Fashion is empowering.

The right cut, color or cloth has the ability to bolster confidence and add spunk to the spirit, making the day feel like a success before you even step out of the house. While fortune favors the bold, it does not always favor the voiceless and the underserved. Wearing something that steers your day towards victory while also supporting the artistic and social justice communities is the package deal brought to you by Bandits Bandanas.

Founders Nicole and Connor Humphreys’ story is one of wanderlust, where stale desk jobs are cast aside and bags are packed for foreign lands. Similar to MANDRN founder Kelly Kong’s journey (see: MANDRN Fanny Pack post), the couple ended up in Bali. Their  search to replace their bandanas, tattered from motorbike rides around the island, proved fruitless. All they came across were pieces that were too scratchy, unoriginal in design or produced from suspect manufacturing.

What makes Bandits bandana so exciting is each one is designed by a different artist. Not only does the artist lend their unique creativity to the cloth, but also designates a charity to receive 10% of the profits from its sale. Mom recently purchased one for her, one for Dad and one for Auntie. Remember You Are On Stolen Land is an understated yet powerful mauve and white design by DACA recipient Heldáy de la Cruz. His experiences as a gay, undocumented immigrant living in the US fueled his artistic expression, and amplified his call to justice – he volunteered at the Standing Rock Reservation protest in 2017.

Proceeds from his bandana design will support Pueblo Unido PDX, a non-profit that offers legal counseling services and client advocacy for those under the threat of deportation. Breaking Waves is artist Miles Tewson’s homage to the bright blue skies and coral sunsets over his native Brighton Beach in the UK, with his charity of choice being the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation – committed to fostering opportunities for marginalized young people in the UK. Other giving initiatives back causes such as anti-poaching foundations, Parkinson’s research and natural disaster relief. Each bandana is fair trade certified made from 100% sustainably sourced cotton. Give the gift of one-of-a-kind wearable art with strong ties to goodwill.

Wear comfort. Wear quality. Wear change.