Who’s behind your favorite outfit?
Sweatshops in third world countries and forced child labor have characterized discussions around the apparel industry for the past decade.
Luckily, tides seem to be changing and consumers have many more options than they used to. Those looking to spend their money a bit more consciously, consider picking up clothing from one of the following outlets to be ethical in style.
Genie Tran | Rawr
American Apparel
Sexually-charged advertisements and risqué articles of clothing, oh my.
Yes, American Apparel is not a squeaky clean brand by all means but they certainly have a lot going for them in terms of ethical practice. American Apparel doesn’t use sweatshops at all, and well-paid employees make all of the company’s clothing right here in the U.S. Employees also receive awesome benefits and are eligible for healthcare coverage. On top of that, the company has progressive views on issues like gay marriage and immigration. Controversy towards American Apparel were mostly the result of actions by founder and CEO Dov Charney, but American Apparel’s board of directors ousted him in June. They may not be perfect, but most steps made by American Apparel are in the right direction.
Levi’s
Levi’s has essentially been around for over a century, and they’ve maintained a pretty decent reputation since then. Levi’s really shines in terms of their progressive stance on sustainability. The company has an environmental policy layout on their website that depicts their efforts towards a more sustainable product, which covers everything from suppliers and operations to materials and more. They’ve also made huge steps in using less water and using more sustainable materials in their products. We’re still waiting for Levi’s to bring production itself back to the U.S., but their commitment to the environment is something worth noticing.
H&M
H&M joins Levi’s as another company that does their part for the environment. The company has implemented textile-recycling programs in stores across the world and has an “H&M Conscious” collection that features clothing made out of recycled cotton. Additionally, a huge proportion of their clothing is made out of organic cotton. H&M has also joined several other companies in signing the “Bangladesh safety accord,” which is a commitment toward more ethical overseas manufacturing processes.
Alta Gracia
Alta Gracia may be the most unknown brand on this list, but they rank up with American Apparel in terms of their ethics and commitment to paying a living wage. The company pays their employees more than three times the national minimum wage and provides an income high enough to pay for education, healthcare, shelter and more. Currently, Alta Garcia only has stores on college campuses and they have one store in Idaho at the College of Idaho in Caldwell. Let’s hope that Alta decides to expand further and become a global competitor in fair practice.
Masen Matthews can be reached at [email protected]