equality, LGBTQ+ rights, children’s education, the environment, ending hunger, and many more.

Whether you’re looking for companies that give back to animals or to buy gifts that give back to the ocean, Conscious Step has a pair of socks to help.

woman modeling an activewear set from Girlfriend Collective
Photo via Girlfriend Collective

7. Girlfriend Collective

Girlfriend Collective creates eco-friendly activewear from recycled materials like plastic bottles, fishing nets, and fabric scraps. Their inclusive sizing runs XXS–6XL, and they offer maternity-friendly options as well.

Through the ReGirlfriend take-back program, customers can return worn-out pieces to be recycled into new fabric, helping keep textiles out of landfills. They also host a peer-to-peer Resale Marketplace, where shoppers can buy and sell pre-loved Girlfriend items to extend each garment’s life.

All fabrics meet global recycling standards and ship in 100% recyclable packaging.

women from the Wakami women’s empowerment artisan group in Guatemala crafting beautiful bracelets
Wakami women’s empowerment artisan group in Guatemala crafting beautiful bracelets. Photo via NOVICA.

8. NOVICA

NOVICA is an impact marketplace with a mission to empower artisans and put dollars into their pockets.

You can shop fashion, jewelry, art, home goods, and clean beauty by category — or by cause. Just a few of the many causes you can support by shopping on NOVICA include empowering women, preserving traditions, enabling education, and more.

At the time of writing, NOVICA has helped to put $118,982,386 in the hands of artisans around the world.

9. Coalatree

Based in Salt Lake City, Coalatree makes eco-minded outdoor clothing and accessories while supporting people and the planet.

Their Give Back program funds trail cleanups and canyon restoration in Utah, donates surplus Kachula blankets to people experiencing homelessness, and partners with the Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program to aid Navajo Elders.

They also supply gear and financial support to organizations providing wilderness therapy for at-risk youth.

10. lemlem

lemlem began after supermodel and actress Liya Kebede was inspired by the weaving traditions of the women in Ethiopia.

She saw an opportunity to preserve the art of traditional weaving while also empowering local women and launched the company in 2007.

lemlem features products handmade in Ethiopia with all-natural cotton that is both stylish and comfortable to wear.

Toms Shoes are one of the top clothing companies that give back
Photo Credit: Toms

11. Toms

Though many brands and companies operate on a one-for-one model, Toms is perhaps the most well-known.

For every pair of Toms purchased, the company donates a pair of shoes to a child or teenager in need, worldwide.

Purchases from their other product lines, ranging from eyewear to bags, also provide services like eye care, safe birthing education, and bullying awareness in their partnerships with over 100 giving partners.

the Out Of Print Bag gives back to charity
Photo via Out Of Print

12. Out Of Print

Out of Print makes cute literary-themed accessories that also give back.

With the purchase of their budget-friendly canvas travel pouch — which features banned books printed in typewriter font and is made in the USA — the brand sends a book to a community in need.

13. Serengetee

Serengetee launched out of a college dorm room after two college friends returned home after Semester at Sea with fabrics collected from markets around the world.

Today, the company supports 32 different causes.

Each fabric pattern is designed by artisans across the world and is linked to a specific cause.

The fabric is then designed onto a shirt, usually as a pocket, for a unique and stylish look that also gives back to international communities.

Article 22 Braclet that gives back to charity
Photo Credit: Article 22

14. Article 22

Article 22 creates beauty from destruction.

Their first collection, PEACEBOMB, is created using Vietnam War-era bombs by Laotian designers.

Each bracelet results in the demining of 3m2 of bomb-littered land.

15. Guru Sandals

Gurus is a unique line of sandals inspired by the single-post design worn by Gandhi.

Gurus are made with hand-harvested rubber from the company’s family farms and use natural rubber instead of other synthetic materials found in most other shoes.

For every purchase made, they also plant a tree.

Clothing Companies That Give Back
Photo credit: Pura Vida Bracelets

16. Pura Vida Bracelets

Looking for bracelets that give back?

Pura Vida Bracelets began when two college graduates brought home a few bracelets from a Costa Rica vacation. It’s now turned into one of the most popular accessory brands among college students.

Pura Vida Bracelets embrace the Costa Rican “pura vida” (“pure life”) lifestyle by offering simple designs to represent the beauty of a life lived slowly.

Along with providing employment to over 80 Costa Ricans, the brand offers a “charity” line of bracelets to raise money for causes ranging from cancer awareness to suicide prevention charities.

RESPONSIBLE TOURISM CHECKLIST

What brands would you add to this list of clothing companies that give back?

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Jessie Festa

Jessica Festa is the editor of Epicure & Culture as well as Jessie on a Journey. She enjoys getting lost in new cities and having experiences you don’t read about in guidebooks. Some of her favorite travel experiences have been teaching English in Thailand, trekking her way through South America, backpacking Europe solo, road tripping through Australia, agritouring through Tuscany, and volunteering in Ghana.

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