Fashion is a decision no one can escape from. Whether willingly or not, we all participate in the industry simply by wearing clothes every day. From a thrifted item, to a fast fashion find, to a designer accessory- each purchase is essentially a vote for the company who is selling the item.

You may be fueling the company that uses child labor. You may be giving the ok to the company that lets people work in dangerous conditions. Most fast fashion leads to the search for cheap labor. Cheap labor leads to unsafe conditions and low wages to cut costs.

The discussion of sweatshops in the apparel industry has been a trending issue for years now since the Rana Plaza collapse four years ago, but consumers are so removed from the production process, they have no idea what happens behind the scenes.

Discrimination and sexual harassment are frequent problems
Most factories do not have a nurse on site or maternity leave
Poor ventilation and exposure to harmful chemicals leave workers impaired for a lifetime
Inadequate pay gives no escape from lives of poverty

Instead of trying to abstain from the industry altogether, we as consumers must consider how the clothes we buy affect more than just ourselves.

Ask how your clothes are made and who is being hurt by the process.

Be engaged with everything you buy. See where it comes from, and how people making your products are treated. If after some digging you can’t find answers, it’s probably not disclosed for a reason. The more transparency companies show, the better.

Blind consumerism must end and the fashion industry must shift to meet consumer demands.

If enough “votes” are made, ethical fashion will one day be the norm.

This is how you can help:

Do your research-look for brands that represent issues important to you and investigate companies you frequent.
Connect on social media- voice your expectations, ask questions about supply chains, provoke conversation.
Make the switch- ditch the shady companies for the ethical brands working hard to raise the standard.

Clothes have the transformative powers to make us feel like the best versions of ourselves. Choosing ethical fashion need not compromise that feeling. Demand pricing and production transparency.