Tagging Rights

Nov 29, 2007 @ 12:11pm

american apparel.jpgWe’ve always loved American Apparel, and not just for their stock of basics, but for that second part of their name- “Made In Downtown LA.”


But truth be told, we shop at a million other places, too, and a lot of them have labels that read more like, “Made in Taiwan.”

Today’s Wall Street Journal details the lives of two different cashmere sweaters, one designer and one mountain-wear. The first is is a $750 version from Brunello Cucinelli, made in a 17th century castle in Umbria where the workers enjoy siesta on a daily basis. The other comes from Lands’ End, $100, and manufactured in China (their spokesperson would not say where in China, only things like, “The employees feel honored to be employed there.” The WSJ thinks the sweater is made in less-than-okay conditions.)

But while the choice may seem clear from an ethical standpoint, what if you don’t have $750 to drop on a top? Do you abstain from clothing made in questionable situations altogether, or do you simply go for the cheaper sweater and argue that you could spend some of your savings on charity?

Obviously everybody wishes that sweat shops didn’t exist and that every clothing option was a moral one.

But since that’s not the reality at all, we’re wondering- does where, and how, a garment’s made dictate where you shop?

(0) recommend this link to (13) Comments
writer Natalie Hormilla
posted in Shopping tags American Apparel, Brunello Cucinelli, Lands' End

Comments

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posted by FashionNoob

Nov 29, 2007 1:06PM

How cool would it be if Fashionista partnered with Educating for Justice? These two people went to Indonesia to live the way sweatshop workers live, and it changed their lives.

Check out the website:

http://www.educatingforjustice.org/sweatshops.htm

posted by adopt a shelter pet

Nov 29, 2007 2:06PM

Very good point. I do buy with guilt at Uniqlo, and H&M.
On another note,
I just found out that leather coming from Asia has a large possibility of being dog leather, though it is still labeled as cow leather. But then I understand that leather is leather, whether it is from a cow or a dog. I am slowly trying to nix out anything cruel in my life, one product at a time.

It is sort of a similar subject to organic foods-Most cash strapped families cannot afford organic products. So they are living on cheap, gross food.....

Going off on tangents today.

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posted by guest

Nov 29, 2007 2:09PM

Vintage! The poor girl's couture. They are often made so much better than modern garments. I have at least 5 cashmere sweaters I have bought at thrift stores or vintage stores and have never paid over $30 for each. They might not be au courant, but classic and simple enough to look great. That's my way to avoid the ethical dilemmas posed by today's shopping and stay within my tiny budget.

posted by Kate

Nov 29, 2007 2:30PM

The best thing we can do is to support fair-trade and sustainably produced products in whatever fashion we can do--the hope is that economy of scale will eventually make such products accessible to everyone.

Along the same lines as vintage, and in response to adopt a shelter pet above...as a vegan, I have avoided leather for years, but PVC is certainly no environmentally-friendly solution. There are other options, sure (Vegan Queen handbag @ $750 a pop, anyone?); but designers are doing amazing things with reclaimed leather and cashmere lately. Check out Ashley Watson handbags, beau soleil (dresses w/ lovely recycled leather details), Deborah Lindquist and Avita (both recycled cashmere)...the list goes on.

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posted by patentleather

Nov 29, 2007 2:41PM

Sorry if this appears twice...

Food and clothes are two different stories for me. I ONLY eat organic, healthy food but I wear a lot of clothes that come from sweatshops. The price increase to eat healthy and chemical free food is a lot less extreme than the price increase between a shirt made in a chinese factory and one made under good conditions. Beyond that, a lot of designer wear is made under not so great conditions and with crappy materials and it still retardedly expensive...so a lot of time it isn't any better to spend more.

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posted by guest

Nov 29, 2007 3:08PM

I've made a commitment to myself not to buy items from China and manufacturers likely to use sweatshops. Recently I wanted to buy a cashmere sweater, but everything I saw came from China. My decision to boycott these places, I think, will result in a lot of money savings for me, since so much stuff is made in China. (No toys for my niece!) Anyway, I want to save my money for a more important purchase, so I will forgo the no-doubt beautiful $750 cashmere sweater from Italy.

posted by Jacqueminette

Nov 29, 2007 3:27PM

I went to a GAP focus group once and blasted them for their questionable practices re: child labor (which have since been mitigated somewhat). Not sure if this is still true, but a friend of mine from Mendocino said that a company affiliated with GAP was doing enough logging up there to get residents and North Coast environmentalists enraged.

posted by kenya

Nov 29, 2007 3:55PM

how and where a garment is made currently does not dictate how and where i shop. i do not have enough information to make an accurate assessment of the working conditions in
developing nations.

in china, there are 786 million farmers who average $317 in income per year. there are 129 million garment workers earning four times that at $1250 per year.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-10/27/content_386060.htm
http://www.manufacturingnews.com/news/06/0502/art1.html

my advice, buy the lower priced one. when the average chinese farmer and garment worker earn what we think they should earn, there will be no more $100 cashmere sweaters.

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posted by guest

Nov 29, 2007 6:19PM

Kenya, if "do not have enough information to make an accurate assessment of the working conditions in
developing nations," then why are you giving "advice"?

Kenya: "my advice, buy the lower priced one. when the average chinese farmer and garment worker earn what we think they should earn, there will be no more $100 cashmere sweaters."

It would be better if everything really thought about and found out about where these items were made and under what conditions and how it affects the workers and the potential buyer's country's situation. It is always best to become better informed.

posted by hannah

Nov 29, 2007 6:59PM

I feel a bit guilty about buying cheap clothes , but I can't afford a $750 sweater, or even a $100 one for that matter. I could stop shopping all together (which is like stopping breathing) or stop worrying about it until (if) I actually have the money to do anything else.

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posted by HermesWearsConverse

Nov 30, 2007 4:49AM

While this may seem a bit of a cold-hearted economic defense of big business, it is not intended to be such. There are two ways to look at buying cheap clothes. The first is that buying cheap clothes is promoting sweat-shop labor and forcing people in third world countries to work in terrible conditions. The other is to understand that if forced to pay similar wages in other countries, companies would not move their operations there and thus employment would not be created for people in those regions. Using western standards to look at employment situation can be almost as damaging as not thinking about the problem at all...That being said, companies who make things for soooo cheap that they don't even pay a liveable wage is out of the question in my shopping habits.

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posted by guest

Nov 30, 2007 7:59PM

Although I sympathize with garment-factory workers around the world and try to avoid sweatshop apparel as much as possible, I do not shop at American Apparel because the owner appears to be a pervert!

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_26/b3939108_mz017.htm

This is an old article so if anyone has any newer information absolving the company, please share! They have nice basics but thinking of him gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Lauren

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posted by guest

Dec 08, 2007 1:57PM

I am no fashion expert by any means, but the made in china dilemma goes way beyond cheaper priced clothing and accessories. Very recently I purchased a swing jacket at a high-end boutique in my hometown. It retailed for $375. Because of the price, not for one moment did I think to check the label to see where it was made. Only after I brought it home and wore it once, did I realize it was really not that well made and after checking the tag my worst fears were confirmed. It was MADE IN CHINA! I dont know what made me more mad, the fact that it probably came out of a sweatshop or the fact that the label had probably paid $25 to make the jacket and marked it up to an outrageous $375! Do they think we are idiots!

After that incident, I have been very adamant about checking where an item was made. Just because it is pricy, doesnt mean it is made well. The two are not synonymous anymore!

Check out this article from the New York times http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/23/opinion/23thomas.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Fashionista, I would love to see you write an article like this and call out those designers who are trying to pull the wool over our eyes. I guess this season profits are in, and quality is a fad from the past.

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