Noah NYC is a really interesting company in that you can’t box it in. Its collections range from streetwear graphic tees to preppy seersucker pieces and tailored double-breasted suits. The different pieces typically feature homages to an adventurous nautical lifestyle or titans of literature and music, and the brand never misses an opportunity to raise money for a worthy cause. The versatility in the clothing is impressive, but its the commitment to social and environmental responsibility—as well as its overarching brand identity—that seems to set itself apart from other brands you’d think about comparing it to.

Take one scroll through the Noah blog and you will encounter a brand perfectly in tune with its purpose and mission. The brand uses its blog to promote causes, provide in-depth breakdowns of fabrics or to just give a bit more information on a particular design choice. Every decision is made meticulously and every image is chosen for a reason.

With nautical themes and motifs being a dominant part of the Noah aesthetic, it’s only right that a good portion of their posts revolve around ocean and water pollution relief efforts. In 2016, Noah posted about Boyan Slat, a then-21-year-old man who initiated the world’s first ocean clean up. A month later, there was a post about increased seaweed farming; an effort to potentially remove 18 percent of the nitrogen and 61 percent of the phosphorous discharged annually into the ocean by fertilizers, as well as six percent of the ocean’s emissions-related carbon.

Noah has partnered with Sea Shepherd Conservation society, a group who, “Fights on behalf of our oceans where others will not.” In 2017, the brand introduced a fighting whale logo hoodie with 10 percent of the proceeds going to Sea Shepherd, but decided to increase its visibility, going so far as to add an option at all checkouts for customers to donate money to the worthy cause. Noah posted a lengthy Q&A with Captain Paul Watson, the founder of the organization on its blog, where Watson broke down the society’s achievements and goals.

While the sea may be at the heart of the company’s mission, it doesn't stop Noah from getting involved in other areas it sees fit. In September 2017, while hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Jose were devastating the Atlantic Ocean, Texas, Puerto Rico and other parts of the southeastern United States, Noah wasted no time in finding a way to contribute to relief efforts. It released a Hurricane Relief tee, which sold out immediately, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting Direct Relief, a not-for-profit charity organization that provides humanitarian aid around the world.

The company remains completely transparent in its business practices, maintaining the brand’s vision through initial fabric sourcing to shipping orders. Noah dedicates an entire section of the company website to the various materials it uses in each collection—where it comes from, what it consists of and what the effects are. It even broke down a detailed blog post about its own shipping issues and how the brand struggles to find a way to ship product that’s both efficient for them as a business, but doesn’t further contribute to the tons and tons of municipal waste apparel packaging tends to create.

"We don't want people to buy [Noah] because it's cool, or because a magazine said it's cool,” said Noah founder Brendon Babenzien to GQ in 2015. “We want people to connect with it in a real way.” By creating a clear brand identity and staying true to it in the nearly three years since its inception, you can say he’s done exactly that.

The sneaker and athletic apparel industry as a whole hasn’t always been at the forefront of environmental relief efforts and philanthropic work. Not to say some brands don’t make an effort—some certainly do—but a lot of those positive deeds are often overshadowed by bad publicity regarding fair wages in foreign sweatshops and associated poor labor condidtions.

adidas has decided to become a leader in the effort to make the planet a cleaner place through an entire roster of innovative sustainability projects. With its FORMOTION technology, a, “free-moving heel system that is decoupled from the sole which allows a pair of trainers to adapt to each individual’s running style,” adidas reduces nearly 50 percent of material waste in the production process by eliminating the use of sprue units. By using less glue in the production process you are significantly cutting down on your toxic emissions. In addition, adidas reduces material waste by using a modular mould system which allows mould bases to be shared between products. adidas also uses a DryDye technology during the fabric dyeing process, which uses no water, fewer chemicals and 50 percent less energy than the traditional fabric dyeing process. These are just a few of the sustainability initiatives the company has decided to explore over the past few years.

None of these shifts in philosophy and production have become as popular or noteworthy as adidas’ collaborations with Parley for the Oceans, “A network and space where creators, thinkers and leaders raise awareness for the beauty and fragility of the oceans and collaborate on projects that can end their destruction.”

Most sneakerheads know about the popular NMDs and Ultra Boosts adidas and Parley create, but the true collaboration between the two happens down at sea level. adidas supports Parley in its education and communications efforts for the Parley A.I.R. (Avoid, Intercept, Redesign) strategy. This consists of eliminating plastic bags and microbeads in its facilities, preventing plastic from entering the ocean and recovering existing threats, as well as driving eco-innovation around materials, products and new ways of using them with the ultimate goal of reinventing current plastic. The popular Ultra Boost and NMD models, typically featuring hints of ocean blue and teal, are made from Parley Ocean Plastic, which is created from upcycled plastic waste intercepted from beaches and coastal communities before it reaches the ocean. In 2017, adidas sold over one million Parley sneakers.

Yes, the shoes are great, but the adidas and Parley collaboration is popular in large part because of what it represents: a positive environmental impact. Consumers are more informed than ever and a brand’s ethos factors more into a consumer’s brand loyalty than it ever has. Ultra Boosts and NMDs are already awesome. But if this particular version helps the oceans, it becomes a no brainer.

This investment in sustainable production practices and environmental relief efforts has proven to be immensely popular for adidas and its competitors have begun to implement similar innovative programs. Nike just recently announced production of a new 360-degree flyknit shoe. Through precision engineering, the production process should yield 60 percent less waste than traditional cut and sew methods. Nike, always a leader in production innovation, has begun to make strides in environmental conservancy as well. Nike Grind, a palette of premium recycled materials, was actually established in 1992 and is now used in 71 percent of Nike footwear and apparel products.

The main thrust of the initiative, as outlined on the sub-brand’s site, is to tap into Nike’s own product waste and repurpose the materials used its products (think cotton uppers and rubber outsoles) into playing surfaces that match Nike’s own commitment to the individual athlete. With the Swoosh’s exacting standards in mind, Nike Grind has partnered with material manufacturers like Astroturf, Connor Sports and Encore Sports to work on everything from basketball hardwood to Paralympic tracks and children’s playgrounds. The public might be aware of recycling initiatives that turns used apparel into new apparel, but Nike’s Grind initiative is unique in how it transforms post-consumer product into a new environment—literally—for future consumers and athletes. The company is LEED certified and its goal is to create a continuous production loop without waste.

In the world of premium denim, Levi’s sets the tone both in terms of product quality and company philosophy. The American-made benchmark for denim really goes to great lengths to ensure that its production practices are environmentally safe and the products they source are of the same quality. On the Levi Strauss & Co. website, under ‘Our Vision’, it states “[Levi’s] goal is to become the world’s most sustainable apparel company by transforming the way we do business.” A lofty goal if there ever was one.

The company’s innovative sustainability programs are extensive and thorough, but like most apparel companies, the focus is heavy on reducing water use, in an effort to positively impact three areas: The planet, the production process and people.

In 2007 and 2015, Levi’s conducted the industry’s first comprehensive life cycle assessment of its core products with a focus on the immensely popular Levi’s 501 jeans. Through its research, Levi’s found that one pair of 501 jeans uses 3,781 liters of water in its full lifecycle—from cotton to manufacturing to consumer care and end of life disposal. From that research came programs the company uses as pillars of its mission.

For example, in 2005 Levi’s co-founded the [Better Cotton Initiative](bettercotton.org/about-bci/) (BCI) to fundamentally change how cotton is grown. With 95 percent of Levi’s products being cotton-based, this has become a fundamental pillar of business and many other companies have begun to participate. BCI focuses on decreasing the environmental impact of cotton, improving labor standards and increasing the economic livelihood of farmers. Again, focusing on efficient water use, BCI farmers use up to 18 percent less water than non-BCI farmers in comparable locations. In 2015, Levi’s sourced 12 percent of its total cotton through BCI. By 2020, its goal is to use 100 percent sustainable cotton through BCI and recycled cotton, significantly reducing its total water footprint.

In terms of production, Levi’s designers created the Water<Less finishing techniques, which can save up to 96 percent of the water in the denim finishing process. Since its inception in 2011, Levi’s has saved more than 1 billion liters of water during manufacturing. They’ve also saved 30 million liters of fresh water through the industry’s first Water Recycling and Reuse Standard. By 2020, the goal is to increase the percentage of Levi’s products made with Water<Less techniques to 80 percent, and that the apparel industry as a whole can save at least 50 billion liters of water.

While Levi’s might set the standard among denim companies actively seeking ways to make the planet a safer, healthier places, its competitors are making strides as well. Gap, another denim and apparel juggernaut, has similar projects in place. They too are involved in the Better Cotton Initiative, with a goal of getting 100 percent of its cotton from more sustainable resources by 2021. Gap as also developed its Washwell smart wash techniques. The Washwell process helped save 60 million liters of water, while significantly cutting down on energy use.

Many companies, especially today, strive for more sustainable business practices. Some have even adopted conservancy and environmentalism into its brand ethos, or made them core tenets of their business. But you’d be hard pressed to find an apparel brand that has dedicated its entire mission, from its inception, to these issues like Patagonia.

Patagonia’s mission is to “build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” The outdoor and apparel company is the standard bearer for philanthropy and sustainability in the apparel industry. They are part educators and part activists. An entire section of its website dedicated to connecting its consumers with nearby causes and projects they might want to get involved in called Patagonia Action Works.

For almost 40 years, Patagonia has connected volunteers with grassroots activists. Just type in your city and you can find nearby environmental grantees you can support, events you can attend, volunteering opportunities, petitions you can sign and more. It’s a perfect resource for people who want to get involved but don’t know how or where to. Patagonia does the legwork for you. Since 1985, Patagonia has given over $89 million to its grantees.

Patagonia produces “Fair Trade Certified” apparel. You may be familiar with the term but not with the process behind it; for every Fair Trade Certified item sewn, Patagonia pays a premium. The money goes into an account the workers in its factories control. A democratically elected Fair Trade worker committee decides how the funds will be used, whether designated for social, economic or environmental community projects, or as a cash bonus that goes directly to the workers. They have paid out over $430,000 to more than $7,000 workers. In Fall 2017, the Fair Trade Certified program expanded to more than 300 styles, including the Synchilla Snap-T fleece (a very popular item) and to new factories in India, Thailand, Colombia, Vietnam, Nicaragua and Mexico.

Another core prong of Patagonia’s mission is its emphasis on recycled clothing. While growing sales are any apparel company’s goal, Patagonia has gone out of its way to encourage customers to buy recycled Patagonia through its Worn Wear site, in the hopes of eliminating waste and keeping a product’s life cycle going. On the site, customers can ask questions about repairing their own Patagonia products, like how to patch up holes, fix zippers or remove pine sap.

Back in 2011, on Black Friday, Patagonia took out a full-page ad in The New York Times, headlined “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” The ad focused on Patagonia’s vow to repair and recycle old pieces while imploring customers to stop buying things they don’t need. In the process, Patagonia sold a lot of jackets. “It’s kind of like Zen,” said Chouinard. “You do the right thing and good things happen.”

Although Patagonia has been rooted in activism and has remained a staple in outerwear for decades, it seems that as of late, as they've become more and more vocal in their contempt for the current President and his administration, the company has seen a noticeable spike in sales. In 2016, Patagonia advertised that it was donating all of its proceeds from Black Friday ($2.5 million in sales the previous year). They ended up quadrupling their sales and grossing $10 million dollars on Black Friday 2016, with 60 percent of those sales coming from new customers. “It was one of the best business things we’ve ever done,” said founder Yvon Chouinard to GQ.

In December of last year, Patagonia published a simple, pointed post on its website with “The President Stole Your Land” plastered over a black page. The post was in response to President Trump’s decision to reduce Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments by nearly two million acres despite millions of Americans speaking up in favor of protecting our national monuments. It was the largest reduction of protected land in American history.

Some companies might deem it risky to place a stark, black image with such precise wording on its online shop blog, but it was in stride with Patagonia’s established company mission. Not only did it raise awareness to the damage caused by this piece of legislation, but it didn’t slow down sales one bit. According to Slice Intelligence, Patagonia’s sales increased by up to six times more than a typical day after that piece was posted. Overall, Patagonia did $800 million in sales last year and remains a private company, maintaining all of its original messaging over the years.

Whether it be sneaker companies, streetwear brands, denim giants or outdoor aficionados, brands are getting involved. No matter the size or scope of the business, consumers subconsciously gravitate towards brands that share their own ideals. And with every brand being available at our fingertips for consumption, often the tiebreaker is that personal connection to the brand’s mission.

Most millennial or Gen Z consumers do care about the different issues affecting our planet, and aren’t afraid to put their money behind the companies that raise awareness for those particular issues, whether it’s a company that’s been around for decades like Patagonia or something relatively new like Noah. No matter your reach as a business, it often just pays to care.