Instead, I thought I'd plug a few of the fair trade clothing suppliers that we stock at Just Fair Trade since most of them are not companies I'd heard of before I started working in the shop. I'd like to think that even those of us that have a tendency to be a bit head-in-the-sand over where our clothes come from have been prompted (forced?) to engage with the issue in the last week, and it can be tricky to know where to start with looking for other options. But places like Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury's have fair trade cotton t-shirts - I'd suggest they'd be easy wins if you want somewhere to get started.
...have supplied Just for the last few years. They're all about ethical and sustainable fashion and their bamboo socks are one of Just's biggest and most consistent sellers! Unusually, Braintree have a men's clothing range alongside their women's range, and they also sell a whole variety of accessories including hats, scarves and bags.
...have recently made a return to Just after a few years in the, er, 'festival wear' wilderness! They've been producing fairly traded clothing for over twenty years and they have a great range of summer dresses in a variety of styles, from boho to vintage to more contemporary shapes, along with accessories - they even sell tights!
Trusty Traidcraft are one of our biggest suppliers - we rely on them for items as diverse as chocolate, terracotta garden planters and children's toys! They also sell a small but very popular range of women's tunic tops as well as scarves and jewellery. One of the great things about the Traidcraft catalogue is that it contains producer stories which give a great insight into the very real difference your shopping makes to the life of someone you'll never meet.
There are three important things to remember when you're searching out fair trade clothes. The first is that like with any other clothes shop there will be some 'labels' you like and others that you don't - just because the first place you look doesn't take your fancy don't write off the whole industry! These are just three suppliers I know about - there are loads more out there.
And the final thing is price. The first time you pick up a fairly traded item of clothing the price can be a bit of a shock. But you need to bear in mind that the producers are being paid what they deserve, their communities are benefiting from significant infrastructure investment and they have secure trading relationships. Plus, most fair trade clothing suppliers don't have the economy of scale of the big supermarkets and department stores. But let's face it - we all have more clothes than we need. Why not choose to spend a bit more on one item of really well-made clothing that will last instead of spending the same amount on several poorly-made items, some of which you'll never wear?
I'll be honest - I don't have this one sorted. But it's time we realised that the clothing industry as we know it is exploitative and unsustainable, and that we have the power to make a difference.
