How then shall we live and dress?
My previous article on sweatshops got some interesting responses both in posted comments and conservations with others. To my surprise one female readers told me that as a result of the post she feels that she should give up underwear because she is unable to afford nor willing to pay $12 a pair for fair trade underwear; but that she is uneasy with the idea of going out into public without underwear. While my inclusion of Laura’s go commando for Jesus joke was intended cause people to remember the issue better, I am impressed that it has caused some to think about the issue enough to feel that taking it literally might be a first step in their Christian response to the issue. Just if you decide to go the commando route please be sure to watch what you wear without undergarments in order to remain modest and not accidentally flash others. However chances are you are among the majority of people who are not willing to give up wearing underwear in the name of fair trade practices even though it is technically not necessarily necessary. If you are like most Americans, chances are the vast majority, if not all of the clothing in your closet and dresser drawers was made in a sweatshop. Hopefully, this knowledge makes you at least a bit uneasy even if you do not see any practical alternatives given your budget and the shopping options in your area. Although what if there were some simple ways to make a difference, many of which would actually result in saving money instead of spending more? Then would you consider yourself more likely to consider taking action in the right direction? If so then read on as I’ve thought of a few ideas and if you have others please leave them below as comments.
First, avoid all or nothing mentality. While not going all hardcore for a cause, might make someone feel like a hypocrite at times it is important to remember that every little bit counts and makes a difference especially when others do the same. Consider how most Christians feel that daily Bible reading and prayer are important, yet pretty much everybody misses a few days here and there or even weeks at a time. Does this mean that any Christian who does not have a 100% daily Bible reading and prayer record is a hypocrite? No, and it does not mean that one should not do what they are able to do, even if it is less than they would ideally like to be doing. In a similar way keep in mind that while it is possible, just because it is not practical to go 100% fair trade does not mean that it is not possible for you to make a difference.
Second, use what you already have until it wears out. Simply because you have clothing that was sweatshop produced does not mean that it is wrong to wear it. Lets face it, even though human rights issues are important, they are other important social issues out there too like environmental issues. So just because something was made in a sweatshop does not mean that it needs to be destroyed or thrown out, which would be a wasteful thing to do given the natural resources and labor that went into creating it. So keep what you have to honor the labor of the sweatshop workers more than the owners did. As those workers probably in a way feel just like somebody who knits a sweater for somebody does not want it to be destroyed or thrown out before it wears out. The same goes to clothing that you have received as gifts that you are not able to return and gift cards, as the money has already been spend on supporting sweatshop labor so the product should at least be put to good use. The same goes for gift cards as the money has already been spent so even if it can only be redeemed for sweatshop goods it should be, lest its value go down as pure profit toward a cause of injustice. If you still feel a bit uneasy about it, use your clothing as a remainder to pray for the exploited workers who made the clothes that you are wearing instead of being wasteful in the name of justice.
Third, consider shopping at thrift shops. Thrift shops can be used as a creative halfway solution that both saves you money and does not support any company that uses sweatshop labor with your money in the process. While most of the more recently manufactured garments that you’ll find at thrift are most likely sweatshop made, as second generation owners there is a layer of separation between your wallet and the injustice which has taken place. If the idea of used clothing seems a bit strange to you keep in mind that a large number of that you can find at a sweatshop is in like new condition for a few dollars, a mere fraction of the original retail price. Also keep in mind that unlike retail stores, thrift shops do not have constantly shifting inventory so just because if they did not have what you were looking for does not mean that they still won’t in a week or two. A few weeks ago I checked out a local thrift shop to see what they had and within 5 minutes was able to find a few shirts that I could have very easily seen myself buying and wearing if needed more shirts. Also if you are concerned about what others might think if they know that you are wearing used clothing, don’t be as most likely they will not know unless you tell them or you run into somebody that you know at the thrift store in which case they would understand and not hold it against you because they are doing the same.
Fourth, view your wardrobe over the long haul. Even if you decide to strive toward a 100% sweatshop free wardrobe, keep in mind that it is a process. Most likely the clothes in your closet and dresser were bought over time and in smaller amounts so plan on doing the same as you strive to go sweatshop free. As before, you should not be wasteful in the name of fair trade so it might be best to set a goal of making a certain percentage of your incoming clothing as sweatshop free garments. Likewise given the increased cost of fair trade clothing as compared to sweatshop produced clothing it could take some time to be able to rework one’s budget in order to be able to do so.
Fifth, make due with less or without. Chances are if you are like most Americans you own a lot more clothes than you need and regularly wear only a relatively small subset of what you own. In theory most people could get rid of half of their clothes without making much of a sacrifice. So why not make a decision to stop buying unnecessary clothing by focusing primarily upon the creation of the small subset that you would actually wear on a regular basis. Sure this will most likely mean owning less clothes as time goes on but wouldn’t it be better to have a smaller number of well chosen and durable clothes that you love to wear than an entire closet full of average clothes and nothing to wear. Not to mention that the higher price of fair trade clothing, should one choose to go that route will also force most people to buy less overall. As to what is really necessary and what is not when it comes to clothing will depend upon the individual, their vocation and where they live. For example owning 5 pairs of jeans may not be necessary for somebody that wears formal clothing to work but may be just right for a general contractor who remodels bathrooms and kitchens for a living. Just like anything heavier than a sweatshirt may not be necessary for somebody who lives in Hawaii, while it is probably necessary for somebody in Alaska to own several heavy coats to layer on top of each other.



