April 25 is National Denim Day: 9 Denim Companies That Give Back

April 25 is National Denim Day, a day in which people are to wear denim in order to bring awareness to survivors of sexual assault. For the record, I am one of those survivors. Sexual assaults happen every day in to men, women and children. In fact each of our readers probably knows someone who has been assaulted.

Fortunately today we have many ethical fashion choices to pick from and today we offer to you sustainable jean companies that give back to various charities and communities. For those who want to help bring awareness to this important day and want a good excuse to shop… try some of these companies.

1.) Able (Nashville, Tennessee) Distressed and vintage look jeans that is a certified B Corporation. 

2.) Bluer Denim (Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon) Offers a one for one program for every pair of jeans purchased/  Bluer will buy back your used pair for $5, refurbish them and deliver them to someone who really needs them.

3.) Buckle (Kearney, Nebraska) Buckle is a chain store which offers jeans along with other clothes. They have partnered with various charities in give back programs. 

4.) Genetic Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California) Made in America, they have a recycling program in order to reduce waste. They also accept used denims and will give a store credit in return) The old denim is remade into other jeans and backpacks for homeless kids in Los Angeles. 

5.) G-Star Raw (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Their GSRD Foundation was launched 2007 to support education and entrepreneurship in communities where their products are made. They have a collection of recycled denim jeans along with regular jeans. They have joined the Plastic Soup Foundation as well .

6.) Madewell (Lynchburg, Virginia) Jeans and other clothing company that offers a Do Well program in which they give back to various organizations. They have a recycle jeans program with an in store credit.

7.) Outland Denim (Cambodia via Australia) Denim jeans made by women who have been rescued from sex trafficking.

8.) Patagonia (USA) One of the first eco friendly clothing company and fully transparent. Fair Trade Certified, they are on the top of my list of companies to support.

9.) Source Denim (Seattle, Washington) Made in USA denim company that has sustainable practices. One of the sustainable steps: In the dyeing process they have replaced chemical agents with a natural, biodegradable material made from…crab shells. They give back 1% of their net sales to  river conservation and climate change organizations.

In support of this day

Resources

• The National Alliance To End Sexual Violence (NAESV)
• The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)
• End Rape On Campus (EROC)
• Know Your IX
• The Grateful Garment Project
• Promoting Awareness | Victim Empowerment (PAVE)
• Joyful Heart Foundation