eco brand: 10 perfect graphic tees for activists

perfecting the protest tee

some folks shy away from the slogan tee because of its jack-in-the-box manner of engaging the world, but i think they're great conversation starters. plus, they're low-maintenance, multitasking garments that move fluidly from one season to the next with a little layering.

beetxbeet, founded in 2014, captured my attention with their graphic t-shirt line featuring the kind of positive vibes + healthy-living messages that i like to propagate. you can find cropped tees, unisex tees, unicorn tees, tees for the young + soon-to-be activists and tees for seasoned activists/fashionistas {yes, that's a thing} and of course, organic cotton tees, all made fairly in l.a.

the politically charged t-shirt

british sustainable fashion designer katharine hamnett, christened by dazed mag as "the pioneer of the politically charged shirt" has been creating protest t-shirts since the 1970's and she believes vehemently in using fashion and legislation to effect change. she famously surprised u.k.'s prime minister margaret thatcher at a reception in 1984 by wearing a self-crafted shirt opposing nuclear weapons. "if i wanted to do something, no one could stop me," she later said, reminding the world that she is her own boss.

today, i have conversations with friends, family + strangers about the graphic tees i wear which share a message of environmental stewardship, workers' rights + compassion for all sentient beings. and what better way to start a conversation about the effects of factory farming or the benefits of plant-based eating than a casually sexy, little tee?

margaret thatcher + katharine hamnett, 1984. photo via getty images

the beet goes on

jacky wasserman, the l.a. based designer, dj + owner of beetxbeet, is another eco entrepreneur with unlimited ambition + moxy. she has been dreaming up and producing edgy + offbeat graphic tees since 2008. her hope is to spread awareness about important causes, including the toll of factory farming, while raising consciousness about the choices we make everyday. if you're asking who made my clothes? during fashion revolution week, then jacky knows the answer. her line is manufactured in the u.s.a. with eco-friendly inks + organic textiles.

throughout my career i've had the opportunity to meet oprah winfrey {very chatty}, barack obama {very funny} + magic johnson {very tall + very kind}. i wonder how our meetings might have fared had i been wearing a tee that reflected my stance on animal liberation, equal access to affordable + quality education for all, and the abolition of child slave labor within all manufacturing industries. i like to imagine lively conversations would have been sparked that could have opened minds + hearts.

7 t-shirt brands to know + love

katharine reminds us that beyond protests, petitions + punchy slogan tees, is the need to vote + to change legislation. our friends at fashion revolution remind us that we cannot exploit women in one country to empower them in another. a tee with a strong political statement should be made with respect to the workers who produced the textiles + crafted the garments as well as the animals that exist in our fragile ecosystems. here are seven more of my fave ethically produced, spread-the-love graphic tees:

1. beetxbeet

because animals are sentient beings + animal agriculture is not sustainable

2. katharine hamnett

because you're a lover not a fighter

3. herbivore

because **you love your veggies and you believe the future is humane**

4. mercy for animals

because you can't choose just one when asked what your spirit animal is and you love a splash of color along with a dash of courage

5. klow fashion

because you believe in girl power

6. vegetaryn

because you're an intergalactic kind of girl with a love for all animals

7. crazies and weirdos

because you once loved singing, "like mike, i wanna be like mike" but deep down inside you really wanted to be more like clark

8. bazaar de luxe

because vgn pwr makes you smile on the inside and the outside

9. in the soulshine

because all you want to do is spread them vegan vibes!

10. harmless threads

because netflix and vegan pizza, amen to that my friends

feel like getting involved? pick a tee to start a conversation + pick a cause that lights a fire in your belly! not sure where to start to better understand the effects of animal agriculture on animals, the planet + your health? get some of that good info by starting here: watch forks over knives or what the health.

{eco mode: top photo, wearing beetxbeet cropped tank over thrifted lace top + secondhand chinos}