Don't sweat it

I am well dressed today. You wouldn’t think so to look at me. I am wearing faded jeans, a work shirt, a wool vest (waistcoat to you Commonwealth folks), and a shabby pair of running shoes. How does this count as well dressed? Well, none of these items was made in a sweatshop.

The running shoes are U.S. made by New Balance.
The jeans are made by Union Jean and Apparel in Ohio.
The shirt is made in the U.S. by Carrhart.
The vest is made by Johnson Woolen Mills here in Vermont.

I try to avoid sweatshop clothing, as do a number of my friends, but it isn’t easy. Most of the major retailers buy their clothes almost exclusively in third world countries with rotten labor practices. This is intentional. Some companies, when pressed, say that either they have codes of conduct or that they don’t know exactly how much the garment workers make.

In fact, if you read the codes of conduct, they generally refer to obeying local laws, local standards, and the local prevailing wage. Not the most reassuring guarantee. The standards are generally ignored, company auditors get prearranged tours of “Potemkin” factories, and the subcontractors suffer no penalties for their behavior. Also, retailers do know exactly how much the garment workers make. A garment buyer would be fired for incompetence if he or she didn’t know the exact labor costs for each item and how that translated into worker income.

This is the most aggravating thing about the whole situation: It is so unnecessary. Third world labor costs in the garment industry are around ½ to 1 percent of the retail garment price. In other words, perhaps a nickel on a $20 sweatshirt or fifty cents on a $100 pair of running shoes.

An anti-sweatshop group obtained the pay slips from a teenaged garment worker in Southeast Asia. This young woman worked seven days a week and earned the equivalent of about $2.50 a day making children’s clothing emblazoned with the world’s most famous mouse. Her six cents per $20 garment got her two bowls of plain noodles a day and bus fare. Period. This is absolutely typical for the industry, from Indonesia to Bangladesh.

What if the contractors had a sudden fit of humanity and multiplied her wages by ten? At $25 a day she could afford a decent life, wouldn’t have to work seven days a week and we would pay $20.54 instead of $20.00 for the kid’s sweatshirt. It would be a pass-through expense for the wholesaler and retailer. Oh, but then they’d have to break through that $19.99 price point. Horrors.

So where can you get “clean” clothes? I have provided some online shopping opportunities below.

Clothing

No Sweat Apparel Casual clothing
American Apparel Made in downtown L.A. for the young and hip. Or the not-so young and hip.
Filson Expensive, but incredibly well made work clothes.
Shudde Brothers Where the real rodeo cowboys get their hats.
Sweatx Athletic clothes and a bit more.
King Louie Basic stuff.
Union Jean Just what it says, plus khakis, shirts, and outerwear.
Justice Clothing A little bit of everything.

Shoes and boots

Chaco Sandals Comfortable, durable, and re-soleable.
Cape Shoe Work shoes and boots.
Chippewa They have an American made line.
Weinbrenner They also have an American made line.
West Coast Shoe Serious work boots.
New Balance Some styles made in U.S.A.
Red Wing Shoes Made in Red Wing Minnesota, ya, fer sure.

In General
Buy American Mart
New Dream

Here’s an idea: A 7% tariff on clothing made in countries where labor standards are lax and sweatshops are allowed. It wouldn’t empty our wallets, but it would eliminate the profits gained by squeezing the workers. It would be cheaper for the retailers to force the subcontractors to pay decent wages.

Oh yes, I almost forgot: This blog is written on a laptop that was union built in the U.S.A. by Union Built PC.

Happy shopping.