Gifts you can feel REALLY good about…

---

Julie, our Director of Sustainability and Social Impact, helped formalize Free People’s impact initiatives four years ago with the creation of Care FP. Her passion has seen her take an intersectional approach to impact where community and climate go hand in hand, to help build better, longer-lasting environmental solutions with people top of mind. Outside of work she sits on four nonprofit boards, supporting organizations who empower young people, preserve craft, and lift up Latinx communities. Julie lives in Barcelona, Spain with her husband Michael and rescue pup Weezy.

OUR OFFICIAL CARE FP SUSTAINABLE GIFT GUIDE

A modern half zip + oversized + fuzzy fleece + 100% recycled fabrication = the formula for a flawless gift. Perfect for the conscious adventurer in your life.

Contrary to popular belief, you can always use another tote. But this isn’t just any tote. Especially if it doubles as a fashionable, vintage patterned tote bag that eliminates single use plastic. Better still – each eco-friendly Sashiko Tote is artisan-made from upcycled vintage Indian kantha sheets, sourced from small villages near Jaipur and Bengal.

For the conscious dreamer on your list (or for you!) – hand-printed natural fiber bedding. Beyond its chic zig zag primary motif, this cotton printed duvet from artisan brand Be Deva is extra special because of its handmade nature, so no two are the same… Consider this one-of-a-kind functional art.

I’ve loved our local Philly textile design studio partner, Riverside Tool and Dye, for years. Having first discovered their hand-dyed socks, I soon moved onto their overalls, and then just about lost my mind when I saw this hand dyed silk robe. Its distorted pastel pattern is created using Riverside’s modern approach to traditional Japanese hand dyeing techniques, making each silk robe absolutely unique.

This one’s going to all my pet parents this year! It’s near and dear to my heart: firstly, because it’s my dog Weezy’s favorite soap; and secondly, because it supports our furry friends at Best Friends Animal Society. This project was born of a need for caring for and bathing for shelter animals, so we decided to make a natural dog shampoo just for them. It smells great, is vegan and cruelty-free, and leaves their coats super soft – just ask Weezy. Each purchase supports our donation to Best Friends Animal Shelter.

I gifted these weights to myself and my friends to keep us moving while at home last year, and now that they’ve been released in a new recycled fabrication, there’s even more reason to add Bala to everyone’s lists. Pro tip: throw on these eco-friendly Bala weights on the days (weeks) you skip the gym and you’ll feel like you secretly snuck in a workout – without the effort.

I am in love with just about every handwoven piece this nonprofit creates. Just before the pandemic, I was lucky enough to travel down to the rural villages in Guatemala surrounding Lake Atitlan where these pieces are made. There, we had the chance to meet and work directly with the incredible indigenous women who handcraft each design, preserving their historic handwoven artistry. Mercado Global’s everyday mission supports thousands of artisan women by paying them above a living wage and supports their ongoing education in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and public health. Every purchase directly supports Mercado’s vision, and the icing on top is how fabulous their designs actually are – especially this wildly useful travel jewelry roll -- perfect for the traveler who has a big heart, too.

I’m not shy about being a fungi enthusiast. ;) So of course these upcycled fabric ornaments will be hanging on my tree this year. I know I’m not the only one so consider these eco-friendly ornaments for your holiday decorating, too! Pro tip: hang these up while watching Netflix’s Fantastic Fungi!

I initially fell in love with this blanket for its eye-catching design, so finding out it was handwoven was the cherry on top. Tribe and True partners with artisan weavers in Mexico in the villages of Tlaxcala and Oaxaca, where they work with their design team to carry out this centuries-old art form. This artisan made eco-friendly blanket is perfect for anyone in your life who truly appreciates supporting the preservation of craft.

Not only are these jeans sweatpant-soft,, they’re also made from our most sustainable denim yet – Better Cotton Initiative Cotton mixed with Tence,l derived from FSC certified wood pulp. Its production process uses 98% less water (saving over 1000L!) than traditional denim, and utilizes half the energy. They’re also Oeko-tex certified, meaning they contain no toxic substances. What’s not to love about these eco-friendly jeans?

In my opinion, this is the easiest, coolest sustainable gift. The Piper’s chunky recycled knit fabric blend is very soft, and the colorway options ensure a little something for everyone. I love that a plaid scarf can transcend all tastes and interests. The wallet-friendly price point doesn’t hurt, either.

My all-time favorite self-care product – not only because it’s the only natural deodorant that doesn’t irritate my skin (and works!), but it’s also the most beautiful shade of purple (but goes on clear!), thanks to butterfly flower extract. It’s a stocking stuffer for everyone on my list (for the second year in a row).

This past spring I had the honor of visiting our artisan production partner in Portugal. Not only am I in love with a western style boot that pairs with just about everything, but seeing first-hand the work that went into these hand-crafted boots, like the traditional leatherworking processes including hand stitched embellishment, makes me love them even more.

This hooded waterproof fleece is for your fashionable friend who doesn’t want to forgo their personal style whilst hiking. It’s oversized, extra comfy, and sustainably made from a 100% recycled poly fleece so you can feel even better about cozying up in it.

This soft chunky sustainable knit is one of my favorites for its versatility - just about anyone can throw it on and look effortlessly put together while still conforming to someone’s personal style. This vintage-inspired knit is going to my classic mom and my fashionable best friend. From super cold weather climates to warmer ones with chillier nights, this sweater puts in the work.

I said “so long” to single use wrapping paper a few years ago. Recently, I’ve employed a mix of upcycled paper and fabrics into my holiday wrap sessions, including this beautiful FP print tie up and go reusable gift wrap. I also love that this eco-friendly gift wrap is reusable as a second gift, since it can be worn as a scarf, belt, in your hair, as a little knotted purse, on your pet…

AND SOME NOTABLE CARE FP ACHIEVEMENTS…

• In the last year we’ve increased our sustainable product offering by 160% -- with much more growth to come.
• We’re proud of the product standards to which Care FP rigorously abides, across four key categories: eco-conscious, artisan made, vintage, reusable. Find out more about them here.
• Our favorite and most used eco-conscious fibers include: GRS organic euro linen – traceable to their farms in France, GOTS certified organic cotton, US Cotton Trust Protocol cotton – traceable to farmland where the cotton is grown in the US, GRS recycled cotton, GRS recycled polyester, and Lenzing certified modal made from FSC certified wood pulp.
• We believe it’s our responsibility to be transparent with you. With that, we’ve launched our first annual Impact report, which touches on intersectional topics from environmental sustainability to D+I to Social Impact. Read about our initiatives and ambitions here.
• We’re excited for more innovative sustainable product sarriving next year, in categories like swim, tees, and denim. We’re also looking forward to continuing our research in circularity, to find efficient ways to keep unwanted product in circulation and out of landfills.