Hi,
I recently had to go shopping for socks and as always was looking for something that hopefully was not made in a sweatshop and hopefully was a bit more environmentally friendly.
My first stop was Zellers. I don't feel the need to show off my socks so I usually buy something cheap. To my surpise and delight, amid the 9-pair-in-one-bag-sweatshp brands that were there I made a great grab. The Zellers near me now carries the official socks of Ducks Unlimited, a Canadian environmental organization that I believe is saving much wetlands in the prairies. The question, which I have yet to research, is whether this is more of a marketing ploy or whether there really is a great benefit to the brand. I also scored 2 pairs that were made of recycled cotton and wool, from the leftovers that would otherwise have been thrown out. This was quite a good find to me too.
Apart from that, I also found a store near me that sells hemp apparel, and although too expensive for me to re-do my wardrobe, I did pick up 2 nice shirts, one quite formal. For those who don't know, American Apparel now carries an organic line, that judging from the colour may be unbleached.
That's good to know since I have sensitive skin. If I'm not mistaken, hemp is a more resistant plant than cotton and is more easily grown without any help from pesticides and herbicides.
Yes, apparently cotton is one of the worst plants to make clothing from (ecologically) from what I know. It needs lots of irrigation and in the marketplace today is usually grown with the help of lots of fertilizer and pesticides. Hemp is a much hardier plant that also requires far less irrigation water, and CAN be grown without the aid of pesticides and fertilizers, although even if it they are used, hemp under the same conditions requires much less. I also have a few shirts made of bamboo, that I bought from Bamboo Clothing: Printed Tees, Clothing, Towels, Socks, Gifts... - Shirts Of Bamboo. While they are made in China, where most of the world's bamboo comes from, they are very light, breathable (almost silk-like) and the company proclaims that they help to secure the future of the bamboo forests. Bamboo also grows faster and more naturally as compared to cotton. As for wool, unless one falls under PETA philosophies, I fells it is also more sustainable than cotton.
this is a revealing post to me as I did not know that hemp is such a good option over cotton when it comes to clothing..I am not sure if in India these clothings are avaialable..but I can surely research online...thanks...
Thanks for sharing the link for the bamboo clothing. I have to agree, that eco friendly clothing can be quite costly. I try to buy a few pieces when I can and it is on sale.
contratz! the only way to guarantee cloths aren't made in sweatshops in this day and age is to make them yourself. but i'm glad you found some recycled materials!
For most of us making our own clothes is not a realistic option, at least not for more than a few garments. Is there any other way to be sure that the people who made the clothes have not been exploited?
justontime,
I have bought and enjoyed some clothing made by No Sweat Apparel, which is in business for the purpose of not exploiting the workers that make their clothes. Many of their clothes are made overseas, but the point is that they are unionized and paid fair wages for the countries they are in. They also get other benefits like dental and health. In the same vein is the Black Spot Sneaker and its products. Similar also is American Apparel in more than a few ways, but I would be surprised if people here would be big AA fans. Myself I shop there sometimes, but then there is the argument that he exploits his models, very anti-feminist, however the fact is that there are very very few large apparel makers left in America and American Apparel does pay its clothes-makers fair wages for what they do, better than any sweatshop. Plus they are all made in LA ans so they are not shipped overseas, saving carbon emissions. You do pay through the wazoo for AA though.
It is funny, but clothing is not something i've really thought about.. i tend to buy natural fibres like cotton and wool, rather than synthetics, but it is an area i could do better in.. i will investigate..
justontime,
I have bought and enjoyed some clothing made by No Sweat Apparel, which is in business for the purpose of not exploiting the workers that make their clothes. Many of their clothes are made overseas, but the point is that they are unionized and paid fair wages for the countries they are in. They also get other benefits like dental and health. In the same vein is the Black Spot Sneaker and its products. Similar also is American Apparel in more than a few ways, but I would be surprised if people here would be big AA fans. Myself I shop there sometimes, but then there is the argument that he exploits his models, very anti-feminist, however the fact is that there are very very few large apparel makers left in America and American Apparel does pay its clothes-makers fair wages for what they do, better than any sweatshop. Plus they are all made in LA ans so they are not shipped overseas, saving carbon emissions. You do pay through the wazoo for AA though.
Thanks for the information, you raise some interesting points that I had not considered such as the exploitation of models. I am in UK and I am not aware of any clothing source that ticks all the boxes re sustainability and exploitation.
Sustainable clothes?
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