The true cost of fashion?

Whether it’s the exceptional elegance and style of designer attire, or simply the cheap and cheerful garments we purchase for everyday use, fashion is everywhere we look, and it’s changing all the time.

However nowadays you don’t have to spend an excessive amount of money on chic looking apparel. Popular high street stores take inspiration from the high end designers to produce garments that look similar to designer clothing, but for a fraction of the price. These clothes are aimed at people who desire clothes with a similar appearance to those that are of the up-most quality, but are affordable.

So how are we able to buy clothes so cheaply? How is it possible to walk into a store and buy a £3 t-shirt and an £8 pair of trousers?

The answer is low manufacturing costs. Companies providing low cost clothing such as supermarkets, use factories in Bangladesh, (a country which has the cheapest garment workers in the world) to supply their clothing.
Many companies are said to have agreed to a common code of conduct, which is intended to improve the conditions in these factories, resulting in fairer treatment towards the workers.
However, a recent investigation carried out by ‘War On Want’ revealed that garment workers have no choice but to work endless hours a week in terrible conditions for nothing more than 5p an hour. Many workers have admitted to working well over 80 hours a week, despite the 60 hour limit enforced by the companies.

A well paid worker is considered to be someone who earns a mere £17 a month!

There are some companies that are attempting to take action against this horrendous state of affairs and intend to make clothing which is both sustainable and ethical. Naturally this clothing would be considerably more expensive and it would be particularly difficult to compete with the shockingly cheap prices of clothing available from a low cost store.

So how do you feel about buying clothes in stores that take advantage of garment workers and exploit cheap labour? Would YOU consider buying more ethical clothes?