Got Eco Style? Check out Sierra’s Guide to 7 Standout Clothing Gifts

By Emily Malter

December 3, 2016

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Scrambling to find something to suit the many friends and family members on your holiday list? With eco-friendly clothing, your gift is practical, unique, and ethically sound. It’s why Sierra put together a list of some the top sustainable clothing companies around—along with suggestions for particularly “gifty” items. And to spare you some hassle this holiday season, we’ve made sure you can order each of them online. 

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X Pendleton Reversible 1936 Skyliner Model Jacket, from Eddie Bauer
 
This limited-edition collaboration combines the Eddie Bauer down jacket with Pendleton’s iconic National Park stripes to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Pendleton has been weaving signature National Park stripes—with distinct patterns and colors to present qualities of various parks—on blankets and apparel since 1916. Five percent of this jacket’s sales go to the National Park Foundation, to help ensure that our public lands are preserved for future generations. The toasty winter jacket ($400) is available in black (Yosemite), dark hunter green (Badlands), cadet (Grand Canyon), which is shown above, and flax (Smoky Mountains)—allowing you to choose based either on your gift recipient’s favorite park or color combo. 
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Organic cotton men’s T-shirts and flannels, from Toad & Co. 
 
Toad & Co. aims to reduce the amount of water and energy that goes into laundering by producing high-quality, low-maintenance, and long-lasting clothes that are meant to be “worn more, washed less.” Most is made using sustainable fibers like organic cotton, Tencel, and Modal (eco-processed, cellulose-based, and biodegradable fibers derived from sustainably grown forest plantations), and all packaging uses recycled and recyclable materials.

What’s more, Toad & Co. clothes are visually appealing; in particular, the fun men’s graphic T-shirts ($35) and men’s flannels ($89)—both of which are available in a variety of color combinations, and  made from organic cotton. A tee with a flannel, after all, makes for a timeless, casual, and versatile outfit for any man in your life. And on Toad & Co.’s website, you can “shop by fabric” to make sure you’re choosing organic cotton. 

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The Kukonda Collection, from Mayamiko
 
Mayamiko hand-picks textiles from a local cooperative of women traders in the remote African country of Malawi. There, the company runs a workshop to provide training in sewing and tailoring to local, disadvantaged women—many of whom are affected by the HIV pandemic, or who care for HIV-positive orphans. Mayamiko’s collections are crafted in this “zero waste” workshop, where workers upcycle every off-cut, cutting all room waste fabric and unsold items into new pieces. They also donate fabric to the community, and host upcycling workshops.

The Kukonda Collection features dresses, jumpsuits, pants, and tops in colorful, eye-catching prints that make for unique gifts for fashion-forward friends. Check out their brightly colored jumpsuits ($93.65 each)—ideal for winter layering.

 

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Men’s and women’s sweaters, from Slumlove Sweater Company
 
All of Slumlove’s clothing is handmade in Kenya. The company strives to pay employees fair wages, and uses only 100 percent natural, organic, and recycled materials in products and packaging. Additionally, they designate a portion of the proceeds to a non-profit that provides high school scholarships to children living in one of the world’s largest slums in Kibera, Kenya.

A classic sweater is a quintessential, versatile gift—warm and cozy for the winter holidays, and always practical. Slumlove offers sweaters ($85 to $95) in a wide variety of styles—crew neck, v-neck, and cardigan—in neutral colors, for a polished and refined style.  

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Yoga pants, from prAna
 
An active-wear company with a focus on sustainability and fair labor, prAna uses materials from sustainable sources such as organic cotton, recycled wool, hemp, recycled polyester, and repurposed down. prAna is a member of the Fair Labor Association, and was one of the first clothing companies to offer Fair Trade-Certified products.
 
prAna is known for its versatile yoga pants, available in a wide variety of colors, patterns, and styles. When searching its website, you can filter by fabric, to ensure you are giving a gift made from sustainable material. Two great options, the Annexi ($59.50), shown above, and Mantra ($75) pants, are made from hemp and recycled polyester.
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Men’s and women’s hoodies, from Alternative Apparel

Alternative Apparel meets the criteria established by the California Green Business Program, and makes more than 70 percent of their garments with sustainable materials, and through sustainable processes. They employ a fabric-washing process that uses 60 percent less water, as well as organic, recycled materials, and non-toxic dyes. The company also prioritizes fair labor, evidenced by their factories, which maintain accordance with the Fair Labor Association Workplace Code of Conduct.

Alternative Apparel offers a variety of men’s and women’s hoodies ($40 to $58) made from sustainable materials. These hoodies are unbelievably soft, and an eminently practical clothing item—you can rest assured knowing this is a gift that will be used.

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Men’s and women’s hats, from Krochet Kids 

Krochet Kids’ products are hand-made in Uganda and Peru, where employees are not only paid a fair wage for their work, but are also provided with educational workshops and career mentors. The company’s stated goal is to “create sustainable economic development programs that support holistic growth of individuals and communities living in poverty.”

Krochet Kids’ beanies and other hats (about $28 to $50) are beautifully hand-crocheted from 100 perfect natural fibers. A soft and stylish gift for any man or woman, they’re great for winter, and come in a full range of colors and varieties, to suit almost any fashion sensibility.

Emily was a Fall 2016 editorial intern at Sierra. She graduated from Hamilton College in 2015 with a B.A. in Sociology. 

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