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What: Casual stuff like T-shirts, jeans and workout clothing, sports bras, even union-made sneakers. They also have a couple of button-down shirts for office workers - the only union-made office clothes I can find anywhere. Khakis, even.Wholesale blank T-shirts for printing are available in organic cotton, too. Why:
They think unions are still the best way to ensure decent wages and conditions
at garment factories. They do order from factories in other countries, but only
if those workers have a union or comparable situation. Click their "Sources" button to learn
about each factory. I think it's great that they're supporting union shops in
other countries. It could go a long way toward cleaning up America's image. How: Online shopping only (for now). They're just as efficient and trustworthy as your favorite catalog retailers. Does Lovey love it? Yes! Lovey's experiences with their online store have been swell. Plus the organization is run by nice, earnest people committed to social change. What's not to love? The clothes are well made and and the jeans won't make your butt look big. I love my No Sweat sneakers, too. Go shopping! |
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Find union-made toasters and other goods. | What: Underpants and bras, casual/active outerwear, kids clothing and wholesale T-shirts for printing. They have nice fabrics and are moving toward more organics. Their clothing is unabashedly youth-oriented, but even a geezer can find something to love in their catalog of basic fashions. I have become utterly dependent on my black cotton hoodie jacket, and very fond of the stretchy camisoles with built-in bra thingie - it's way more comfortable than a regular bra. Lovey's a fan. Why: They want to make a profit without exploiting their workers. They say their model is "hyper-efficient" as well as profitable. Although the name may appeal to Americans who want a "Made in USA" label, they refuse to wrap a flag around the company. They don't have a union, but their workers do have decent wages and access to health insurance, and the factory conditions are better than most. They are committed to change. How: They have retail stores in Los Angeles, Montréal, New York and San Francisco. Or you can buy online. Does Lovey love it? I'd love it better if they had collective bargaining, but who knows, maybe their business model will change the world. I don't know of any other place to get sweatshop-free underpants, so they're on my A-list. |
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Shop
at the Union Mall! | What: Union Jean and Apparel Co. has big, solid, sturdy clothing for big, solid, sturdy individuals. A pair of jeans is about $30. It makes me wonder why certain popular retailers can demand fifty bucks for a pair of jeans when the most expensive part of production was transportation from the Northern Mariana Islands. If an American worker with a union wage can make a pair of jeans for thirty bucks, why isn't everybody wearing them? They look just as good. Why: There will always be
Americans who buy American. And face it, you do feel good when you're supporting
the home team, don't you? Plus, there is one environmentalist factor here:
A domestic product uses fewer fossil fuels
to reach it's primary market. How: Online only. If you're one of those folks who has the stars & stripes emblazoned on your credit card, whip it out and start shopping! Does Lovey love it? Lovey loves it hugely. I bought the black denim jean jacket in M for Medium, and you could fit two of me in there. But check out the workmanship! It will last forever. |
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| Remember the food revolution? As recently as the 1980s, organic foods were hard to find. You had to search hard for a hippie co-op that offered a small selection of wilted, bug-eaten organic produce. But we sought it and we bought it because it was the right thing to do, and gradually organics caught on. Nowadays, organics are big business. Stores put signs over the broccoli telling customers where it was grown, often naming the farm it came from. It only took about 20 years. In the two years since I started this site, I have seen some progress: I can now find a sweatshop-free Little Black Dress, a few bras, some dress shirts. You may laugh, but this is important: We need sweatshop-free clothing to integrate into our whole lives, not just yoga class. We have a long way to go. Most clothing sold in the US still arrives on store racks with a secret history. A garment with "made in U.S.A." on the label might have come from just about anywhere. I am still looking forward to the day when every garment must be labeled truthfully.
I
want to be able to get dressed in the morning knowing I haven't enslaved anyone
in the
world. I still can't
find a business suit or dress pants with that guarantee. I'm very happy you visited my site. Please link to it, shop from it, share it and send me email if you hear of another retailer who offers transparent business practices and a sweatshop-free guarantee. If these retailers can survive, they can expand. If they
succeed, they can make every top brand in America adopt a cleaner, safer
chain of production - and back it up. It may take twenty years to make sweatshop-free clothing as common as organic foods are today. Thank you for making it happen. Lovey Howl, 2006
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