Ethical Fashion Learning

The following is a list of links to websites that explain some of the problems in the global textile industry and also some organizations that advocate for workers and consumers. As part of what has been called “ethical fashion”, we believe the first step should be to be well aware of the realities surrounding fashion manufacturing and then learn about what others have done to increase public awareness about such issues and in which way are they helping workers and the environment.

As always, we advise you to be curious and question the information that is presented to you with a critical eye and don’t take vague explanations for an answer. This is just a starting point and not a definitive guide. Look for conflicts of interest, scientific background and complete data in order to make your decisions. Feel free to contact us if you want to make any suggestions or need additional information about a specific topic.

In the case of brand search engines, using more than one makes sence, simply because they all have different standards and even conflicting information. We have not checked every single brand, so we just present these to you as another research tool.

How to tell if a brand is ethical? These are search engines that rate brands according to ethical principles.
Avoid	Avoidplugin.com
ShopEthical	Ethical.org.au
Good Guide	GoodGuide.com
GoodOnYou	GoodOnYou.org.au
Consumer awareness Articles and interesting productions that discuss some of the issues in the global apparel industry.
The shirt on your back	The Guardian’s documentary about the Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013
Fashion Revolution	In 60 countries around the world, thousands of people participated in the first Fashion Revolution Day on 24 April 2014, turning an item of clothing inside out trying to raise awareness about the people making our clothes and their circumstances
The NPR t-shirt	A documentary about the production of a t-shirt that explores the socioeconomic implications of garment production in the world. During the production of this documentary in 2013 Bangladesh suffered the biggest clothing factory disaster in history: the Rana Plaza factory collapse
How many t-shirts do you need?	A video made by National Geographic and the World Wildlife Foundation explaining the resources needed to make a t-shirt
~~World Fair Trade Organization~~	The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) is a global network of organizations representing the Fair Trade supply chain. Membership of WFTO provides Fair Trade organizations with credibility and identity by way of an international guarantee system; a place of learning where members connect with like-minded people from around the world; tools and training to increase market access; a common voice that shouts out for Fair Trade
~~Fair Trade Certified Ingredient Database~~	You can use this database to find companies who are registered with Fair Trade USA to sell Fair Trade Certified Ingredients. If the company is not on the list, it doesn’t mean they are not using fair trade products, but they are simply not registered with this particular organization and you might have to do additional research to confirm if they are operating under legitimate fair trade practices
~~Fair Trade International~~	~~The international Fairtrade system includes three producer networks, 25 Fairtrade organizations, Fairtrade International, and FLOCERT, the independent certification body of the global Fairtrade system~~
~~Fair Trade USA~~	A 501 nonprofit organization, Fair Trade USA is a third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States. In September 2011, Fair Trade USA (FTUSA) announced resignation of its membership from the international Fairtrade system as of 31 December 2011
Guardian witness	What are you wearing? Map your clothes and share your photos
~~Fair Trade America~~	To make sure that companies can remain part of the international Fairtrade system, Fair Trade International worked with a diverse body of stakeholders to create a new organization, Fairtrade America, which reflects the needs of the US market and represents the diversity of stakeholders
Did the Rana Plaza factory disaster change your fashion buying habits?	VIDEO: Interviews to consumers
America Made Matters	The American Made Matters® mission is to educate consumers that buying US-made products strengthens the American dream
Made in America
Million Jobs Project	A video trying to explain some of the reasons for unemployment in America. Watch and be critical of the arguments presented, is “Made in America” worth it?
Made in the USA	The Made in the USA Foundation is dedicated to promoting products manufactured or assembled in the USA
Sandblasting We include a few resources on this topic, since it is the perfect example of a practice that used to be common and was gradually removed from most denim production processes and banned in a few countries. We believe a similar process will change the scope of practices that we consider normal today in the apparel production sector.
Still Fashion Victims? I	A report on sandblasted denim. Background information on sandblasting and selected companies’ policies by Fair Trade Center, 2010
Fashion victims? SPANISH	Un reporte sobre el tratamiento de la mezclilla mediante “arenado” y sus consecuencias para la salud de los trabajadores
Still Fashion Victims? II	Monitoring a ban on sandblasted denim. Follow up paper by the Fair Trade Center, 2012
Silicosis, the sandblasting disease	Complete guide to occupational health from the World Health Organization
Deadly Denim: Sandblasting in the Bangladesh Garment Industry	Conservative estimates suggest Bangladesh has over 2,000 full time sandblasters producing garments for export. Clean Clothes Campaign, 2012
Breathless for Blue Jeans	Sandblasting paper by War on Want, 2013
Sourcing
Cotton of the Carolinas	A resource for apparel manufacturers in the United States to obtain organic cotton
The true cost of cotton	A video about the environmental and humanitarian afflictions generated by cotton farming in Uzbekistan. The video is old, but still very eye opening and , most importantly, things haven’t changed much: there is still forced labor and children labor mandated by the government
Cotton campaign	This website advocates against forced and child labor in the cotton industry of Uzbekistan
Offset Warehouse	Offset warehouse is the leader in eco-fabrics. The website offers specialized information on the quality of the fabrics, their origin and features that makes them special
Ethical Fashion Forum	In 2011, the Ethical Fashion Forum launched the SOURCE, a ground breaking social enterprise set to transform livelihoods for 2.5 million people in the developing world and significantly reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry. SOURCE is a platform of tools and services for the fashion and textiles industries, from field to final product. It aims to make it easy for fashion professionals and businesses to work sustainably, inspire and motivate members, facilitate research and industry collaboration and put the spotlight on best practice
Global Organic Textile Standard	The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) was developed through collaboration by leading standard setters with the aim of defining requirements that are recognized world-wide and that ensure the organic status of textiles from harvesting of the raw materials through environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing all the way to labeling in order to provide credible assurance to the consumer
Ahimsa – Ethical silk	Ahimsa uses a technique to get silk yarn from cocoons without killing the silk worms. This technique was used for the first time in the World in the year 1991. After prolonged research the Ahimsa silk is made marketable in the year 2001
SEKEM	The SEKEM is an Egyptian initiative was founded to realize the vision of sustainable human development through a holistic concept integrating economic, societal life, cultural life and ecology. They produce a series of organic goods in a fair trade environment
Human rights
Clean Clothes Campaign	Founded in 1989, CCC is one of the first organizations in exploring human rights issues in the global garment industry
Fair Wear Foundation	A non-profit to improve working conditions in the garment industry. Go to “Brands” on the top menu and see which ones are involved
Free2Work	Free2Work is a project created by Not For Sale and supported by the International Labor Rights Forum. The site provides information about modern day slavery and child labor. In the “Industry” drop-down menu, select Apparel and click “View”, a list of companies and their scorecard on quality or labor will be displayed
Know the Chain	A website created to inform and ensure compliance with the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act
WalkFree	A movement to end slavery
California Transparency in Supply Chains Act	A 2011 law aimed to make companies state their efforts to end human trafficking
	Last updated: 06/06/2015 at 1:22 am PST.

Ethical Fashion Learning

How to tell if a brand is ethical?

Avoid

ShopEthical

Good Guide

GoodOnYou

Consumer awareness

The Guardian’s documentary about the Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013

In 60 countries around the world, thousands of people participated in the first Fashion Revolution Day on 24 April 2014, turning an item of clothing inside out trying to raise awareness about the people making our clothes and their circumstances

A documentary about the production of a t-shirt that explores the socioeconomic implications of garment production in the world. During the production of this documentary in 2013 Bangladesh suffered the biggest clothing factory disaster in history: the Rana Plaza factory collapse

A video made by National Geographic and the World Wildlife Foundation explaining the resources needed to make a t-shirt

What are you wearing? Map your clothes and share your photos

VIDEO: Interviews to consumers

The American Made Matters® mission is to educate consumers that buying US-made products strengthens the American dream

Made in America

A video trying to explain some of the reasons for unemployment in America. Watch and be critical of the arguments presented, is “Made in America” worth it?

The Made in the USA Foundation is dedicated to promoting products manufactured or assembled in the USA

Sandblasting

A report on sandblasted denim. Background information on sandblasting and selected companies’ policies by Fair Trade Center, 2010

Un reporte sobre el tratamiento de la mezclilla mediante “arenado” y sus consecuencias para la salud de los trabajadores

Monitoring a ban on sandblasted denim. Follow up paper by the Fair Trade Center, 2012

Complete guide to occupational health from the World Health Organization

Conservative estimates suggest Bangladesh has over 2,000 full time sandblasters producing garments for export. Clean Clothes Campaign, 2012

Sandblasting paper by War on Want, 2013

Sourcing

A resource for apparel manufacturers in the United States to obtain organic cotton

A video about the environmental and humanitarian afflictions generated by cotton farming in Uzbekistan. The video is old, but still very eye opening and , most importantly, things haven’t changed much: there is still forced labor and children labor mandated by the government

This website advocates against forced and child labor in the cotton industry of Uzbekistan

Offset warehouse is the leader in eco-fabrics. The website offers specialized information on the quality of the fabrics, their origin and features that makes them special

Ahimsa uses a technique to get silk yarn from cocoons without killing the silk worms. This technique was used for the first time in the World in the year 1991. After prolonged research the Ahimsa silk is made marketable in the year 2001

The SEKEM is an Egyptian initiative was founded to realize the vision of sustainable human development through a holistic concept integrating economic, societal life, cultural life and ecology. They produce a series of organic goods in a fair trade environment

Human rights

Founded in 1989, CCC is one of the first organizations in exploring human rights issues in the global garment industry

A non-profit to improve working conditions in the garment industry. Go to “Brands” on the top menu and see which ones are involved

A website created to inform and ensure compliance with the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act

A movement to end slavery

A 2011 law aimed to make companies state their efforts to end human trafficking