Fair Trade Fashion Finds
Do you know who made your clothes? Did they get paid a fair wage? Did they get paid a wage or were they forced to work? Were their working conditions safe?
What about your jewelry? Is that inexpensive piece you bought made by someone who works in a sweatshop? Do you know the supply chain for where your items are made?
Fair trade is an approach to business and to development based on dialogue, transparency and respect that seeks to create greater equality in the international trading system.
Fair trade supports farmers and craftspeople in developing countries who are socially and economically marginalized. These producers often face steep hurdles in finding markets and customers for their good.
You can participate in Fair Trade by making purchases of clothing and accessories from Fair Trade stores, vendors or online. Here are a few examples of how you can combine Fair Trade clothing and Fair Trade Jewelry and Accessories.
This skirt is from India and purchased from Splurge Ria space at Fair Trade Long Beach. The shoes are from Tree Shoes former partner at Fair Trade Long Beach and the backpack purse is from Shop Vida Verde partner at Fair Trade Long Beach. The jewelry is a paper bead necklace and bracelet set and the kikoi wrap and mask are all from us at Baskets and Beads. I am pictured in our space at Fair Trade Long Beach.
It’s easy to pair Fair Trade clothing with Fair Trade jewelry and purses. This dress is from the Zaric Fair Trade space at Fair Trade Long Beach and the purse and paper bead necklace and bracelet are from us at Baskets and Beads.
This is the same dress with different jewelry and a different bag. Paper beads can be used to dress up a casual outfit or add style to a dressy outfit. This necklace makes the dress a little more dressy.
FAST FASHION VS SLOW FASHION
Fair Trade products are considered “Slow Fashion” which promotes slower production schedules, fair wages, less waste and more ecologically friends processes.
Fast Fashion is about mass producing high fashion designs and replicating catwalk trends and producing them at a low cost with little attention paid to safe working conditions, lower waste or the environment.
HOW CAN I HELP?
Pay attention to where your clothes are made. Read the labels, do some research. Make a commitment to buy some of your clothing, jewelry and even food products from Fair Trade vendors, stores or manufacturers.
That garment that seems like such a good price or that inexpensive piece of jewelry may have been made by someone whose forced to work, paid little to work or works in an unsafe building and under unsafe conditions.
If we all do our part to make a difference it will have a positive impact on the environment and on the workers who make the products we all consume.
Shop Small Business, Shop Fair Trade, Shop Slow Fashion.