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12 Jun 2008

Ethical fashion...now I'm confused!

Posted by: Helen Spoor

Ethical fashion...now I'm confused!

So, ethical fashion – it has become a bit of a buzz term, everywhere you look you see the words ‘Look eco-fab’ or ‘eco-chic’, ‘Dress like the stars and save the planet at the same time!’

But when I see all this, deep down I feel a little niggle inside. Is this really the case? Can you look fantastic in the hottest trends and really be saving the planet? I think that in many cases, the answer is no.  Referring to Georgina’s blog last month, ‘Apocalypse now?’ it does seem that everyone is just jumping on the bandwagon.

But I do love clothes, I can’t deny it! And since I’ve started working in a sustainable communications company I’m becoming more aware of how unethical some of these clothing brands really are.

For many of us (including myself!) often keeping up with the trends means fast fashion, and fast fashion means cheap, disposable clothes.  But with this comes a price.  You know that if you buy a top for £1.50, it is unlikely to be ethically made.  Kate Fletcher talks about this in Sandy Black’s new book ‘Eco chic’.

"Fast isn’t free – someone somewhere is paying” – p.175 Eco chic 2007, Matilda Lee.

However, in a bid to keep up with the shopper’s conscience, shops like Primark now sell organic cotton, letting shoppers breathe a sigh of relief that they can still buy their clothes at ridiculously cheap prices and without feeling guilty that some poor worker has worked 15 hours picking the cotton.

But is this the case? Or does organic just mean no pesticides have been used? Consumers are confused! And I think that it half the reason why people don’t go for more ethically sourced brands is because they don’t really know the difference it makes!

That is why I breathe a sigh of relief that in amongst the bid for the ‘ethical crown’, there are attempts to educate people.  Take the BBC’s latest venture.  Their BBC 3 programme Blood, Sweat and T-shirts documents the story of 6 young fashion addicts as they travel through India experiencing the life of a factory workers, and cotton pickers producing clothes for the British Clothing Industry. Although in places you sometimes wonder if these young people have learnt anything (losing an £800 emerald bangle whilst working in a cotton factory?!), it demonstrates the stark reality of the industry and definitely provides food for thought…

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