Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Clean Clothes

What do we know about the manufacturing practices that create "the style" that gluts the stores?

I know a little, as am always digging up the information. But most of us learn only about the end product from marketers and their allies in the media, who tell us what is hot and then shame us for wearing it a few months later. This arrangement is an almost perfect waste generating, resource gobbling mechanism that assures the corporations who now own most of the labels, a stream of "reliable" revenue.

But under the hype and gloss, the illusions and lies, are very real people, resources and toxic processes.

Ok, a lot of us are calling all of this out on the carpet of shame, as no way can this form of capitalism continue. Eventually the resources are used up, the environment tainted and the humans that feed the c-machine are too unhealthy to bother with shopping. The few predators who end up on top of the world will be sitting on dead soil, tainted air and foul water. Like how is that a win even in corporate speak?

So if that scenario makes zero sense in your awakened state, then do something! It gets easy to ask front line employees about the products and services they are involved with selling. Simple questions like " do you know where this was made, is it a Fair Trade item, is this really organic, because that certified label like, means almost nothing in the USA, etc. can open up brilliant discussions. This generates today's knowledge. Facebook in real face time.

"Labor Behind the Label" has a pocket insert you can download from their site and slip into jean pockets while still in the store. LBL is trying to call attention to and therefore stop the lung damaging sand blasting practices that some jean labels still use, despite the known health risks.

Together we will stop the madness.

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