Whether you’re someone who delights in buying new clothes or you cringe handing over your hard-earned cash, for lots of us, our main consideration is how much those new threads impact our back pocket.
The truth is, the fashion industry has bigger issues to consider. Millions of workers in the global fashion industry face injustice, abuse, low wages, and modern slavery.
Baptist World Aid
have just released the 10
th
Ethical Fashion Guide
, helping individuals make educated, more mindful decisions about where they choose to spend their money when it comes to adding to their wardrobe.
It’s a sobering thought that the clothes you’re wearing right now may have been made by exploited workers and even child labour.
Your fashion choices matter
But it doesn’t have to be that way. As people become more aware how their buying behaviour impacts others, companies in the fashion industry are coming under closer scrutiny, and upping their game. Shopping ethically is a way to declare God’s heart for people and to care for those who manufacture the things we need to live.
The clothes purchasing decisions you make have an impact locally, and globally. It’s worth taking a moment to do a little research before you make your next shopping trip.
How brands rank on the ethical scale
Baptist World Aid releases the
Ethical Fashion Guide
annually. Consumers can easily search for their favourite brand and see how they are ranked.
Companies are ranked on six areas:
-
Where are their materials coming from?
-
Do they pay workers a living wage
?
-
Are they listening to their workers?
-
How do they respond to labour exploitation
?
-
Are they choosing sustainable fibres?
-
Are they taking climate action seriously
?
See how your favourite brand ranked
click here
.
10 years of monitoring makes a difference
The 10th anniversary
Special Edition Ethical Fashion Report
compared
the progress of 25 fashion companies from 2013 and assessed again in 2022.
The top 5 companies who made the most progress are:
The least improved companies in ten years since 2013 are:
-
Forever 21
-
Abercrombie & Fitch
-
Sussan Group
-
Myer
-
Just Group
The report highlighted that although companies have started to put policies in place to protect garment workers, they are failing to follow through on those commitments. Other areas such as living wages, worker empowerment outcomes and raw materials monitoring have also failed to progress significantly.
However, one of the positive findings was that the twenty-five fashion companies assessed each year between 2013 and 2022 are improving their ethical performance and rank, mostly due to the consistent public scrutiny holding the companies to account.
Recently Rhema 99.7’s Richelle Wenham caught up with
Baptist World Aid
’s Advocacy Manager, Sarah Knob who confirmed this.
‘The companies who have been consistently monitored over the past 10 years
actually score, 11 points higher (on average) than companies who haven’t been under the same sort of public scrutiny’.
This is great news because it means that more improvement is possible. As well as supporting companies who operate ethically and take care of their workers and the planet, we can make a difference by publicly holding them accountable. By supporting organisations like Baptist World Aid to help them continue this life-improving research and by making your opinions known to your favourite fashion outlets, you’re making the fashion industry more ethical, fairer and sustainable for everyone.
Make your voice heard
Consumer feedback is one of the most effective ways you can push for more ethical work practices by your favourite brands.
The Ethical Fashion Guide has a
simple tool
where you can
Find Your Favourite Brands
, check their score and email them directly. It’s never been easier to be an advocate for a more sustainable fashion industry.
Get in touch with companies that perform poorly and urge them to do more around their workplace labour practices and their supply chain.
Research ethical fashion brands while you shop
Next time you’re thinking about buying clothes or shoes, you can easily research the brand with a few clicks and make a decision that reflects your values. You can
download the latest guide
and keep it on your phone for quick reference while you’re browsing. The difference your purchase makes in real peoples’ lives is so much bigger than the small amount of effort it takes to spend your money wisely. And being a good steward of what we have and caring for others? That’s priceless.