She writes:

[W]hat has been liberating for Western women is a system built literally on the backs of women in the developing world. How do Primark and its competitors in the West’s shopping malls and High Streets keep that cute frock so cheap? By starving and oppressing Bangladeshi, Chinese, Mexican, Haitian, and other women, that’s how.

We all know that cheap clothing is usually made in sweatshop conditions – and usually by women. And we know – or should know – that women in sweatshops around the world report being locked in and forbidden to use bathrooms for long periods, as well as sexual harassment, violent union-busting, and other forms of coercion.

If women around the world who are held in the bondage of sweated labor manage to win this crucial fight, that cute dress at Primark may cost a fair amount more. But it already costs too much to the women who can’t afford to feed and house themselves and their children.

In light of yesterday’s protest in Cambodia, Ms. Wolf’s thought-provoking article is timely indeed.

(via Feministe)

In international news today, striking factory workers in Phnom Penh were beaten and tasered by police this week while protesting their low wages, reports the British media.

The Cambodian workers — mostly women — were earned less than £1 per day (or $1.56 in USD) producing clothes in a factory owned by a Malaysian firm that contracts with apparel brands like Gap, Benetton, Adidas, and Puma. Nine workers were injured in the riot.

The Daily Mail writes:

All four clothing and sporting companies linked to the factory have come under severe criticism from investigators for the harsh conditions endured and low wages given to their Third World employees.

Reports by charities such as Oxfam have found that the apparel industry, whether for designer labels or for garments that carry the names of big sporting companies such as Adidas, Nike and Puma, uses and abuses sweatshops.

Oxfam points out that workers in developing countries are paid minimal wages and are often forced to endure long hours in harsh and often dangerous conditions producing some of the world’s most expensive and coveted brands.

It’s particularly unsettling news given that Benetton is so well-known for its marketing campaigns invoking human rights, like the 1998 ad reprinted above.

Want to speak out on behalf of these workers? Sign up to receive the Clean Clothes Campaign newsletter for activism in your area.

Tetta Matera, a writer for the Philippine Star, used her column inches today to explore what has become known as “purse parties,” social events at which upper-middle-class women in the Philippines enjoy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails while browsing counterfeit luxury merchandise. The practice is illegal, but that fact has done little to quell its popularity — not just overseas but in America as well.

Ms. Matera writes on the ripple effects of these parties:

A researcher named Renee Richardson Gosline became curious about the phenomenon and conducted research over a period of two and a half years. She followed purse parties and traveled through social networks to document the attendees’ behavior. She found that most of the women didn’t seem to mind the illegality of their behavior because of the friendly atmosphere at the parties. But what she didn’t expect was, over a period of time, these women began checking out the brands’ websites and became converts to the real thing. They reconciled their dishonest public behavior with their positive, private self-image and the latter one won over time. In the end these women realized that nothing could substitute for the real deal.

With gorgeous designer bags now at all price points — one new favorite of ours is the Michael Kors Hamilton, a bargain at under $300 — there’s no good reason to buy fake anymore.

In a recent interview posted on Anthropologie’s website, he talks about his shopping strategies and how to avoid the dreaded buyer’s remorse:

I always look for integrity. I don’t like things that have been monkeyed around with too much — or if they have been manipulated, it has to be intentional, almost ironic. I also look for things with a great patina or things that narrate the experience of where I am. …

I used to feel I needed to buy variety. It made me make choices that weren’t based on falling in love with something. The thing with found objects is you have to be open to happening upon something and responding to it. If you have too strong an agenda, you are going to force your eye into seeing things that may not be there.

Sounds right in line with our thoughts on successful thrift shopping. The point being: The secret to being a world-class shopper is selectiveness. And with enough patience and an eye for quality, anyone can become one.

Everybody, at some point, figures out that all clothes are not created equal, despite the fact I made my first pair of shorts at the ripe of age of seven, it wasn’t until I was 18 at an outlet mall that I realized not all clothes are created equal. We all may begin to think about ethical style in different ways and at different times, but I’m just happy when another person discovers their own personal fashion ethics. Here are a few stories of other people’s discovery. –Kara Cook

A few years ago, I became fascinated with the concept of barefoot running and the materials and technology that go into make “barefoot” shoes. The New Yorker had an article on them and I remember scouring it and then looking for other resources and information on the barefoot phenomenon and shoes which replicated barefoot movement or the sensation of running in bare feet, like Nike Free, Vibram Five Fingers, Vivo Bare, etc. I loved the fashion sense of the Vivo Bare, all while feeling like I was doing something good for my feet with a company that was unique. Now, I want to get more of them.
–Katherine from Connecticut

When we discover the origin of where most of our modern-day clothing comes from and who is behind sewing the hem of your pants or the seams of your blouse — sweatshops in 3rd world countries with abominable working standards grossly under U.S. standards — it is rather unsettling. But what are the options to avoid supporting such a depraved system? When I was in 7th grade my mother would take me to a consignment store where I found most of my wardrobe. Fortunately for me, my classmates appreciated my vibrant wardrobe. As a young person I shopped at consignment shops to save money, but as an adult I shop at consignment shops to find vintage styles and avoid supporting the giant sweatshop machine, which is behind nearly every commercial fashion label…I save money too!
–Jenny from Texas

I was standing in a crowded, smoke filled bar… well, maybe it wasn’t quite that bad. I was at my favorite country bar when I happened to notice that most of the people on the dance floor were dancing in beautiful cowboy boots. There were a few flip-flops here and there, but most of the “true” devotees wore leather cowboy boots. In that moment I knew that I wanted to buy myself — in all my California glory — a pair of genuine cowboy boots. When I returned to California for a visit I convinced my mom to go shopping. We walked into the one western store in California and that’s when I saw them: the perfect leather boots for my line dancing ways. I knew that they were going to be an investment, but that the trade-off would be the wear I would get from them because of durable exterior and solidly constructed interior. Those boots have been dancing (or walking), ever since.
–Angelena from California

Even though I don’t think about it too much, most of my eclectic bracelets and necklaces are recycled. One of my favorite memories growing up was sitting at my grandma’s kitchen table while she poured out pile after pile of her old jewelry, telling me I could pick out whatever I wanted! Hence my jewelry box is overflowing with everything from genuine stone necklaces, to lightning bolt earrings, big bangle bracelets, and rings from the 1920′s. Those small treasures mean more to me now than ever before. My sweet grandma recently had to move into an assisted living home and her health is rapidly declining. Each time I put on a piece of her jewelry — no matter how funky or out of style — it reminds me of her and makes me thankful for family.
–Sarah from Alabama

My first encounter with ethical style wasn’t something I was looking for – or to be honest – had ever really given much thought to. I was studying in Morocco and made the obligatory trip to Fes (or Fez for you westerners). Fes is home to the famous Moroccan tanneries, a smelly and involved process to dye and craft genuine leather goods. Now Morocco wasn’t my first encounter with local artisans or even my first time seeing a craft produced from beginning to end, but the tanneries of Fes were my first view into the old world process of producing leather goods that made you feel good about the quality of leather you were purchasing and the value of buying a bag (or shoes, or jacket, or ottoman, or all of the above) that would last a lifetime. I may have bought more than one leather bag in Morocco – but they’re still getting lots of use – and will continue to carry my books, and car keys, and wallet for years to come.
–Ally from Louisiana

Ethics and shopping is something that hit close to home with me the first time I ever left the continent. It was to Ghana, West Africa for two weeks the summer after I graduated high school. I’d never been to somewhere so poor. On a trip we got an opportunity to go to the local market to shop for gifts for friends, family and supporters. The translators took us to the “tourist” market with their colorful clothing, cool and funky jewelry, beautiful batiks and many, many other things all handmade with the makers standing there selling them. Even though we knew that the prices were “jacked up” because they like to haggle and tourists don’t know the local value of things, I always felt bad in the midst of the price banter because all I could think was, “Am I really haggling over the difference between 5 and 10 dollars for this?”

Turns out, the exchange is quite fun when you realize that haggling is the people’s social time and that they would never go below what’s necessary to sustain their family. Anyway, even though I learned to haggle, I still have a tendency to overpay for things and let them think they swindled me because in the end, it could feed a whole family where they wouldn’t have been able to eat before. All this to say, I really pay attention now that I’m back in the U.S. to which stores sell fair-trade products. I have never had buyer’s remorse from single fair trade item I’ve purchased. And how often can you say that?
–Chelsea from California

The modern age teaches us rather impatience.  We are encouraged toward fast food to satiate quick-forming appetites, soundbites to cut to the chase, cheap “disposable” clothing to suit every passing whim.  Gone is a life of contemplation, appreciation for the craft of the things with which we surround ourselves.  These days, it’s practically vogue to do what I’m doing — disparaging mass production.  And really, Walmart and China may be praised today for making more things available to more people.  But “more” — more emails per minute, more food on your plate, more plastic cups per dollar — isn’t always better.  I worry about the volume our modern culture has enabled us to have has supplanted a deeper appreciation for higher things, things made, written, and crafted with thought. --world traveler and blogger Ms. Glasses

” Traveling Denim ” Recording color fade for two years from Takayuki Akachi on Vimeo.

One of my favorite song quotes of all time is from Ani DiFranco’s 1991 debut album:

“I am looking for the holes
The holes in your jeans
Because I want to know
Are they worn out in the seat
Or are they worn out in the knees?”

Such a simple metaphor speaks to a life well lived. And a similar sentiment is also captured in this beautiful video by Japanese artist Takayuki Akachi, which chronicles two years in the life of a beloved pair of blue jeans. She wore them in 50 countries, documenting every rip and faded fiber. It’s a powerful testament to how your wardrobe — the longer you keep it — becomes a part of your history. Watch and learn.

(via Green by Design)

Microfinance is the hottest thing in philanthropy at the moment. Charitable organizations support entrepreneurship in developing countries by giving small grants or loans to people with great business ideas but no capital to make it happen. Women in particular benefit greatly from these programs.

As an example of one such successful endeavor, the Kohtrad Silk Project is making magic happen for silk weavers in the Isaan region of northeast Thailand. Farquhar Simpkin, Kohtrad’s founder, emailed us about the project this morning:

There are many independent silk weavers scattered around the Isaan area.  Many can not speak English and do not know how to market their products online.  So the aim of the project is to bring the silk weavers together and give them an online platform to sell their products to the world.

The silk weavers receive good fair trade pay for their talented work, and the income generated from the project will help many of the weavers to pay school fees for their children, build a business, stay in the area, enjoy their everyday work and keep their silk weaving skills and traditions alive.

For every silk men’s shirt sold, Kohtrad is reinvesting 10 percent of the profits in Kiva.org‘s microfinance program, so that other small business owners around the world can get their own foot in the door. And 50 percent of the profits from the sale of Kohtrad’s silk scarves and shawls has been pledged to building an internet hub for the use of the residents of Isaan.

Did we mention the scarves are absolutely beautiful? And ideal for anyone still looking for a Father’s Day gift…

Kohtrad Silk Project Black and Gold Silk Scarf, $22.10 at SilkScarfShawls.com.

China has long been the stronghold for American clothing companies on the prowl for cheap manufacturing, but decades of exporting labor to Guangdong has had an inevitable side effect: Chinese workers have gotten so skilled, they can command more money.

So apparel companies — particularly sneaker brands like New Balance, Saucony, and Keds — are now looking elsewhere to keep costs down and profits high. And Indonesia is looking pretty attractive for growth potential, reports The Boston Globe:

China once lured American companies to build plants in its economic zones near its large coastal cities with low costs and a seemingly endless number of workers, but it is becoming a more challenging place to do business for some industries. Chinese are getting more skilled, and are finding business opportunities inland, so fewer people are moving to the zones.

And the labor shortage is driving up costs: In the export hub of Guangdong province, several cities last month increased their minimum wages by up to 20 percent. Workers there now earn up to $160 a month, compared with laborers in Indonesia who make roughly $100 to $120 a month.

Other brands mentioned in the article include Mizuno, Saucony, Nike, Reebok, and Adidas. To compare, New Balance operates a factory in Massachusetts where workers earn up to $12 an hour with full benefits. That’s quite a difference, even taking cost of living into account.

You all know by know that we’re fans of Brilliant Earth’s work to support sustainable and responsible jewelry making. Now the company is working to fight the horrifying consequences of the blood diamond trade in Zimbabwe — but they want your help.

Danielle from BrilliantEarth.com writes us:

Several years ago, following the global outcry against blood diamonds that led to the KP, Brilliant Earth was founded to pioneer a new way of doing business in the jewelry industry. Our idea was simple: to offer high-quality jewelry that is ethical and beneficial for all involved. As a retailer, we feel passionate about—and even responsible for—creating a more humane diamond industry.

To further our consumer educational campaigns, we have launched a petition on Change.org to give individuals an easy and effective way to add their voice to the call for Kimberley Process reform. To show our support and encourage consumer action, we will donate a dollar to communities harmed by the jewelry trade for every new signature up to $10,000!

Read the company’s Blood Diamonds Fact Sheet to bone up on recent developments in the trade of conflict gems first. Because only you can decide whether this is a cause you believe in.

Many books have been written about how a French woman eats and dates. But what you may not realize is that understated French style is actually eco-friendly by default — “less is more” means you’re more selective and less wasteful with what you buy. (Bonus: Dressing so attentively means you will likely spend less over time as well.)

Here are a few tips to coax out your inner Parisienne:

• Whip your hair into fab shape. L’Institut Leonor Greyl, one of France’s most celebrated hair clinics, is well known for its scalp treatments. You can recreate the experience at home by kneading Weleda’s Rosemary Hair Oil into your roots for an invigorating scalp massage, then shampoo out. Complete the look with buffed, groomed nails; contrary to what you may think, just say no to French manicures.
• “Pared down” is the name of the game in French beauty. A swipe of lipstick and a dab of your signature perfume is all you really need to leave the house. (Eco-options abound for both, but here are our picks.)
• The keys to French style is exquisite tailoring and maintenance. You needn’t spend a fortune on basics, so long as they fit you like they were custom made for your measurements and you keep them looking their best. Buy the best quality you can afford, then get a tailor on speed dial. Keep shoes polished, jewelry sparkling, and frayed hems under control.
• Show restraint. Always remember proportion and balance: If you wear heaps of pearls like Coco Chanel, go easy on bracelets, earrings, and rings. Draw attention to one feature at a time.
• Own a great handbag in a neutral color. That means black, grey, cognac, and white, preferably in leather. You want something that will go with any outfit, day or night, so make sure it’s smaller than a bichon frise.