Hey dudes and dudesses,
Last week a small group of peeps from the Living Room gathered to watch this movie called “the True Cost”. It’s a movie about the fashion industry and some of the horrors that go on behind the scenes globally. If you get a chance you should watch it!
The fashion industry, like most other industries, isn’t bad in itself. And being a Christian doesn’t mean we need to stop buying nice clothes! (If you work in the fashion industry or in retail, this isn’t a stab at you)
But we do need to be discerning in our consumer choices (fashion and otherwise) — particularly where those choices are contributing to the enslavement and suffering of others.
While fairtrade clothes are still reasonably difficult to come by, there are more and more ethical websites and clothing brands that deliver to NZ (or are from NZ). Most items can now be bought if you spend a bit of time looking (for instance I recently bought some VERY stylish pajama bottoms. HUZZAH!).
However, if you like to browse and try clothes on (or just enjoy some good retail therapy!), it is still possible to shop ethically. Earlier in the year, I came across this very helpful Ethical Fashion Guide. It lists most big Australian/NZ clothing brands and grades them based on their workers’ rights and living wage guarantees. Download it and keep it on your desktop for easy access before you head out to the mall!
One final thing…and this isn’t so much about what we’re buying but how we’re buying. The fact is, ethical clothes tend to cost more. That can be a disincentive. But it’s not a good reason not to buy ethical clothes.
Rather, it challenges us to think about our consumer habits. By buying lots and lots of cheap clothes, we are contributing to the consumer mentality that fuels an unethical fashion industry. But if we buy fewer but better quality products (and seek to repair, reuse, and recycle those products), we are combating that consumer mentality and the oppressive practices that support that mentality.
Alright, rant over. If you like, I also have an ethical electronics guide that I can pass on. Comment below if you’d like it! ALSO, comment below if there are particular ethical fashion websites or tips that you’d like to share!
Blessings,
Jordan