I’m excited to have just found a helpful, practical resource for philanthropically-minded souls who care about labor rights, conservation and environmental stewardship and generally speaking, social justice via economic empowerment. It’s a blog called “Adventures of the Engaged Consumer.”
The title of this post “Where are you wearing?” is not a typo. It is the question author Kelsey Timmerman asks us to consider. This question is part of a larger stream of consciousness about the things that pass through our everyday lives; Where (geographically) do these things come from? What are they made from and who makes them? How do they get into our hands or our houses and where will they go after we don’t want them or need them anymore? Being a conscious consumer means taking a moment to consider the answers and make informed buying decisions.
Here’s an excerpt from his latest post on Fair Fashion, which provides some “quick and dirty” guidance to buying clothing:
1) Avoid department store labels. I would rather go with an established brand like Levi’s than JCPenney’s signature label or Wal-Marts ironic label Faded Glory.
2) Nothing from Wal-Mart or Wal-Mart-like stores unless it’s a T-shirt and it’s hilarious (I have my weaknesses).
3) If given a choice between something made in China or somewhere else, go with somewhere else. What’s [considered by the government to be] right in China is what grows the nation’s economy and for the most part this makes labor rights wrong. It’s okay to buy shoes made in China because it’s tough to find any that are made elsewhere and going barefoot stinks. (I’m not calling for a boycott of China, it’s just how I feel.)
4) Reference the pocket-sized book The Better World Shopping Guide by Ellis Jones. The guide grades products, retailers, and brands on their social and environmental practices. Patagonia gets an A but none of their products are found at our mall. But Levi’s, GAP, and Eddie Bauer get Bs and are.
In a pinch, these are my quick and dirty standards. They aren’t perfect. What I would really like to see are the major retailers providing ethical options that cost a little more. We have organic/natural aisles in all of our local grocery stores, so why can’t we have a few racks of socially and environmentally conscious clothing?
(Take a few minutes and write to your favorite retailer and ask for an ethical option.)
Thanks, Kelsey, for doing the hard work for us by teaching us how to be engaged consumers. Here’s are links to reach some of Chicago’s most popular retailers to share your support (I recommend the corporate office because individual stores may have little incentive to pass on your suggestion):
Tags: apparel, conscious consumer, CSR, philanthropy, Wal-Mart
