Style Substance Soul | An online gathering of women who strive to look good, feel good, do good.

Ashé, which means “thank you” in the language of the Maasai, creates jobs for female artisans in East Africa and raises funds for UNITE The World With Africa’s partner communities. Like every aspect of UNITE, the Ashé Collection is a 100% philanthropic endeavor. It’s also gorgeous! You’ll have a hard time deciding between the Italian-inspired Maasai Women’s Art jewelry, Maasai hand-crafted belts and sandals, Indian Dhow sail bags from Lamu, wall art and more but there’s really no reason to choose just one when all proceeds benefit such a good cause!

We’re totally on board with the idea of teaching a man to fish rather than simply giving him one, so we love that the women of West Bengal, India have taken that theory even further, crafting gorgeous bags to help support their family. Using a delicate embroidery technique called “kantha,” the talented women sew each weekender, hobo bag and coin purse by hand from vintage quilts which offer both a unique history and a promise for the future. On top of providing fair wages, using cruelty-free leather and creating a high quality product, founders Virginia Dooley and Nicole Jones donate a percentage of profits to charitable organizations which equip young women with the skills to get a job or start their own business.

Recycled glass jewelry is handmade by Laura Bergman out of antique glass and bottles reclaimed from the natural wooded habitats and rural farmlands of Pennsylvania. Each piece comes with “The Story of the Glass,” detailing the original source and approximate age of the glass. Laura’s new Bottoms Up line of home accessories is created exclusively from post-consumer beer, wine and soda bottles rescued on their way to the landfill. We”ll drink to that!

Started by two sisters, Compassion Couture’s mission is to change the way the world views ethical fashion. Their goal is to show it’s possible to have a strong sense of beliefs without sacrificing style. The site is 100% animal-friendly and only offers products from brands that place a strong emphasis on producing their goods in a sustainable and ethical way.

The sisters hand-pick every item sold on their site, which includes an array of fashion-forward high-quality shoes, bags, wallets, belts and other accessories, so you can shop with passion and compassion.

Love This Planet is a full lifestyle brand that uniquely encompasses all things green and style. It’s the epitome of conscious couture. At Love This Planet, going green is more than just a fashionable cause. For founder/CEO Lisa Leija, eco-friendly thinking defines style. From bags to accessories, all of Love This Planet’s offerings share one common thread: eco-chic fashion with a heart. Leija aims to inspire awareness of pressing environmental issues, both by charitable giving to causes and by using recycled, earth-gentle materials in production. Her designs also act as a platform for meaningful messages, featuring sayings like “Get Hip, Get Green,” “Re-think Plastic,” and “One Love One Planet” to truly make a forward-thinking fashion statement. A portion of the proceeds from all sales benefits Green Ambassadors, an environmental leadership and education program for youth.

The Shusokumb® is the perfect accessory for the fashion and fitness conscious woman. Stylish and highly functional, the Shusokumb® compartmentalized tote is designed for women on the go.

Because the owner is a prostate cancer survivor, $2 from the sale of each bag is donated to to Zero: The Project To End Prostate Cancer. He knows that men are reluctant to visit the doctor, so he thought the best way to reach them was through their wives, girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, etc. Each bag purchased helps support prostate cancer research and awareness campaigns.

Andean Collection takes cues from our diverse world. They use both bright colors and soft hues, and combine natural materials with rustic metals. They create to encourage change. Andean Collection was founded to bring sustainable change to impoverished communities in South America. We offer artisans the opportunity to participate in the global market while inspiring our customers with access to the elusive world of the rural Andes.

They also have a non-profit arm, Andean Project, to ensure that this change is productive and healthy and to address other poverty related social issues, all funded through our sales and private donations.

The premier online one-stop shopping destination, BombayFashions.com offers on-trend fashion-forward accessories, and boasts one-of-a-kind pieces at affordable prices. Rihanna, Blake Lively and Kim Kardashian are just a few celebrity fans of the line. Since its inception, Indian-inspired jewelry has been the backbone of the company, which is the first original jeweler from Bombay. Born in India, owner/designer Rupee Lota continues to give back to the culture in which she was raised, donating to multiple charities and supporting Indian artisans who handcraft the unique pieces she features on the site.

The best presents you can give are Gifts With Humanity. Choose from a variety of unique products from 20 countries and 40 Fair trade artisan producer partners. This family owned and operated business provides almost 1000 retailers in the US and Canada with fair trade handicrafts. 10% of all of  sales on this site will be donated to charities that are personally meaningful to the buyer.

At the age of 20, Yali Derman has already survived cancer, partnered with Kate Spade, started her own company and designed a gorgeous peacock-adorned tote which benefits children with cancer. The newest Yali’s Carry On ® design incorporates 18 colors and is silk screened on a black microfiber, gray microfiber, or khaki canvas tote with matching leather handles and detail. Yali’s goal is to empower everyone to carry on in the face of their own personal challenges.

All proceeds from Yali’s Carry On bags are donated to KIDSS for KIDS, supporting Child and Family Services at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

A recurring theme in Daphne’s work is fashion and its excesses. She creates wearable sculptures from recycled materials. Her  purse obsession took solid form when she was an Artist in Residence at the Sanitary Fill Company (a.k.a. “the dump!”) in San Francisco in 2001. While creating art at the dump, she discovered an inordinate number of perfectly good basketballs being thrown away. Daphne rescued them and upcycled them into wearable art including bras and hats. She is having a ball now, creating one-of-a-kind custom purses!

kiu Designs was born in 2009 and has evolved into what is now a fun and beautiful line of custom eco-friendly handbags.

You will love the handmade , fairly-traded and eco-friendly handbags, recycled purses and sustainable jewelry offered by this social enterprise which sources items from Bali, Honduras, Cambodia, India and at-need areas of the United States.

The company’s mission is to empower and deliver sustainable livelihoods for workers and their communities through the sale of locally made products. Read the personal stories on their website of the five women at a time who benefit from sales.

Five Accessories recently started an income generating program in Chicago under a new line called Off The Street. Using urban refuse recycled off the street, they help many formerly homeless people stay off the street through gainful employment. It is the perfect example of “pride and purpose through the making of product.”