Becoming a mother changed me in many ways, particular how I viewed certain issues. I don't think one needs to parent a child to have a sensitivity to a children's cause by any means, but I guess I'm more stubborn and pigeon holed than most. Before I had kids, I was more aware of women's issues in general. Then I got pregnant and I became more aware of maternal health (you can read what my friend Emily is doing to help HERE). There's something about being in the same stage of life as someone suffering that makes it all more real. It shouldn't be that way. I shouldn't suck at empathy to the point where unless I literally am in the same life stage I can't put myself in another human being's shoes, but there it is.The world it utterly broken, and I'm part of the problem.
When I became a mother, I became more aware of the exploitation of children, particularly in the textile and garment industry. Babies who outgrow their clothing every few weeks require a lot of shopping, and so I tried to forget the headlines, the gruesome statistics on child labour, and focus mainly on buying second hand. But those Joe Fresh and Gap Kids flash sales are hard to pass up, and eventually I'd find myself at the bottom of the rabbit hole that is Old Navy clearance, wondering how I spent so much money on clothes that were so cheap, and ignoring where I knew these clothes were made. Because they're made by children. Children labouring in sweat shops for 19-20 hour shifts where they are routinely beaten to make the very clothes I love buying for my own little ones. Letting that sink in is painful and inconvenient, but it's no less true.
In an effort to curb spending, I bought the vast majority of our baby clothes second hand. This is by far the best, easiest, cheapest way to avoid the unethical volcano that is Fast Fashion. You'll probably save a ton money, while knowing you've done nothing to contribute to the enormous problem of sweat shops and child labour. For baby clothes this option is a no brainer, but for older kids I find it's increasingly tricky to find clothing in good shape at the second hand shop. That's when I turn to a few of my favourite brands for ethical kids clothes. They cost more than the Big Brands (Wal-Mart, Joe Fresh, Old Navy, Gap Kids), but they're infinitely better in both quality and ethics.
While the added cost of buying ethical kid's clothes can seem daunting, if you consider cutting their wardrobe in half (or even more!) you'll find you might just come out even. Instead of ten Old Navy t-shirts, why not get three Wildly Co. ones instead? I don't know about you, but my kids always want to wear the same few outfits anyway, and I'm always doing laundry as it is. This way they'll actually wear everything they have and I won't be needlessly stockpiling clothes that they never wear (but hey, they were a good deal! bleck.)
Alright, I know you want to hear about my top five places to buy ethical clothes for my kids, so I'll get off my soap box now :)
When I became a mother, I became more aware of the exploitation of children, particularly in the textile and garment industry. Babies who outgrow their clothing every few weeks require a lot of shopping, and so I tried to forget the headlines, the gruesome statistics on child labour, and focus mainly on buying second hand. But those Joe Fresh and Gap Kids flash sales are hard to pass up, and eventually I'd find myself at the bottom of the rabbit hole that is Old Navy clearance, wondering how I spent so much money on clothes that were so cheap, and ignoring where I knew these clothes were made. Because they're made by children. Children labouring in sweat shops for 19-20 hour shifts where they are routinely beaten to make the very clothes I love buying for my own little ones. Letting that sink in is painful and inconvenient, but it's no less true.
In an effort to curb spending, I bought the vast majority of our baby clothes second hand. This is by far the best, easiest, cheapest way to avoid the unethical volcano that is Fast Fashion. You'll probably save a ton money, while knowing you've done nothing to contribute to the enormous problem of sweat shops and child labour. For baby clothes this option is a no brainer, but for older kids I find it's increasingly tricky to find clothing in good shape at the second hand shop. That's when I turn to a few of my favourite brands for ethical kids clothes. They cost more than the Big Brands (Wal-Mart, Joe Fresh, Old Navy, Gap Kids), but they're infinitely better in both quality and ethics.
While the added cost of buying ethical kid's clothes can seem daunting, if you consider cutting their wardrobe in half (or even more!) you'll find you might just come out even. Instead of ten Old Navy t-shirts, why not get three Wildly Co. ones instead? I don't know about you, but my kids always want to wear the same few outfits anyway, and I'm always doing laundry as it is. This way they'll actually wear everything they have and I won't be needlessly stockpiling clothes that they never wear (but hey, they were a good deal! bleck.)
- Wildly Co.
Wildly Co. is amazing because they combine two great things (capsule wardrobes and ethical fashion) in one great brand. Really simple, comfortable, adorable kid's clothes. Everything is designed and sewn in the USA, and their prices are very fair. Also! I found you guys a coupon code for 25% off! (enter 'HAPPYHOUR' at check out!) - Mini Mioche
Mini Mioche is the trifecta - Made in Canada, eco-friendly, and organic materials. Their stuff is super cute and their sales are terrific. At the end of each season, a lot of items will be 50% off, which is when I stock up. You get 10% off by signing up for their newsletter, fyi! - Luv Mother
Luv Mother is a Montreal-based classic children's company. They don't have new styles every few months, they have things that will last years and several children later. They're an incredible company that I've loved working with and I recommend them unreservedly. In their own words: "To make something “well” is a decision and there really are no short cuts. We value people and craftsmanship and design clothes that not only fit as they should but are also made from premium, traceable materials, feel good next to skin and have a built in hand-me-down quality." Also, get 15% off by signing up for their newsletter! - American Apparel
Ok, so this is the store you want to go in with a blindfold on. Their ads are quite risque and I have read about some sketchy sexual harassment cases within the company in years past, but over all, their clothing production is free from sweat shops and child labour, and made in the USA. Also very affordable - we got Oli a bunch of his school uniform basics from AA and the prices were less than Old Navy regular prices ($12.95 for a t-shirt, for example). Get 15% off on your first purchase by signing up for their newsletter, too! - SECOND HAND / HAND-ME-DOWNS!
This one is definitely the easiest and cheapest (in some cases free!) option. The truth is, I have bought tons of clothing from brands I'm not proud to support, but the nice thing is that as I hand those clothing items down from Lily to Chloe, I'm not continuing to support the company. I'm saving them from a landfill, and to me, secondhand clothing has a clear history. I always look at our neighbourhood consignment store, Tralala, or Value Village and Good Will before buying new.
This is something I've tried to do - it's so hard sometimes when you're trying to budget and steward money well (I really find the balance hard between how much money I'm spending & where the money is going/what it's supporting). In the UK there's a lovely brand called Frugi but I only really buy in the sale!
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Sally. It's always a tension, isn't it?
DeleteI believe two other companies with ethically made children's clothing are Everlane (mostly adult clothing, but they do have a children's line - https://www.everlane.com/collections/mini) and Patagonia - good source for outerwear. Also Pact - https://wearpact.com/baby.
ReplyDeleteThanks for those suggestions Christina! I've heard of Everlane, but never shopped there. Patagonia is amazing, I didn't know they were ethically made though!Good news!
DeleteTry Jupa for snowsuits, they are Canadian but not sure where they are made
ReplyDelete