EXCELLENT Article on Ethical Consumerism - YouLookFab Forum

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EXCELLENT Article on Ethical Consumerism

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

It's the best article I've read about the subject to date, and I stumbled across it on Vogue.com of all places. It's a long article. PHEW. I highly recommend trying to get through it when you have a moment:

https://www.vogue.com/article/.....-lidia-may

As I mentioned on Janet's post, the question of ethical fashion is very, VERY complicated. You will go down the rabbit hole over and over again, which I continue to do since I've been in this industry for 27 years. If you missed the comments on Janet's post - read them too.

The way I see it: You have to decide what ethical fashion means to you. Once again, it is a PERSONAL choice. Run with it, and be at peace with the decisions you're making. Others will make different decisions to you and that's okay. We might not agree with their decisions but we can at least try to understand them and keep an open mind.

Shopping

33 replies

Latest reply was from Jane

kkards

Veteran

great article, very well written and well reasoned.

best line, at least for me, "values compete". I find this to be 100% true, which is why I've determined what is most important for me, and am actively working towards that....

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Thank you, Angie -- a very good read, indeed, and helpful.

Christina F.

Veteran

"We, as citizens, could be advocating for all sorts of policy initiatives
that push corporations to act as stewards of the places where they do
business, be it establishing clear accountability throughout their
supply chains, or demanding they pay their taxes where they sell their
goods."

BINGO. As someone who works for an organization working on supply chain issues, I 100% agree that change has to come from the top down. The "top" includes the largest companies, though, who can influence practices throughout the industry. For instance, Wal-Mart is actually a leader in the supply chain area - they are working towards removing a gigaton of emissions from their supply chain by 2030. There are other ethical considerations with Wal-Mart, though, relating to how they treat their workforce. Other companies will now have to follow suit on emissions, partly to keep up with Wal-Mart, and partly since their suppliers will have to emit less if that want to work with Wal-mart too.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

You gals are fast! And I'm sure you read fast too. I'm a slow reader.

kkards, YES. Wasn't "values compete" hits the nail on the head. Glad you're finding your way through what ethical fashion means to you. Me too.

Suz, it's almost all your research done! A good starting point for your style goal.

Anonymous

Thanks for keeping the discussion going on this, Angie. I will look forward to reading Vogue's take on these issues, which have been weighing on my mind of late.

It's not as much fun to read about the other side of the fashion coin as it is to enjoy the bright, shiny, fun side of it, but the more informed one is, the better your choices are. And the world certainly does need that.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Christina F, I'm glad you can bring this type of knowledge to the forum. Thank you. It IS a top down solution for me too.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Xtabay, I bet you'll find the article thought provoking. I am STILL thinking about it. Knowledge is powerful. What you choose to do with the knowledge is a personal choice. I think most of us try to make the best choices based on our circumstances and means.

nemosmom

Veteran

Wow, Angie - thank you for sharing such a great piece; lots of really great points to ponder in it, for sure.

rachylou

Veteran

Bingo to Christina’s bingo.

I also have to say, when you think about the modern, specialized global economy we have... when you think about what the word Economy means... there are some built in problems. Individuals can’t take care of their basic needs by themselves. Even if you had the land to farm, how are you gonna clean your water? There’s a strong do-it-yourself individualism in the US, but a modern economy is fundamentally socialist and monolithic in nature, in terms of effort. Incredibly complex and a beast.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Nemosmom, I know, right? Had to share.

Rachy, more things to think about. Animals have it sorted. Most are so much more independent than humans. Sam though, would prefer to be dependent on said humans

Helena

Veteran

Great article Angie. I think about the ethics of consuming all the time, and it lands me in circles: I buy less and then feel bad that I'm not supporting the economy; I buy more and am guilty about the environment; I realize something is made in Bangladesh and feel sick about the work conditions; I put it down again and wonder how bad their other options are, if the factory is the best one, and if no one buys and the factory shuts down, what then? On and on it goes.

Every ethical thread pulled snags another one, it seems ... but if we all put our bit of conscientiousness and concern into it, brands are forced to follow suit (and indeed as the article points out, companies are made of people, and people in fashion have the same concerns for humanity and the environment that people outside of fashion do). Progress is maddeningly slow, but it beats stagnation or reversal to be sure.

Really appreciate it Angie.

rachylou

Veteran

Lilypup is certainly proud of having her friends! And she also don’t want no raw meat diet: fire up the stove, if you please!

Hehe

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

And that sweet Helena, is just one on the reasons why ethical consumerism is extremely complicated - and impossible to achieve fully. Landing in circles on the subject is about the best we can hope for, so well done! That way, we are at least thinking about the issues and impact, and trying to come up with ways we can manage to be ethical consumers OUR way.

Rachy, Sam is high pawing Lilypup.

Anonymous

Its definitely difficult! I dont want people, or animals, or the environment to suffer I'm vegetarian and wont buy any animal tested products, for example, but my beloved pets are carnivores-sigh...

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Thanks for posting! I'd still love to hear more about the research behind your decisions in this area. As you say, it is complex.

mtnsofthemoon

Veteran

I look forward to reading this article. Thanks for sharing Angie. No doubt ITS COMPLICATED. But having a dialogue and discussion of the multi faceted issues and their interconnection is a start. Torontogirl your comments resonate with me. As well as Angie's - "What you choose to do with the knowledge is a personal choice" and every choice is an attempt to have a positive impact.

Sal

Veteran

It is a good article!! Shows the nuance...., and clothes are actually simpler than say, food. If I did not shop all year I would still be dressed and decent.

With food there is budget, ethics, locality, health, culture, convenience, picky eating etc. all at play.

And yes I added running shoes - I went to a retailer where I had a voucher ( son won a tournament with sports shoe voucher for $100), I chose the new version of my current shoes and paid the difference. I honestly did not think any further than that. I will look up ASICS now and find out more.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Suntiger, NICE. Personally, it's my choice not to eat or cook mammals but it's natural for our dogs to - so I don't deny them that instinctive pleasure. I can empathize with the difficulty of it.

FashIntern, I very seldom document my research. Over the last almost three decades I've absorbed from many resources, worked in factories, worked with manufacturers, seen more factories than most, seen top retail management make the decisions they make, thrown the topic of ethical fashion around now and then, formulated my own opinions, and tried to make decisions based on my conscience and circumstances. I continue to absorb, make sure I trust the source of the info, and formulate with an open mind. Occasionally I share a piece of literature that really resonates - like this one. That's what I can manage and will continue to do.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

mtnsofthemoon and Sal, thanks for the support and wisdom as always. We try to make the best decisions that we can manage given our context and circumstances.

taylor

Veteran

Thanks for sharing Angie !

Joy

Veteran

It is so complicated. Personally I am trying to buy less, better so chances of resale are higher, buy second hand and remade clothing. I guess that does not help underpaid women making clothes make a living though.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Sure, Taylor.

Joy, we can't prevent every situation, and doing what you can manage is dead right.

Classically Casual

Veteran

Thank you for the article and conversation, Angie. This is a topic I regularly chastise myself over.

For much of my life I had a modest, small wardrobe. It was what I could afford, and I don’t think there was as much emphasis on dressing well, or if there was I was oblivious to it.

Now with more resources, enjoying fashion is one of my pleasures. At the same time clothing pieces on average seem much less expensive relative to income. One can find trendy stuff at almost any price point. That is one of the effects of globalization.

As we regularly discuss, storage issues are what limits the size of a wardrobe rather than budget. (I also am very aware that this is a first world, middle class problem). The whole “privilege” aspect is on my mind too.

Meanwhile, as I’ve mentioned before, Patagonia is a company I willingly pay more for. The downside is the stuff lasts forever. This week in the snow I’m wearing a parka purchased for an anniversary trip 12 years ago.
It’s going strong, but I’m a little weary of it. And that’s the point: I know if change is to occur I need to adjust my behavior, and not always be looking for the next shiny thing.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Good article -- thank you for sharing. No easy answers, indeed. One person's right decision is anathema to another.

Bonnie

Veteran

This was a very informative read. Thank you so much for sharing it. Change starts with awareness of a problem and supporting companies that are at least trying might be a starting point.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Peggy, you are finding your way, managing what you can, and making it count.

Janet and Bonnie, exactly.

Style Fan

Veteran

Excellent article Angie. This is something I have been thinking about for the last few years and I certainly don't have the answers. I do try to buy carefully so I can buy less for many reasons. Organizations need to step up.

Runcarla

Veteran

Thanks for the link to the interesting article.

Gigi

Veteran

Thanks for sharing. I could really identify with the author's conundum as she laid out her choices for the running shoes. You simply can't find the perfect item, especially given the fact that you don't have all the correct information to begin with. The way I deal with the issue is I just try to buy clothing that seems like it is a fair price. If I see a t-shirt for $2, for example, I don't see how the garment maker could have been given a decent wage, so I don't buy. I also can guess that the shirt won't hold up to much laundering, so it will end up discarded quickly, which would be wasteful.

I am very hard to fit and have to accept that my fashion choices are limited, and I sometimes will have to choose retailers that have some black marks on their record.

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