When buying jeans, common questions most of us mull over include things like, ‘Do they fit?’ or ‘Will this colour still be in next season?’ and ‘Are drop-crotch jeans remotely acceptable anymore?’.

While these are all valid worries, what about this query: ‘Is this brand of denim helping to spur social change?’

For Outland Denim, the answer to the latter is a resounding yes. The Australian label donates $50 from each online jeans sale to frontline agencies in the fight against human trafficking and exploitation and also training and employing the rescued women for its sewing operations in Cambodia, providing them with quality of life and useful skills.

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Outland Denim, Isabel in Washed Black Jeans, $189. SHOP NOW

 

“Given the opportunity, these young women can become a powerful catalyst for change in their own communities,” says James Bartle, Outland Denim’s CEO and founder. “They are pioneering a new path out of poverty and abuse, and paving the way for others like them to follow suit.”

So they tick the social change-for-good box, but do they come up with the goods in a fashion sense? In short, that’s a big yes too.

Outland Denim’s debut range sees two different styles of jeans available in both men’s and women’s styles. Girls can cut a chic look in mid-rise skinnies which are available in black or washed black, while guys get two super-slim styles that we happen to think would work well for the ladies too. All cost $189 and not surprisingly, are made from sustainable raw materials that are ethically produced.

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Outland Denim founder James Bartle

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One of the frontline agencies benefitting from the charity element of these pieces is the Cambodian-based non-for-profit Destiny Rescue, and the organisation’s country manager Robert Webber could not be happier.

“Outland’s philosophy of remunerating at higher than industry rates and providing a clean, open and respectful environment to work in has enabled these young women to build confidence, work through their problems and plan for their futures with job security and a boss who genuinely cares about what happens to them,” he explains.

So next time you’re shopping for some black jeans, stop and ponder: do want to help make a positive social impact and break the poverty cycle with your purchase? And, of course, squeeze yourself into an impressively flattering pair of skinnies in the process.

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Outland Denim produces both men’s and women’s fitted jean styles