Month: January 2014

News Roundup: January 2014

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This month I came across a couple of really eye-opening stories, one from a journalist who went undercover at a Bangladesh clothing factory, and one about the relationship between outsourced manufacturing and pollution at home. Read on for some thought-provoking material!

I got hired at a Bangladesh sweatshop. Meet my 9-year-old boss – This article reveals the troubling realities in one Bangladesh factory, including several young girls who do not attend school and envision their only future as moving up from thread-trimmers to sewing machine operators. My heart broke to think about this life being real for who knows how many thousands of girls in Bangladesh. (Toronto Star)

China’s exports linked to western U.S. air pollution – A new study shows that Chinese factories, often producing goods for American consumption, create pollution that blows across the Pacific to the Western U.S. (CNN)

Interview: Carry Somers of Pachacuti on the Fashion Revolution – This interview with Somers, the founder of a leading fair trade brand in the U.K., illuminates the business side of fair trade and the challenges that arise in the course of making ethical production a reality. Fascinating! (Triple Pundit)

Somers is also heading up Fashion Revolution Day (on April 24, 2014, the one-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh), a movement to “raise awareness of the true cost of fashion, show the world that change is possible, and celebrate all those involved in creating a more sustainable future.” This year’s theme is “Who Made Your Clothes?” Visit the Fashion Revolution site to see ways to get involved. I’m considering doing one of the videos they suggest!

The History of Fabric Dye – Zady occasionally publishes short articles on the history of various aspects of clothing production, which I find fascinating. This article covers the history of fabric dye, from ancient natural dyes to modern synthetic ones. (Zady)

Ghirardelli: Love is in the label. Make it Fair Trade! – An easy way to support fair trade! This petition asks Ghirardelli to use fair trade certified cocoa in their chocolate. (Global Exchange)

And to end on an uplifting note, via Pinterest:

Even the smallest voice can make a difference in a big wayWhat are you reading this month? We’d love to hear about it in the comments!

 

Great Intentions: Get Fit and Lose Weight

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Title image with woman doing yogaIt’s been almost two weeks since I introduced my new blog series in my post A Year of Great Intentions. Today, I am officially starting the first category of this series, with the topic Get Fit and Lose Weight. When I was writing that last blog, I had just begun taking yoga classes and I was loving it. Later this week I will be checking out a new studio with friends to continue with my practice.

As a reminder, this year is about having great intentions and following through with them so that you will be satisfied with the time you have in this life. Getting fit might mean you will have to purchase some new apparel and gear. Intending to do great things for ourselves has the potential to lead to doing good for others, such as shopping ethically. Below are ethical products I found for three common workouts.

Yoga & Pilates
Studios usually have blocks, straps, and other props available for students to use. Many also rent mats so you do not have to purchase one, especially for your first time. If you are going to practice yoga or Pilates at home, check out thrift shops in order to purchase and then reuse mats and other gear. Or, shop online. YogaAccessories.com has a strict fair trade policy, and sells everything you will need for yoga and Pilates, including kits with the essentials.

Running/Walking
New Balance is an American company that sells American-made or -assembled running and walking shoes. On their website, there is the option to shop for “Made in the USA” shoes, socks, t-shirts, and other apparel. These are produced using at least 70% domestic material.

If you have been a runner for a long time, you might have your favorite brand or style and are now wondering how New Balance might match up. Do not fret. Runner’s World had six pairs – both men’s and women’s styles – of New Balance shoes in their Winter 2013 Shoe Guide.

Hiking
First of all, I haven’t been able to find a store that sells ethically-made hiking boots for serious hikers, but Oliberté is a shoe company that sells somewhat rugged boots for men and women. Made in African countries, the shoes are made in a Fair Trade Certified factory, and the company is open about their ethical practices.

Secondly, you cannot go on a hike without some form of hydration and comfortable clothing. This filtering water bottle is Made in the USA and these cold-beverage bottles are made by EarthLust, a Certified B Corporation.

Finally, WOMbat sells men’s and women’s outerwear and has a strong ethical policy, and PrAna sells a few basic Fair Trade Certified t-shirts for men. Later this year, keep an eye out for Patagonia’s new Fair Trade Certified fall line!

I wish you all the best in your fitness pursuits this year. Moreover, I hope that you think about any purchases you need for those pursuits primarily from an ethical standpoint. What fitness activities do you enjoy and are going for this year? Swimming? Dance? Rock climbing? Please contact us if you have any leads on ethically-made products for your fitness routine!

Fair Trade Sales & Deals

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When I began fair trade shopping several years ago, I experienced a little sticker shock. I was a college student who wasn’t used to paying full price for anything, let alone the “true” full price charged by many fair trade retailers.

It’s not a big secret that fair trade items are sometimes more expensive than their conventional counterparts. It makes sense: when workers are paid a living wage, that cost gets added to the final price of the product. What is a secret is that fair trade items can often be just as affordable (or more affordable) than conventional items.

One way that I eased into buying fair trade—and a practice I still follow today—was to take advantage of sales and deals. Just like any other stores, fair trade shops have periodic sales to clear out old merchandise or promotions to attract more customers. In 2014, I want to share more of these sales with you to help you find ethical goods that are just as affordable as conventional ones.

Fair Indigo, one of my favorite ethical retailers, has frequent sales and happens to be having their big winter sale right now. They sell a mix of fair trade, made in USA, and organic items.

Fair Trade Sales & Deals header with Fair Indigo product images

There’s plenty of cold weather left, so perhaps you could use a cozy recycled fiber cardigan or knit blazer. Or if you’re preparing for spring, check out their adorable organic cotton dresses. (I have professed my love for these before and I will do it again and again, occasionally in song.) Some of the sale prices are even lower than what you would find in a regular store.

Items shown above with sale prices:

  1. Fair Indigo Organic Pima Cotton Circle Neck Dress – $29.99 (50% off)
  2. Green 3 Apparel Reclaimed Tan Collage Skirt – $29.99 (40% off)
  3. World Finds Fair Trade Gold Cuff Bracelet – $16.99 (10% off)
  4. Ethos Paris Organic Cropped Knit Fair Trade Jacket – $39.99 (60% off)
  5. Imagine Hardware Necklace – $9.99 (70% off)

Now that I see them all together, they make a nice little mix-and-match set, don’t they? And don’t worry: when you buy a fair trade item on sale, the maker of that item has already been paid a fair price. It’s the retailer who takes any losses.

What are you shopping for right now? Are you getting ready for spring or still layering on sweaters? (After the Polar Vortex every 30-degree day feels like picnic weather to me.)

A Year of Great Intentions

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A Year of Great Intentions header image

Laura is back on the blog today introducing her new series about new year’s intentions and ethical ways to fulfill them. —Julia

We are into the second week of January, and I just returned home from back-to-back yoga classes. This year, I decided for the first time ever to set new year’s resolutions. One I actually set a few months back, when I decided I needed to travel to Europe in 2014. I am planning on visiting Tuscany and Rome for two weeks in the fall and already have a couple travel books from my favorite travel author, a list of cities I want to visit, and a preliminary budget. My second resolution is to get into a fitness routine. I tried out yoga a couple times in the summer and really loved it, and then found a great beginner’s deal at a yoga studio. I postponed signing up to due to two consecutive foot injuries, but now I am currently acting out this resolution.

As I was thinking about my resolutions in December, I had a question pop into mind. What if one of my resolutions had something to do with fair trade shopping? What if I could make ethical choices when making preparations to fulfill my resolutions?

Recently, my friends and I came up with this concept: that a resolution in the new year can be re-phrased to “being more intentional.” That is, whatever we do now is not just an activity but a practice to contribute more to this short life we have. How it benefits us will look differently depending on what the resolution is.

Here is a proposal I have for your new year resolution, or intention: purely to help improve the lives of others through your consumer choices. Below are some of the top American new year’s resolutions that we are going to explore more deeply this year.

  • Get Fit and Lose Weight
  • Manage Debt
  • Take a Trip
  • Eat Healthy Food

Whether your resolution requires buying new exercise gear or an international tour package, we’ll suggest ethical options for fulfilling your intention. We can make 2014 a more intentional year and I hope to show you how in the coming months.

Year in Review: 2013

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2013 Year in Review party image

Wowza! How did it get to be 2014 already? (I’m pretty sure it was 1998 two weeks ago…)

The Fair for All Guide has grown and changed a lot this year, and I want to thank all of you for being a part of it! The sustainable and ethical fashion movement gained a lot of traction in 2013, and we’re excited to see how it will grow in 2014. And of course, we look forward to sharing the latest with you.

It was kind of unbelievable to look back and see how much we’ve written in 2013—posting once a week really adds up! (We’re definitely at the lower end of post frequency… to every other blogger who posts more than that: you are incredible.)

In case you missed them, here are some of our favorite posts from the last year:

Thanks again for being with us, and may 2014 be your best year yet!