Totally Conscious 2020 Holiday Gift Guide
Wow, it’s hard to believe that we’re already at the end of the year! While the stress of getting the “perfect gift” for everyone may be mounting, we’re here to say: it doesn’t need to be that way! The holidays are, in theory, supposed to be a time that is enjoyed. A time to rejoice, spent with friends and family, ending the year with those you care about most. This year was certainly not what any of us expected, and quite frankly, we don’t think we are alone in saying that we’re excited for the new year to begin. We think that shopping small and with purpose-driven brands this holiday season will set the tone for a totally terrific 2021.
It’s easy to get caught up in the big name brands that produce the same things year after year. This holiday season, we encourage you all to shop a little differently, and look to brands that have a mission that aligns with your values. Whether they aim to help the environment, animals, the people working to produce these goods or the communities you care about most, purpose-driven brands are the guilt-free solution to holiday gift shopping. And without further ado, it’s time for our first annual Totally Conscious Holiday Gift Guide focusing on brands that align with our missions!
Good for the Environment
1. Bôhten Eyewear is a Black-owned and eco-friendly brand that creates lightweight opticals and sunwear. They embrace the concept of #LuxuryReclaimed by using discarded materials, including reclaimed wood, while enacting sustainable development and innovation. The materials are sourced from West Africa, helping to create employment opportunities and expand the local economy, at the same time!
Shop Bôhten Eyewear HERE
2. Tonlé is a maker-led community and zero-waste fashion brand. Let’s repeat that: zero-waste fashion brand! With the mentality that “every scrap of fabric has a purpose”, Tonlé is definitely a brand to add to the top of your list this season.
Shop Tonlé HERE
3. Outerknown offers sustainable fashion & swimwear for all. A few totally amazing features to call out:
90% of the fibers they source are organic, recycled, or regenerated.
Their ECONYL clothing line which fishing nets into regenerative fibers for clothes helping to clean up our oceans.
100% of swim trunks are made with recyclable fibers
If sustainability is important to you (and the person you’re shopping for!) Outerknown is the clear answer.
Shop Outerknown HERE
Good for Animals
1. No Cookie is a Black-owned, Vegan cookie business! Family-owned and operated since 1978, they specialize in Vegan cookies in a wide variety of flavors. No dairy, no eggs and no wheat (hence the name, “No Cookie”). With no animal products being used in creating these cookies, you can enjoy the delicious flavors while being good to the animals at the same time. You can easily order online or find them at over 400 health and natural stores.
Shop No Cookie HERE
2. Veestro is a 100% plant-based delivery service that offers delicious meals featuring no preservatives and organic ingredients. Plus, they just so happen to be one of our Totally Taryn Social clients! 😉 The food options are friendly to animals, but they are also friendly to the environment with recyclable packaging!
Shop Veestro HERE
3. Angela Roi offers luxury vegan leather handbags and home accessories. They create their product line with ethical materials (meaning no animals are EVER used in the creation of their products), that require no sacrifice on comfort, style, quality or morality. Every single Angela Roi bag is handmade by artisans who earn fair wages and work in clean, comfortable factories.
Shop Angela Roi HERE
Good for Communities
1. B. Yellowtail is a Native American owned and operated fashion brand. They share authentic Indigenous creativity with the world and prioritize economic opportunities for Native Americans. Their main objective is to support the entrepreneurial spirit of Native Americans while telling a story with their wearable art. Although Native American Heritage Month ends come Dec 1, you can shop B. Yellowtail year-round to for beautiful pieces that support Native American Communities!
Shop B. Yellowtail HERE
2. Alaffia does not just look at profits when calculating success. They examine empowerment. This is a Black-owned business that offers hair, face and body care products that work with simple ingredients that deliver results. Their current empowerment projects within the Alaffia Foundation focus on education, maternal health, FGM eradication, eyeglasses and environmental sustainability in Africa.
Shop Alaffia HERE
3. The Little Market is a nonprofit fair trade shop (and has always been a personal favorite of mine!). They work with organizations that help to improve conditions in communities around the world with literacy workshops, business training, counseling, and healthcare programs. They also ethically source from businesses that help various communities including refugees, people with disabilities, young mothers, survivors of sex trafficking, and individuals living in extreme poverty.
Shop The Little Market HERE
Good for Workers
1. Bangs Shoes invests 20% of net profits into helping entrepreneurs live out their business dreams. Every purchase helps support a new entrepreneur. Additionally, they have ethical business practices, from their factories to the materials used to make their shoes (which are 100% vegan by the way!).
Shop Bangs Shoes HERE
2. Ivory Ella is a comfy, cozy clothing and accessory brand that partners with Save the Elephants. In addition to donating over $1.9 million and counting to the organization and other charitable causes, they also have employee engagement programs that give back to their workers. They have also become an educational resource as they support 18 schools in Northern Kenya that help educate the youth on human and elephant coexistence.
Shop Ivory Ella HERE
3. Translating to “pure life” in Spanish, Pura Vida Bracelets, encourage others to live life to the fullest. What the brand has done for workers is nothing short of remarkable: they have expanded to work with about 800 artisans in Costa Rica, El Salvador, India and other locations. These workers now can rely on a steady income as well as a positive, safe work environment. They have also partnered with over 175 charities around the world and donated over $2.8 million!
Shop Pura Vida Bracelets HERE
Good for Consumers
1. Essentials by Temi is a Black-owned skincare brand that focuses on quality, preservative-free and vegan formulations. They place consumers at the forefront, creating products that aspire “to assist others with finding balance with their daily well-being regimen - physically, spiritually and socially.”
Shop Essentials by Temi HERE
2. Clove + Hallow is the perfect place to find Vegan cosmetics for your best friend (or yourself!). In particular, we love their Lip Crème in the shade “Psych”. When you purchase this particular product, 15% of the proceeds will be donated to the Georgia chapter of Mental Health of America. They are also classified as Clean15, meaning safe, cruelty-free and vegan ingredients per formula. Not to mention, they offer inclusive shade ranges and focus their business practices on safety, sustainability and affordability.
Shop Clove + Hallow HERE
3. Borcik Jewelry is a jewelry company that cares about your mental health. After the founder’s husband attempted suicide in 2015, it became her mission to spread awareness for mental health and suicide prevention. They donate a portion of all sales to TWLOHA and are dedicated to creating a community that cares for one another.
Shop Borcik Jewelry HERE
This holiday season, you can make a difference by shopping purpose-driven. No matter what you’re passionate about, there’s a brand out there that supports your values just waiting for you to discover them. There’s always room to make a difference. And if you are a brand that is out there making a difference, we are here to help you connect with an audience that really cares about your mission. We’d love to hear from you!
Totally,
Emily