Today Marty and I attended the opening of a seasonal No Sweat store in Harvard Square today. It was really great to see a lot of people show up for the event and make purchases on the spot! We all need to buy clothes every once in awhile, and it's great to see that there are socially conscious options out there.
I am regularly plagued by questions about how far we need to go to be "good consumers," though. Is it enough to buy union-made? Must the clothes also be made from organic fibers, and are there other considerations we must take? How about a company such as American Apparel, which treats its employees well but does not have a union?
What do others think?
Ok, I'll give my two cents. There was one point in which consumers needed to buy alternative products, such as organic foods or union-made clothes, to show that there is a market for items like these. There is another point where it will be necessary to show a market for only the most stringently certified products. Has it come to this point yet? Are we still "good consumers" if we buy organic food that is shipped in from every part of the world? Am I still socially conscious to accept an article of clothing made in WorkersLoseville as a gift? I think so. I think the point will come to each of us in our own time, of course with consideration to all practical things, like budgets.
But anyways, I do want to hear what others have to say. Post away!
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1 comment:
Good food for thought Cindy. One thing to add about your post is that American Apparel may not be as good a company as many of us originally assumed. Some of their racy ads set-off alarms but charges of sexual harassment and of aggresive anti-union tactics have been haunting the company recently.
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