ethics

[snarryfool]

Over and over in this comm, I read complaints about the price of clothing. I get that most people are on a budget, but it's a source of dismay that I have not once seen any pushback concerning the kinds of labor practices that make clothing cheap -- in particular, the kind of fast fashion that seems to be most popular here. Here's a blog post

Comments

[starrrie]

I think this is a problem even for straight sized fashionistas. I wish I could afford bespoke, organic, ethically sourced clothing, but the truth of the matter is that that just isn't an option.

I do my best to shop second hand options as much as possible, which is the best option I can find for myself as a deathfat. But I question even this, as it only feeds into the desire of people who aren't thinking about the ethics of their consumption, as the 2nd hand stores encourage them to "clear out their closets to make space for fabulous new purchases!"

Food can be easier for me, aside from my tropical obsessions (coffee and chocolate, primarily). I try to choose my battles as wisely as possible. I appreciate you bringing these questions up to the group!

[demiraks_world]

First thought, was same as above However, the choices for fatties and clothing is SO limited to begin with, if we wanted to shop ethically......there's almost no where to go.

I struggle enough to just find clothes I LIKE THAT FIT ME WELL in the first place, much less ones that I can afford and are ethically produced. Something's gotta give, and the ethics of where my clothes come from is the first to go.

Also stated - I have wild weight fluctuations (or more accurately, I keep gaining and gaining). It simply is not feasible for me to spend too much money on "Clothes that last". My husband has always been flabbergasted why I don't just have "a formal dress" or a "suit" laying around for when I need them - probably because the last time I needed either was 3 sizes ago!

Organic, local apples are one size fits all - clothing is not.

[raktajinos]

"Organic, local apples are one size fits all - clothing is not."

I think this should be the new Fat Acceptance Movement slogan.

[curvybabe180]

can I like this a million times? :)

[cirakaite]

It's a nice idea, and I would love to focus on ethical clothing. That said... where do you look? I live in Switzerland. There's one shop that can be found that has plus size styles at all, and paying the equivalent of $100+ for a shirt that's cheaply made and still from Pakistan is bad enough. Do you know of an alternative online, that ships internationally and is fairly priced?

If you want to have a discussion, it's generally a better idea to make a post to spark discussion - not a post belittling other people for not posting to start a discussion.

[lection]

This. I feel like the issue is definitely worth discussing, but I felt that the tone of the original post was "I can't believe none of you care about this!!" (which is not true, obviously) rather than an open-ended discussion starter like "How do you address the obvious ethical challenges inherent in fashion?"

As far as the question itself: I shop secondhand almost exclusively (a combination of ethics and thriftiness), and as a result I find that I am often wearing clothes solely because they FIT MY BODY rather than because of how much I love them. Finding affordable things that are ethically produced is a struggle for anyone.

[deralorae]

I would love to shop for ethical clothes....if they existed in my size and and could fit into my budget. Also, even if there are t-shirts, maybe jeans and a few casual pieces available that does nothing for those who must have business clothing. About the only thing to fix that is to make the clothes yourself. It's disheartening, because It really does matter, to many of us I think, but thus far no business wants to make what we could buy.

[deralorae]

Oh and for the record I do seek out these kind of places, just to come up disappointed by whatever looks good...but doesn't have sizes past a 12/14. If people here know of options please share! I'd love to know of just one place that would fit my size 20/22 body.

[miauminx]

I'm in a position where price hasn't been a factor in what I buy and because of that I'm able to have a wardrobe where 70-80% of the clothing is made in North America- specifically within the US (I am a very loyal shopper of Pinup Girl Clothing who manufacture their products in the US- Los Angeles specifically this applies to their house brands only- not to other brands they carry as an FYI)
but honestly? the conditions of which that 20-30% of my clothing comes from hasn't been a concern for me, and really I doubt it'd be a concern for me going forward. my concerns have always been finding clothing that fits, that I am happy with- if that means Jeans from Torrid or a sweater from Asos I'm going to buy it.