These 14 Brands Support Women Every Day of the Year — Not Just During Women's History Month
Fabletics/ Olivela/ InStyle
By now you know: March is Women's History Month and the 8th is International Women's Day — a full 24 hours dedicated to the amazing women who've paved (and continue to pave) the way for ceiling-shattering success and our freedoms today. In celebration, family and friends will send heartfelt messages of appreciation, and brands will donate a percentage of proceeds or products to various women's charities to show their support.
That's all well and good — not to mention a long time coming (though technically celebrated since 1911, International Women's Day wasn't officially acknowledged until March 8, 1975) — but women contribute socially, economically, culturally, and politically 365 days of the year. To acknowledge their achievements, and support the women in need, there are a handful of fashion brands that choose to give back to women year-round — not just for a set time frame or for promotional value. Shopping these brands is a small but effective way you can also show your support for women beyond the month of March.
RELATED: These Brands Donate to Environmental Causes, Even When It's Not Earth Day
From well-known designer labels to online retailers, we've highlighted 14 brands doing their part for women, all 12 months out of the year, below.
Lisa Says Gah
Lisa Says Gah is a sustainable fashion hub that sells a variety of clothing brands (including its namesake label) that are made ethically and with the environment in mind. It was launched by Lisa Buhler as an anti-fast fashion, pro-community shop, to introduce fashionistas to the latest "Gah!" clothing items that make them burst out in surprise and delight. But beyond its clothes, what excites us about this brand is its dedication to giving back to those in need. Among its list of charitable donations is the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, which aims to improve as well as change the narrative around the conversation on Black maternal health, to amplify the voices of Black mothers.
Wildfang
Wildfang challenges the gender-normative approach to dressing, mastering the design of one-pieces and blazers with functional pockets in the process. Since its initial launch in 2013, the brand has donated over $650K of its proceeds to charitable causes, including Planned Parenthood and Girls Inc.
Olivela
Olivela is not your average luxury retailer. The site sells pieces from designers from ALESSI to Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung to rag & bone, Christian Louboutin, Theory, Max Mara, and more. But the company itself isn't rooted in the want for material — its rooted in a mission to give back to as many as possible. To do so, 20% of the proceeds from each purchase is donated to one of its charity partnerships (at no additional cost to shoppers). Currently, there are over 25 causes listed on the brand's partnership page, including women's charities like CARE, Dress for Success, Face Forward, the Malala Fund, Project Glimmer, Stand Up To Cancer, and the Women's Alzheimer's Movement.
Chanel
Luxury fashion house Chanel launched its charitable foundation in 2011. Foundation Chanel is dedicated to the advocacy of women's needs, despite the diversity of their complex environments. The foundation continues to form partnerships with causes around the globe, including the New York Women's Foundation, the HER Fund in Hong Kong, Daughters of Tomorrow in Singapore, Working Chance in the United Kingdom, and more, lending its expertise to improve the economic and social conditions of women.
Fabletics
Kate Hudson's athleticwear brand, Fabletics, doesn't just offer women fantastic deals on super cute workout attire. It's also committed to inspiring women to feel like their best selves, no matter their body type, ethnicity, gender, age, and abilities. To achieve this, Fabletics annually donates over $5 million to various causes, including those that focus on lifting up underserved women.
Tory Burch
Designer Tory Burch founded her namesake foundation in 2009 to help women embrace their ambition and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams by providing access to capital, education, and digital resources. Webinars are hosted by top educators to provide helpful insights, loans, funds, and grants are offered to women who need financial support to grow their business, and women can apply to the Tory Burch annual fellowship. What's more, in 2021, the foundation partnered with Upworthy, a website dedicated to positive storytelling, to offer 14 women making a positive impact in their communities $5,000 each to donate to the non-profit of their choosing.
Jimmy Choo
In 2011, the Jimmy Choo Foundation was established in hopes that, through education and enterprise, the brand could lend its hand at helping better the lives of women. In the past, the foundation has partnered with other causes, including the global anti-poverty initiative CARE, in which, through CARE's microfinance branch, LendWithCare, the pair supported the investments of roughly 1,600 female entrepreneurs, plus over 3,000 members of their families. Today, the foundation has an ongoing partnership with Women for Women International that includes annual donations, employee engagements, and brand activations in support of the #SheInspiresMe campaign.
Princess Polly
It turns out online retailer Princess Polly is dolling out more than discounts. The fast-fashion brand is highly charitable and has a laundry list of causes and organizations it's regularly making donations towards. These include The Loveland Foundation, which supports women and girls of color, and Dress for Success, which helps support women looking for employment.
Michael Stars
Michael Stars was co-founded and is co-owned by husband and wife duo Michael Cohen and Suzanne Lerner. The brand is best known for its enhanced basics made from mostly sustainable materials, but it also has a reputation for its values, specifically that of gender equality. Through its partnerships, grants, and mentorships with organizations like the Ms. Foundation, Fund for Women's Equality, MADRE, Joyful Heart, and Step Up, the brand has put an emphasis on the importance of ending gender bias, gender-based abuse, and continues to advocate for the equal treatment of women across the board.
THINX
Period underwear brand, THINX established its GiveRise program as a way to advocate for menstrual equity and access to menstrual hygiene products. Through its initiative, the brand has teamed up with causes like Girls Inc., Safe Horizon, and the Alliance of Border Collaboratives, to make basic menstrual hygiene accessible to those in need.
Who What Wear Collection
The WWW Collection drops seasonal picks in small batches, an eco-conscious way of production. As thoughtful as they are about the environment, WWWC is equally as thoughtful when it comes to its customers. In an email conversation with InStyle, the brand confirmed it regularly donates clothing to women-focused organizations such as the Los Angeles Mission, Covenant House, Los Angeles LGBT Center, Harvest Home, Dress for Success, and LA's Downtown Women's Center.
Ramy Brook
You might know Ramy Brook for her fabulous silk designs and vibrant pieces, but the designer is dedicated to more than fashion. Brook recently collaborated with members of Her ALS Story, a community group formed in April 2021 that allows women living with ALS to have an open dialogue and connect with ALS organizations, such as Project ALS, a female-founded nonprofit actively funding scientific and medical research in the field. Together, Brook and Her ALS Story designed The Hope Tee, a t-shirt for which 100% of proceeds from its sales is donated toward cutting-edge Project ALS therapeutics research working to fund and find a cure for the neuromuscular disease.
LAKE
Celebrity-loved pajama brand, LAKE's ongoing partnership with emergency housing initiative, Union Mission, has recently led to a new partnership with Parker's House, an emergency housing initiative for unaccompanied women experiencing homelessness. Parker's House opens in Savannah, Georgia, in April 2022, and every tenant will be gifted LAKE pajamas.
Uncommon James
Uncommon James founder, Kristin Cavallari is a mama of three, who, while dominating her entrepreneurial pursuits, puts her children first. To give back to other mothers in need, Uncommon James and Little James have an ongoing partnership with Mother to Mother, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting low-income mothers and their children, and have donated thousands of outfits to the cause.
