Gifts That Give Back

2014 is flying by, and the joyous holidays are just around the corner. The time to embolden gift-giving creativity starts now and today, I’m sharing a thoughtful gift guide for the people you love and the people you can give back to. 

It’s inspiring to ruminate on how quickly and significantly the fashion industry is shifting its impact on the environment and community from waste to consciousness. Plenty of fashion powerhouses have popped up in the last 10 years that are dedicated to influence sustainability and global philanthropy and in turn, we as consumers have been educated with new options and a new purpose for our wallet. With the biggest retail quarter of the year to come, a shift in shopping for purposeful goods would contribute towards a more permanent, forward-thinking movement.

Some of my favorite sustainable gifts for the holidays include this statement, vintage key necklace from The Giving Keys brand, made straight out of Los Angeles. The Giving Keys is devoted to paying it forward, and with every inspired purchase, they seek to employ those transitioning out of homelessness in Los Angeles. Each unique key carries a message like Hope or Courage, and when the wearer of the key encounters someone else who needs the message on the key, they give it away and send The Giving Keys the story of their key being paid forward. 

The chic vegan leather backpack from Angela & Roi donates a portion of its sale to the Joslin Diabetes Center, but they don’t stop there. Angela & Roi is a minimalist’s dream of a handbag brand, with purpose in mind. In their Donate by Color movement, each color in their bag collection is assigned to a specific cause (i.e. gray for diabetes, yellow for childhood cancer), for which every bag purchase in that color will donate a part of your payment. Their product pages are complete with educational infographics of each cause that enhance awareness and inspire conscious spending. 

Lastly, this holiday season, the powerhouse of social responsibility, TOMS, is partnering with Target in creating a limited edition collection of stylish gifts that give shoes, blankets, and meals to those in need with every purchase. The cozy sweaters and blankets are perfect stocking stuffers and presents that equally donate the spirit of love, warmth, and community around the world. Check in on November 16th when the amazing collection launches at Target! 

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Compensation for this post was provided by Target via AOL Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Target or AOL.