What to Get Him for Christmas: Eco-friendly Holiday Gift Ideas

I've rounded up a solid collection of well-made, beautiful gifts for the Dads, boyfriends, uncles, husbands, and brothers in your life. Of course, each gift is made in the USA, handmade, uses organic ingredients or materials, or is otherwise sustainably made, so you can shop knowing you're doing a little good in the world with your purchases.

Clockwise starting at the top left:

• Slim chinos are made in the USA by Bonobos, $98
• Down jacket is made using recycled polyester by Nau, $225*
• All-natural shave cream by Origins, $16
• Jeans are organic cotton by Nudie Jeans, $179
• Balancing blocks are made in the USA by Fort Standard, $48
• Duffle is made in the USA of waxed canvas and leather by Filson, $360

*I can personally attest to the awesomeness of this Nau jacket-- my husband has one, and he wears it throughout fall and winter, sometimes as an under-layer when it's REALLY cold, but usually as the perfect winter coat. It's really thin but also really warm. Like magic.




Clockwise starting at the top left:

• Monogrammed handmade 15-piece BBQ tool set from Etsy, $76
• Watch made from remnant wood by WEWOOD, $120
• Seedbombs and slingshot are made in the USA, $16
• Wool camp blanket is made in the USA by Pendleton, $119
• Wool Jacket is made in the USA for Pendleton Collection, $598
• Hat is made from recycled cotton/acrylic by American Apparel, $22
• Leatherman all-in-one tool is made in the USA. Every man I know loves this thing. $32
• Boots are made in Maine by L.L. Bean and made  to last a lifetime $99

Clockwise starting at the top left:

• Made-to-measure suit, made in America by Freeman's Sporting Club, $1,195
• Boot is made in the USA by Red Wing, $330
• Sunglasses are handmade from reclaimed wood in Portland, Oregon by Shwood, $145
  THESE ones are also awesome.
• Cufflinks are made from upcycled bullet casings by Astali, $84
• Bow-tie is handmade in the USA from Etsy, $28, similar here $26
• Bag in made in NYC by Ernest Alexander $345
• Cedar shoe tree is made in USA by Alden $37
• Tie is handmade in the UK by Charles Tyrwhitt, $85
• Organic cologne by Herban Lifestyle, $29.99

If you'd like to see 175 more (yes, that many!) ethical gift ideas for everyone on your list, I invite you to check out My Fair Gift Guide.

Once you've exhausted that resource, feel free to follow along on my gift guide Pinterest boards-- I will be updating them regularly through December, and they include men's gifts, mom gifts, gifts under $30, my own wish list, and more.

Happy shopping!


Shop the post (and more!!):

An Ethical Alternative to Black Friday: 175+ Green Gift Ideas from My Fair Vanity

As you mentally prepare yourself for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I offer you a tasteful and ethical alternative: a catalog chock-full of eco-friendly, made in America, and fair trade gift ideas that will empower and inspire you to make thoughtful gift choices for all of the loved ones on your list.

Settle in with a cup of tea or a mug of cocoa and see what you find-- you may discover a few surprises, especially since I've enlisted the help of a few of my favorite green lifestyle bloggers to help me curate the coolest and kindest gifts around!

Alden from Ecocult put together a collection of covetable gifts that are 100% made in New York. Dominique from Let's Be Fair has golden, sparkly treasures from afar, and Juliette from spades + siLK will share her uber-cool knowledge of all of the hippest, newest sustainable designers. Yoga teacher and blogger Carissa Ciuca curates for the yogi in your life, and surface designer Aaryn West has enough patterns and colors to keep even the most eclectic person on your list intrigued and impressed with your artsy street savvy.

Happy shopping, happy holidays, and happy thanksgiving! It's such a pleasure to write and post about sustainable style for you here on My Fair Vanity each week, and I hope you'll accept this guide as my small way of saying thank you so much for reading. If you find it helpful, I hope you'll choose to share it with friends and loved ones, so that this year, they can join you in giving on-trend, stylish gifts that are kind to the earth and the people on it.

With gratitude and love,

Rachel

Down to the Wire: Last Minute Gift Ideas

OK people, we're down to the wire. If you're looking for last minute gift options that are fair and kind, you've come to the right place. Whether you want to order online and make sure that gift arrives by December 24th or you're currently running around downtown DC in a panic, there are plenty of options, so take a deep breath....and shop. :)






L to R: The Complete Works of Charles Dickens (collectible Penguin editions); made in the USA scented Voluspa candle; made in the USA Christmas socks; Organic coffee

Amazon:
There is still time to purchase made in the USA, fair trade, organic goodness from Amazon and have it delivered by December 24. All of the options above are available right now and can ship via Amazon Prime.

Gift Cards
Even if they are only available via e-mail at this point, you can print one out and put it in a holiday card or stuff it in a stocking. I strongly recommend purchasing one from Of a Kind.

Of A Kind
All of the tightly edited, limited edition lines they carry are made with careful attention to sustainability and produced here in the USA, and they carry a variety of stylin' option for both men and women. And folks, buying made in the USA is one of the kindest things you can do. When you make that choice, you are single-handedly:

• Supporting American jobs
• Creating demand for the skill and traditions of American artisans 
• Maintaining a small carbon footprint
• Gauranteeing your item is free of child labor

This behind-the-scenes video on how Lizzie Fortunato jewelry is made paints the picture better than I can-- it's 100% worth watching to the end, but beware: I am now obsessed with their line.

If you are lucky enough to be in the DC area, you have SO MANY options:



Proper Topper
Aside from their loverly hats, this place carries all manner of locally made, made in the USA, and fair trade gift items. From cashmere-wool socks to handmade ornaments to upcycled vintage jewelry, they truly do have it all. Bonus: everyone who works in the store is immensely helpful and can probably help you find something for anyone on your list. When I say everything, I mean it: books, candles, home decor...I could go on.


Proper Topper

Secondi
Incredible collection of lightly used designer and vintage scarves, sunglasses, jewelry, and bags. All women love these things-- you can't go wrong.

Teaism
This little tea shop is an oft-overlooked gift treasure trove. High-quality tea makes a great gift, but Teaism also has a great selection of gourmet chocolate, hot chocolates, brownie mixes and even a chocolate chip bacon pancake mix by Vosges. They also have beautiful tea accessories and traditional Japanese teapots for sale at many locations. Last but not least, a bag of their ginormous salted oat cookies would make anyone very, very happy.

Whole Foods (candy aisle)
Whole Foods has one of the best selections of fair trade chocolate I have ever seen, and many of the brands they carry are made in the USA as well. A really nice bar of chocolate or a selection of several is going to make anyone happy, man or woman, young or old. *****Stay tuned tomorrow for my guide to the best in fair trade chocolate.

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