The sweatshop question
Does anyone know of the conditions in which different shop's clothes are made? I am sure some must be much better than others. I will admit that I don't know which ones. Hopefully somebody here will have some more information.
Does anyone ever feel slightly guilty about buying clothes if you don't know where they're made?
Disclaimer before anyone starts shouting at me: this may have been discussed before, but it has not been discussed while I've been a member of these boards, hence I personally would like to discuss it.
Answer:
I must admit I asked myself this question whilst shopping in Primark yesterday, they had a pair of pyjamas for £4!!! 100% cotton and looked really nice - but I did think that if they can sell them for £4, they must have cost pennies to make and some poor so and so somewhere making them must have been ripped off.
They didn't have my size, so I didn't have to make the decision whether or not to buy them - although I think I would have done!
Answer:
this is a hard one to regulate and a hard one to answer as lots of shops do not have one particular factory that they use and work is contracted out, thus you can nver say with certainty that one brand uses sweatshop labour and one doesn't. It is not as black and white as that.
It is also the kind of issue that you could write reams and reams on and still have no definitive answer. There was a panarama documentary on earlier in the year about this subject and it mentioned that in one particular country (can't remember which, may have been Singapore) although the workers did work long hours for what we would consider to be low pay, it had actual empowered it's female workforce who were now in control of their financial destiny, where previosuly it had been up to men. The factories were also fully unionised. However, conditions in China, were apparently much worse, but it is expected that in time the same will happen there.
I hope that answers some of your questions. I know Nike have a reputation for using sweatshop labour, but I don't know how true this is anymore.
Answer:
I have wondered about this too - i presume that clothes with price tags that are too-good-to-be-true can't be that cheap without a catch.
But then Gap had a reputation for using sweatshops not so long ago, and their clothes are hardly cheap. I don't know if they've changed their policy now or not (but i still shop there :o )
Answer:
It is very hard to tell with individual shops as obviously they don't manufacture the clothes themselves. I try to have a look at the label to see where an item was manufactured, if it is a poor developing nation then there is a good chance that the conditions may have been poor. But this doesn't work entirely either, as just because a nation is developing doesn't mean that all of it's working conditions will be awful. Tricky.
I won't shop in Gap because of hearing the rumours of their using sweatshops. Even if they've stopped I still won't use them. I'd actually need proof that the rumours were untrue before considering shopping there.
For Asda customers: This company is owned by Wallmart, who have a dreadful reputation in exploiting cheap central American labour.
bright red ....
NO.2. ask :
bright red ....
1 Attachment(s) .. bag.
I want.
NOW. :D
i've been looking for a few weeks now and the only one that i've found that i like is the one i've attached (well, make that the only one that i've found that i like and is within my budget :boohoo: )
i'm looking for: LARGE (got to be large), leather, unstructured, wear on shoulder as well as arm, slouchy-ish and within 70 pound. thats a reasonable budget no?
I've checked ebay and quite frankly the selection there is scandalous. and if i see one more jane hilton bag being called vintage i'll scream :rant: :p
so gals, let me know if you see anything that might fit the bill.
cheers dudes
Vx
i do really like this bag but am slightly concerned that i'll only be buying it as i am an impatient wench and am becoming too itchy to wait for one that fulfils my criteria fully! :rolleyes:
Answer:
I can't really help there.
But that bag is fabulous!!
Answer:
Evening treacle. I really like that bag and I mean REALLY. Where from?
Answer:
have pm'd you as its in the sale in case i do myself a silly and they're all gone when i go to purchase!
and thx miss dkm, my sis is saying in my ear get it get it get it :D
Answer:
Oh PV that is one stunning bag......
(I want too)..
Get it, it's beeootiful :yay:
please help a no-cluer!
NO.3. ask :
please help a no-cluer!
i spent last autumn in lovely snuggly cord skirts and beigey suede mid calf flat-heeled boots. yay or nay? will i look like a trog in them this year? ;) :D
Answer:
I don't see why they shouldn't be good for this winter. They would look good with some pom-pom accessories which are everywhere.
Answer:
I hope not, as I have a couple of cord skirts too! They are in nice autumn colours and I tend to wear them to the office, was planning on wearing them this a/w, so if you look like a trog then so will I! :lol:
Answer:
cord is lovely and not at all trog-like as far as I'm concerned :)
Answer:
I bought a cord skirt last week so it must be okay :)
Socks
NO.4. ask :
Socks
Sorry, not the most exciting question in the world but where's the best place to buy reasonable-quality basic black socks? I got a load from a supermarket a while back but they feel into holes quite quickly.
Answer:
I find the Tesco value ones very good, if they didn't work for you, Primark are alos good for hoisery.
Answer:
I'd go to MS. :)
Answer:
Another vote for MS. Or Next (my socks from there have lasted ages without going holey)
Answer:
The ones I've bought from MS last the longest, although Tesco ones have been OK too. Asda ones don't last as long, but then they don't cost much either. Primark appear to be similar quality and price to the Asda socks, but most of the Primark ones (even the ones marked 'cotton rich') were mainly polyester/nylon and I prefer cotton. I think there's something wrong with my toes as all my socks get holes at the big toe!! I never manage to wear out the feet, just the toes. And I do cut my toe nails, honestly!:o
Dustbags for bags?
NO.5. ask :
Dustbags for bags?
Are they fairly easy to buy in the shops?
Answer:
I haven't seen them anywhere.... but I remember someone looking for these recently and got some from Fiona HKBL... if you get into contact with her maybe she can sell you some.
I got some shoe bags from TK Maxx, maybe they might have something similar there, but I'm really not sure.
Answer:
I'm raging I didn't get a dustbag with my Miu Miu. I have it in a cheapo dustbag but the real deal is so nice!
Yes, I'm obsessive about bags of all varieties.... even shopping ones!
Answer:
According to Vogue Liberty do dust bags for shoes so they might do them for bags too.
Miu Miu dust bags are grey and a bit dull :D
Answer:
Hiya
This may not be exactly what you were looking for....but what i use to store all my bags is a big flat black dust bag.
You know the type a good mans suit come in that zips down the middle...and i store it flat under my bed.