Ethical Fashion
Overview
What is ethical fashion, why is it important, and why are we just hearing aboutit now? Well, to answer these questions we start with what is wrong withclothing production today. Most clothing available in stores today is produced in an unethical manner using sweatshop and/or child labour to ensure a larger profit margin. Manufacturers use unsustainable fabrics like non-organic cotton (dubbed asnatural, it accounts for almost 25% of all pesticide use) and polyester (whichis a petroleum by-product). They use conventional dying practices which releasechlorine, chromium, and other pollutants into the environment posing a healthrisk to the farmers, assemblers and wearers (7 of the top 15 pesticides used onconventional US cotton crops are "possible" to "known"human carcinogens). The shift to ethical production practices in the clothingindustry has been undeniably important for a long time making the market ripefor a positive change. Consumers are starting to demand better.
What is Ethical Fashion?
Ethical fashion is that which is produced using: fairly-paid and fairly-treatedadult workers; sustainable fabrics and materials like organic cotton, hemp,bamboo, and reclaimed or recycled materials; low-impact fiber-reactive dyes orvegetable dyes; respect for a healthy environment and/or product for thefarmer, the assembler, and the wearer of the clothing.
Why Ethical Fashion?
We are all responsible for how our own lifestyles affect the environment.Simple measures can be taken to achieve big changes by simply switching ourbuying patterns to include products made of low impact materials. Positive pressure on businesses who have yet to voluntarily clean up their acts is very easily applied bysimply choosing not to spend money on their products, and helping little bylittle to grow the businesses who have made an explicit commitment toresponsible business practice.
Why Now?
The wonderful thing about the booming ethical fashion industry is the hugevariety of designs, colours, cuts, fabrics and sizes now available. Longstigmatized as cousin to the burlap sack, the ethical offerings today aredesign-oriented. Designers with heart are creating beautiful, sexy, edgy,classic, current, imaginative, and, yes, flattering pieces ethics will simplynot be compromised and thankfully neither will the look and feel of their work.Reducing our footprint can be done without making any sacrifices.
One of the main driving forces of the ethical fashion boom is public awareness.Thanks to exposs on large manufacturers, the fact that sweatshop labour isused for the overwhelming majority of production can no longer be ignored. Thepower of boycotting has been demonstrated, as has the power of voting with ourdollars to support good practice. Thanks to accessible work like "AnInconvenient Truth", the lay person is no longer free to assuage theirenvironmental guilt with the denial of the existence of climate change. Thanksto alternative medical practitioners, who deal with cause instead of justsymptom, we're learning that we can build health by surrounding ourselves withand consuming healthy things.
Consumers are growing weary of the quantity without qualitymentality. Most designers with an ethical bent to their art, work in smallbatches, producing high quality goods with exceptional fabrics. Consumers are,in growing numbers, appreciating the right to vote with their dollars; and areexercising it to support expansion of the sustainable textile industry, smallfarmers and farm co-operatives. We're all looking for ways to reduce ourenvironmental impact, increase our social contribution, ease our consciences,hold on to some creature comforts, and continue celebrating art in all itsforms.
Summary: An article to bring people up to speed on the ethical fashion boom.Defines ethical fashion, and discusses why so many people are open to it now,and how we all can be.
About the Author:
Written byKerry MacMullin, director of an eco friendly green clothing site. They can be found at
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