A Conscious Consumer's Guide to Black Friday

Allison Sherman November 26, 2021

Black Friday is known as the biggest shopping day of the year. With that, comes a lot of excess and overconsumption, and that begs the question; should a conscious consumer participate in Black Friday?

The answer to this depends on who you ask, what your values are, and what you consider when making purchases. Do I think we should cancel Black Friday? No. No, I don’t, but I do think there are ways to make it more sustainable and to avoid overconsumption. Here are some tips to help making conscious decisions when purchasing:

MAKE A LIST OF THINGS YOU NEED AHEAD OF TIME AND STICK TO THE PLAN

Temptation is hard! By having a list beforehand, this helps you stay on task and not get distracted by all the shiny things on sale.

STOCK UP ON ESSENTIALS

This is a great time to stock up on sustainable shelf-stable consumables that you have to buy, no matter what— such as home and hygiene products: toilet paper, soap, cleaning products, etc.

SUPPORT SMALL AND SUSTAINABLE BUSINESSES

Shopping at big box retailers is easy, we know that, but supporting small and sustainable businesses is so important. Look for fair trade certifications, ethical working conditions, brand transparency, organic and plant based materials, sustainable manufacturing, vegan or vegan friendly, charitable, b-corp certifications, etc.

SHOP ONLINE INSTEAD OF IN-STORE

Go directly to what you’re looking for and you can close your laptop anytime. In addition, you avoid the crowds and temptation!

UNFOLLOW OR UNSUBSCRIBE

Unfollow or unsubscribe from brands that tempt you to over consumer or make unnecessary purchases.

Now that you have some tips and a guide to stay on track, below are some conscious and sustainable brands that are having Black Friday promotions.

ECO HOME & LIFESTYLE

40% off Package Free Shop

40% off Veestro

30% off Dropps

Up to 35% off Reel Paper

25% off Stasher Bag

Up to 30% off Thinx

Up to 40% off Grove Co.

50% off Made Terra

GREEN BEAUTY

25% off Youth to the People

25% off Kooshoo

25% off Truly Beauty

20% off Moon Juice

BOGO Makeup Eraser

30% off Sale Petit Vour

25% off Herbivore Botanicals

Up to 20% off MAELOVE

20% off Superzero

30% off Pacifica Beauty

Up to $75 off Vegancuts

30% off Long Wknd

ETHICAL FASHION

30% off We are HAH

30% off ASN Hats

Up to 70% off Boyish

30% off Girlfriend Collective

Up to 40% off Christy Dawn

25% off Reformation

40% off Noize

20% off Boody

Up to 40% off Organic Basics

30% off Andi Bagus

33% off Yes And

30% off Back Beat Co.

How and Where To Find Vegan Hats

Allison Sherman June 11, 2021

I have a vegan hat obsession. I can’t deny it. Unfortunately, with this obsession comes some obstacles — i.e. most of the quality hats out there are not vegan and contain wool, leather, and suede. I have spent years collecting my hats and have had to have a lot of patience in finding them.

IF YOU’RE SHOPPING SECONDHAND…

I typically get most of my hats through Poshmark — a secondhand shopping app (you can use my code ACSHERM1 to save $10 on your first purchase)! I have some favorite brands that I search for that we will get into later in this post, but I like to use keywords to search for my hats as well like vegan, faux suede, faux leather, and straw. The same goes for other sites/apps like eBay, Mercari, Depop, etc. although I don’t think they are as good for this particular search as Poshmark.

Make sure to confirm the materials with the seller if it isn’t already in the description! You can find brand new hats on from these places as well for a fraction of the cost, not everything has been worn or used before!

IF YOU’RE BUYING DIRECT FROM A RETAILER OR BRAND…

Some brands and companies that I like that have vegan hats are listed below. I have yet to find a big one that is completely vegan, but there are some smaller all vegan brands as well as big brands that have vegan options.

Anthropologie

vegan options from various brands

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Artesano

mostly vegan

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ASN Hats

vegan options with dedicated section on website

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Brixton

vegan options

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Free People

vegan options from various brands

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Hatsmithe

all vegan

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Lack of Color

vegan options

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The Modern Cactus Co.

all hats are vegan, footwear is not

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Aerosoles Launches Vegan Shoe Line

Allison Sherman June 5, 2021

I am so excited to see more companies come out with vegan collections! Aerosoles launched their Aware (vegan) collection this season and I am here for it! This was my first time trying out the brand and it’s safe to say I am obsessed. Full disclosure, I was gifted these sandals, but I love them so much I have been thinking about purchasing more colors and styles — they were way comfier than I was expecting!

Comfort with any shoe is huge for me, and these have a pillow-like cushioned footbed that squish with every step! According to Aerosoles, they describe the Jamaica sandals as, “Crafted in premium Italian vegan materials, the Jamaica flat sandal stands out as part of our new Aerosoles Aware collection. Ruched uppers imbue this style with dimensional detailing; pillow construction ensures unparalleled comfort. 3/4" Heel Height. Synthetic Upper, Balance Synthetic Materials.”