Fair brands are cropping up (yay!)...new products are being dreamed up (yippee!)...and new conscious policies are being implemented (hooray!) all the time! We are in exciting times of development in awareness + response to sustainable + ethical practices in the garment industry!
Able's wage disclosure plan is one of the most exciting ideas I've encountered recently. Able has published the lowest wage of their Nashville employees + how it stacks up to the published, Nashville living wage. They plan to do the same for their garment workers involved in making their bags, shoes, clothing + other products elsewhere in the world in the months to come. There are a few holes in this scheme such as the fact that many more hands go into making a garment than just the sewist. There are farmers, weavers, dyers, + transporters to name a few. Living wages can be controversial numbers as well. Fair-trade certification may be a better indicator of compliance, but I do believe that Able's disclosure plan has significance.
A few more developments include:
Hackwith Design House, the Minneapolis-made women's clothing line, has a spot on their site where they sell samples + preowned Hackwith pieces. There is a process for sending in worn pieces + earning money toward new ones. Items beyond repair will be made into new pieces! Amazing commitment toward zero-waste!
Domi, maker of organic cotton sleepwear in GOTS certified factories, is making daywear.
Ijji, maker of California-made, unisex pants + jackets is about to launch the softest looking corduroy pieces. The lines of those pants look just so good.
Industry of All Nations, maker of fair-trade goods, is making sunglasses hand-carved in Ethiopia!
A few new-to-me discoveries in the past year are:
Everybody World :: something inspiring + different...made in the USA clothes, designed for + by everybody...including tees made from 100% recycled cotton!
Mate the Label :: organic cotton basics made in Los Angeles
LA Relaxed :: Knits for women, made in Los Angeles with natural materials, paid fair wages
Elegantees :: knit tops + dresses made by women in Nepal who have escaped sex trafficking, for women + girls (I especially like the girls' dresses)
Freeset :: fair-trade, non-profit for freedom from slavery in India, offering bags, scarves, and organic tees for men + women
The last thing I want to do is to offer another place that promotes consumption. It is my hope that highlighting a few brands doing good work...and assembling a list of ethical brands...will provide a resource for those times when we do need to add a piece to our collection of useful tools (our wardrobes). :) The fairdare list of ethical brands is being constantly updated. I also enjoy celebrating innovation + progress toward a garment industry that we can be proud of...one that not only provides for consumers, but also promotes the flourishing of garment workers, farmers + the environment.
All lovely photos via links.
Love,
Jane
Able's wage disclosure plan is one of the most exciting ideas I've encountered recently. Able has published the lowest wage of their Nashville employees + how it stacks up to the published, Nashville living wage. They plan to do the same for their garment workers involved in making their bags, shoes, clothing + other products elsewhere in the world in the months to come. There are a few holes in this scheme such as the fact that many more hands go into making a garment than just the sewist. There are farmers, weavers, dyers, + transporters to name a few. Living wages can be controversial numbers as well. Fair-trade certification may be a better indicator of compliance, but I do believe that Able's disclosure plan has significance.
A few more developments include:
Hackwith Design House, the Minneapolis-made women's clothing line, has a spot on their site where they sell samples + preowned Hackwith pieces. There is a process for sending in worn pieces + earning money toward new ones. Items beyond repair will be made into new pieces! Amazing commitment toward zero-waste!
Domi, maker of organic cotton sleepwear in GOTS certified factories, is making daywear.
Ijji, maker of California-made, unisex pants + jackets is about to launch the softest looking corduroy pieces. The lines of those pants look just so good.
Industry of All Nations, maker of fair-trade goods, is making sunglasses hand-carved in Ethiopia!
A few new-to-me discoveries in the past year are:
Everybody World :: something inspiring + different...made in the USA clothes, designed for + by everybody...including tees made from 100% recycled cotton!
Mate the Label :: organic cotton basics made in Los Angeles
LA Relaxed :: Knits for women, made in Los Angeles with natural materials, paid fair wages
Elegantees :: knit tops + dresses made by women in Nepal who have escaped sex trafficking, for women + girls (I especially like the girls' dresses)
Freeset :: fair-trade, non-profit for freedom from slavery in India, offering bags, scarves, and organic tees for men + women
The last thing I want to do is to offer another place that promotes consumption. It is my hope that highlighting a few brands doing good work...and assembling a list of ethical brands...will provide a resource for those times when we do need to add a piece to our collection of useful tools (our wardrobes). :) The fairdare list of ethical brands is being constantly updated. I also enjoy celebrating innovation + progress toward a garment industry that we can be proud of...one that not only provides for consumers, but also promotes the flourishing of garment workers, farmers + the environment.
All lovely photos via links.
Love,
Jane
