THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE
December 01 2020 – Cecily Morgan
Here at Critically Endangered Socks, we’re dreaming of a green Christmas. From tree decorations to festive feasts (hello, Tofurky), there are lots of ways to sprinkle your Christmas with some eco-friendly magic.
To help you shop more sustainably this year, we’ve put together a guide of small businesses that are spreading kindness all over the globe with their planet-friendly and people-friendly products. From ethical undies to sunglasses with a social conscience, you’ll find heaps of gorgeous Christmas gifts that give back here, so get your sustainable Santa hat ready.
Big Wild Thought
Big Wild Thought is a clothing and accessories brand that’s making a big wild difference to the lives of countless animals. From tigers to squirrels, a lovely t-shirt, sweatshirt, or bag from Big Wild Thought will help you give a gift to an animal of your choice because they donate 10% of every sale to a charity protecting the animals that their items represent. They even sell festive sweatshirts which are chic alternatives to cheesy fast-fashion Christmas jumpers.
We especially love their Whale and Dolphin ranges, both of which help the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the same amazing charity that our Dolphin socks support! Pair one of Big Wild Thought’s Dolphin or Whale pieces with our Dolphin socks to create the perfect gift for an ocean-lover.
Humps Optics
Add some Californian coolness to Christmas by gifting some Humps Optics polarised sunglasses. Designed in Santa Monica with adventurers in mind, a pair of these would be a lovely and long-lasting gift for any active friends or family members. They even sell ski goggles so if you know someone who’s planning to hit the slopes in 2021, these would be perfect.
Style aside, the part we love most about Humps Optics is their social conscience. For every pair of chic sunnies sold, Humps donates a pair of reading glasses to someone in need. They’ve partnered up with Restoring Vision to do this, a charity which provides glasses to people in need in 130 countries across the globe.
Honu
Jewellery is a classic Christmas gift and by shopping with Honu, your jewellery gifts will be helping to protect turtles! From whale tail rings to seashell anklets, each piece of Honu jewellery is inspired by the ocean and 10% of their profits go to the Sea Turtle Conservancy, a charity which does brilliant work to protect endangered sea turtles.
It’s the perfect way to add a touch of ocean magic to your gift and show your love for turtles whilst giving a friend a piece of jewellery that they’re guaranteed to adore. We love turtles and certainly hope we find some Honu jewellery underneath our Christmas tree this year.
From Belo
Offering beautiful handbags and accessories that are crafted from recycled seat belts and plastic, From Belo is tackling waste pollution in style. However, their conscience doesn’t stop there. With each purchase, they donate meals to people who are homeless or in need in Brazil, where their products are made, making their bags ethical from stitch to sale.
Selling such gorgeous accessories that do so much good in the world, From Belo is making kindness chic - the perfect Christmas gift that will keep giving. If you’re on the hunt for the perfect stand-out present, one of their handbags would be a lovely choice and if you’re looking for stocking fillers, their makeup bags and wallets would be perfect.
Stroodles
With turtle-hurting plastic straws a big no-no and paper straws always becoming soggy after a few sips, Stroodles pasta straws are the answer to all our disposable straw prayers. Made from wheat and water, these straws are quite simply tubes of pasta, making them 100% biodegradable. Once you’ve finished with your Stroodles, you can either pop them in your home compost bin or boil them to make pasta - 100% turtle friendly and 100% planet-friendly.
These are perfect for sipping Christmas cocktails or as fun stocking fillers - we want oodles of Stroodles this Christmas please, Santa.
Tommy and Lottie
A unisex ethical clothing company that produces sustainable items embroidered with countless cute animals, Tommy and Lottie is a great place to shop if you’re buying for animal lovers. Whether you have a family member who is obsessed with badgers or a friend who loves polar bears, Tommy and Lottie will have something perfect. Their items are available in sizes suitable for adults and children, making them both delightful gifts for loved ones of all ages and perfect purchases for families who want to wear matching jumpers on Christmas Day.
To make Tommy and Lottie even sweeter, certain products help animal charities. Our personal favourites are their Orangutan sweatshirts, which are supporting the Sumatran Orangutan Society and would go perfectly with a pair of our Orangutan socks.
YOU
YOU Underwear is making a big impact with their ethical smalls. Each time someone buys a pair of their super-soft and sustainable pants, YOU donates not one but TWO pairs of pants to Smalls for All, a charity that gives underwear to disadvantaged women and girls in Africa and the UK.
Made from GOTS certified cotton and available in a range of styles for both men and women, a pair of these would be a thoughtful and kind stocking filler for anyone.
Eliza Eliza
Eliza Eliza creates gorgeous bags, purses, and accessories that support great charities. Made from organic hemp-cotton and lined with organic cotton, their products are super sustainable, as well as being super stylish. Their charities include CoppaFeel, the WWF, and Action Aid and with each design representing the charity it supports, Eliza Eliza doesn’t just help great causes, but raises awareness of them too.
Our personal favourites are their Turtle accessories, which are helping the WWF protect sea turtles - a charity that we love and an endangered animal that has a special place in our heart.
Pala Eyewear
Pala Eyewear offers sunglasses that are stylish, sustainable, and ethically-made. From classic aviators to cat-eye designs, Pala has a pair of sunnies to suit everyone’s style so you’re guaranteed to find some cool Christmas presents in their shop.
As if being sustainable and ethically-made wasn’t enough, Pala also works with Vision Aid Overseas to provide eye care to the people who need it most. With each pair of sunglasses sold, they provide vision centres, dispensaries, and screening programmes to eye-care centres across Africa. With such a fantastic mission, a pair of Pala sunglasses would be a touching gift for anyone.
WWF shop
Our friends at the WWF have a brilliant online store that covers all Christmas shopping bases. From calendars to t-shirts, you’ll find something for every member of the family here. We particularly love their adorable soft toys, which are perfect for any little ones (or adults - we won’t be complaining if we find cuddly koala toys in our stockings).
You can also support the WWF by purchasing some socks from our new collection which features Orangutan socks, Giant Panda socks, and Snow Leopard socks, or by purchasing our adorable baby socks. The perfect ethical gifts for big and very small animal lovers.
We hope this guide will help you have a very ethical festive season and when your sustainable shopping is in full swing, don’t forget to visit our shop because nothing says Christmas like a new pair of socks.
