This week a textile factory in Leicestershire was exposed as exploiting as many as 10,000 factory workers. The county's MP Andrew Bridgen told the press that a 'conspiracy of silence' has allowed factories in the UK to exploit many of it's workers for years.
And who do they think is at the helm of this modern day slave labour? The fast fashion online retailers of course.
My first reaction was anger and frustration that companies who make millions a year haven't been exposed sooner. Companies who pay celebrities and influencers to advertise their latest apparel. A fee that the workers who make these clothes wouldn't make in a year. The fast fashion online retailers are one of few companies who would have truly benefited from COVID-19 as we saw the fast rise in online sales . But as many of their workers are illegal immigrants, there's a fear of speaking out. The poor working conditions, the £2 an hour salary for the price of a £3 top to be sold online is something that many have come to accept as the place of work they have to live with.
But how can multi million pound retailers get away with modern day slave labour? Because they DON'T HAVE to show the world their process.
TRANSPARENCY.
Being conscious of brands, not only with what they're trying to sell you but the ethics behind it can feel like an overwhelming task. If brands aren't being ethical what can we do about it? How do we work out which retailer deserves our money? If I now have to add being ' more conscious' of how every outfit is made, I'm going to feel exhausted before I've even started shopping.
I know it would be easier to just go on your favourite online store and scroll without having to think about the ethics behind the brand, but we NEED to start changing our shopping habits. Especially when you think that every year an estimated 300,000 tonnes of used clothing ends up in UK landfill.
And I promise you - it doesn't need to be as time consuming as you think.
The answer to a lot of retailers ethical standards lie in how transparent they are on their website.
Lets take H&M for example. It was one of the first brands to launch an eco conscious line, The H&M group - who own Monki, Cos, Weekday, Arket and & Other Stories pledged they will have pay structures in place for a fair living wage for their textile factory workers. (Although they did need prompting ) and the transparency of their supply chain including materials and fabrics is impressive. There ethics can easily be found ( there's a tab at the top of H&M's website labelled 'Sustainability.') There you can find all you need to know about the brand and it's pledge towards helping create a greener future.
ETHICALLY ON TREND.
And this is just it. Brands need to make it easy for us to find the information we need. It can be hard to sort out the companies that are genuinely trying to help the planet by being more conscious in their manufacturing and policies and the brands that are doing it because 'being ethical' has now become a 'trend' in itself. Otherwise known as 'greenwashing' this kind or PR/marketing is on the rise. You know the brands - the ones that produce the glossy Instagram Ads which tell you to buy their latest 'sustainable, eco friendly' clothes but little do they say about where the clothes are made and whose producing them. Are there 'designers' even on the standard living wage.
HOW CAN YOU HELP THE CHANGE?
* Download the app 'Good on you.' An app that rates brands based on their ethical and sustainable standards. Search your favourite brand and see how it rates in their Labour, Environment and Animal categories.
*If you can't find the answer to what you're looking for then ask the question! Brands will be slow to change unless they hear your opinion.
* If you'd prefer to act instantly then use the hashtag #whomademyclothes and post a selfie of the label and ask brands for transparency. You might think it falls on deaf ears but by the end of 2018 nearly 4,000 companies had responded.
LESS IS MORE
You can do all the things above to support change within the retail industry - but it's pointless if you're still doing those panic buy purchases. Remember you will never be able to keep up with fast fashion and the trends they rotate at the speed of lightning. That's exactly why it's called 'fast.' Because you're not meant to keep up with it. They want you to always be just on the outside of their trend. After all, the more choice there is the more they want us to be encouraged by it?
Have you ever been in that situation? Where there is just too much choice? You walk into your 'go to' store and you start feeling overwhelmed? When that happens you start to feel stressed, and as a result your self esteem dips. And then the comparison game can kick in. ' I bet she doesn't have this problem' and we're left feeling deflated and rather crappy about ourselves.
Instead think of what you 'need' from your wardrobe rather than what you want. We usually impulse buy when we were never really sure what we were looking for to begin with. Fast fashion wants you to buy the things you don't need.
APPRECIATION
I know I sound like the stylist that's discouraging you from buying clothes! Doesn't make sense right? However (and I'm sure if any other stylists are reading this then they'd agree) that most clients struggle with their wardrobe because there are TOO many clothes in their wardrobe. There's just too much. You feel overwhelmed right from the get go of opening your closet doors. This is why we need to train ourselves into having an appreciation of the clothes we see in the high street without necessarily rushing to get the credit card out. Remember the rule of 3? If you can't see yourself wearing the thing three different ways ( or wearing it at least 33 times) then ask yourself - can I have an appreciation for this item without it belonging in my wardrobe? It takes time - believe me. It goes against what every high street store is telling us to do. 'Buy me. You'll never look better in anything else.' But you will. It's all an illusion.
In the long run you will end up with clothes in your wardrobe that you will genuinely love wearing. And you will appreciate what's been made for you.
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