Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Ethical clothing

10:58 / 04.06.04

I usually buy all my clothes in charity shops. I use my parsimony to feel smug about participating infinitessimally less in sweated labour/shoddy conditions in the clothes industry.
But - not to put too fine a point on it - one still has to buy undergarments. And it looks as though I may have to get a couple of other items for working. And I could do with some trainers or I'll knacker my ankles when running.

Any suggestions of ethical clothing shops, or particularly, disastrously unethical ones? I'll also be googling for suggestions, but thought that the Barbe might know of fabulous little companies in which everything is knitted from willing sheep by singing students paid £20 an hour and given backrubs (both students and sheep).

Tryphena Absent

14:36 / 06.06.04

A couple of years ago I could have answered this question with bells on but unfortunately my knowledge was lost as one by one all of the companies that I was aware of went bankrupt.

ONLY NICE THINGS

15:13 / 06.06.04

Well, there is ethically me - site here - which does women's fashions only. At least, there *was*; their shop appears to be closed but whether due to technical or financial reasons I don't know...

There is a stall at Spitalfields market which sells organic cotton stuff. I will have a look properly next time I am there and see what their range is like (and what their prices are like...)

Goodness Gracious Meme

13:48 / 07.06.04

I hear greenfibres are very good, there's a whole load more suggestions here as well.

15:07 / 07.06.04

Thanks for the suggestions. Lots of gorgeous things.
Many things are applique and tie-dyed in berries with tiny mirrors sewn on, which is not my cup of tea. And the prices are startling (I don't know how much of that is that they're ethical, and how much is that I rarely buy new clothes). But there are some plausible socks, especially. Excellent.

Jack Vincennes

15:51 / 07.06.04

If you're looking for ethically sound band t-shirts these guys tell you which gigs you shouldn't be buying t-shirts at. Most of them, it seems - and if you like buying clothes cheaply, I'm guessing that you are not the kind of person who regularly spends £17 on t-shirts which basically say 'Oh Man The New Manic Street Preachers Album Is The Awesomest!!'. Thought it was worth a link, anyway...

09:20 / 08.06.04

I did have a weakness for band T-shirts in my youth. I had the Sisters of Mercy's 'Fuck Me and Marry Me Young' T-shirt. I stopped wearing the latter when it became clear that Andrew Eldritch and I were never going to be young enough to 'marry young' again.

For general ethical interest, I've been reading Marks and Spencer's social responsibility policies. They seem goodhearted but use "aim" and "develop" and other fluffy-but-not-legally-binding terms (more on actual progress here).

So possibly back to the hemp socks.

lekvar

07:21 / 15.06.04

I've heard that AdBusters was marketing the "Balck Spot" no-brand sneaker, and I've heard that someone was making "No Sweat" sneakers, both of which were supposed to be sweatshop free. But I've never been able to find anywhere to buy them...

Too bad. A great idea.

Grey Area

10:39 / 15.06.04

Get your black spot sneaker by e-mailing preorder@blackspotsneaker.org (black spot sneaker website)

Add Your Reply