There is the saying, “wear your heart on your sleeve,” but at the end of this Suicide Prevention Month, I think it’s important to wear our minds on our sleeves too… quite literally.
I am a huge advocate for mental health and a firm believer in fashion as a form of speech or expression. I love looking at what people wear and paying special attention to the graphics and messages they choose to display. At this point in my life, if I actually buy myself something (which is unlikely), I am incredibly picky about what I am communicating with it. I try to pick items that convey something I am passionate about or will bring myself and others joy and comfort. Especially with mental health, small messages in passing can be so impactful. The clothes we wear can be a vessel to inspire others or make someone’s day.
The Mayfair Group and Madhappy have built brands with positive messages and a dedicated following. However, their apparel is unattainable for most, with extremely high prices. So, over the summer, I decided to compile a list of other places to purchase clothing with positive and mental health messages, at a much more affordable price.
Check out my favorites below!
Make Sure Your Friends Are Okay: https://fanjoy.co/collections/make-sure-your-friends-are-okay
MSYFAO aims to start a “conversation about conversation” and inspire people to have meaningful conversations with their loved ones. A portion of their proceeds goes to mental health organizations. (This is the brand I am wearing in the photo).
OURSEASNS: https://ourseasns.com/collections/all
This brand’s mission is to “build a sense of community and encourage honest conversation on all U.S. [college] campuses so no student has to ever go through a tough season alone.” They donate 10% of their profits to Active Minds.
IDONTMIND: https://idontmind.com/shop
This lifestyle brand is also a mental health awareness campaign with Mental Health America, and 100% of their proceeds go to the non-profit.
Happiness Project: https://happinessmerch.com/
The mission of this project is to “elevate happiness throughout the world while supporting those impacted by mental health.” They donate 15% of profits to The National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Self Care Is For Everyone: https://selfcareisforeveryone.com/
This brand’s mission is to “empower and support our community to share about their mental health practices struggles and be met with loving kindness, only to realize they are not alone in this fight.” They donate 10% of their profits to National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Also, all the artwork on their clothing is submitted by independent artists, and a percentage from each purchase goes back to the designer.
To Write Love on Her Arms: https://store.twloha.com/
TWLOHA is a non-profit that “exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery” for people who struggle with depression, addiction, self-harm, and suicide. Their merchandise is a primary source of funding for the work that they do.
Hope for the Day: https://www.hftd.org/us-store
HFTD is a non-profit organization “empowering the conversation on proactive suicide prevention and mental health education.” All of their proceeds go to suicide prevention and mental health education programming. Fun fact: they partnered with Demi Lovato and Marshmello on their new song “OK Not To Be OK.”