the ethics of shopping at Zara - YouLookFab Forum

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the ethics of shopping at Zara

greenglove

(website)

Veteran

Hi all,
I know I have not been around for awhile. It cannot be helped, I am overloaded with many life things including finding more time to paint.
Have been keeping up with the blog.

I am loving Zara lately but my conscience has called upon me to find out if they contribute to sweat shops and or horrible working conditions in factories.
I am trying to become more educated in this area, have written to the company with no response. I read mixed messages online.

I am not usually aware of these things and have been not wanting to find out because I love their clothes!

Anyone know anything?

Thank you in advance-
love to all!!

Shopping

30 replies

Latest reply was from Suz

Anonymous

I don't know any answers but share your concerns. A shopping friend commented last that she cannot buy anything Calvin Klein because of these same concerns but didn't know if things have changed.

Jules

Veteran

I share your concerns as a (former) enthusiastic Joe shopper. But in that case, tragic circumstances have shown they are/were not diligent in their choice of suppliers.
I am not personally convinced that spending more money on slightly higher end brands automatically means better working conditions. I can't afford real high end stuff. At Joe, I am trying to be more mindful of my choices and not just buy any old thing on whim because it is cheap. This fits in with ylf PPP principles so overall, I think it is a good thing.

Classically Casual

Veteran

After the horrible factory fire last spring in Bangladesh, there's was lots in the press. At that time, Zara was one of the retailers (almost all European BTW) who stated that they would sign a "factory safety accord". Then the press stopped covering the issue, so I don't know what happened. My personal feeling is that the European retailers are more likely to have a policy in place than the American retailers....I'd like to be wrong. My uneducated guess is that the EU may have some regulations in place as well. I don't know the answer, whether we're talking about clothing, electronics or almost any goods.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I think Classically Casual is right. After the Bangladesh fire it was many of the American companies that were balking at safety regulations and inspections. Also high end doesn't guarantee anything. I've heard off illegal Chinese immigrants working in sweatshops in Italy for the vaunted made in Italy stuff.
Also many designer companies do the bulk of the work in China, etc, ship the partially finished goods to Europe where the finish work is done and then they can say made in Europe.

Thistle

Veteran

It's sad, but exactly what Anna said. It is almost impossible to know, really know, who or where your items are made as comapanies are trying so hard to fool you. They know what we want, what the amrketing deparmtnet wants, but they don't think they can get us to pay for it and keep their margins intact.

Honestly, not sure anyone has actually tried to know if it would work.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Following with great interest. In the past year I have bought quite a few items from Zara. And I would love to buy more. But.

Thank you for raising this, Jean. We miss your fab style, but I am glad you are finding more time to paint.

sarah

Veteran

Jean, following the tragedy in Bangladesh, the NYT had a number of informative articles, including this one. It would good to know of any follow-up, i.e., whether these agreements by major retailers are causing change for the better.

pastrygirl

(website)

Veteran

This is something I have been mindful of since the collapse. I've mostly made sure to steer clear of the Gap companies, though I think I have bought one or two items since then, but not more than that. For the most part, I'm pretty strictly boycotting them in particular, as badly as I'd like to check out the BR outlet near me that friends rave about.

I don't usually shop at Zara so I never looked into them...but I did buy a sweater there last week. I think that was my first Zara purchase ever, and would love to know if there is an ethical issue with shopping there.

I haven't really stayed on top of this, though. I stopped researching when it became overwhelming, and when I needed a whole wardrobe overhaul (which I'm still in the middle of).

ironkurtin

Veteran

I don't think Zara can offer such low prices without cutting costs somewhere, and I tend to think it's in labor, unfortunately.

Marley

Veteran

I think that if you're looking for an ethical issue/problem, you will find one - no matter who the retailer. It isn't a black or white issue - too complicated, too many parties involved. The only way you can be sure is to make your own fabric and sew your own clothes.

Mander

(website)

Veteran

I recently read an article (though I can't remember where, now) about a reporter who witnessed people being locked into a factory and forced to work 12-16 hour days, even though the agreements with the retailers say they will not do so. The reporter found that the log books were being falsified to give the appearance of compliance.

I know that I do a lot of shopping in ethically questionable places, but the problems are so endemic that it just isn't practical to avoid them completely. I try not to be wasteful and I avoid buying at flagrant violators. But the opposite issue, and one that I think we discussed a bit here at the time of the big fire in Bangladesh, is that although these sweat shops are awful, exploitative places, they do provide an income and have made a difference in empowering poorer people, especially women. There is no easy answer or even a clear way to decide what is good or bad.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/20.....-argentina

http://www.faceinfashion.com/2.....versy.html

These are from April so it has been very recent.

Lyn D.

Veteran

Thanks Caro- it is disappointing to read about children possibly being exploited in this way.

ironkurtin

Veteran

I think all any of us can do is make informed choices.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I have read a lot of conflicting information about whether boycotting stores would help or hurt the people we are concerned about. I agree with Anna that it is hasty to assume that any retailer is better than another.

Lantana

Veteran

Labourbehindthelabel.org is a relevant up to date resource for answers to questions like yours. Zara's parent company is Inditex; Zara has signed up for the Bangladesh Safety Accord but questions remain as to how that translates into real conditons on the factory floor.
Thanks for asking the question,gg. It prompted me to spend some time researching these issues on the net. In Australia the government certifies compliant companies as "ethical" but that is for clothing manufactured here.
Although the concept of "here" probably needs some exploration too. Funded in Oz but made in Indonesia? Who knows. Keeping informed is time consuming and not something I have invested a lot of time in - my bad because I do care. Penny

Jeanie

Veteran

Zara is part of the "Fast Fashion" movement and that fashion is usually created by whomever can do it cheap and well. It is hard for consumers to decide where to spend there money. I have heard some designers want to come up with a label that will indicate that the garment was produced in an ethical way but it doesn't exist now. Unless you are buying from one of the green fashion companies, I don't think you be sure that you aren't buying from a company that uses a sweat shop.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

This is a world-wide problem. We have had cases of "sweat-shops" in Australia.

So the garment label reads "made in Australia" which you would think meant the workers were being treated fairly but no. The "making up" of the garment is out-sourced to workers who sew in their own homes but have to meet really unreasonable "quotas" before they are paid.

By out-sourcing the making up of the garments the clothing company or designer is able to turn a blind eye to any dodgy practices. Many of these women (because they are mainly women) couldn't speak English & were in Australia on temporary visas. All the arrangements were made by their overlord (my word).

greenglove

(website)

Veteran

Thank you all so much for the information, I do not know what the answer is and will continue to follow this thread.
Everyone is doing their part by even thinking about this issue, hard to get really concrete answers and as Anna said, other more pricey labels might be doing the same thing.

What is a fashion lover to do?

VernieJane

Maybe I'm on my own here, but I don't consider Zara clothing either cheap or high quality. I feel its expensive for what it is, a lot of good basic items and a lot of fashion victim stuff that is overpriced... You can bet your bottom dollar everything is made is cheap factories in Asia or India... It's very hard to find anything in a chain store nowadays that isn't, even the high end brands.

AnnieMouse

Veteran

It's a tough conundrum, when we live in a world where low-cost is exploited as a selling point in everything from clothing to food - and in the end, we all pay a high price in some way or another for reducing the upfront hit to our wallet.

I really wish it were more feasible to facilitate sewists and fabrication at a local level, but let us be honest: even then, the fabric itself is often sourced from a different level of sweatshop. Unless you are able to find locally grown and milled fibres, it's all a guessing game.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Zara cuts costs because it's a completely vertical operation. Most of the fabric manufacture and garment manufacture is done on the premises in Spain at Inditex Headquarters. THAT is what makes Zara completely unique. It does not have a bureaucratic fashion buying team. It has a creative group of 80 gals who put the collections together. From sketch to retail store takes 2 weeks. For most retailers the turnaround time is 3 months at best.

Lisa

Veteran

Great question, thanks for asking! I've been curious about some of the fast fashion stores and how they can turnaround so fast.

Beth Ann

Veteran

Interesting thread, and Angie's insight was quite helpful. Although, as a size 14, I've never purchased a thing there, I like the idea of this sort of business model.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Angie, if that is the case, why do their labels not say Made in Spain?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Dana, I was careful to say most of the manufacturing is made in Spain, not all of it.

ironkurtin

Veteran

No, I understand, but I have yet to find a single label in Zara that says made in Spain. And I always look. Huh.

kkards

Veteran

dana --this article from the NY times sort of explains it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11.....&_r=0

it seems that where things are made are based on how fashion foward the items is, as well as how close the factory is to the stores.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Thanks, kkards. That's a great article. There you go, Dana. I have Zara stuff that's made in Spain and elsewhere - like Portugal.

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