There is nothing that I love more than clothing. It is, in all seriousness, the reason that I get up in the morning. The joy I feel when I stand in front of my closet prepared to style the “perfect outfit” in incomparable. Fashion week(s) is my favorite time of the year, the artistry of the garments and the shows themselves give me new inspiration that I take incredibly seriously.  By proxy, shopping is my favorite hobby. As someone who has worked retail and been called a shopaholic not only by her friends but also by her staff, I have been forced to acknowledge that my obsession is incredibly unhealthy, yet regardless of how hard I try, I make absolutely no progress.
I am however, as a young political activist, often distraught by the constant flow of human rights violations committed by some of my favorite brands and companies. A Human Rights Watch report published at the beginning of this year revealed that conditions at garment factories aren’t simply bad, they are actually criminally abusive. Americans have reason to cringe over the sad conditions forced on Cambodian clothing makers. The United States is the top destination for “Made in Cambodia” clothes. Major brands such as Gap, Marks & Spencer and Adidas all rely on Cambodians to stitch their clothing. Stores like H&M can sell hoodies for as little as $25 because Cambodian women (almost all the workers are women) will sew for roughly 50 cents per hour. The Study reports that a Gap factory “discriminated against pregnant workers in hiring. Workers reported that women who gave birth did not receive maternity pay even when they had worked at the factory for more than a year. The workers described seeing a fellow worker dismissed for refusing overtime work. Even though the factory employed more than 300 workers, there was no infirmary or nurse in the factory.”
This isn’t just Cambodia problem, though, and it isn’t recent. We have been hearing reports of the Retail industry’s negligence for way too long. I remember sitting in my 8th grade History class watching BBC news videos shot in Chinese sweatshops and Indian huts of children hand stitching clothing sized t-shirts that they would never have the chance to wear, and vowing that I would never buy clothing made anywhere but America again. I remember reading and article in the Huffington post published a few years later, once again examining the failure of the industry, swearing to my mother once more that I would never again shop at my favorite stores. But the simple fact was, my protests could only be so effective alone, and so eventually I caved.Â
As I began contemplating turning 20 this summer, I decided that it was time for me to put my activism and social concern into the type of action I could maintain and be proud of throughout my adult life. I couldn’t decide to never walk into a J crew or Zara again, that was just unrealistic, so I devised a formula to keep me on track that are so practical anyone can adopt one or two to make their habits a bit more sustainable and globally conscious!
1. Buy Secondhand
Buying clothing secondhand not only allows you to reduce your direct financial support to companies with questionable labor practices, it also reduces your environmental footprint, not to mention its positive effects on your wallet!
2. Buy Things Locally, or at least made in America
Putting your money into local vendors, or vendors that support American workers directly is a simple yet highly effective was to positively impact our own economy while similarly watching your environmental footprint and making a statement about correct labor practices globally.
3. Begin to Invest for your Future
Instead of spending $100 and walking out of Forever 21 with 5 items, spend your money instead on nicer more expensive pieces. These are the types of garments that you will be able to keep for the next 15-20 years because in the long run, buying quality pieces is WAY more economically savvy than you think it is since they last a lifetime longer. This is also a great way to begin to refine your style, and prepare your for the real world that is coming soon.  Mainly, though, buying pieces that are more expensive more often than not has a direct correlation to the amount of money the company spent to make it, which means better labor practices. So really it’s a win, win for you!
4. Buy real leather, not pleather
Because plastic/vegan leathers they are synthetic fabrics, they are often created in questionable factory settings (this goes for most synthetic fabrics in general as well). Real leather, however, because it is much harder to handle and often requires special apprenticeship is much more sustainable (though it does come from animals). Buying the real stuff supports artisans and guarantees a product that will last way longer!
5. Limit your Shopping
This is easier said than done, but if you do it, your wallet and the world will thank you. The less you shop in general the less you are contributing to global waste and human rights violations. This will also allow you to save up your money for some of the investment pieces you want to buy. Limiting your shopping, however, also entails refraining from shopping at some of the biggest offender companies like Gap, Joe Fresh, and H&M. I know this seems harsh, and this is most definitely the most difficult of the suggestions, but the violations committed by these companies are so painfully unjust. So just pick 1, and ban it from your wardrobe- see how it feels for a while.
Photo Sources:
https://hotofftherunway.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/shopaholic-1.jpg
http://www.ecouterre.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/cashmere-wildlife-1-537×402.jpg