This week has seen two events which highlight important issues at the heart of the clothing industry. The first is this week's Meet the Manufacturer, the second the release of the documentary, The True Cost. My conclusion from these two events is that we, consumers, need to take more pride in the skills that we have in this country and be prepared to pay for them by buying high quality British menswear. If we do not, and we buy only cheap clothes, we run the risk of funding unethical, unsustainable factories that are dangerous for their workers.
Meet the Manufacturer
Meet the Manufacturer finishes tomorrow at The Tobacco Dock in East London. This event brings together buyers and manufacturers of British-made textiles and clothing. An excellent conference schedule has seen Patrick Grant, Caroline Rush, Christopher Nieper, Nigel Cabourn, Emma Willis and many others discuss the challenges and delights of making in the UK. If you don't know who these people are, don't worry, they are the top of their game in making and exporting British-made fashions and textiles.
Turnbull & Asser in Gloucester |
To make a financial success of such a business is a challenge. What was common to many of the speakers was their pride in making in Britain, their pride in the skills of their workers, their care for their workers and their belief that British products are top quality. Some advocate managing higher production costs by making and selling the high end products that we have the skills to make in the UK.
All put a very high priority on their workers' welfare and training. By buying good quality British clothing we support this country, maintain skills, can take pride in our clothes and (in general) know that the people who made the clothes have been fairly paid and treated.
For more information, see Meet the Manufacturer
The True Cost
This brings me to the second event of the week, the release of the documentary 'The True Cost' which asks who really pays the cost of our buying cheap clothing. The collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in 2013, in which 1100 workers lost their lives, highlights the problems; with some British high street retailers using factories with questionable employment safety and welfare practices. These retailers buy their clothes from such businesses so that they can meet the demand for cheap clothing here in Britain.
Consumers want cheap clothes so that they can fill their wardrobes, give themselves choice and save money for other things. We need to promote the sustainability of buying clothes which last and have been made by well-paid workers. This is a question of education and documentaries like The True Cost will help to bring about such changes of attitude.
Meanwhile, we should try to buy British-made clothing (or from US, Australian, Italian, or wherever we live) so that we can be sure that most workers are well-paid. Their welfare is worth paying for.
For more information, see The True Cost