Understanding the Bustle Behind The “Who Made My Clothes” Movement

ARTICLE TWO: FAST FASHION FACTS SERIES

An estimated 60 – 75 Million people worldwide are employed by textile, clothing and shoe manufacturing industries. While the growth of these sectors has been great for job creation, the quality of these new jobs may be far from great. Over the past several years, a number of human rights concerns have surfaced within the fashion industry weaving together support for the “Who Made My Clothes” movement. You may be asking, what are the injustices that earned (fast) fashion its tattered reputation and why did it become this way?

THE RISE OF FAST FASHION

Over the past several decades wardrobes have exploded! (Visual: Think of the average size closet in an old house vs. what we see in new builds today… door way sized closet vs. a his and hers walk in closet) We have so much more, of everything, than past generations and we still want MORE!

Consumer demand for new, trendy and cheap clothing items is at an all time high, and demand is still climbing. To drive down production costs and meet demands, manufactures and business people have been forced to get creative to stay competitive in a ruthless market. These creative solutions are geared towards producing faster fashion for less. Otherwise known as…

A RACE TO THE BOTTOM

Retailers (Think: the brands you see on your clothing) face pressure to sell to consumers and consumers are looking for better pricing, unlimited options, new “on trend” products etc. In order to fulfill these demands, and maintain or grow profit margins, retailers must work with manufacturers who can make everything faster and cheaper. This fierce competition among manufacturers has ignited a race to the bottom, forcing manufacturers to cut corners, ultimately to the detriment of their employees.

FAST FASHIONS COST EFFECTIVE CUTS:

Factory Development in Impoverished Regions: At first read, bringing industry and jobs to improvised regions sounds almost heroic; however, many businesses have used this to exploit needy workers. Due to extreme poverty and desperation for money, businesses in these regions offer far less than recognized living wages - saving on labor cost.
Overworking Employees: Imagine if you had a new deadline at work and your boss was able to force you to stay at work until you met your deadline or you would be fired. According to the Pakistani Textile Workers Union this is a reality in many manufacturing facilities and in fact, many factories have been found to operate with locked workplaces – comparable to prison cells.[1] Pressure to produce is so high, workers even avoid drinking water, because bathroom breaks are bad for productivity and ultimately their employment. Workers also report skipping breaks for any reason, even to eat, in order to meet production demands.[1] When deadlines are tight, workers are often forced to work overtime without overtime pay, into late hours of the night, or risk losing their job.[2]
Employing Children: It is estimated that 152-170 million children (approximately 11% of the global child population) are the victims of child labor. Nearly fifty percent of the children employed globally are between the ages of 5-11 years of age.[3-4] Children are employed in nearly all sectors of the fashion manufacturing supply chain due to the low-skill nature of the job (harvesting, spinning, dying, etc.). According to The Guardian, many cotton farmers even prefer children for harvesting, because their small fingers do not damage the crop. Children are even employed to transfer pollen between cotton plants – placing them at high risk for pesticide exposure and related health conditions. Direct exposure to pesticides significantly increases risk of developmental disorders, neurological disorders and cancer.[5] Employing children also allows business owners to pay very little for labor.
Sub-Standard Working Conditions: Many countries do not enforce the same health and safety standards as other more developed regions, therefore working conditions are often dangerous and detrimental to the health of employees. Although the 2012 Ali Enterprises factory fire (killing over 260) and the 2013 Rana Plaza Collapse (killing over 1,100) sparked some industry reform, working conditions remain unsafe within the industry. Many factories still lack proper ventilation, cooling systems and adequate uncluttered space, which can increase the risk of fire.[6] Installing proper ventilation, getting buildings to code and updating safety standards cost money; by ignoring safety needs businesses can save but at what cost?

Until recent years, many retailers have been (purposefully or accidentally) ignorant to the fact that humans are being exploited for the sake of their bottom line. Before you go Rambo on your local retailer, understand that these issues aren’t simple; even the most upstanding brands may not REALLY know who made their clothing. Let me explain…

Due to the complex nature of the supply chain, many retailers don’t know that they may be supporting exploitative manufacturers. Human Rights Watch reports, “unauthorized subcontracting is a frequent problem.” This means, a retailer/designer could sign a contract with a specific manufacturer who exemplifies fair labor standards, does not use child labor, upholds safety standards etc. and that manufacturer may subcontract the work to a factory that has poor standards without the retailer even knowing. Unless a brand/retailer has full control of their process at all levels, at all times, it is difficult to know if the product is made ethically.[2] This is why it is so important for all of us to start asking questions, transparency is the key to resolving this mess.

THE START OF A FASHION REVOLUTION

As consumers, we have the power to influence business; after all, businesses will do anything to get our buy-in. Through collective action, fashion consumers and creators have the power to start a revolution and demand better; this is exactly the kind of idea that fashion revolution, a global organization, believes in. Fashion Revolution believes in a fashion industry that, “values people, the environment, creativity and profit in equal measure.” So what can you do? You can do your part by joining the revolution and saying no to fast fashion.

YOUR TO DO…

1. Visit www.fashionrevolution.org and sign the revolution manifesto

2. Subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss out on upcoming articles and my next interview with sustainable fashion designer Merica Kahn.

3. Before your next clothing purchase ask yourself (or Google), who made my clothes?