Tag Archives: Garment Workers

Jeremy Lin’s Jersey

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

Jeremy Lins JerseyLinsanity is sweeping the nation!  Or at least the State of New York.  Which, incidentally, is where adidas manufactured NBA jerseys (including those of the NY Knicks) up until 2009.  Now they are made in Thailand.

NY Senator Chuck Schumer was among many who vehemently condemned the move.

“Because it’s an American sport invented in America, played better in America than anywhere else, the jerseys ought to be made here in America,” Schumer said.

Despite protests, adidas went ahead Continue reading →

The Changing Landscape of the Global Garment Industry, Post-MFA

Posted on by — 3 Comments ↓

The Changing Landscape of the Global Garment Industry, Post MFAAs someone relatively new to learning about sustainability and the global garment industry, I was blissfully unaware of this thing called the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) until I read Kelsey Timmerman’s book Where Am I Wearing? a few months ago.  After that, I started to see those three letters all over the place (and no, I wasn’t researching fine arts graduate programs).  Turns out, it was an agreement put in place in 1974 and ended in 2005, the existence of which, and now lack thereof, affects the lives millions of garment workers around the world.

The MFA, in a nutshell, was an agreement that restricted exports of textiles to developed countries (US, Canada, and the EU) from developing countries (China, et al). Since 1974, import quotas had been applied to 73 countries in the global South, mostly in Asia, but starting in 1995 they were phased out.  The quota system was abolished completely in 2005, drastically changing the game for garment-producing countries.

So what happens now?

Well, production shifts based on competitive factors.  The fear in 2004 was that basically everything would move to China because of its infrastructure, abundance of raw materials, and cheap labor.  And it’s true, Chinese textile exports did skyrocket.  In 2000, 13% of US textile imports were from China, and in 2010 that number was 39.7%.The Changing Landscape of the Global Garment Industry, Post MFA

So how do the other countries compete with China? Continue reading →

EcoSexy Spotlight On: Between the Sheets Lingerie

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

EcoSexy Spotlight On: Between the Sheets Lingerie

                                 Meet Josh and Layla:

I met them in New York in November. They’re an inspiring team.  Layla is the designer and Josh the attorney and photographer.  Together they created Between the Sheets, a lingerie and loungewear company that manufactures in New York City’s historic garment district, sources sustainable materials whenever possible, and absolutely refuses to compromise on style.

Between the Sheets (BTS) is a playful company. Literally. Their collections include: “Come Out & Play,” “Playdate,” and “Birds of Play.” The image below is from the 2011/2012 “Airplay: a touch of luxury, an air of play.” The bodysuit is actually quite airy looking, being transparent and all. EcoSexy Spotlight On: Between the Sheets Lingerie Continue reading →

The Pro’s & Con’s of TOMS Shoes (and another option)

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

I got a pair of TOMS shoes in the mail last week (thanks Mom).  They’re super comfortable, and I got them in this snazzy gold herringbone pattern: The Pros & Cons of TOMS Shoes (and another option)

I know there are issues with give-away philanthropy, so I did a little digging to see how sustainable TOMS Shoes really are.  Putting aside TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie‘s accidental speech to the anti-gay Christian group Focus on the Family in June, there are several fundamental problems with the way TOMS gives back.

Giveaways Don’t Solve the Problem

As Kelsey Timmerman, author of Where Am I Wearing, reminds us, this is a classic case of giving someone a fish vs. teaching him/her how to fish. Giving children shoes is all very well and good, but does nothing to address the root causes of the poverty that makes them shoeless in the first place.  In fact, Continue reading →

Made in Nicaragua

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

As I write this, sitting on the beach in Nicaragua, it is easy to ignore everything but the crashing waves and pink sunset clouds.  But just miles away in the capital city of Managua, there is rampant poverty, unemployment, illness and any manner of problems typical of the third world.  Many of this country’s troubles stem from colonialism, political turmoil and natural disasters – most notably the earthquake that destroyed Managua in 1972 .  Because my subject is sustainable fashion, however, I decided to look into the ways the global garment industry has affected Nicaraguans.

Made in NicaraguaMy first [electronic] visit was to the now-defunct cotton fields. Cotton only came to Nicaragua in the 1950s with Continue reading →