fair trade gift guide

Still have some Christmas shopping to do?  Want to find the perfect gift for those on your list?  Are you looking for unique and handmade items for your loved ones to unwrap this year?  Do you want to make your purchases count and shop with purpose this year?  Well you are in the right place.  I'm sharing with you my favorite places to find beautiful, fair trade items for all of your gift giving this season.  Sit back and get comfy because I've got lots of favorites!




Noonday Collection is of course at the top of my list.  Yes, yes I know.  I'm biased, but I just can't help but love this company and the mission behind it.  Find a wide variety of jewelry, scarves, bags, and home goods at all price points.  Noonday Collection helps to empower our artisan groups to rise out of poverty and continues to be dedicated to funding adoptions and orphan prevention efforts locally and around the world. 

Raven + Lily has beautifully designed jewelry, scarves and apparel as well as handmade stationary and journals.  This company helps to employ marginalized women in Ethiopia, India, Cambodia and the United States.  They provide fair trade wages to give them access to a safe job, sustainable income, healthcare, education, and a real chance to break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families.

Sseko has a great collection of leather totes and clutches, naturally dyed and handwoven scarves, and fun sandals with literally hundreds of ways to wear one sandal when you consider the different ties and interchangeable straps.  Their scholarship program employs recent high school grads who are earning money through their work with Sseko to pay for their university tuition.  They seek to empower these young women in Uganda with education and a chance to fulfill their hopes and goals for their lives. 

Emilime Handcrafted has a huge selection of hand-knit scarves, hats, and gloves/arm warmers.  There are so many vibrant colors and fabulous patterns to choose from.  All Emilime products are handmade with love in Peru and are fully traceable from start to finish.  My favorites are the 100% alpaca scarves.  They are so cozy and warm, but so lightweight at the same time.

31 bits does paper beads and does them well!!  Their options of necklaces and bracelets made from paper beads are absolutely gorgeous.  So many of these are on my wish list this year.  The artisans who make 31 bits jewelry are living in Uganda and earning an income enabling them to provide for their families. The company cares for them holistically through counseling, health education, finance training, and business mentorships. After five years in their program, the artisans are ready to graduate. A graduated beneficiary has her own business and is educated, healthy, and confident. She is empowered.

Imani also has a great selection of paper bead jewelry.  These products are made in war-torn northern Uganda where there are many Congolese refugees, child soldiers, and girls forced into prostitution, brothels, and the sex-industry due to poverty and lack of options.  They partner with women escaping the sex trade to create jewelry which is handmade from indigenous materials.  Women receive fair trade wages, which empower them to provide for their families and educate their children.  Imani also offers trauma counseling, savings,and business classes. 

The Base Project has partnered with these Kunene artisans in Namibia to design and produce their first line of up-cycled bracelets. Their bracelets, made from discarded plastic pipe, are fair trade products, providing the artisans additional income for school fees, health care, and food.

The Root Collective is another company with a wide array of ethically sourced products.  My favorites here are their collection of ballet flats handmade with love in Guatemala.  They come in lots of fun solid colors and striped patterns.

Nisolo offers gorgeous leather shoes for men and women.  They are all fair trade shoes beautifully crafted in Peru.  I have the flats but am thinking the wedges and sandals and oxfords would look great on my feet, too.  Oh, can I just have one of each?  Seriously, these shoes are just gorgeous.

People Tree is the place to go to find men's and women's fair trade and sustainable fashion. 

Roma Boots has great rain boots in adult and children's sizes.  They are a one-for-one company so each time you purchase a pair from their website they donate a pair to a child in need.  Their desire is to give poverty the boot by bringing street children and orphans hope, love and lasting change in the most sustainable and practical way.

Elegantees  has lots of tops each with their own unique details.  And very reasonably priced, too.  They are passionate about restoring women rescued from sex trafficking. Each Elegantee top is made by a woman who is a formerly trafficked woman now in the process of recovering.  Your purchase provides sewing jobs to them so they can heal while providing for themselves.

FashionABLE has a beautiful collection of scarves handmade in Ethiopia.  Their strategy is two-fold.  They work with women to help them start small business cooperatives, and they partner with and require manufacturers to also employ women with fair wages & fair hiring practices.

Faire Collection carries unique statement pieces that are all made from sustainable and renewable resources.  This company is both fair trade and eco-friendly.  Find beautiful jewelry made from seeds, horn, or alpaca.

Symbology is an ethical fashion label that fuses artisan textiles with fashion forward designs to bring authentic apparel to the boutique market. Their pieces are a fresh spin on centuries-old artistic traditions.  They desire to use fashion as a platform to empower the poor, preserve traditional arts and connect women worldwide. 

Mata Traders offers fair trade clothing and jewelry.  Lots of cute dresses and skirts can be found here, ladies.

JADEtribe has some awesome bags, from cosmetic bags to clutches to messengers and totes to large weekenders.  I love the attention to detail, the intricate woven designs and the bold colors!

  

BetterLifeBags are made with beautiful leather and such fun, colorful fabrics.  You can find laptop cases, purses and even diaper bags here.  You can custom design your own bag or buy one from the ready-made shop.  So many fun options to choose from.  BetterLifeBags hires first generation immigrant women in the local community who otherwise could not work outside the home.  They rent them a sewing machine and tools while teaching them a skill set that allows them to become a primary or secondary provider in their families. 

One Mango Tree is another great fair-trade site with a good selection of apparel and accessories.

Punjammies has sleep and loungewear sewn by women who have been rescued from sex trafficking in India.   Each woman receives a wage higher than fair trade along with housing options, medical care and education for her children and she becomes part of a loving, restorative community of other women who were formerly trafficked.

Connected Fair Trade carries many items for the home as well as clothing and jewelry.  This company has a very large selection of things for the kitchen, items for entertaining, beautiful home décor and bedding.

Nkuku is another company with a larger selection of items for the home in addition to scarves and jewelry.

And of course there's always etsy.  Etsy remains one of my absolute favorite spots to find unique gifts.  Yes, it's not fair trade but you can search handmade items and find something unique for just about anyone on your list.  And, you're supporting artisans and small business owners!

Happy shopping and Merry Christmas!!