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Dear SmartPlanet, What exactly does ethical fashion mean? Natalia, Bristol, UK
A fab dress and killer heels, minus any sweatshops and child workers… Okay, there's slightly more to it than that. Although there's no fixed definition for 'ethical fashion', we see it as clothes produced with respect for labour and human rights.
As a minimum, the people who produce and pick the raw material (cotton, say) get paid a living wage and don't suffer from pesticide-related illnesses (cotton is the most sprayed crop in the world). The people who sew the actual clothes should, first of all, be adults, not children. They shouldn't work in sweatshop conditions and should enjoy basic rights such as time off, a fair wage and paid voluntary overtime. All workers should be free of harassment, discrimination and should be able to join trade unions.
You might find some companies call their garments 'ethical' based on environmental credentials, but we've chosen to look at that separately. Realising that ethics have become a hot issue, some UK fashion retailers including New Look, M&S and Next have now signed up to the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code. But, in ETI's own words, it doesn't mean the retailers are perfect -- it just means they have to demonstrate improvements over time, reporting annually to the ETI Board on their progress.
So far, there's no single certification that guarantees a piece of clothing has been produced in an ethical way. In terms of materials, only cotton can currently be certified Fairtrade. While the Fairtrade Mark does mean you can rest assured that the cotton farmers have been paid fairly, it isn't an assurance that the people who have stitched your fabulous Fairtrade t-shirt have been paid a living wage.
That's where the International Fair Trade Association or IFAT comes into the picture. While the Fairtrade Foundation certifies products, IFAT certifies companies and organisations -- including clothes factories and retailers like People Tree -- guaranteeing workers enjoy a living wage and good working conditions.
Time-consuming and difficult as it might be, the best way forward in your quest for ethical clothes is to ask questions of shops and labels. Quizzing shopping assistants with demands like, "Where was this made?" "How much did the workers get paid?" "Can they join a union?" might make you feel bonkers and self-conscious, and won't always result in answers. But your questions will filter through to managers and will help us get a step closer to truly guilt-free, ethical clothes.
Your checklist, then, should look like this: check for ETI membership, buy Fairtrade cotton, look for an IFAT certification and always ask questions. We also recommend checking out Blood Sweat and T-Shirts, a BBC programme about British fashion victims going to India to work in sweatshops.
Do you have a green shopping dilemma? Want an eco debate settled? Or want to know what a environmental buzzword really means? Email us on green@smartplanet.com and we'll do out best to help out in an upcoming Ask SmartPlanet.
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