Fashion is fun but there is also another side to this very lucrative industry. This is something many of us do not give much thought to and probably prefer to ignore but in recent times it has been a topic we are having to consider when buying clothing .

Before we do any finger pointing, we do need to look at our own practices when buying clothing here in Australia and asking the question as the article above demonstrates . We like to think that our clothing manufacturers are only utilizing third world countries for making their garments but clearly that is not the case

Following the horrific fire in a Bangladeshi clothing factory in which 1229 souls perished and another 2500 people were injured, some clothing manufacturers pledged to practice more ethically and the sustainable ethically sourced clothing became more widely known to us the consumers. Clothing manufacturers pledged to improve conditions in foreign garment factories whilst improving safety and wages for workers

This also highlighted the downright dangerous conditions in these factories, for example the workers being locked in and working under extreme pressure to mass produce clothing for our consumption. In some countries child labour features largely in clothing factories and as it is often the case, families are relying on this meager income to survive so they are unlikely to protest at their working conditions . It is a double edged sword for these people trying to eke out an existence whilst supplying the insatiable need we have for more of the latest fashion items. We the consumers have a role to play in all of this and where possible need to purchase ethically made clothing items

Our Role As Consumers

Our insatiable need for the latest fashion items means that the rag trade is continually churning our large quantities of clothing to meet the consumer demand. Perhaps judiciously re evaluating our wardrobes and choosing a few core items that can be worn for most occasions is one solution . Also thinking before that impulsive buy that gets consigned to the closet( or worse still land fill) never to be seen, let alone worn again is a start. Shopping in thrift stores and cutting out the offending retailers all together. This means that one can also find some real treasures remembering that “One mans thrash is another mans treasure”