The Labour Behind the Label

Purchasing new clothes is accessible and easy for us to do. We can order clothes online with one click and even now straight off our social media feeds. But do you ever stop and think about where these garments have begun their journey and the people behind the product?

For today’s post I am bringing light to the garment workers that are the most important part of the fashion industry. Yet despite being the most crucial part to the creation of garments, they may be the most under-appreciated and underpaid part of the fashion industry.

The majority of fast fashion companies produce their products in factories located overseas. This is due to the working wage being lower in these countries and companies often underpay garment workers. With lower production costs, brands can keep their costs lower to be able to sell products cheap or to earn a bigger profit margin.

Consumers in the fashion industry are never satisfied and are constantly wanting more. Brands are releasing new clothing styles every week. Blink and a new fashion trend has been and gone.

The rate of the fashion industry is only negatively impacting garment workers. They are overworked and underpaid. The conditions are unbearable. Yet after many years, even after disastrous factory collapses, the industry is not making a change.

The New York Times interviewed a garment worker in Cambodia called Seak. She’s 36 and has already worked in the industry for 22 years. Her days begin at 4:35am and can finish at 8:30pm. She does this 6 days a week yet earns the equivalent of $230 a month. Not even equating to $10 a day.

From her wage she has to support her father, her sister, her brother and 12 year old son.

Seak began working as a garment worker when she was 14 years old. Working in extremely tough conditions and working extremely hard for such a low and inhumane wage. I can’t fathom how tough her daily life must be. Reading about Seak and how tough her daily life is made me angry at the fast fashion industry. Thinking back to when I was 14, I could not imagine myself beginning to work at a factory at such a young age. But this is the standard for young children in these countries. A change must come.

You can read about garment workers across the world here.

However, some brands and companies are striving for change in the fashion industry. There are many foundations that support garment workers and petition for change. The Fair Wear Foundation was founded in 1999 and are committed to find fair ways to sew garments. They work with 147 fashion brands and engage directly with factories and governments to try to solve the inhumane conditions garment workers work in. Their goal is to make fashion fair for everyone. Read more about the foundation here.

Thanks for reading,

Kate x