ABOVE: Ariana Floury rocks a scarf from Kohl’s, a skirt from Plato’s Closet and shoes from Wet Seal.
By Julia Berkman
If 2016 has taught us anything, it is the importance of being critical. The criticism of our inherent values and habits is necessary sometimes. The more we see and hear about newsworthy hypocrites and liars, the more it makes me want to look inwards at my own fallacies. Something that doesn’t sit well with me is the clothes I buy. Where do they come from? How long will they last? How much are the people who make them paid?
Our problem arises in a way commonly referred to as cognitive dissonance: the state of holding two opposing views. We know that the clothes we are putting on our backs are made with cheap or free labor. Yet, our own status and comfort in this society relies heavily on the way we look.
ABOVE: Sadie Mckinney bought her jacket and shoes from Foever 21 and the rest of her clothes from thrift stores.
In fact, according to a study published at Ohio State University, Americans look negatively upon those who take the time and effort to shop ethically. The common citizen understands where their clothes are from, but doesn’t have the energy to change their habits. In a habit akin to vegan-shaming, we know those who shop ethically are doing the right thing, and we kind of hate them for that.
To understand this dissonance better, I spoke to two Western students about the clothes they were wearing. Elle, sporting a bright blue outfit, and Brigit, in all black from stores such as H&M, gave me their thoughts on the clothing industry.
“I enjoy cheap clothing because I can’t afford expensive stuff,” Elle says.
Brigit was wearing clothes from stores dubbed ‘fast fashion.’
“I know H&M has treated their employees poorly, but the clothes are cheap and the kind of clothes I want, so I’m very conflicted about whether I should shop there or not,” she said.
ABOVE: Chellce King shows off her ensemble, which includes a scarf from Value Village, pants from Forever 21 and shoes that were a gift.
The human rights violations in the clothing industry are widely publicized. Cheap and on trend clothing companies such as Forever 21 and H&M have tried to improve conditions for their workers with varying success. The fact of the matter is, in order for us to be able to purchase cheap clothes that fit the current trends, the rights of others are sacrificed.
When companies come under fire for violations of human rights, it rarely affects sales. One exception to this rule was Nike. They found that making the same shoes in the United States would raise the price by $100. Instead, they outsourced to Korea and Taiwan, where workers in the factories were treated so horribly that by 1997 people began to notice. News outlets slandered Nike, producing infographics of the amount the factory workers were paid compared to the athletes who wore Nike sneakers.
ABOVE: Sydney Stewart struts her stuff in a hat from Fair Trade and a sweater from Free People.
Nike was forced to come up with new standards and regulations to be put into place in their factories, although whether those regulations have been upheld is unknown. If all companies were criticized for their factory conditions, perhaps the standards overall could change for the clothing industry.
Abolishing these factories would be a double-edged sword. The workers of the factories would lose their jobs and the price of clothing would increase dramatically.
ABOVE: Hannah Wong’s socks were hand knitted by her mom, and the rest of her outfit is thrifted.
Most humanitarians suggest supporting coalitions that focus on the safety of workers, acting like a United Nations of outsourced clothing companies; they hold each other to a higher standard. One such alliance, based in Bangladesh, is working to create safer work environments after the collapse of Rana Plaza in 2013, which killed 1,129 people.
So how can you keep your clothes and your morals? Consider a few options.
Thrift stores are both sustainable and cheap, but don’t work for everyone. We can’t all find clothes that fit us and our personal style well.
ABOVE: Sky Waters wears leggings and boots from DSW and tops from Pacsun.
When you want to get rid of your clothes, donate them! Fast fashion companies are producing clothes at an overwhelming rate, and the amount of fabric thrown out piles up, creating an environmental problem. Reusing or recycling your old clothes can help the environment and your wallet.
Lasty, stay critical. If there is a company whose human rights violations go above and beyond the norm, boycott it. Share articles about it. Let them know that, like Nike, their practices are inexcusable. As consumers, we have more power in this world than most companies would like you to know.
ABOVE: Madelynn got her dress from a thrift shop and jacket from Old Navy. All photos by Janna Bodnar // AS Review
