Questions to consider when buying clothes
By Laura Lynch
If you randomly pull a handful of clothing out of your closet, odds are that, if the labels say anything at all about the subject, most of them will tell you that they were made overseas by workers earning far below a survival wage. (For a detailed look at modern slavery in the garment industry, read John Bowe’s book, “Nobodies.”)
Odds are also good that the cotton you wear was grown covered in pesticides and fertilizers, and that a cocktail of not-so-healthy chemicals was used in the manufacturing process.
So what is a poor, environmentally- and humanitarian-conscious shopper to do?
There are several questions worth asking when considering sustainable clothing.
First, what is it made of? If it’s cotton, was it grown without pesticides or fertilizers? What sort of dyes were used? Is the fabric synthetic? Is there a natural alternative?
Second, where was the article of clothing made? If the country of origin doesn’t have as strict environmental standards as the U.S. does, then determining the environmental impact of production becomes more difficult. And if the piece was made halfway around the world, then there is an added environmental cost in getting the clothing to our doorsteps.
Third, who makes the clothes? Are the workers paid a living wage or a starving wage? Are they given health benefits? Do they work reasonable hours?
Fourth, who is selling the clothes? Are the retailers paying a living wage?
Clearly it would take a lot of hard work to find all the answers to these questions for every pair of jeans one sees on sale at the mall. So what do we do instead?
If you’re good at sizing yourself up and have no qualms about ordering clothing online, a simple search for “organic” or “fair trade” clothes can yield many screens’ worth of choices. Many offer detailed explanations of the countries of origin, manufacturing process, and fair trade arrangements. Even though you’re likely to pay more and find less than you would at a nearby store, the extra cost is the price we pay to be sustainable.
There are other ways to dress sustainably while we wait for organic, fair-trade T-shirts to become mainstream.
Before replacing an old piece of clothing, consider whether or not replacing missing buttons would fix the problem. Can a hole be sewn up? A waistline taken in?
Are you tossing something because it’s no longer in style? When considering a replacement, choose something less likely to be so ten minutes ago five minutes after you buy it.
Try shopping at a consignment shop, where used clothes get a second life and prices are far, far less than what these things would cost if they were new. Used clothing stores often benefit charities, so you can feel twice as good about your purchase.
Finally, of course, if something you want to get rid of can still be worn, don’t throw it away. Instead, give it to a friend, a relative, or a charity that gives clothing to people who need it. Or give it to your favorite consignment shop. And if that favorite old sweatshirt is so far gone that it barely even resembles a shirt any more, reincarnate it as a rag. You can never have enough of those.