Conscientious Shopping in Georgetown: 10 Opportunities This Season
By • December 7, 2022 0 2245
Looking to make the world a little better over the holidays? Here are 10 opportunities to shop conscientiously and give back to the community this gift-giving season. Happy holidays!
- Allbirds , 3135 M St. NW
Allbirds sells sneakers, hiking shoes, slippers and more for men, women and children. They also have gifts like hats and scarves.
- Why should you shop there? Besides their utter comfort, Allbirds shoes are made from all-natural materials like wool, trees and sugarcane. Last year, when they unveiled the “Allbirds Flight Plan,” they vowed to cut their carbon footprint in half by the end of 2024, then to reduce it further to near-zero by 2030. With just one year in, they’re a quarter way to their goal.
- Naadam Georgetown , 3003 M St. NW
Naadam sells cozy sweaters and outerwear ideal for the upcoming winter season. It’s also worth mentioning their cashmere dog sweater line, perfect for Georgetown’s pampered pups — you can even match your pet too!
- Why should you shop there? To put it simply: high-quality, sustainable, deliciously soft cashmere. Naadam was founded in 2013 and since then, they’ve been committed to transparency, ethical practices, cultural preservation and environmental sustainability. They recently launched their first annual “Social and Environmental Impact Report” to formally outline commitments to “people, product, planet and progress” through 2025.
- Warby Parker , 3225 M St. NW
Warby Parker sells eyeglasses, sunglasses and contacts.
- Why should you shop there? If you’ve been waiting to buy something for yourself, a new pair of glasses at Warby Parker is a great idea. After realizing that the eyewear industry is dominated by a single company, Warby Parker created an alternative. They bypass traditional channels, design glasses in-house and engage directly with their customers. Most important, the company believes that everyone has the right to see. They work with a handful of partners worldwide to make sure for every pair of glasses sold, another pair is distributed to someone in need for their “Buy a Pair, Give a Pair” program.
- Avocado Green Mattress , 3336 M St. NW
Avocado Green Mattress sells mattresses, pillows, robes, pajamas, mattress protectors and more.
- Why should you shop there? Avocado Green Mattress are proud members of the international organization “1% for the Planet.” One percent of all of the company’s corporate revenues are donated to vetted environmental non-profits to address issues like climate change, pollution, healthy food systems and more. So far, millions of dollars have been donated to over 45 organizations.
- Mindful Giving , Online
Mindful Giving, run by a Georgetown University alum, sells unique gifts like boxed soaps hand-packaged at Ability Works, a social enterprise organization that employs people with disabilities, and the “Hello Hope Canvas Tote,” custom-created by Imani Collective in Mombasa, Kenya.
- Why should you shop there? Mindful Giving sells carefully curated small-batch and artisan-made gifts to support women and minority-owned businesses.
- Shop Made in DC , 1304 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Check out over 200 makers and almost 5,000 MADE IN DC products like art, furniture, home décor, stationery, jewelry and more. Georgetown’s shop is in the 1300 block of Wisconsin Ave. NW.
- Why should you shop there? Founded by Stacey Price (People Make Place) and Michael Babin (Neighborhood Restaurant Group), Shop Made in DC is a retail initiative with a mission to grow area makers and artists.
- Hatley , 3112 M St. NW
The adorable women, babies and children clothing line sells festive outfits, women’s workwear and laid-back Fair Isle sweaters perfect for a lake house or ski chalet Christmas.
- Why should you shop there? Hatley got its start in 1986, when a painter and her husband opened a small lakeside gift shop. Today, the business is owned by their three sons. For about a decade, a lot of Hatley’s apparel production is made in India, a country with a booming textile industry yet terrible poverty. This is why Hatley partners with Sevalaya, a non-governmental organization whose contributions serve 40 villages in and around Eastern India.
- Christ Child Opportunity Shop , 1427 Wisconsin Ave. NW
The shop has been a part of Georgetown for almost 100 years. The high-end consignment store sells antiques, fine jewelry, sterling silver and other decorative accessories and collectibles.
- Why should you shop there? All proceeds from the shop support The Washington, D.C. Chapter of The Christ Child Society. Through its chapters, The National Christ Child Society dedicates itself to serving children in need regardless of their race or creed.
- Patagonia , 3104 M St. NW
Patagonia sells outdoor wear for men, women and children as well as other camping and outdoor activity items like duffel bags, sleeping bags and more.
- Why should you shop there? Patagonia has been working for almost 40 years to support grassroots activists working to find solutions to the environmental crisis. Patagonia encourages others to get involved through “Patagonia Action Works” to connect people to groups working on environmental issues in their respective communities.
- Bitty & Beau’s , 3207 M St. NW
Fuel up with coffee and smoothies, or perhaps apparel, holiday candles, pet collars and more all with the Bitty & Beau’s logo.
- Why should you shop there? Owners Amy and Ben Wright are parents of four children — one with autism and two with Down Syndrome. After learning that over 80 percent of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are unemployed nationwide, Bitty & Beau’s was created. The Wrights hope that the coffee shop creates a path for people with disabilities to become more accepted and included in their communities.
