How do I avoid sweatshop clothing?

[athenasatanjesus]

I was just about to buy more work shoes,when it hit me that I really never know what comes from a sweatshop or not I'm trying to find something on google for it but haven't found anything yet.
Anyone know a good way to be sure?

[lame54]

1. go naked

[geckosfeet]

2. +1

[notesdev]

6. what this guy said

Thank your free traitors.

[JackintheGreen]

3. You want shoes?

Buy Redwing.

If you can afford them.

If you can, save for them.

I bought pair ten years ago and they're still going strong. My father bought a similar pair and wore them for 17 years.

They are also union made.

Good luck.

[Cirque du So-What]

10. I'm just as fond of Carolina shoes & boots

They too are union-made.

[Arctic Dave]

16. Been wearing Redwing work boots for over twenty years.

Pecos slip on with thinsulate. If I can wear them in Arctic conditions they can be worn anywhere.

[dixiegrrrrl]

21. Not any more.

Mr. D. needs Redwing, last pair he got 6 months ago...made in China and NOT made the same
way he has been used to.

[JackintheGreen]

30. This makes me sad, if generally true n/t

[harlfxstc]

4. Buy REALLY expensive styled clothers - where the labor cost doesn't matter..

When you pay $10,000 for an evening gown like we saw a lot of the other night, it doesn't matter what the labor costs were, they are insignificant compared to the profit for the stylist...

So just by really REALLY expensive clothes and then odds are they were made in America.

[unpossibles]

11. you're joking I assume? nt

[harlfxstc]

12. No, stylists making $10,000 gowns wouldn't be caught dead making them overseas.

Did you take a look at the gowns being worn at the State Dinner? $10,000 a crack if not more. Probably $9,500 of that goes into the pockets of the "stylists". Those stylists aren't going to even think of offending someone paying that much for a dinner gown by having "made in China" on the label.

[Walk away]

23. That isn't true...

I worked in the business for years. Much of the elaborate fabric for the most expensive gowns is made in the third world by "tiny hands".

But Union!

[unpossibles]

24. yeah, I don't know about that high-end, but I have worked in mid-high end stuff before

and the majority of it was made in China or elsewhere, even the things which cost thousands of dollars.

[harlfxstc]

26. So Michele O's dress could have been made by tiny hands? NT

[Walk away]

31. no but I'm sure Nancy Regan's dresses were. Republicans just don't

care about the poor.

[SoCalDem]

32. actually Michelle's dress WAS mostly made in India

The designer said all the handsewn beadwork was done in India

[Walk away]

34. And yet that does not necessarily mean tiny hands.

When I worked for a well known designer ten years ago, many of our fabrics came from overseas but we only purchased from fair wage factories that employed adults only.

The clothes were designed and made in the U.S.

[Walk away]

5. Sure...it's easy just....

Look for the union label when you are buying that coat, dress or blouse.

Remember somewhere our union’s sewing, our wages going to feed the kids, and run the house.

We work hard, but who’s complaining? Thanks to the I.L.G. we’re paying our way!

So always look for the union label, it says we’re able to make it in the U.S.A.!

[athenasatanjesus]

9. this sounds good

Thanks I didn't realize there was such a thing as a union label,i'll look for it.

[CTyankee]

18. I used to love that song! It played alot in NY when I lived there.

Good luck finding many people nowadays who remember that wonderful commercial of ILGWU workers singing that song...fond memories...

[stubtoe]

33. I remember that song.

Whatever happened to "buy American"?

[SoCalNative]

7. SAS shoes

they're expensive but they're made in the US by master craftsmen, not piecework sweatshop employees.

[tblue]

8. Thrift stores are always a good option.

At least you're not providing demand for new sweatshop business.

Otherwise, I try to buy everything Made in USA.

[cowcommander]

13. 2nd'ing on thrift stores

It's almost impossible to avoid china-made goods these days, but you can make sure your money goes to stores that deserve your business.

[Lucy Goosey]

27. Yes! That's what I was going to say.

It's amazing what you can sometimes find for $5.

[27inCali]

14. american apparel label

made entirely in the united states by workers recieving a fair wage.

(the prices reflect it too).

if you want to buy American you gotta pay a little more, because we don't chain children in basements to do the work for pennies like certain other shit-hole countries our corporate leaders are so fond of doing business with.

[Cleita]

15. Make your own?

But then you would have to worry about if the leather came from an animal that wasn't abused or killed in a cruel fashion. I think it's gonna be hard to find stuff made in a union shop in America, but maybe if you know the brand you like, you may be able to find out from their home offices where the shoes were made. Then you may be able to find stories in their local periodicals as to whether those are sweat shops that are manufacturing those shoes.

[enlightenment]

17. Try doing a Google search for

'fair trade clothing' or 'ethical clothing' - that will give you a start to some of the companies.

[G_j]

19. a lot of clothes can be found second hand at thrift stores

that also helps recycle..

[Warpy]

20. 1. Look for a union label

and 2. Learn to sew.

It's not hard. All you have to do is read the instructions and develop an extensive foul language vocabulary until you get the hang of it.

Unfortunately, textile mill conditions overseas (we no longer have them here) are probably just as bad as ready to wear sweatshop conditions.

However, unless you want to set up a loom, spin your own yarn, and live in homespun, you'll have to draw a line somewhere.

[uppityperson]

22. NoSweat Apparal (link...)

http://www.nosweatapparel.com/

[dixiegrrrrl]

25. Try these sites for American made products:

http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/apparel.html

http://www.usstuff.com/prodlac.htm

http://www.allamericanclothing.com/SFNT.html

[Nikki Stone1]

28. +1

Thank you!

[POAS]

29. "All American Clothing"...link;

http://www.allamericanclothing.com/SFNT.html