I need help buying non-sweat shop clothing.

[GumboYaYa]

I work in a job where I have to wear business suits almost daily. A few years back I became more informed about sweat shop labor. After reading reports about sweat shops in the U.S. or U.S. territories like the Mariannas islands, I discovered that a "Made in the USA" label is no guaranty that sweat shop labor was not used in making the clothes.

I have searched for a way to know the source of my clothing to no avail. As a result, I simply stopped buying new business clothing. I'm at a point now where I have to buy a few suits, but I can't do that unless I know for sure that I am not buying sweat shop clothes.

I am considering going to a tailor down the street from my house and have her make my suits. That is the only way I can think of to be certain of the source.

Has anyone else researched these issues? Are there any places where I can buy business clothing and know for certain they were produced in a socially responsible way?

[Tyler Durden]

1. Try Goodwill or St. Vincent's in a REALLY NICE NEIGHBORHOOD

Whenever I'm in Ann Arbor (Michigan) or Livonia, or Grosse Pointe, I stop in their thrift shops.

A $500 Hart Schafner Marx 3 piece suit in dark blue pinstripe tropical wool in new condition cost me $5.00. $25 to take in the coat and pants at the local tailor...that's $30.

Second Hand Rules.

[GumboYaYa]

3. That is a really good idea.

My last suits I bought were second hand. I got three Josef Abou suits for $40.00 and they fit with no alterations. That was at a garage sale.

[theHandpuppet]

13. I've seen brand new clothes with the tags still on them

... for sale at our local Goodwill. Some folks think it's beneath them to be seen shopping at a Goodwill (including some people I know) but not me. I've gotten some great stuff there. I'll never understand people who think they're too good to shop at Goodwill but will think nothing of shopping for cheap crap at that heinous sweatshop outlet, WalMart!

[Horse with no Name]

14. I made my Goodwill round today

I bought an American Tourister large suitcase--like new-$3
I bought a very nice leather 2 pc set of luggage for $8
I bought a Sony karaoke machine for my granddaughter for $2
I bought a pair of Oshkosh shorts and a pair of Healthtex shorts for .50 each

I had a good day:)

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Some resources

http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/garchik/
Bono was here performing and introducing the Edun line of nonsweatshop clothing at Saks Fifth Avenue over the weekend. He cares about the global economy ...

http://www.garmentworkercenter.org/active.php?itemid=172
SHOP WITH A CONSCIENCE
... Justice Clothing is a one stop-shop for union-made & nonsweatshop apparel! For every item of clothing, you can learn who made the clothes,where and ...

EDIT: ooops..This is about a portest about sweatshop made uniforms.
http://www.afscme3299.org/customhtml/
... University workers lit hundreds of clothing labels from employee uniforms ... “The issue is that we want the university to commit to nonsweatshop labor. ...

http://www.nosweat.org.uk/

http://www.americanapparel.net/presscenter/articles/20031100gq.html
A few of the good guys working to make things better for everyone.

-GQ Magazine
-November 2003

SWEET-SHOP OWNER
Dov Charney / 34 / Clothing Manufacturer and designer, American Apparel / Los Angeles

Charney's 12-year-old-company provides jobs to more than 1,200 people — mostly Mexican immigrants — in a decidedly nonsweatshop environment in downtown Los Angeles. Workspaces are fitted with the newest machinery, and all workers have access to low-cost health care, free English and computer classess, on-site massages and livable wages. Though the cost of manufacturing in L.A., rather than, say, Indonesia, is prohibitive for most textile companies, American Apparel still manages to turn a profit with their form-fitting super soft T-shirts. Maybe it's their enterprising approach to marketing: Employees double as models in their catalogs.

[GumboYaYa]

5. Thank you. Those look promising.

[BrklynLiberal]

8. I found that if you click the links at the garmentworkercenter site

you get '404' messages. The links were not set up correctly. If you do a copy and paste or just type the site names inot your browser, they DO exist.

[inthebrain]

4. Moral dillema

Sounds like there is more this than meets the eye.

Its that old story of the wife dying in the bed and the husband who cant affodr the cure. Does he steal the medicine to save her? Or do the people who manufacture the cure have a right to profit?

I would say go to work in a pair of jeans and a T Shirt but those are also manufactured with sweat shop labor. What to do, what to do, is the question of the day. If you go to a Taylor, chances are those fabrics are made with sweat shop labor as well.

The real question is a matter of Moral Valuse the bring about a moral dilemna.

Some thing that Republican fundies will shy away from unless they can "black and white" the issue. Or better yet make it out as an obligation for profit on the supply side to create more jobs.

You're onto something my friend and are about to revive a movement that has been muffled over the last five years. An issue that is at the heart of terrorism and side tracked by 9/11 because of Bush's fear campaign.

Keep up the good work!!!!!

[GOPisEvil]

6. Not sure about suits...

But try www.americanapparel.net and www.nosweatshop.com

Good luck!

[GumboYaYa]

7. It's easy to find casual clothes with an identifiable nonsweat shop

source. I am discovering that it is much harder to find business attire with the same guaranty.

[BrklynLiberal]

10. Check out this spot. They have a few things that look business ready.

http://www.nosweatapparel.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=CASUAL

[GumboYaYa]

11. Thank you again. You have been very helpful.

There are a few things on that site that I will purchase, plus following the links to their vendors, I think I may have found a source for more business attire.

It is a shame that it is so hard to search for and find socially conscience clothing makers.

[BrklynLiberal]

9. A site for vintage, Union made and sweatshop free clothing

http://old-clothes.com/
... Men's Shirts, Long and Short Sleeve. Men's Suits, Coats & Jackets ... of vintage clothing, as well as both Union Made and Sweatshop Free clothing. ...


ooops. vintage only it seems.

[theHandpuppet]

12. Try some of these links for shopping info

http://www.justiceclothing.com/thereis/justice?mv_pc=unite
http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/greenpages/
http://www.responsibleshopper.org/
http://store.gxonlinestore.org/
http://www.nosweatapparel.com/
http://www.unitehere.org/buyunion/