I just read an article on a reality television show out of Britian that sent people into Asia to work in the shops that are making the clothes they wear.
read it here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=560136&in_page_id=1879&ICO=FEMAIL&ICL=TOPART
I wasn't surprised at all by the sweat shop conditions, by the incredibly low pay, by the long hours, by the child labour they discovered.
I was surprised that they made these young britons out to so incredibly selfish and self centred. I'm sure the participants were, but why profile this as an issue of young fashionable people living high on the backs of Asian garment workers? Where's the mom who shops at Walmart, or Sears, or Zellers, or Gapkids? Lets face it, it takes a pretty conscientious effort to NOT live high on the backs of Asian garment workers.
Yesterday Nature Girl came home from school and I found a crumpled reminder that her choir is performing in a festival this coming wednesday. She needs a white blouse and black skirt. This child lives in rainbows. There wasn't a black skirt or white shirt to be found in the house. I had no black cloth in sewing stash either.
So we drove to the closest Guy Frenchys (second hand thrift shop that is everywhere here in Nova Scotia) and I spent 40 minutes searching for a white cotton blouse and a simple black skirt (If I'd wanted her in a micromini with "dancer" written in fake diamonds across her little 7 year old behind we'd have been out of there in 5 minutes). Anyhow, on the way home I was thinking about the MOUNTAINS of barely worn, previously trendy clothes that fill the bins at thrift shops and how hard it is to find simple, built to last, classic clothes ANYWHERE.
Then I read this article this morning, and I am so glad that we went to the thrift store instead of Sears. If I hadn't been doing "Buy Nothing April" I likely would have just gone to Sears, its closer and the clothes are on racks and I wouldn't be searching for the elusive size 8 for 40 minutes right on the cusp of bedtime.
If anyone knows where I can get shoes for kids that aren't made in suspect conditions PLEASE tell me
1 comment:
We have a Value Village here. Better than Frenchy's b/c they sort and hang the clothes thus making it easier to find things. It's one drawback is the big toy section at the back of the store that I can never drag my daughter away from. The toys it sells tend to be crappy too.
Post a Comment