Ethical Clothes

When I asked Reitmans/Addition-Elle to send me this list of countries where their clothing was made, how often executives visited those countries and what critiera they used for choosing factories they partner with this was their response: “As part of Reitmans (Canada) Limited, Addition Elle adheres to strict ethical standards when it comes to the manufacturing of our garments. We want… Read more →

I came across an article in the Toronto Star last week that highlighted the fact the Government of Canada does not track where clothes are made when it orders items for staff or other uses.  I guess that it is not only companies that need to be reminded that it is important that clothes are made with ethical standards. I… Read more →

I had hoped that I would have regular updates every week with a few new posts on different companies or stores.  It has not worked out that way.  I have had trouble reaching some companies at all and others have been slow to respond.  That being said I do have some progress to report: I have heard back from all… Read more →

One of my most favourite pair of shoes is made by irregular choice.  On a whim I asked them on Twitter under what conditions their shoes were made.  They responded right away.  You can read what they have to say here. The short answer is that they use a few family run factories in China with a trusted inspector regularly visiting.… Read more →

Now I know that asking the simple question of where it is made is merely the tip of the iceberg.  I can ask thousands of questions about anything and everything along the supply chain.  And I would argue that these questions should be asked everyday.  However – I will not be posing detailed supply chain related answers.  I want to… Read more →

I must admit I have not emailed H&M yet and they are next on my list.  But last week I was floored to see this tweet: “H&M shares the aim for transparency & better lives for garment workers. See our supplier list http://bit.ly/1fsGQbc   http://bit.ly/1iHR9vY ” The first link is their supplier list divided by country, ranked and address provided.  The second link… Read more →

I started this project thinking I would likely get a mix of honest answers and spin back from companies whom I asked specific questions about where their products are made.  So far I have had some great answers and feed back from two companies and one telling me they are looking into the answers. What I did not expect was… Read more →

It was a year ago today that building collapsed in Bangladesh killing over a 1000 garment workers.  The world was shocked.  Companies reacted and people questioned where their clothes were made.  As the story slowly slipped out of the news cycle so did it slip from many people’s minds and we continued to shop for the latest fashions and good… Read more →

The reasons that i have started this are many.  I want to say it was the collapse of the building in Bangladesh that inspired this blog – but that would not be the entire truth.  I think the less shocking and horrifying reason had more of an influence. That reason was this: I took up sewing, less than a year… Read more →

I have been delaying writing this post because I don’t quite know how to summarize the response from Marks aka The Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC). First off they are very proud of signing on to the non-binding agreement in Bangladesh.  The weaker agreement that many feel does little to protect workers.   I quote: “Since its launch, the Alliance has focused on its… Read more →