Every October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month becomes almost impossible to miss. It shows up on NFL fields, on our social media feeds, and, of course, in pretty much every store. Suddenly, there are limited-edition sweatshirts, jewelry, blankets, and just about anything else a brand can make pink.
Sometimes, it almost feels like brands treat October the way they treat Valentine’s Day. A new month hits, and suddenly, everything needs a pink version, except Breast Cancer Awareness Month isn’t a holiday or a seasonal aesthetic. About 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. While breast cancer is still much more common in middle-aged and older women, incidence rates have been increasing among women younger than 50.
For college-aged women, it can be easy to feel pretty removed from conversations about breast cancer. At the same time, we’re an audience brands know exactly how to reach. A limited-edition drop, a cute Instagram campaign, or our favorite creator wearing something gets our attention pretty quickly.
When “giving back” gets vague
Here’s where October shopping gets complicated: A pink ribbon doesn’t automatically mean your purchase is donating money to a breast cancer organization. Some companies may support breast cancer organizations without tying their donations to purchases at all. Others may donate a “portion” of a product’s proceeds, which leaves shoppers wondering exactly how much money is actually going to the cause.
So, how much is truly being donated? Which organization gets the money? Does buying the product actually increase the donation? These questions surrounding pink-ribbon products aren’t new. CBS News has reported on the Think Before You Pink campaign, which encourages consumers to question how companies use breast cancer awareness in their marketing and how much financial support reaches the cause.
It shouldn’t take three open tabs and an investigative journalism degree to figure out whether a sweatshirt is giving back. These brands stood out to me for doing more than just changing their color palette.
Parke x Pink Aid
If you’ve spent any amount of time on the fashion side of Instagram lately, you’ve probably seen one of its mocknecks or sweatsets somewhere on your feed.
For its second collaboration with Pink Aid, Parke created a collection featuring its signature pieces with a pink touch. More importantly, Parke clearly states in the description of each item that 27% of proceeds will go directly to Pink Aid to support women facing the financial burden of breast cancer.
Stuff from this collection has already made its way to my apartment, but as I looked into the campaign, my order became a lot less interesting. One of the women involved is Miranda McKeon, whose story especially caught my attention. McKeon was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer at 19. Since then, she’s continued to use her platform for breast cancer advocacy. She hosts Pink 365, a podcast centered around conversations about breast cancer and women’s health. Living Beyond Breast Cancer also named her a 2026 Phoenix Award honoree.
Her age is what stuck with me the most. 19 feels a lot closer to college life than the age we normally picture when we think about breast cancer. McKeon’s advocacy didn’t begin because a brand needed someone for an October campaign, and it won’t disappear when the month ends.
The clothes might make someone stop scrolling. They definitely got my attention. The people and stories behind them are what make the campaign worth remembering.
lola Blankets
Lola Blankets takes that personal connection even further, because breast cancer is tied directly to the story behind the brand. Brothers Tommy and Will Higham founded Lola Blankets after losing their mother, Amy Higham, to breast cancer. During her treatment, Amy Higham found comfort in a soft faux-fur blanket. Before she passed away, she gave each of her children a blanket like hers. That memory eventually became part of the inspiration behind Lola Blankets.
Through its Blankets for the Brave program, the company gives blankets to women living with breast cancer each month. The company also donates 10% of its proceeds from the Rosewater blanket to Huntsman Cancer Institute, the place where their mother was treated.
During the month of October, Lola Blankets says it will donate 100% of sales from select pink blankets directly to the Huntsman Cancer Institute in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There isn’t much room for follow-up questions there.
I always thought Lola Blankets made cute blankets, but I left remembering Amy Higham. That’s what awareness can accomplish when there’s a real story behind what’s being sold.
Kendra Scott
Kendra Scott is another brand whose involvement goes beyond one October collection. The company has partnered with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) since 2016. According to the BCRF, Kendra Scott has contributed more than $2.5 million to the organization throughout their partnership.
For once, choosing the pink stone has a justification beyond “look how cute it is!” The length of that partnership matters. Breast Cancer Awareness Month lasts only one month; Breast cancer doesn’t.
October isn’t Valentine’s Day
Fashion, shopping, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month don’t need to be separated. Most college students probably aren’t researching breast cancer organizations while scrolling Instagram between classes, but we’re definitely noticing the latest Parke drop or a cute Lola blanket.
That attention can lead somewhere. Someone might discover McKeon’s story through Parke or learn about Lola’s Blankets for the Brave program because a product caught their eye. What starts as another Instagram ad can turn into a conversation that actually matters.
That’s especially relevant when the Associated Press reports that rising breast cancer rates among younger women helped prompt changes to screening recommendations. Younger women still aren’t the age group most affected, but our generation isn’t completely removed from the conversation. Of course, I’m still going to notice the products first. I still want Parke’s clothes; I’d happily disappear into a Lola blanket until finals, and Kendra Scott putting Rose Quartz on jewelry looks so cute.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month should never become Valentine’s Day 2.0, where once Oct. 1 arrives, every brand simply switches to a pink color palette. The women and stories behind these campaigns deserve more than 31 days of attention.
Make the cute collection. Put it on my feed. Give me something I genuinely want to buy. Just make sure the cause is getting as much attention as the collection.
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