I just went to Target and bought a bunch of t-shirts and flip flops and socks and stuff for summer. I feel bad about it but also helpless. Can somone point me to where I can get t-shirts in different colors that are made by adults paid a living wage? I would gladly pay more than $6 a t-shirt.
Anyway, my guilt and confusion inspired this idea, which is that instead of just having the little "inspected by" stickers on socks and t-shirts, they should attach little tiny "Save the Children" style profiles of who made each item of clothing (this is a lot like my identity-dress idea, I'll grant you). You could collect 'em all like trading cards. You could mix and match your clothes according to the maker like GrrAnimals. And maybe if you thought they were really cute and stuff you could send them money. And instead of getting some boring letter in the mail they could send you a t-shirt or socks they made themselves in the factory! Cute!
Save the Children does sell t-shirts but they don't mention where they are made.
Somone should send me a link where I can buy decent clothes that aren't all exploitee. I am exactly the kind of guilty but lazy consumer that needs this information. (BTW: whatever happened to black spot sneakers? It's pretty depressing that they aren't being manufactured yet. And now it looks like they're trying to run the production like a democracy or something. I think it will be a long time before I get my sneakers.
there's a company called american apparel making t-shirts etc. in the u.s. in a supposedly less sweatshop-esque way--they've gotten a bunch of press recently. but it may be all hype. anyway, their stuff is cheap and (around here) widely available. but i haven't purchased any.
My boyfriend and I are total proponents of American Apparel. It is a little pricy but from reading literature and watching interviews with the founder (which they have looping on TV's through out their stores) it sounds like he has a great work environment (day care, healthcare, massages, etc.) and pays the workers a living wage.
Now that American Apparel is expanding (they are opening a store here in Portland) I realized I should update this with a link:
American Apparel link
My complaint is that all the t-shirts are tiny, more appropriate for a hungry factory worker than a fat
chick with a guilty conscience and large breasts.