Established in 1968, Calvin Klein quickly became a popular American fashion brand.
Today, Calvin Klein (CK) produces a variety of products for men, women, and non-binary people, including jeans, watches, jewelry, sportswear, underwear, fragrances, and even lifestyle products.
Calvin Klein is known for its classic look and designs, keeping its pieces from ever going out of style.
There are currently over 130 Calvin Klein retail stores operating across the United States in over 30 states.
Here are some reasons why Calvin Klein is a good brand.
Is Calvin Klein A Good Brand? (10 Reasons It Is)
1. Gender-Inclusive Styles For Everyone
Calvin Klein has always been forward-thinking, pushing the status quo to enact social change and progressive thought.
Therefore, they actively work to design and create clothing for everybody, regardless of age, race, or gender.
Not only can their classic styles easily be worn by any gender, but Calvin Klein also recently launched a gender-inclusive clothing line.
Using minimal designs and timeless styles, the line includes all clothing options like jackets, jeans, shirts, joggers, and hoodies, as well as products like wallets, backpacks, and tote bags.
The line was created with non-binary people in mind, showing that they deeply understand gender fluidity in our culture and how fashion plays a major part in social acceptance.
Their website states, “We apply our iconic design principles to collections that encourage freedom, fluidity and self-expression.”
They believe no one should be refused the privilege of beautiful and comfortable fashion.
Campaign ads for their gender-inclusive line feature gender non-conforming and non-binary models and influencers from all over the world, breaking down cultural standards and barriers.
2. Supports LGBTQ And Other Social Equality Organizations
CK has long been a supporter of human rights organizations and continually donates to and supports these organizations worldwide.
For example, a portion of the proceeds from CK’s Pride clothing line sold in 2018 went to The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, which works to foster social equality across the world and holds businesses and large corporations accountable.
In 2021, Calvin Klein announced a two-year partnership with The Trevor Project.
They also continue to support ILGA World, the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, and the National Pulse Memorial & Museum.
Calvin Klein has also been a huge supporter of the OnePULSE Foundation, a non-profit organization started by the person who owns the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
Besides Calvin Klein’s donation, parent company PVH donated an additional $1 million to the foundation.
The Foundation was developed to “support the construction and operation of the National Pulse Memorial & Museum, educational programs and 49 Legacy Scholarships in the names of those whose lives were taken.”
CK has supported many other organizations throughout the years as well, including AIDS LIFE,
American Foundation for AIDS Research, Elephant Family, Habitat For Humanity, and NYCLASS.
At the onset of COVID, they also partnered with OutRight Action International on their COVID-19 LGBTIQ Global Emergency Fund.
During the Black Lives Matter campaign in 2020, Calvin Klein’s parent company PVH donated $100,000 to the NAACP and the National Urban League.
In addition, Calvin Klein Australia started a three-year partnership with an organization called BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation, which supports the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQIA+ communities in Australia.
3. Provides Safe And Healthy Work Environments
Calvin Klein is completely committed to lifting up its employees by creating safe, healthy, and inclusive workspaces.
Their hiring practices have widened to include more diversity and empowerment for underrepresented people.
They also look to amplify their employees’ voices and ensure everyone is heard and seen.
To enact this change, CK aims to expand unconscious bias training to all 38,000+ PVH associates globally by 2023 in an effort to achieve gender equality in leadership positions by 2030.
In fact, by 2025, CK claims that 100% of workers employed by key suppliers will be properly represented by workplace committees designed to amplify their voices and voice their concerns.
Also, by 2025, 100% of their key suppliers in two key production countries will proactively support industry-wide collective bargaining to help workers achieve living wages.
By 2030, the number of key production countries doing so will rise to four.
To ensure ethical recruitment practices, by 2025, 100% of migrant workers at PVH’s Level 1 and key Level 2 suppliers will not be forced to pay recruitment fees.
CK also aims to have 100% of its suppliers promoting and maintaining safe and healthy work environments by 2025.
By 2030, 500,000 women across the PVH supply chain will have access to professional and life skills development programs and services.
To help empower employees and build a strong workplace, CK looks to expand professional skills development and digital literacy programs through PVH University.
By 2023, they hope to reach all 38,000+ PVH associates around the world.
4. Commitment To Sustainable Clothing Production
With its parent company, PVH Corp. and its Forward Fashion program, Calvin Klein is completely committed to reducing its negative environmental impact and waste production by 100%.
CK seeks to use recycled plastic water bottles to create new denim and recycled cashmere, and re-design their classic styles using sustainable practices and materials.
They’re also looking to use more low-impact practices, especially in their denim production.
Their low-impact denim is produced with recycled cotton and lower-impact techniques that use minimal water, waste, and energy.
By 2025, Calvin Klein hopes to use 100% sustainable cotton, viscose, and wool by using recycled fiber and organic cotton.
By 2030, they aim to use 100% sustainable polyester.
CK uses an innovative REPREVE® fiber which is made from recycled plastic bottles to reduce environmental impact.
CK also uses Tencel, an eco-friendly fiber made with wood pulp from certified sustainable forests.
Calvin Klein also launched their own line of sustainable clothing, which is already utilizing their new eco-conscious production techniques.
The line has over 240 items so far, including underwear, jeans, sweatshirts, sports bras, bralettes, and much more.
5. Focus On Carbon Footprint Reduction
In addition to their sustainable clothing production initiative, Calvin Klein is also committed to reducing their carbon footprint in all areas of their business and supply chain.
As part of the Forward Fashion program, their overall goal is to “protect the global climate by reducing energy use and powering its business through renewable sources.”
By 2025, all water leaving wet processors will have zero hazardous chemicals and be filtered for harmful microfibers.
Also, “three of the company’s most commonly purchased products will
be completely circular including the full traceability of key raw materials by 2025.”
By 2030, Calvin Klein looks to lessen their carbon footprint by ending single-use plastic in all their packaging and eliminating all unnecessary waste by 100%.
This also pertains to distribution centers and in stores.
CK also has laid out a goal of requiring 100% of its suppliers to meet or exceed all social and environmental standards by 2030.
Another goal they will strive to achieve by 2030 is a 30% reduction in supply chain emissions.
In relation to the use of regenerative materials, their outlined goals are to “transition key product and packaging materials to sustainable alternatives, and support regenerative agriculture practices, while protecting animal welfare.”
6. Offer First Responder And Student Discounts
To show their appreciation for first responders and frontline workers, Calvin Klein offers a 20% discount.
The discount applies to most medical professionals and first responders, including law enforcement, EMTs, doctors, nurses, and firefighters.
Medical professionals and first responders may need to show proof of employment with a picture ID.
They can upload the proper documentation that shows their role at the organization or choose to upload a medical license if applicable.
First responders and frontline workers can use their 20% discount up to twice every 30 days but will need to get a new promo code for each use.
Calvin Klein also understands the financial hardship college students face.
Therefore, they offer a 10% discount to college students with a student ID.
Students can sign up with UNiDAYS to access this discount.
In addition to these discounts, Calvin Klein often offers deals and promotions on their website and in stores.
Large discounts ranging from 30% – 60% can be found on their website, but are subject to change.
Ground shipping is free for online purchases over $75.
7. Gives Back To Local Communities
With participation in the Forward Fashion program, Calvin Klein looks to improve the lives of over one million people across their value chain.
CK works to bring awareness to the community, stating, “We continue to leverage our partnerships and our global workforce to support societal awareness, education, and to create career opportunities in our communities, many of which have experienced systemic disadvantage.”
As part of CK’s initiative to give back to their local communities, they’re working to establish five collective action projects in PVH’s most water-stressed sourcing communities by 2025.
This will ensure access to clean water for communities surrounding PVH’s main water basins.
Besides providing environmental accountability to their communities, CK looks to provide early education and childcare services to 135,000 individuals worldwide, as well as to provide teacher training, parenting resources and training, and youth employability training services by 2023.
In 1989, Calvin Klein established the Calvin Klein Family Foundation, which works to financially support charitable causes.
In 2012, the foundation donated $2 million to the Fashion Institute of Technology, the largest gift the school had ever received from an alumnus.
8. Started A Pride Clothing Line
While many fashion lines and corporations have jumped on the Pride bandwagon, Calvin Klein has always pushed the envelope in terms of sexuality in their marketing, even featuring same-sex couples in early marketing campaigns.
However, in 2018, Calvin Klein created their own take on Pride, with rainbow jeans, shirts, underwear, and bralettes.
Their Pride website today includes “exclusive styles in limited-edition rainbow colors and bold graphics that celebrate the full spectrum of Pride and the LGBTQIA+ community for her, him and them.”
For their 2019 Pride campaign, they launched a new Pride capsule line, which included their classic styles with rainbow patterns and colors
LGBTQ+ celebrities were enlisted to model and promote the campaign.
On May 14, 2020, Calvin Klein released a Pride capsule that was sold for the entire year instead of just around Pride month and used LGBTQ+ activists and influencers from all over the world in their global campaign.
2021 and 2022 continued to see more and more products added to the Calvin Klein Pride capsule, which currently boasts over 130 limited-edition items and contains everything from underwear to leggings to bodysuits and much more.
Their ongoing Pride campaign uses the hashtag #proudinmycalvins.
9. They Always Respect Customer Privacy
CK continually works to respect customer privacy through transparency, accountability, and security.
They will only share information that customers feel comfortable giving in an effort to build a community of company trust.
In order to provide transparency, CK will always provide customers with updated privacy notices that clearly explain how they intend to use private information.
They will never require you to provide unneeded personal information when buying in stores or shopping online.
CK also makes it easy for customers to unsubscribe from company email lists or notifications.
CK holds themselves fully accountable for ensuring full customer privacy by claiming responsibility for data practices and working in accordance with their established Privacy Principles.
Security teams are consistently trained on proper handling, privacy, and data ethics of confidential information.
Additionally, CK recognizes there is always room for growth in this area, and they’re constantly looking for ways to improve their privacy practices.
Security is the main priority when it comes to their customers and they take it extremely seriously.
In order to do this, CK has set strict policies, procedures, and practices in place to ensure limited access to private information and protect against unauthorized personal information access and use.
These policies are set to restrict personal information access by outside vendors.
10. CK Abides By A Strong Code Of Conduct
To ensure ethical business conduct and practices, Calvin Klein adheres to PVH’s Code of Conduct.
The Code of Conduct is clearly laid out and made available for public viewing.
In regard to employee treatment, they must abide by nondiscriminatory hiring practices and have strict rules and punishments when it comes to employee harassment or abuse.
Business partners, including suppliers and anyone in the supply chain, are forbidden from using child labor or forced labor.
Business partners also must honor and respect their employees’ rights to collective bargaining and rights to unionize.
All members of the supply chain must also provide and promote a healthy and safe work environment, including providing proper compensation for hours worked.
Additionally, all business partners are expected to be eco-conscious, working to protect their environment and following all environmental laws, rules, and regulations.
Conclusion
Calvin Klein is a good brand and company, always working to lessen their impact on the environment.
By taking proactive measures to reduce their carbon emissions, they’re setting a standard for other large fashion brands and working toward a better future.
They’ve made great strides in creating sustainable clothing, using recycling and reusing production techniques, as well as working to reduce waste.
CK also consciously acts to provide safe and healthy work environments for employees throughout the whole manufacturing process, from supply to production to distribution.
They’re also always looking to include more diversity in their hiring practices and create a space of equality and appreciation.
They take full corporate responsibility when it comes to ethical business practices and make customer privacy and security a high priority.
However, the best part about Calvin Klein is their overarching inclusive nature, from their gender-inclusive clothing line to their social taboo-breaking ad campaigns.
Their acceptance and empowerment of the LGBTQ+ community is admirable and will hopefully be an inspiration for other large corporations.
