In an industry where what you look like is of the most importance it’s easy to see why fashion gets a bad rap sometimes. A perfect example of this happened recently when Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries started a new wave controversy with his comments about the company’s policy to exclude larger sizes.
Despite this, there are still fashion brands out there that like to look beyond overly priced clothes to help others around the world. Meet these fashion companies that work to do good for others through their stylish clothing and accessories, because giving back is always “in.”
Feel More Better
Fell More Better’s mission is to “make the world an easier place for women and girls to be happyer (yes, that’s how they spell it), and to help women and girls get past whatever’s hating on their happy.” The site sells T-shirts made of an eco-friendly material that convey powerful and positive messages. My favorites had to be Not Photoshopped and Suck it, Barbie. The awesome thing is that for every tee you buy they donate a new book to an underprivileged girl. Feel More Better has also made a positive impact by petitioning for the Media and Public Health Act, which would require advertisers to use a special label to indicate they have altered the human body through digital means on their ads.
Lemlem
The word Lemlem means to flourish or to bloom in Amharic, which is exactly what the fashion brand started by supermodel Liya Kebede is doing. The brand sells a variety of women and kids clothing along with items for the home. Kebede started Lemlem back in 2007 to preserve the art of weaving in her native country and provide jobs to inspire economic independence in Ethiopia.
Philathropy Fashion
This locally owned and operated business in Franklin, Tennessee, also started in 2007 to allow its customers to make a difference. The store sells fashion forward accessories such as scarves, bags and jewelry that are one-of-a-kind. They pledge at least 10 percent of their total sales to donate to their local community in Tennessee as well as organizations in Uganda, Southern Sudan and Haiti.
Threads for Thought
A company founded in 2006 that started out by selling graphic tees has now become a complete lifestyle brand. Threads For Thought aims to create quality and sustainable apparel for men and women. They work with factories that respect their employees and treat them humanely and fairly while also partnering and giving back to nonprofit organizations, according to their website. It also has partnerships with the IRC (International Rescue Committee) and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), two highly effective charities.
