Ethical Fashion

So, for those of you who weren't aware, there was a horrific tragedy at a manufacturing building in Bangladesh recently, which killed over 1,000 people.  It was awful, and very heartbreaking.

This idea of social responsibility has been building, and I feel it's only necessary to talk about it.  I listened to this interview on NPR of Elizabeth Cline, author of Over-Dressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion.  It's an extremely interesting interview, and I highly, highly recommend you listen to it from start to finish.  It's a little on the long side, but it's well worth the time.

Ethical Fashion: Is the Tragedy in Bangladesh A Final Straw

I remember hearing about the workers in the Nike factory being mistreated and being far too young to be working and the backlash that went against Nike afterwards, way back years ago.  It seems like it sort of opened up the eyes of more of the public and created this idea of being socially responsible.  From that idea has stemmed this huge organic, green movement, in coming to the realization that the harsh dyes and chemicals that went into the manufacturing of our clothing has created air and water pollution in these countries where the manufacturing of these garments has been outsourced to for cheaper labor.  From that, even, the Made in America movement has come about, from those who are upset with company after company outsourcing their labor when we are short on jobs here at home.

All this screams for debate.  But, no matter how you debate it, there is no right answer.  You want cheap clothing?  You sure as hell aren't going to get it from clothing made supporting the Made in America movement--here in America we're paid far too well for the labor to be cheap enough to make the cost of the clothing made to be as cheap as that of, say, the Forever 21s and H&Ms of the world.

But that said, cheap labor is costly.  The conditions that these workers might be working in may or may not be up to par.  Countries like China, where we in America have been known to outsource labor to, have began the process of upgrading their factories so that all the workers are in a safe environment, using up-to-date technology and no harsh chemicals are used.  But do you know what that means?  The cost of the labor has "skyrocketed" in comparison to what it was before.  And places like Bangladesh, where factories aren't necessarily safe and harsh chemicals may or may not still be used, are being turned to for their cheaper labor.

Unfortunately, then tragedies like this one, where the entire building just collapsed on these poor workers happen.  The building obviously wasn't structurally sound.  Who is responsible for that?  We can argue all we want, but the fact is, not one single person, or government, or business entity is responsible.  And what is the magical fix for problems like this?  Again, there isn't just one easy solution.

It's really hard, because people are so quick to place blame on the US, or the business using the factory (Walmart, Nike, etc.) but in reality, it's not their fault....or at least it's not just their fault.  There is so much that goes into outsourcing labor in other countries. For example, I watched a documentary on Adidas. They do everything in their power to make sure their factories are run right, their workers are taken care of (even offering on-site housing, free food and healthcare) and they pay their workers really well (these workers make more money working in the Adidas factory than a teacher or other "normal" careers would in that country) but, unfortunately, it's still not enough. Reason for this is because we (Americans) come in, and screw up their economy by paying their workers tons more than everyone else in the country is making, creating inflation and a huge imbalance in the economy, and it's impossible to keep up with. Plus, we have to stay within that country's own government's laws and regulations, meaning there are certain things we might feel are necessary for these workers that just isn't allowed by their government. If it wasn't for America coming to these countries for cheap labor, though, more often than not these factories might have never had these regulations put in place for the safety and health of their workers. So we're trying to do good. We really are. It's just....difficult. There are a lot of factors at play, not just one single person to blame. And there really are no right answers.

We have come to expect clothing be cheap and fashionable.  I don't know about you, but my closet is overflowing.  Literally.  And so, so many other people I know have the same problem.  I knew one woman who literally had converted her second bedroom into a closet, with rolling rack after rolling rack packed full of clothing stuffed into this bedroom.  Who needs this much clothing, really?  I can go for months without doing my laundry, and hardly make a dent in my closet.  That's ridiculous.  And yet, I still bring more clothes home.  We all do.  We want to keep up with the latest trends, which are constantly changing.

The idea of dressing for the season is no longer an idea.  Stores have Winter 1, 2, and 3, Spring 1, 2 and 3, etc.  Some stores, like H&M, get a whole new inventory every few weeks. But all this just isn't sustainable!

Here's an interesting fact for you to consider:  it takes over 400 gallons of water to make a single cotton t-shirt.

Think that's bad?  Look in your closet.  Count how many t-shirts you have.  Then do the math.  Then count how many pairs of jeans you have.  It takes over 1,800 gallons of water to make just one pair of jeans. 

How many gallons of water do you think have gone into your closet alone?  Then how many gallons go into washing them as often as you do?  That's a lot of water.  While other countries don't even have enough water to drink.  Make you feel a little selfish?  Yeah, me too.  But what can we do?  This is our way of life.  And there is definitely no changing it overnight.

Awareness.

I think it's the most important thing of all.

I know some of this stuff you already knew, but I'm willing to bet some of it you didn't.  And this is just piddly little old me writing it.  If you went and googled social responsibility in the textile industry, and/or the green movement, or sustainability, and read even just a couple of articles, you would learn tons more.  There is so much information out there.  But so many people just don't know it's there.  I don't even think it's that people don't care, I think it's more that they just don't know.

So let's start the conversation.  Start talking to people.  Have that debate that can help come up with real solutions.  Wash your jeans less (they honestly don't need to be washed even a quarter as often as you are probably washing them--it's not gross; it's how they're built--and it's far cheaper on your wallet and far, far better for the environment).  Give yourself a cap of the number of clothing items you're allowed to buy each year--and don't go over it.  Give your clothes you don't wear anymore to a secondhand store.  Each one of us can make a difference.   It won't be a huge difference, but it has to start somewhere.  And it already has.  Let's keep the ball rolling.

Love you all!! xoxo!