https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/why-forever21-is-evil Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 08 May 2026 00:34:19 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/why-forever21-is-evil#post-125777 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 22:19:48 +0000 Ele 125777@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've never shopped at F21 (I think I've been in one once), but know from my school and career how rampant this kind of stuff (thinking of the H&amp;M story as well) is in the garment industry. It's very, very sad- but it's next to impossible to truly know the "cost" of what you're buying. Higher prices and "good" brand names are no assurance, either. I try to live my life as ethically as possible, and it really is exhausting sometimes, having to weigh the choices and decide where and where not to shop.</p> <p>One thing that does sometimes irk me is that "China" has become synonymous with "bad quality, poor ethics" in many people's minds, and of course it is not always the case. Obviously the stereotype has roots, but manufacturing in the far east has come very far in the last decade or so, and there are factories there with comparable skill, quality control and labour practices to those in the west. And of course, there are also factories in Europe/North America with deplorable standards! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/why-forever21-is-evil#post-125775 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 22:06:20 +0000 Angie 125775@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It breaks my heart too, Isabel. It is immoral. As I said before, I'm not condoning the situation. Manufacturing is actually quite political. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/why-forever21-is-evil#post-125739 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:15:03 +0000 Isabel 125739@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I want to make a couple of points.</p> <p>First, I thought that the Chinese government was right on when they said that they couldn't produce children's jewelry at the price's Americans wanted with using cheap heavy, toxic metals. A lot of it is our fault - we want quantity, we want to be paid good money, but we don't want to pay for anything.</p> <p>Secondly, I am in agreement with Bella. With much due respect, Angie, I understand the other perspective, but it is still immoral. Some of the slaves had better lives when they were slaves than they did at home in Africa or as struggling free people who could barely feed themselves or avoid being beaten. Some owners treated their slaves "well"........this shouldn't be a choice people have to make.</p> <p>It is truly a complicated dilemma. I don't have the answer.......all I know is that it breaks my heart. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/why-forever21-is-evil#post-125727 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 16:53:30 +0000 bella 125727@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Good point - high retail prices does not necessarily mean ethical business practices. But I think the low profit margins make cheap retail chains more likely to engage in labor abuses.<br /> I haven't visited the factories in China Angie, but have seen documentaries on the subject. It is true that the workers in those factories do choose to work there for a reason but it is a very tricky argument that can be used to justify poor working conditions and labor abuses at many different levels. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/why-forever21-is-evil#post-125726 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 16:50:59 +0000 chewyspaghetti 125726@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't see that this company is different than many others in any of these regards. Like Angie- I have been in factories. Even the cleanest, well run factories are not pretty places. The problem lies not with this one company (although they certainly have their own problems), but with the entire industry. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/why-forever21-is-evil#post-125723 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 16:32:29 +0000 Angie 125723@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>First of all, Maya is right in that all retailers are involved in this type of unethical behaviour. Paying low retail prices comes at a cost. Also, I don't know if anyone else around here has visited factories in China, but I actually have. You need to understand that when you have nothing, working in a factory under much attested conditions is often better than how the workers live at home. I am not condoning the situation at all. But I'd like to offer an additional perspective. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/why-forever21-is-evil#post-125717 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:46:49 +0000 Maya 125717@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Evil indeed, but this is the case with virtually any corporate chain. Someone posted about how H&amp;M destroys unsold clothes rather than reappropriating them in some way, but this was not unique to H&amp;M. Sweatshop labor should always be assumed as a default practice when shopping at mass market retailers. Even items claiming to be made in the US or Italy generally involve some form of sub-standard labor policies somewhere along the production process. This is not limited to clothing either, nor is it a question of price. A design house can make a luxurious garment in China for pennies and sell it in the US fit $600, resulting in more profit. </p> <p>This is a matter of our own labor policies and given that we are at the extreme end of a capitalist society, there has thus far been no incentive to change. Any incentive would have to be financial. Under Pres Clinton, a bill was signed that resulted in fair labor practices in Cambodia, where they produced clothing for Gap &amp; other US retail chains, but it was never renewed under the following congress. </p> <p>The only way to avoid these seedy practices is to buy used clothing (and other goods) exclusively. Boycotts have never really worked. I don't claim to have a solution that works within the greater framework of our political system--to me, the entire system desperately needs a makeover. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/why-forever21-is-evil#post-125690 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 06:01:55 +0000 LoP 125690@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>The first time I got in F21, I remember feeling almost angry that they wasted the designs on the cheap fabric and make. I still feel like that a bit, but get a couple of seasonal trendy items there once in a while. </p> <p>The claims on that article are pretty bad. I didn't get a chance to research it further so I don't know how much of it is fact. I also don't know if there's a chain store that we can shop with trust in business model these days. I love Etsy for that reason. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/why-forever21-is-evil#post-125624 Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:38:01 +0000 Isabel 125624@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow, thanks for the heads up Bella. I have bought something from them once...but never again ! Not even for a gift.</p> <p>Seriously, is there anyone that we can buy things from that are ethical and safe ? I just tossed a bunch of kiddie jewelry because it had Cadmium. It killed me to toss it but no one would take it back and it wasn't enough to be considered toxic waste !</p> <p>What have we come to ? All in the name of money...... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/why-forever21-is-evil#post-125621 Sat, 13 Feb 2010 13:52:53 +0000 bella 125621@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This was quite the eye-opener for me. I did not know that F21 was engaged in so many ethically questionable and illegal business practices. Please read, especially if you have teens:<br /> <a href="http://www.39thandbroadway.com/hate-21/" rel="nofollow">http://www.39thandbroadway.com/hate-21/</a><br /> I pretty much only buy jewelry there but now I'll definitely stop going there altogether. </p>