I'm going to take a break from my usual mom-themed posts to talk about why I buy the majority of my clothes from thrift stores and yard sales even though I can afford to do otherwise. The recent collapse of the clothing factory in Bangladesh where 400+ people died due to shoddy construction and other safety violations (see www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22364891) has brought the issue of the human cost of cheap fashion back into public consciousness. So yes, that great shirt you found for next to nothing at H&M probably came from a factory very much like this one. I could go on to bemoan the consumerist nature of fashion and scold people for buying into this, but why? I don't have a problem with wanting to look good, follow trends, etc. What I do have a problem with is doing this at the expense of someone's right to safe working conditions (preferably) at a living wage. This especially angers me when the cost of improving factory safety to conform with legal standards in a particular country is often pennies to the shopper. A bargain brand's price is its main selling point, and these brands rightly assume that shoppers will go elsewhere if they have to pay a bit more. For every person like me that says "no thanks", there are hundreds of others who want that bargain and really don't care why it's so cheap.
So then why bother? Normally, I would agree. I tend to prefer to be an informed observer about social/political issues that I care about because I recognize that there are very few things I can do about them. With apologies to my more politically active friends, I believe that activism is largely a gathering of like-minded souls and rarely yields any tangible results. I say "rarely" instead of "never" because my friends' determination and committment has shown that it sometimes works so I do sip that haterade less frequently. I think this is an issue where people can actually do something although I'm under no illusions that my decision not to shop at Target, H&M,
etc will force these brands to change their wicked ways. By buying clothes at Goodwill, a consignment shop, etc, I'm not contributing to the problem. Plus, it saves lots of money, and I'd rather put the money I would spend on a new piece of clothing towards our mortgage, my daughter's college, etc. There are some things that are gross or impractical to buy used. Also, not everyone likes to grub around thrift stores and/or feels ok wearing used clothes. I think these are situations where someone can and should become part of the solution which is to buy from brands that use fair and safe labor practices. Major bargain labels won't die if you opt out, but individuals can make a difference for these smaller guys. Supporting a smaller or mid-sized ethical brand can help it grow into something like American Apparel, which can/does attract buyers away from the major offenders.
I'll end with this website/blog that has resources to help find things made in the US (www.usalovelist.com) as well as a plug for American Apparel, Fluevogs, Doc Martens, and thrift stores. Hope y'all think about this and see you at Goodwill!
