U.S. Ethical Shopping Guide

Purses That Give Back

Unfortunately, many purses you will find in your local department store were made by women working in factory "sweatshops". In contrast, the beautiful, handmade purses you will find through the links below, provide women with meaningful, dignified work. Find everything from fair trade purses to hand embroidered coin purses, to upcycled handbags and more.

(NOTES: This is a shopping guide so prices and availability can change without notice. If you buy through some of these links, a small amount may come back to help support the mission of Change the World by How You Shop.)

Azizi Life

“Partners with rural Rwandans to bring fair trade beauty to your life and theirs.” They sell fair trade totes, purses and coin purses, incredibly woven from banana and palm leaves!

Prices: $12 - $75

Vi Bella Jewelry

Their mission is "providing a path out of poverty" for their artisans. They sell beautiful purses, totes and clutches, ethically handmade in Haiti. (I adore my "Paradise" tote--it serves as my purse/diaper bag!)

Prices: $16 - $55

Designed for Joy

Creates "artisan jobs for North Carolina women living at high risk for sex and labor trafficking and vulnerable to food and housing insecurities." They offer gorgeous clutches and coin purses, made in the USA.

Prices: $28 - $78

Shop With a Mission

On a mission “to equip and assist people in developing countries to break the cycle of poverty through their handiwork and creativity." They sell an amazing collection of purses, cross-body bags, travel bags, fanny packs and more! (I adore my cell phone purse!!)

Prices: $6 - $200

Education and More

"Strives to reduce poverty in Guatemala by providing educational opportunities for students of all ages." They sell fair trade purses, clutches, coin purses, crossbody bags and wristlets.

Prices: $7 - $40

Serrv

"A nonprofit, fair trade organization dedicated to lifting disadvantaged artisans, farmers, and their families out of poverty." They sell quality crafted fair trade handbags, wristlets and shoulder bags as well as adorable coin purses.

Prices: $6 - $172

Naupaka

An ethical Hawaiian boutique. They sell cool organic cotton tropical bucket bags

and African market baskets, handmade in Ghana.

(Get 10% off with the code: LEEANNEMCCOY.)

Prices: $28 - $50

Adored Boutique

Every customer can "celebrate the impact her purchase will make on another woman's life." They sell beautiful ethically-made purses, crossbody bags, clutches, wallets, wristlets and bucket bags.

Prices: $30 - $176

Amma's Umma

"An ethical boutique that gives back to adoptions." They offer a great collection of ethically-made handbags, totes, clutches and crossbody bags.

Prices: $18 - $128

Eternal Threads

“'Weaving hope and justice' to improve the lives of women and children who are at risk from extreme poverty and trafficking." They sell beautiful handmade, fair trade crossbody bags, totes, market baskets, coin purses and clutches.

Price: $6 - $55

Ten Thousand Villages

"The original fair trader," started in 1946! They sell fair trade purses and coin purses. (To also find their products in a retail location near you, click here.)

Prices: $11 - $70

Imagine Goods

Partners "with vulnerable and marginalized people around the world to make products.” They sell sustainable cross-body purses and wristlets.

Prices: $25 - $39

Electronics Bags

If you need something to carry your electronics, go to:

Ethical Electronic Accessories

to find laptop sleeves, messenger bags, phone cases, tablet holders and more!

Wallets

To find a wallet to toss in your purse, go to our page:

World Changing Wallets

Bought Beautifully

“Purchase a product--transform a life.” They sell ethically-made woven bags and leather clutches and totes.

Prices: $40 - $185

Partners for Just Trade

“Building global partnerships through a just marketplace.” They sell a whole collection of unique fair trade backpack purses and crossbody bags and carryalls as well as coin purses & id holders and wallets.

Prices: $5 - $52

Amani fair trade bucket purse, handmade out of local African materials. https://amaniafrica.org/collections/bags

Amani Ya Juu

"A social economic enterprise committed to peace and reconciliation for African women." They sew beautiful, durable, fair trade purses in African prints. (I love my mini messenger bag!)

Prices: $12 - $134

Re:new Project

""Provides employment and community for refugee women who have resettled in the USA." They offer amazing upcycled clutches, shoulder bags, carryall pouches and totes, made in the USA using recycled textiles.

Prices: $22 - $94

Mango + Main

"On a mission to bring products from tropical lands where mangoes grow...to main street, USA!" They sell handcrafted fair trade leather handbags and fabric clutches and carry-all bags.

Prices: $14 - $235

Gifts With a Cause

Their mission is "to provide sustainable income to artisans in developing countries." They sell fair trade embroidered purses.

Prices: $15 - $38

Haiti Design Co

Works in Haiti to develop "craftsmen and leaders that are able to use their skills to provide for their families." They sell cool, ethically-made bucket bags, handbags. clutches, canteen bags and totes.

Prices: $15 - $200

Mosaic Collective

Offers “beautiful products at a price that is fair to the artisans who create them." They sell beautiful purses and clutches,

handcrafted in Tanzania.

Prices: $12 - $89

WorldCrafts

WorldCrafts "develops sustainable, fair-trade businesses among impoverished people around the world." They sell a variety of high-quality fair trade purses, cross body bags, totes and clutches.

Prices: $13 - $110

The Sparrow Studio

Their "primary goal is to create a fair trade marketplace for handmade home decor and jewelry." They sell beautiful artisan-made purses, including handbags, wallets, clutches and crossbody bags.

Prices: $24 - $185

Sewing God's Seeds

"Empowering and supporting artisans and missionaries." They sell handmade handbags, zip pouches and cosmetic bags.

Prices: $15 - $129

Still Looking?

If you are still searching for that perfect purse, keep scrolling down to the bottom of the page for yet more places to find ethically-made purses!

Key Chains

For purse accessories, check out our guide to:

Key Chains That Give Back

for ethically-made key chains, camera straps, id holders and bag clips.

Backpacks

For ethically-made backpacks, also check out our guide to:

Sweatshop Free Backpacks

31 Bits

Sells products handmade by women rising out of poverty in Uganda and Indonesia. They offer beautifully woven crossbody bags, drum bags and clutches.

Prices: $55 - $95

The Village Country Store

Fair trade and fairly made goods. They offer a huge selection of sustainable wristlets, crossbody purses & shoulder totes as well as fair trade handbags & purses.

(Use the code: ShopWithLeeAnne for 10% off your entire order!)

Prices: $10 -$75

Mayan Hands

"A fair trade nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Mayan women in their quest to bring their families out of extreme poverty." They offer traditionally handwoven fair trade handbags, totes, clutches and coin purses.

Prices: $9 - $70

Persona Grata Goods

"Designed to help moms who care about the world make a difference in the lives of other moms!" They offer amazing carpet bags and wallets, made in the USA by refugees in North Carolina. They also offer lovely African-style clutches on Etsy.

Prices: $15 - $58

Elegance Restored

Creating a "market for beautiful, fairly made goods." They sell gorgeous, handcrafted handbags, clutches, wallets, totes, wristlets and more.

Prices: $20 - $192

2nd Story Goods

Works in a small town in Haiti to provide much needed jobs and hope to their community. They offer cute ethically-made coin purses, cross body bags, sling bags and leather totes.

Prices: $12 - $85

Grain of Rice Project

“A non-profit ministry, which empowers Kenyan people with the love of Christ by training and selling their handcrafted products.” They sell beautiful handmade market totes and sling purses.

Prices: $18 - $60

Trades of Hope

Sells products made by women whose "story has changed from pain and struggle to a story of hope!" They offer a beautiful selection of ethically-made clutches, handbags and crossbody bags.

Prices: $32 - $88

Papillon

"Creating jobs for mothers & fathers who don’t want to have to abandon their children to an orphanage because they can’t feed them." They sell beautiful coin purses, wallets, totes and shoulder bags,

ethically handmade in Haiti.

Prices: $9 - $48

Lazarus Artisan Goods

“Exists to empower local Hondurans and Haitians." They offer high quality, leather clutches, totes, crossbody bags and wristlets, intentionally made in Haiti.

Prices: $38 - $175

The Tote Project

Their "fair trade products are sewn in India by women who have made the brave choice to journey out of the sex trade and into freedom." Check out their unique grab and go pouches!

Prices: $21

Tote Bag Groceries Free Pixabay Graphic.

Totes and Bags

To find more large purses, totes and bags, check out our page:

World Changing Totes & Bags

to find shopping totes, market bags, duffel bags, shoulder bags, weekenders and more!

Eyeglass Cases

For more purse accessories, check out our guide to:

Ethical Eyeglass Cases

for ethically-made eyeglasses holders, glasses straps and cases.

Shopping Guide

Return to our

Ethical Shopping Guide

for lots more shopping categories!

STILL LOOKING?

(Leather purses, totes, clutches and wallets, handmade by artisans in Guatemala, Mexico & Ethiopia.)

Joyn Bags

(Fair trade upcycled leather handbags, clutches, totes and more.)

New Hope Girls

(Amazing bags, clutches and totes which are giving back hope.)

Nena and Co

(Carryalls handmade by artisans in Guatemala.)

Angela Roi

(Luxury vegan handbags.)

Malia Designs

(Sustainable and vegan handbags that help fight human trafficking.)

Brightly Co.

(Fairly made handbags.)

Better Life Bags

(Custom handbags, made in the USA with a cause!)

Fair Anita

(Artisan made purses, clutches and bags.)

MZ Fair Trade

(Fair trade purses)