May
14
2013
Progress Amid Tragedy
Melissa Ethical Fashion 0
In the wake of the deaths of hundreds of factory workers in Bangladesh, some retailers are beginning to hear and respond to the outraged cries of consumers. Use your voice and your money to be part of the shift toward ethical fashion that this New York Times article describes. Some retailers are doing what was once unthinkable, handing over information about exactly how, and where, their products were made. Everlane, an online boutique, last week added paragraphs to its Web site describing the factories where its products are made. Nordstrom says it is considering adding information about clothes produced inRead more
May
07
2013
Ethical Fashion and Your Budget
Melissa Ethical Fashion 1
Last week, we wrote a bit about the garment factory collapse in Bangladesh (which is now said to have killed more than 700 people). As consumers we can be part of the solution by being willing to spend more for fashion that is ethically produced. The chart above shows just how much more it costs to make a shirt in the US as compared to Bangladesh. But what if you’re on a limited budget? The tips below from our ethical fashion page can help you make ethical choices no matter how much money you have. For me, the best methodRead more
May
02
2013
The Cost of Ethical Fashion
Melissa Ethical Fashion 0
Recently tragic news made headlines in ethical fashion: “More than 85 people are dead and scores injured in Bangladesh after the collapse of an eight-story building on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka.” When companies and consumers choose cheap clothes over ethical practices, factory worker pay the price—sometimes with their lives. Here’s more on the collapse from NPR: Mohammad Asaduzzaman, in charge of the area’s police station, told Reuters that the factory owners appeared to have ignored a warning not to allow their workers into the building after a crack was detected in the block Tuesday. quotes one worker rescuedRead more
Apr
25
2013
Old Phones Fund Mobile Medical Technology
Melissa Empower Women, Ethical Fashion 1
Got an old cell phone that you’re going to trash? You can donate it through Hope Phones to help doctors and patients in developing countries. Ethical fashion can extend past your clothes and jewelry to also include your phone—and you can help treat and prevent illness around the world, especially in places where healthcare for women and girls is particularly lacking. Find out how you can donate a phone or start a phone collection drive. Here’s more from Hope Phones: We created the Hope Phones campaign in 2009 as an innovative way to fund the global efforts of Medic Mobile,Read more
Apr
16
2013
H&M: On the Road to Ethical Fashion
Melissa Ethical Fashion 1
On the ethical fashion front, here’s a dose of good-news/bad-news from H&M: Bravo: “Along with its 2012 sustainability report, the Swedish retailer, which has 2,800 stores worldwide, released a list of 33 Cambodian factories from which it sources, along with the vendors who initiated the business relationships. By divulging the information, H&M said in a statement, it became ‘one of the first and largest fashion companies in the world to make its supplier/factory list public.’ ‘H&M wants to contribute to a more transparent and ultimately more sustainable fashion industry,’ the statement says.” Not-So-Bravo: “The list of factories includes at leastRead more
Apr
02
2013
Everyday Abolitionist & Ethical Fashionista: Jessica DiCroce
Melissa Ethical Fashion 0
Everyday Abolitionist is a recurring feature on the blog where we’ll hear about someone using their skills, talents, and opportunities to fight trafficking and exploitation. This time Jessica DiCroce of Barnabas Clothing shares how she got involved in using ethical fashion to bring help and compassion to people with HIV/AIDS in Kenya. Read about more Everyday Abolitionists. Barnabas Clothing Co. is more than a brand or apparel company, it is a way to think about your life and who it impacts. Here at Barnabas Clothing Co. we want to encourage you to live A Life Worth Imitating, by being boldRead more
Mar
05
2013
Everyday Abolitionist and Ethical Fashionista: Emily Gross
Melissa Ethical Fashion, Everyday Abolitionist 0
Everyday Abolitionist is a recurring feature on the blog where we’ll hear about someone using their skills, talents, and opportunities to fight trafficking. This time we’re sharing at story from Hagar about Emily Gross who sews kids’ clothes to help fight human trafficking—the height of ethical fashion! Read about more Everyday Abolitionists. Most afternoons, Emily Gross, of Kennesaw, Georgia, combats human trafficking with her sewing machine. Two years ago, she started taking online orders for children’s clothing. While her own children nap from 2:00 to 4:00pm, Emily sews. Each month, she donates 100% of the profits from her cottage industry,Read more
Feb
22
2013
The Impact of Human Trafficking at a Glance
Melissa Ethical Fashion 0
Today we’re heading to the Justice Conference in Philadelphia. We’ll have some updates for you on Facebook and Twitter throughout the weekend, and more on the blog in the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out SumAll’s creative take on conveying the problem of human trafficking and ethical fashion. Find out more about human trafficking. Shop ethical fashion made by survivors. Be a part of the solution: Be part of Stop Traffick Fashion.
Feb
13
2013
No Easy Answers
Melissa Ethical Fashion, Everyday Abolitionist 0
A free trade NGO called World Growth recently issued a report that’s critical of the fair trade movement. “The Fair Trade model claims it provides tangible benefits to small-scale farmers and workers, consumers and the environment. Yet, it requires costly compliance with Fair Trade’s labour and environmental standards” said Alan Oxley, Chairman of World Growth. “The result is exclusion of the poorest producers and workers most in need of higher returns.” “Much is at stake.” said Alan Oxley. “The Fair Trade model also sets fixed minimum prices which prop up unproductive industries in developing economies.” The World Growth reports showsRead more
Feb
07
2013
Weathering the Cold with Ethical Fashion
Melissa Ethical Fashion 0
Here are some scarves, hats, gloves, and other ethical fashion to get your through these shivery months. I’ll start with kids’ stuff because it’s the cutest. Purple Veggie Hat from Green Babies Flowery Pink Ear Warmer from Trade as One Now scarves for grown ups: Bamboo Infinity Scarf from Cariloha Hand Woven Scarves from Seven Hopes United Alpaca Wool Hooded Scarf from Global Girlfriend Ishingo Striped Scarf from Indego Africa Alpaca Hand Loomed Scarf from Indigenous And hats… Selkie Hat from Greenola Style And gloves… Zelda Armwarmer from Greenola Style Merino Gloves from Albam Learn about ethical fashion. ShopRead more