Bags Without Baggage: Ethically Made Handbags for Fall

The first purse I ever owned was a 1995 Jansport mini backpack. It had two straps with a zipper down the middle, giving you the versatility of a single-strapped shoulder bag like the cool grunge girls wore, or two straps like some haute Clueless chick. Despite my clearly awesome bag taste and even a second pierced ear hole, I was painfully uncool in fifth grade, what with my braces, glasses, and first perm. Our awkward phases really shape us, don't they? And here you thought this post was just about bags. More like baggage ;).

It looked an awful lot like this. Cute, right? And you think it's cute now because it's about to be back in style. 

This nostalgia is timely though, what with this amazing 90s style revival, and I see 2016 Fall Fashion going earthy in its color scheme, a la 1994-95. Think navy, forest green, burnt siena – basically any colors you might find in a vintage Patagonia catalog. 

So, in an ode to my favorite mini Jansport, I present a curated collection of ethically made bags to bring a little 1995 to 2016 style.

SADDLEBAG: MATT & NAT

MATT & NAT: PARABOLE SM - OLIVE - $130 US; more colors available; vegan & fair trade, with 100% recycled nylon lining

BUCKET BAG: NOOWORKS + NEVA OPET

NEVA OPET BUCKET BAG (for sale at NOOWORKS.com): $260; made ethically in the USA by one artisan from vegetable-tanned leather.

CIRCLE BAG: NEVA OPET

NEVA OPET: MARINA CIRCLE BAG - $150; made-to-order and sold by one artisan in the USA from oil leather

MESSENGER BAG: WHAT DAISY DID

WHAT DAISY DID: MAGGIE MAE MESSENGER - about $55 US (sold in UK pounds); many colors available; made ethically by artisans in India with remnant leather and cotton scraps. 

STATEMENT CLUTCH: GUNAS

GUNAS FIERCE POUCH CLUTCH - $99; Vegan; ethically made in South Korea with recycled plastic bottles

MINI BACKPACK: EVERLANE

EVERLANE PETRA BACKPACK - $330; more colors available; made ethically.  

HIP POUCH: PINE & BOON

PINE & BOON CONVERTIBLE DOT POUCH - $96; Certified B Corp; made in Oregon from California-sourced vegetable-tanned leather

TOTE: RAVEN + LILY

RAVEN + LILY AZEB GETAWAY TOTE - $145.20; Certified B Corp; ethically made by Ethiopian artisan women using locally sourced leather

CARRYALL: SERRV

SERRV NAVY PERFECT CARRYALL - $75; Fair Trade; made almost entirely from remnant and recycled materials.

HIP PACK: LOOPTWORKS

LOOPTWORKS: HIP PACK - $125; B Corp certified; made ethically in the USA from factory remnant leather. [Sidenote: I never thought I'd actually promote a fanny pack, but here we are. And yes, I would wear the hell out of this.] 

WEEKENDER: ELVIS & KRESSE

ELVIS & KRESSE OVERNIGHT BAG - about $283 (sold in UK pounds); B Corp Certified; made ethically from decommissioned fire houses and reclaimed military-grade parachute silk - comes with bonus reclaimed parachute silk dust bag. 

CAMERA BAG: UNITED BY BLUE

UNITED BY BLUE: JUNIPER CAMERA CROSSBODY - $148; B Corp certified, made with organic cotton and vegetable-tanned leather. UBB removes one pound of trash from our oceans for every product sold.

LAPTOP SLEEVE: RAGS2RICHES

RAGS2RICHES: LAPTOP SLEEVE - about $32 US (sold in the Philippines), handwoven by Filipino artisans from upcycled, overstock, and/or indigenous fabrics. 

DOPP KIT: RICKSHAW BAGS

RICKSHAW BAGS: DOPP KIT - $39; more colors available; Rickshaw's trademark Performance Tweed made from recycled bottles and made to order ethically in San Francisco

Have a favorite nostalgic bag from the past? Tell me about it in the comments, if you please.

BONUS ROUND!

And since you know I'm all about spreading the love and the good word, I invite you to check out this great ethical & eco-friendly weekender bag guide from my new friends at The Good Trade.