Since 2013, women have been outnumbering their male counterparts by approximately 51.1% of the population, according to Statista. A lot of these ambitious women started their own businesses because the industry was lacking a particular product or there was a need for more inclusivity in a specific area. But whatever their reasons, we can’t imagine a world without these powerful female-led brands.
Products and services owned by women run the gamut and include everything from beauty and skin care to feminine hygiene products and sustainable fashion. So whether you’re celebrating yourself, your girl squad, family members, or any other strong women in your life, send a little love to the ladies by shopping these women-empowered brands.
We’ve also sprinkled in the favorite women-owned brands and products from our RetailMeNot Women+ Employee Resource Group, along with the reasons they choose to shop and support these businesses. Plus, they share tips for supporting your favorites, too.
Keep checking back as we continue to update this list.
Woman-Owned Accessory + Jewelry Brands
Kendra Scott
At RetailMeNot, you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t own a piece of Kendra Scott jewelry. Maybe it’s Scott’s Austin, Texas roots or just the uniqueness of her handmade jewelry, but celebrities adore her, too. The lady boss believes in family, philanthropy and designing beautiful jewelry (most notably the statement earrings) at affordable prices — and has been doing just that for 20 years.
Favorite women-owned product: “I love all my jewelry by Kendra Scott. I like the message behind the business but also that it’s good quality for a reasonable price. I have very sensitive ears and I know I can wear their jewelry without issue.”
Alex Loucel, Manager-Planning at Ziff Media Group
Best known for: Statement jewelry featuring unique stones as the centerpiece. The design is instantly recognizable and unique to Scott.
Purpose Jewelry
Stephanie Pollaro and Wendy Dailey founded the nonprofit Purpose in 2007 to “provide hope, dignity, and freedom to women escaping human trafficking.” A woman escaping human trafficking touches every aspect of the jewelry — from the design to the packaging. And as gorgeous as the jewelry, candles and lip smoothies are, the prices are even better, with 100% of the profits going to their International Sanctuary.
Best known for: Jewelry with purpose, like the Infinity Ring ($26) and the Hugs & Kisses Stud Earrings ($26).
Sarah Briggs Jewelry
Modern, minimalist jewelry is made one box at a time, and “each piece has a story, a history, and a purpose.” Once you’re in, you’ll have exclusive access to pieces every month that you can’t get without a subscription.
Best known for: Totally amazing jewelry with a monthly subscription option, but you’ll likely have to get on a waitlist to join.
More Woman-Owned Accessories + Jewelry Brands
- Alison Lou
- Baggu
- Baublebar
- Celeste Watch Company
- Chopper Mill
- Flare
- Gigi Pip
- S*it I Knit
- String Ting
Woman-Owned Beauty + Skin Care Brands
Hero Cosmetics
Since 2017, Hero Cosmetics has been a pimple’s worst nightmare. Co-founder Ju Rhyu started the company with the now-famous Mighty Patch, and now, five years and over 30 products later, the brand has a cultlike following. The skin care company offers a variety of clean products to help your skin look and feel its best.
Favorite women-owned business: “Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch is the BEST breakout/pimple patch I have ever used. Not only does it work great, but it helps stop me from messing with my skin while it’s doing its thing.”
Lauren Wendorf, Manager, Customer Success at Ziff Media Group
Best known for: The award-winning Mighty Patch ($12.99) flattens and pulls icky gunk out of pimples overnight for clearer skin by morning.
Tarte Cosmetics
What began as a cheek stain in 1999 has since turned into one of the most successful cruelty-free, natural beauty brands. Pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology, founder and CEO Maureen Kelly dropped out of the program to follow her true passion: to create beauty products with natural ingredients for real, everyday women.
Best known for: The popular Shape Tape Concealer ($31) offers a full-coverage formula with a natural matte finish.
TULA Skincare
The founder of TULA, Dr. Roshini Raj, created a breakthrough in skin care using a powerful ingredient that helps improve the look and feel of your skin. The ingredient? Probiotic extracts. Dr. Raj is a gastroenterologist, and she discovered probiotics are a great way to soothe skin, “calm the look of skin irritation and nourish skin to improve hydration.”
Best known for: The cult-favorite Purifying Face Cleanser ($34) is a refreshing gel-based cleanser that removes dirt, impurities and makeup without stripping or over-drying your skin.
More Woman-Owned Beauty + Skin Care Brands
- Beautycounter
- Briogeo
- Cocokind
- Dermaflash
- Fenty Beauty
- JLo Beauty
- Glamnetic
- Glossier
- Glow Recipe
- Megababe
- Moroccanoil
- Prados Beauty
- Proven Skincare
- Rhode Skin
- Soko Glam
- Sundays
- Supergoop!
- The Honest Company
Woman-Owned Clothing Brands
Diosa Fit
Diane Olvera started this Latina-owned brand in 2020 after not “feeling seen” in the fitness industry. Diosa Fit believes “women are capable of changing the world, and an outfit to boost that confidence makes all the difference.” We couldn’t agree more! The affordable fitness apparel includes sports bras, scrunch and non-scrunch leggings, shorts, tops and more.
Favorite women-owned business: “I love how vibrant the color options are and how great of a quality their items are.”
Jazmin Guizar, Senior Merchandiser at Ziff Media Group
Best known for: The scrunch bum leggings that contour and lift your glutes in a wide range of colors.
Hija de tu Madre
Patty Delgado, the founder and designer of Hija de tu Madre, wants her designs to serve as reminders to those in the Latina and Latino community of where they came from and who they are. The “clothes provide us with a sense of familiarity, home, and belonging,” says Delgado. But T-shirts, hoodies and jackets aren’t the only things you’ll find here. Hija de tu Madre sells jewelry, desk accessories and more.
Favorite women-owned business: “I love the play on words for the brand as well as all of their messaging. It makes me feel empowered as a Latina.”
Alex Loucel, Manager-Planning at Ziff Media Group
Best known for: Distinct collections of Latin-inspired products that drip with culture.
Outdoor Voices
At just 25, Parsons School of Design graduate Tyler “Ty” Haney founded the athleisure company Outdoor Voices. The company’s guiding mission to “Get the World Moving” suggests using exercise and movement to help generate endorphins and make you happy — no matter your body type or fitness level.
Best known for: The sporty and flattering Exercise Dress ($100) is a fan favorite and available in multiple colors and prints.
More Woman-Owned Clothing Brands
- Dippin’ Daisy’s
- Dressed in Lala
- Fabletics
- Girlfriend Collective
- Lively
- Parade
- Rent the Runway
- Savage x Fenty
- The Reformation
- Universal Standard
- Wildfang
Advice for shopping women-owned brands: “There are so many resources available on the internet now! Take some time to learn about the brands you already love because you might be surprised to find you are already supporting the causes you want to focus on more. Also, don’t forget to diversify the communities you would like to be supporting. Being a woman intersects with so many other different points of life, so it’s not too hard to find women AND LGBTQ+ or women- AND Black-owned businesses.”
Lauren Wendorf, Manager, Customer Success at Ziff Media Group
Woman-Owned Handbag + Shoe Brands
Kate Spade
Designer Kate Spade started her fashion career while working for Mademoiselle, where she noticed the market lacked practical, stylish and affordable handbags, so she set out to create her own. In 1992, she brought six prototypes made with Scotch tape and paper to a New York manufacturer, and the rest is handbag history.
Best known for: Quintessential handbags and totes that come in a variety of cute shapes — heart-shaped, shell-shaped, camera-shaped, and top handle-shaped, to name a few.
Roam
When Kay Sides started Roam, she was trying to fill the void for “exceptionally made, supportive, cool and fashionable shoes.” Roam shoes are casual footwear with an elevated luxury vibe. From quality materials to pillow-soft molded footbeds, Roam shoes are as sustainable as they are comfy.
Best known for: The Roam Fuzzy Platform that’s one of Oprah’s Favorite Things.
Tory Burch
A fashion designer, businesswoman and philanthropist, Tory Burch launched her fashion line and first retail store in 2004. Now, with 250 stores worldwide, the company has grown into a fashion powerhouse with a portfolio that includes shoes, handbags, jewelry, watches, clothing, home goods and more. In 2009, she created the Tory Burch Foundation to support the empowerment of women entrepreneurs by providing access to education, loans, and more resources.
Best known for: The stylish and cool Double T logo that’s distinctive to the entire Tory Burch line.
More Woman-Owned Handbag + Shoe Brands
- Away Travel
- Birdies
- Californians Footwear
- Jessica Rich
- Goya
- Llani
- Oka-B
- Passion Footwear
- Sea Star Beachwear
Woman-Owned Home Brands
Minted
A pioneer of e-commerce crowdsourcing, Mariam Naficy founded Minted in 2007 with the goal of creating a brand that would stay fresh forever. Living in five countries in the Middle East and Africa, Naficy was inspired by the hidden artisanal talent not accessible to everyday consumers.
She used this idea to create Minted as an online design marketplace, sourcing creative content from over 15,000 independent artists in all 50 states and over 100 countries. While the brand initially launched with stationery, it has since expanded to include wall art, custom gifts, home décor and more.
Best known for: Unique, one-of-a-kind products that come directly from the artist that created them.
Jungalow
Jungalow is a bit of a favorite here at RetailMeNot and for a good reason. Growing from interior designer Justina Blakeney’s design blog, the colorful and creative lifestyle brand features signature collections designed in Los Angeles, as well as a curated ensemble of goods from around the world, including an exclusive, rotating selection of limited edition art prints from international female artists. This wonderful collection is also available at Target.
Best known for: Eclectic, bohemian-inspired modern home décor with colorful patterns.
S’well
Sarah Kauss started S’well in 2010 in an effort to rid the world of single-use plastic bottles. Over a decade later, these stylish and sustainable water bottles are some of the most popular on the market and have expanded beyond into food, barware and accessories.
Best known for: Insulated bottles that got us excited about drinking water again.
More Woman-Owned Home Brands
Advice for shopping woman-owned: “If you can take the time to shop for the perfect shirt or pants then go ahead and spend that extra 2-3 minutes doing a Google search for businesses with purpose or that are women owned. Online shops have made it easier than ever to find someone’s small business. Instagram is also a great place that you might find a new boutique or brand with a message you support.”
Alex Loucel, Manager-Planning at Ziff Media Group
Woman-Owned Shapewear + Lingerie Brands
SKIMS
When Kim Kardashian created the SKIMS brand, she redefined shapewear for everybody. From technically constructed shapewear to underwear that stretches to twice its size, SKIMS is the next generation of loungewear, shapewear, underwear and everyday essentials for women.
Best known for: The bestselling Soft Lounge Long Slip Dress ($78) that goes in and out of stock.
SPANX
When she cut the legs off her control-top pantyhose, SPANX founder Sara Blakely revolutionized the world of intimate apparel. Designed to eliminate panty lines and compress and lift in all of the right areas, the company has grown to include not only shapewear but bras, athletic wear, denim, hosiery and more.
Best known for: Revolutionizing the shapewear industry, making statement pieces designed to be shown off.
ThirdLove
Frustrated with a lousy, ill-fitting selection of bras, Heidi Zak teamed up with designer Ra’el Cohen to create their own. ThirdLove’s product list includes underwear, sleepwear and bras (the first bra brand to offer half-cup sizing). With double the amount of sizes as other brands, ThirdLove uses a Fit Finder quiz to recommend the ideal bra in 60 seconds. To date, the company has also donated over $18 million worth of bras to women in need.
Best known for: The bra that started it all: the 24/7 Classic T-shirt Bra ($72).
Woman-Owned Wellness Brands
Project Poderosa
Favorite women-owned product: Poderosa Supplements — “Some of the best tasting supplements I have had. Made for women by women, plus they have a program to help support other women by having online fitness classes, financial education classes and more.”
Jazmin Guizar, Senior Merchandiser at Ziff Media Group
Started by Myra Perez, Project Poderosa offers dedicated programs that focus on wellness and lifestyle changes for women and hold them accountable for their success. The FitMe Challenge is an online six-week competition to push women towards a healthier lifestyle, while a Project Poderosa membership is a subscription service to help you meet your goals throughout the year.
Best known for: Customized well-being and fitness programs for the Latina community.
The Honey Pot
Bea Dixon started this natural feminine care line in 2014 after suffering from bacterial vaginosis for months. The clinically-tested and gynecologist-approved products are developed by women and powered by herbs to cleanse, protect and balance your vagina — and are sold online and at large retailers like Target.
Best known for: A plant-based feminine care system and educational resource.
Thinx
Favorite women-owned product: The Heavy Hiphugger — “Love these! I wear these both for working out and during my time of the month. I never have to worry about staining at any point in time!”
Jazmin Guizar, Senior Merchandiser at Ziff Media Group
Cofounded by Miki Agrawal in 2013 after a successful Kickstarter campaign raised $65,000 to make “a more thoughtful pair of underwear,” underwear brand Thinx initially became popular due to its edgy, taboo and feminist advertising campaigns. With Maria Molland now at the helm, the company specializes in “period panties,” a feminine hygiene alternative. The company also donates menstrual products to those in need, including young women, underprivileged communities and the homeless.
Best known for: The Super-High Waist ($35) panty that can absorb up to four tampons.
More Woman-Owned Wellness Brands
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