#WhoMadeMyClothes: Joining the Fashion Revolution
By Kelsey Holmes, Greenheart Club Program Assistant
Spring has sprung, and we couldn’t be happier at Greenheart Club! As you revamp your wardrobe, take some extra time to consider where your warm-weather wardroom is coming from. April 24th marks the 3 year anniversary of the collapse of Rana Plaza factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh that killed over 1100 workers. Fashion moves fast, but this tragedy serves as an important reminder of the high price that comes with cutting costs, and cutting corners. The Fashion Revolution is a movement to combat the fast fashion industry in a safe, clean and aesthetically pleasing way by emphasizing creativity, quality, environment and individual equality.
As the world becomes more interconnected than ever, many companies look to relocate their manufacturing plants outside of the United States to find cheaper labor. Buying clothes has become cheaper and easier than ever, but the human cost of this low-cost clothing is a consequence that needs to be addressed. Watch this trailer for the documentary, “True Cost” that highlights who exactly pays the cost for the affordable prices we pay when shopping at stores like H&M, GAP or Walmart.
As we’ve mentioned over the past month in the Greenheart Club blog, knowing the story of your purchase is important. If you were concerned with how the food you ate at a particular restaurant was prepared, why wouldn’t you be equally concerned about the origins of the clothes you wear? Click on the image below to hear from comedian, John Oliver on fast fashion:
This week is Fashion Revolution Week; the goal is to bring the global community together to use the power of fashion to change the story for the people who make the clothes and accessories we wear on a daily basis. Check out these 35 fair trade and ethical clothing brands that are betting against fast fashion and read Greenheart Shop’s blog highlighting the importance of this global movement and best practices for getting rid of old clothes you no longer wear in an ethical manner. Want to be an informed and ethical consumer? Join the Fashion Revolution this week and let us know #whomademyclothes to show that you care and demand better for the people who make your clothes.