What does ethically made clothing mean?
In the era of conscious consumerism, when is something made ethically, and sustainably, and when is it both of the two? When the truth about fast fashion emerged via documentaries and social media, a lens was zoomed in on the conditions in which our clothing is made. From unfair wages to inhumane working conditions and standards, ethically made clothing is taking over the industry. At BODY, not only do we curate our boutique to feature sustainable fashion, but we also work to support designers and brands who are disrupting the industry to create a fair working environment for workers.
Sustainable fashion and ethically made clothing often get lumped in together, and while both should and do co-exist, they are not mutually exclusive. You can have organic textiles with natural dyes still made in sweatshop conditions and vice versa. So what are the standards that make a garment in fashion truly ethical? While environmental sustainability isundoubtedly an impact, ethical fashion is mainly concerned with the people creating the clothing from the supply chain to the sewers.
Ethical standards vary with each customer, however, working conditions, fair wages, and animal welfare are considered when it comes to ethical fashion. This isn’t just about the conditions of the people sewing your clothes, it’s also about the conditions of the people down the supply chain who make the fabric, dye the garments, and more. Fast fashion manufactures clothing at a very inexpensive, quick rate often employing women and children in third world countries, putting them through strenuous hours in unhealthy conditions. Laborers risk their lives working in buildings that are falling apart and in unhealthy, unsanitary conditions with unfair wages. When you choose ethical clothing, you are paying more on the price tag so that the brand can allocate that money further down the supply chain to support paying workers living wages in healthy conditions.
Supporting ethical fashion means supporting the entire village it takes to produce a piece that will likely be in your closet for many years. You’re not only supporting ethical social conditions, but you’re also investing in garments that are made to last with intention. If you’re new to shopping with ethics or sustainability in mind, you couldn’t ask for a better education than BODY’s boutique. Everything you touch at BODY has a story, from how it was designed, produced, and sourced. Our guest services team is also educated on sustainability and ethical fashion making your new or continued foray into shopping with intention that much easier. For more on clothing that is sustainably made, see part one to this article here).