A couple of my favourite vintage dresses
My resolution this year is to stop buying clothes made in sweatshops. I’ve been reducing the amount that I buy from high street shops for years, but I have always been occasionally tempted. This time, there’s no leeway. No clothes from sweatshops in 2017.
Ethical fashion has been having a resurgence recently. I think the True Cost of Fashion documentary (watch on Netflix here) and the recent Channel 4 Dispatches on fast fashion was shock to the system for most of us. I’ve been thinking about the way clothes are made on and off since taking part in People and Planet’s Sweatshop Free campaign as a student, but finishing Naomi Klein’s No Logo gave me a much needed boost in resolve. I highly recommend it – it’s tough to read in parts but details the rise of sweatshops and the anti-sweatshop movement with so much clarity and insight.
Klein explains that in the 90s, brands started shedding factories and workers, distancing themselves from the actual production of things, instead producing aspirational images and ideas in marketing departments. Brands sold products based on who they could help you become, rather than focusing advertising on quality, and for the first time predominantly targeted image-conscious teenagers. Marketing became the core business of brands and production was auctioned off to a progressively long supply chain of factories, increasingly based in the developing world. Often there were middle-men companies contracting the factories, who would squeeze prices and base production in areas with authoritarian regimes and poor human rights records. Cuts in production costs were made off the backs of workers with no living wage, no job security, abusive and dangerous working conditions and a heavy reliance on child labour. Governments encouraged the existence of these factories by placing them in special “free trade zones” where companies paid no tax and adherence to the minimum wage and labour rights was not required. When questioned, brands could conveniently claim blissful ignorance. They didn’t own the factories after all.
Depressingly, not much has improved since Naomi Klein was writing in the early 00s. The Apparel Industry Partnership initiated by Bill Clinton was eagerly awaited in the 90s, but seems to simultaneously have eased consumer concerns and allowed companies hide under the veil of “self-reporting” on factory conditions without improving any real life labour rights. It is still impossible to access information on working conditions for the majority of high street brands. Companies simply don’t know where their clothes are being made – either because they don’t want to or because there are so many factories involved it is too difficult to keep track. The Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh in 2013 killed 1,135 people and injured or disabled 2,515 more. The building was constructed on swampy grounds and the top floors which had been added illegally, despite prior warnings from engineers, came crashing down. This factory made clothes for companies including Walmart, Primark, Matalan, Mango, J.C. Penny, Carrefour and Bonnemarche. It was a tragedy and a stark reminder that things still need to change.
It is still the case that garment factory workers are paid below the minimum wage. They are still threatened with dismissal if they form unions. The majority of garment workers are still women. They are still forced to take birth control / routine pregnancy tests so employers can avoid paying maternity leave. They are still deceptively recruited from rural areas with the promise of pay checks to send home because the workers then have no choice but to stay when they discover how bad the conditions are. They still work in toxic conditions which damage their health.
I’m not claiming that consumers are to blame for this – clearly it is the companies at fault – but I no longer want to participate in this system. I no longer want to support companies that use sweatshops.
So, what does it involve to boycott sweatshops? I won’t be buying from any company unless they can guarantee their clothes were not made in sweatshops. It’s harder than you might think to discover under what conditions clothes are manufactured. Companies hide behind policies of being “committed to upholding high standards in the treatment of workers” which mean nothing in practice. There are no British high street brands which can guarantee ethical labour practices. In reality, going sweatshop free means abandoning the high street.
The simplest way to reduce reliance on sweatshops is to stop buying clothes. I know, it’s hard for me too. I think I will always be interested in clothes but really knowing what I will wear and what will fit me has been a long journey that’s resulted in fewer purchases for me. When you want the thrill of clothes shopping, second-hand is the way forward. Charity shops in the UK have become seriously upmarket, and I love the vintage themed shops like Sue Ryder that are becoming more common. Vintage is also a good option, but these clothes have often been shipped from Europe or the States, so they can have a bigger carbon footprint than your local charity shop. When new clothes are a necessity (I’m thinking tights and underwear here, and a good fitting pair of jeans) there are lots of ethically produced brands to choose from. I’m sure I’ll need to do a lot of research this year to figure out where I can shop, and I hope to share my findings with you in some sort of organised and searchable list!
There are two common criticisms of sweatshop boycotts that I want to briefly address here. The first is the idea that boycotts lead to factory closures, and garment workers would rather have an underpaying job than no job at all. My initial problem with this is that it falsely restricts the options. This argument assumes that either workers are paid poorly, or they will have no work at all. This is not the case, conditions can be improved. I think it is unwise to boycott clothes made in a particular country – in Bangladesh for example – because companies are likely to pull out of that country but set up somewhere with equally poor enforcement of labour standards. Ultimately, the more unethical labour practice affects their bottom line, the more likely they are to do something about it.
This huff post article claims that boycotts are a bad idea since companies can’t control the labour practices used in their factories. If sweatshops really are an intrinsic part of bloated transnational corporations, I can’t think of a better reason to exclusively support small and transparent businesses. The author recommends that governments (not companies) create better infrastructure around monitoring and fixing factory conditions. I agree, but perhaps if companies agreed only to operate in countries where this was happening, it would be pushed further up the agenda, with the result that labour conditions would actually improve. There is no impetus for companies to do this unless it affects their profits.
The second criticism often levied at sweatshop boycotts is that not all consumers can afford to participate. For some, the £10 required to buy a T-shirt from Primark is still a stretch. This is true in some cases but we are all currently buying far more clothes than we need. Consumers buying cheap clothes are still getting the raw end of the deal when their purchases shrink, tear or become misshapen due to the poor quality of material. Part of the reason that ethically made clothes are more expensive is to encourage people to invest in items of clothing that they will treasure and that will last for a long time, unlike the mass produced (but ultimately affordable) clothes currently on offer. I would like to see part-payment for clothes made much more widely available (like UNIF have offered with Affirm) so that well-made ethical clothing is available for all. For the time-being, buying second hand is an affordable option for most occasions.
Do you follow Rian Phin? She’s got really great perspectives on ethical fashion (as well feminism and style), but is really mindful of issues of accessibility and negotiating space. Some of my faves here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4axmASHA5E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8tdlfgDG30
Oh also I really want to buy less sweatshop fashion so would love to hear more about how you’re getting on with it/fave ethical brands x
I don’t follow her yet but thank you – I will look her up! I’d really like to create some sort of directory, i know some exist already (this post from Nadia is great http://notsoquietgrrl.com/uncategorized/ethical-fashion-where-to-start-4-outfit-ideas/ and this list from Tolly http://tollydollyposhfashion.com/ethical-directory-fashion-brands/). Let me know how you get on!
I was having this exact conversation yesterday after watching Dispatches. I’ve definitely dialled back A LOT since I moved here, but as you say, it’s so hard to find alternatives and buying ‘ethically’ because you can ever know how a company manufactures its clothes and the conditions it subjects its workers to purely from a disclaimer on a website. Growing up in a country where charity shops were non-existent, I only found out when I moved here – but it’s something I want to try and learn about too, especially with investing in ethical brands…
This was a topic we studied in my MSc as well – particularly on lobby groups and how power is disseminated to change conditions in places like the Rana plaza and unfortunately, it’s all pretty grim at the moment. You hit home the point about how people are just buying more (off the argument that some people can’t afford for expensive but ethical products); and I agree with just that – we could easily live with less but we choose not to because the industry demands that we should chase after trends and ‘what’s hot’. And this is something that’s bothered me for a long time now, especially when I wrote that Burberry on my blog (not directly linked but the sentiment is there), but I try and evaluate my choices when I buy something now… or even better, maybe everyone should learn how to make their own clothes!
Wow, this was a long comment. But I really enjoyed reading this!
Cherie ❊ sinonym
It takes so much research to find out where things come from, it’s quite a commitment! I do think it’s getting easier though – there are more ethical brands now, and more resources to help you find them. i actually love charity shops although I know some people don’t like the time you have to invest in browsing them.
I think that trend led fast fashion is really at the heart of the problem. Things are only made to last a couple of months because that’s how long we’re expected to wear them before trends change! And these super short production runs are often done in different factories, so it’s not worth investigating conditions in a factory that on’y going to be used for a week before that specific brand switched to another one.
Thank you for your comment Cherie!
I’m so glad you wrote this post. Unfortunately, I go most of the time not really thinking about where I buy my clothes because I am really cheap. I know a lot of local businesses in the USA sell shirts from American Apparel which is supposed to be made in America, but often times the clothes are really expensive. My friend sells shirts and sweatshirts made by women in India. The whole point of his organization is to help women who were rescued from human trafficking. It’s a great organization. The URL is theparativeproject.com.
I haven’t bought any new clothes since I moved to Russia (over a year and a half) because I told myself I wouldn’t. I’m starting to really feel the need to buy something new, though.
Your friends organisation sounds really cool! To be honest, I think buying less clothes is one of the best things you can do. All production comes with some sort of negative consequence, even if it is more ethical / sustainable than the alternatives! I find vintage shopping satisfies my need for “new” stuff even though it’s pre-owned x
I love vintage clothing! I’m so short though that vintage dresses never fit me, and I can’t sew
Yay! I’m sure we’ve talked about this before but I’ve been highstreet free since 2015, before my blanket boycott I was boycotting a lot of individual shops (Primark, Topshop etc) since my teens so it was a simple switch for me. I buy a lot of vintage but stick to shops/brands who don’t source from overseas. I also buy a lot of charity shop and then I have a small list of ethical, sweatshop-free brands that I love as well. As they tend to be more expensive I stick to cheap vintage and charity shops for most of my clothing. xxx
That’s so long Laila, you’re such a veteran! I’ve been boycotting Topshop and Primark for a long time as well but I was still buying basics in places like M&S and H&M. There are some items I really struggle with – like shoes that are vegan and long lasting and ethical and have a low environmental impact!! Would you let me know what your fave brands are? It would be super helpful xx
Oh great goal, and great post! Do you know Lauren @ Chic Ethique? Her style is very different from yours (minimal and neutral heheh), but she does some lovely posts on great ethical shopping sources, etc.
I love the idea of this, and would love to be to that place in my shopping someday, I’m hoping to learn more soon! I honestly went to some of the great shops she suggests, but a lot of them are newer and haven’t expanded their size ranges. I know that the sweaters won’t fit around my bust properly which is a bummer. Hopefully someday they will expand. And/or I can find some other sites that have a better range!
Good luck with your goals, I’d love to hear about the progress/research/etc. along the way!
XO – Alexandra
Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
I hadn’t heard of her but I’m following her on Bloglovin’ now, thank you! I do find most ethical / sustainable brands are quite minimalist which is fine and all, but it isn’t really my style. I know they’re going for clothes which are classic and therefore not going to go out of style but I know what I like and if it’s not a bit funky I just won’t wear it!! That’s a great point about brands having limited size ranges – I know that’s a problem with some high street shops so it sucks that ethical brands aren’t doing a better job! One of my problems with the high street anyway is that they all seem to be dressing this one proportion of women and if that’s not you, you can’t buy clothes anywhere, no matter what size! I’ll make sure to do an update post soon with my findings
whoops! her link: http://www.chic-ethique.com/