The Real Cost of Clothing
| September 25, 2010 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
When we talk about environmentally friendly clothing we think organic fabrics. You can even find organic t-shirts for as low as $5 but what about the hidden cost of that shirt. How much do you know about how your clothing was made? Even if it was made in the US it may come from a sweatshop. About 60% of clothing is made in sweatshops.
So who’s responsibility is it? I believe it’s both ours and the companies, but we hold a lot of power. If we stop shopping somewhere they will have to look at why they are losing money and change to get their customers back.
So how can we buy ethical clothing? First look for clothing that is Fair Trade, this is a reliable certification that means the item was made under fair conditions. You can also look for brands like American Apparel that insure their clothing is sweatshop free.
You can also buy used to keep new items from being made. An even cheaper idea is to buy less clothing. Check out this project asking people to try wearing six items of clothing for a month. If that seems to hard you can try just a week or two.
So does knowing brands like Old Navy, Gap, Nike, A&E, and more use sweatshops make you think twice about buying their products?
This month the Green Mom’s Carnival is talking about clothing, this is my post. Go over to the Big Green Purse on Monday to see the other posts.
