The previous week has been the Fashion Revolution Week, marking 3 years since  Rana Plaza complex collaps in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing 1,134 and injuring over 2,500 people. Although oficially Fashion Revolution Week has ended, it is still good to be aware of the ways to shop ethically for the clothes, and to keep in mind problematic sides of your favourite brands.

                                        Photo: @fash_rev

1. Get educated.

Despite good campaigns like collecting old clothes to recycle them and make the new ones, saving the energy that goes wasting for collecting new materials and recycling the old ones, ethical issues can still stand along such companies within one brand. A lot of “fast fashion” brands are known to have issues with exploiting the non-existence of working places in the developing countries by providing job that will have more than 8-hour shifts, but that won’t pay even a minimum wage in the countries these clothes are the most purchased in. Get to know who, how, and for how many makes the clothes you consider buying. You can also use the Good On You app, which will show you the brand’s rating for ethical labour, environmental impact, and animal protection, and help to explore more ethical brands.

At this point, it is could be your intention of avoiding buying from countries like China and Bangladesh completely. However, keep in mind that beside the sweatshops, there are also factories that provide good wage and conditions to their workers, and you need to learn how to disguise them. Abandoning purchasing from these countries may result in the brands’ decision to eradicate sweatshops and raise the wages, but it can also ruin what is already built for people in the “good” factories. I highly recommend reading this artictle on this topic, and another one to help you understand the difference between the providing companies.

I would also suggest reviewing the experience of the workers in the company and its stores itself. Big “fast fashion” companies, that withold a lot of brands under one roof, tend not only use sweatshops, but also treat the stores; workers poorly: long shifts with little or closer to none breaks, unpaid extra hours, and forcing to perform duties not suitable for one’s professional position.

Company’s moral actions matter as well. Consider not supporting the companies that have made sexist, racist, homophobic comments, and have expressed hatred or disregarded the problems of a certain social group. In this sense also, keep your eye on the brand advertising: are the ads respectful? How do the models look? Do they use stereotypes or harmful statements? Who is the main photographer for this brand and does this person have a history of being problematic?

Even if the clothes are what really matter for you and you don’t care about “the drama”, you should go through the history of the problems this brand had and evaluate, whether you want to support these statements or not, especially if the brand had never apologized for them and got defensive when being called out.

                                Photo: George and Willy

2. Give it a second living.

Advices to visit second-hand stores, charity shops, freemarkets, garage sales, and online pages like Depop where people sell or even give away their goods for free can be named the most overrated and useless advice of all the time, because this is what one considers at the first place. Nevertheless, do your local research on this, and maybe try to participate yourself, bringing your old belongings to a jumble sale. depending on where you live, second-hand stores can specialise on brand clothes and accessories, and charity shops often have things from the High Street. The latter ones are twice better, since your money could go into cancer research, cure of the heart diseases, or other great things. However, do your research what beliefs these organisations hold and whether the money are being spent wisely.

                         Photo: @anenchantingadventure

3. Search for authenticity.

Invest your money in something that may be more expensive, but is more rare or exclusive at the same time. Haute couture brands are the best example of the first one, but be aware of where these clothes came from and whether you are buying a fake, because high price may be misleading to think sweatshops weren’t involved.

If you want to go full exclusive, private tailors are here for you. However, the price of one item can be as high as the price of the same item by a high fashion brand. In addition, this option can be time-consuming, having to meet the tailor in person for your measurements. At the same time, you will take part in your garment’s creation by choosing shape, fabric, and details, and you will avoid the struggle of clothes being too tight or too loose in some places. This method guarantees that your clothes would be made ethically in terms of labour rights.

                                     Photo: @lilacsandcream

4. Do It Yourself.

It doesn’t have to be about sewing. After all, you may not have a sewing machine, and the process of learning is time-consuming. However, if you own such machine and know how to operate it, or have knowledge on basic stitches: give it a try. The easiest to start from are cosmetic bags that are just two rectangles hold together with a zip, and panties.

Sewing is especially useful in shrinking or making a garment a size bigger. You probably faced a situation, when something on a sale was really good and really cheap, but the size didn’t fit you. Next time, save your nerve cells and buy the closest to yours size, to then ajust it with sewing, or making something entirely different out of it.

                                  Photo: @unnuageetalors

Knitting is another way of doing it yourself, especially when big knitted scarves are in, but the only ones you can find are small, sad, and made out of the material you’re allergic to. Maybe you’re really fortunate to have someone who already knows knitting and was willing to knit for you for years, but you refused to accept their hand-made gifts. Can it be the time you stop doing so and enlighten them on the current trends, to make this experience positive for both of you?

                             Photo: @lady_winter_shop

If you are saying that you’ve never wondered how three string with plastic beads on, that are somehow called a “bracelet set”, can cost  £17, you are clearly lying even to yourself. Buying all the materials is cheaper in the first place, and putting them together is free and 100% ethical. Plastic modeling is advanced level, but with a couple of free tutorials spread around the Internet you can make an exclusive accessory only you will own.

You don’t have to be exclusively a consumer. Sites like Etsy offer to buy and sell all the hand-made goods, so you can have your positive impact on solving labour issues both ways.

                                        Photo: TresorCreation

It may be impossible to eradicate the injustice in the fashion industry fast and forever. Quite clearly, it might be there forever, but even with a small change, it is possible to make the world a better place.