Primark named as least ethical clothes shop

[givemewine]

here

Just interested in views on what we as consumers can do. Fairtrade clothes are limited and expensive, and some of us can only afford Primark/George etc. Yet it seems there's a terrible cost for those producing the clothes. any thoughts?

ok - I've just bought DS1 a new "wardrobe" of clothes - he has 4 long sleeve tops, 5 pairs of trousers and 3 jumpers.......is that "minimalistic" enough???

I am interested to know how Matalan score "well" while Primark score so badly, and yet they both sell the same sort of cheap clothing? Matalan must be doing something right I guess to be able to make a profit AND be relatively "ethical" (or at least be heading in the right direction).

I am a sad old woman now who has little need for fashion clothing these days (39 and about to pop with 2nd child therefore never go out) but I do feel sad when I see how consumerist the younger generations seem to have become. There seems to be a feeling that they are somehow entitled to buy new clothes every weekend, get the latest mobile phone etc. (I really do sound like an old lady don't I?). I hope by the time my children are old enough to buy their own clothes they understand the value of goods more and are happy to save for one ethically produced item of clothing rather than buying ten tops for a tenner....

it's all very well to say "buy less and better quality/ethically produced" - but I'm afraid that's just not a reality. I HAD to buy DS1 new clothes - and a few of each type - as he'd grown (as DC tend to do ). Matalan was as far as my budget would go......yes I could have bought one top and pair of trousers this month, another next month etc etc etc - but I'm afraid in a realistic household with 3 children 1/2 sets of clothes for a DS just isn't doable.

ok admittedly hana - we will purchase a few more tops and trousers at the end of this month - but he'll still just have his 3 jumpers (he only had 2 last winter ).

Ther article is rather old though, i think M and S have improved in that time...
Peopletree clothes aren't that expensive and they are very good ethically

Also 'natural collection' has a good selection of products and clothes.

I try and buy vintage/second hand whenever I can

Yes it is a bit old and I hope that they have improved in this time. But think the principle is the same.
Fio, shocked at that happening with your friend and sub contractors etc. Goes to show that even if you do all you can you can get screwed over still by the greedy.

Sorry Fio, it's
news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article331801.ece

QofQ - you already do have the minimalist wardrobe thing going on, by the sounds of things. No one is going to suggest that you're overdoing it with your shopping.

My dc have way more than that in their wardrobes, although the vast majority of it is hand-me-downs. Granny also buys clothes for them 2 or 3 times a year. I rarely buy children's clothes at all, and then usually in Mothercare, for some reason.

I agree with buy fewer clothes / stuff as no high street shop is totally ethical.

In previous times people bought far fewer clothes, and clothes were much more expensive (relatively). Hand-me-downs, home-knitted, and much less emphasis on fashion made it possible.

None of the cheap clothing I have bought has even survived well enough to pass on to anyone else. It's a false economy.

I buy from second hand shops or swap clothes with friends, and buy a few very sturdy items.

George stuff shrinks.

The problem is 'big' businesses like M&S and primark, and any other high street shops, are only about one thing: increasing their profits. If they where to loose profits by being more ethical they wouldn't bother. M&S are only going all ethical because they want to encourage people to shop there, not because they actually care. I think people forget this sometimes and are taken in by clever advertising.

We as consumers have the final choice, our behaviour as consumers is the only thing that will make businesses change, but only to a point.

Consume less. Buy second-hand. Pass things on. Don't throw away, give away.

textiles also used to be recycled by rag merchants much more, even as late as WWII.

Another vote for second hand here. Good quality bargains for a good cause. Win win win.

(Although if no one bought new in the first place, where would the second hand clothes come from?)

I am that anyone could possibly be by this

Was going to post about how retailers often have things made in China or Bangladesh and then have the labels put in in Spain or wherever, but morningglory beat me to it. They do this to get around quotas - retailers used to have a quota of goods that could come from China (I think it's gone now) and so they would have stuff shipped to Hong Kong which wasn't under the quota, attach the zips and labels or similar there and hey presto - "Made in Hong Kong".

"None of the cheap clothing I have bought has even survived well enough to pass on to anyone else"

DS3 is currently wearing clothes that were worn by DS2 and DS1.......many of which were passed onto us by my cousin - and some of those were worn by both her DS's, some just by the youngest.

"we also have to keep in mind where the average daily wage in a country is a dollar,we then cant be shocked that some people are only earning this amount for producing clothes."

But the workers are apparently paid barely enough to buy food each day, and as the companies dont pay tax (the factories are in tax free zones) no money goes back into the local economies. And when their 5 years tax free period is up they close and re-open under another name.

I read 'No Logo' lately by naomi klein and was v shocked.

But it is very hard to figure out the solution when you have a family to clothe on a limited budget.

Apparently the average person now buys 40 garments per year...used to be much much less when clothes were pricier....so oxfam is so swamped with second hand gear they ship it all to africa..so seamstresses in africa cant make a living either now as theres so much second hand stuff sent for europe.

But I do feel theres this huge thing these days were everyone has to have everything looking just great these days, the house, the clothes....people used to look shit a lot of the time when I was younger I am sure!!! And they lived in crappy houses with ugly furniture. I mean I know thats a total generalisation but does anyone know what I mean? Wine was for special occasions and as for restaurants...! The country is awash with money, mostly borrowed probably. Can we start an 'its ok to look crap and have crap stuff' movement?

And what is the story with Dunnes (related to m+s) their label always says SA..someone told me that was a spanish factory? Is it true they can just be finished off in Europe and then labelled from there?

I know that I buy cheap clothes from Primark sometimes and justify it by saying to mayself that I can't afford to spend more than say £6 on a jumper. But if all clothes were that bit more expensive (taking into account the real cost of production) we would adjust and just buy less and think about each purchase more carefully.

My MIL just came back from a tour holiday in Cuba and she said that everyone took cheap Primark clothes with them and left some clothes at each hotel to give to the locals.

Obviously it is not true for everyone, but a lot of people treat cheap clothes as "throw away" objects. The advert for Tesco when a woman discards her dress because of a wine stain shows that this is even the way that clothes are being marketed.

I agree with you there Frankie. I buy cheap stuff too and feel that I have to- but of course I dont 'have to' have them. I used to give away my clothes after a trip- without thinking about the effect on local clothesmakers. Is this what globalisation is? Im never really sure exactly what it means. If you give away sweatshop made clothes in another 3rd world country, does that do more damage than any amount of time spent say working in an orphanage?

MIL embarrassed me yesterday by pointing out that the only reason babygros keep shrinking so bloody fast is because I tumble dry everything. They all come from penneys and mothercare and whatnot. I havent thought about it cos I didnt buy them...my folks and inlaws keep buying them to keep pace with the shrinkage. Have put up a clothes horse, and feel bad.

I have noticed that when I have bought fairtrade stuff from companies like bishopston trading and people tree the quality is masses better. It withstands all the constant washing that small children tend to cause, but buying a similar product from a supermarket usually ends up in it having to be replaced in a matter of weeks because its shrunk really badly or fallen apart or looks like an old dish rag after a couple of weeks so you do get what you pay for. I think its worth buying fairtrade organic stuff but just buy less of it, it will last a lot longer and usually seems more generously cut.