Andrew Morgan True Cost Analysis

The primary purpose of this essay uses persuasive writing to get her point across. Informing the reader about the eco dangers of buying outsourced clothing material. Most people often want the cheaper alternative without going to the flea market or charity clothing banks. But all the clothes get worn down, shrink, fade or just deteriorate in the end because the fabric is unsustainable. Resulting in the t-shirts and jeans to be tossed away and put into a landfill. Where they have been found to transmite “more than three million tons of carbon dioxide emissions”. (Siegle, 7)

Admittedly, more and more brands and retailers are taking action to respond to the ethical and sustainable issues. From the consumer side, there is an apparent growth of ethical purchase. Kate Spade, as an American luxury fashion brand, undergoes ethical enhancements of its manufacturing process in Africa. However, instead of transforming this approach into a charitable purpose, Kate Spade chooses to retain its high-quality standard and beautiful products to attract customers . This report will first focus on the elements Kate Spade practically supports in Africa, then review the performances of their program, using a comparable retailer’s moral action as a comparison. We will eventually conclude by examining the positive and negative impacts of such a policy for Kate Spade.

The objective of this report is to discuss social responsibility within fashion industry with key focus on the areas of ‘Craftivism’. The report will revolve around the non-profit label Awamaki Lab with founder Kennedy Leavens; who’s main aims include welfare of Quechua women weavers in Peru. With creating close links to feminism and women empowerment with the on going projects within the brand which will be a focal point as we proceed in the report.

How fast fashion is affecting the environment is a very serious topic since this type of consumerism in the United States is heavy on supply and demand, and because of that shoppers want it all and want it now which is basically fast fashions motto. The way to make these pieces of clothing heavily rely on cheap materials that can be made quickly, so that is polyester and cotton being made in big factories that emit out toxins into our earth. Cotton being one of the most used fabrics takes a lot to be made into a single garment. Uzbekistan which is the 6th biggest producer of cotton had faced many conflicts during production since cotton uses so much water to be made it has dried up the 4th largest lake the Aral Sea because of how much we need to produce cotton fashion. (Prospectjournalucsd) Buying these cheap garments that become unwearable after 5 times (Forbes) of wearing it usually gets thrown out after and producing more waste that gets put into our waterways since theses garments shed easy and through washing them can “find their way into oceans and on the shores everywhere.” (Sweeny) So with the help of shoppers, being able to cut down on the purchase of fast fashion can help aid in keeping the ecosystem in order.

The continually increasing globalization in the world has linked many countries together and the borders have become inconspicuous. Many firms cooperate in a global market, which leads to an increased amount of transnational corporations acting in a global surrounding (Douglas & Wind, 1987). In the fashion industry, the business environment is especially competitive and firms have to adjust their business practices rapidly such as products and launching time of each collection on the basis of the demand of current market (Lowson, King & Hunter, 1999). Companies in the fashion industry like ZARA, Topshop and H&M have emerged a new trend — “fast fashion” that combines two main characteristics: short lead times and trendy design products (Passariello,2008 ; Rohwedder & Johnson, 2008). However, fast fashion leaves behind some issues, which are not beneficial to environmental protection and human costs. In fast fashion industries, it requires companies to complete missions in a short time, some fast fashion companies use unethical acts in order to complete producing on time which may result in environmental issue and appears unfair labour practices. In addition, Luz (2007) pointed out that globalization provided fast fashion industries a chance to produce clothes at lower prices so that they can sell clothes with a cheaper price. This result in many customers considers fast fashion clothes to be disposable. Therefore, this essay will first explain what is fast

Credibility statement: A university of Georgia professor gave an hour-long ted talk talking about her experiences of working and traveling to different countries seeing the fast fashion industry at first hands. She now teaches about fashion sustainability and the cycles of the fast fashion market.

It is impossible to beat a cheap price. In today’s world, finding a sought after item at a dirt cheap price is one the main motivation American’s get in the car and battle the craziness in the mall. And as the basic American human beings that we are, it is never possible for us to be complacent with the amount of stuff we currently have. Eventually, we will come across a friend that has the next must have item that will cause us to run to our local mall and purchase a similar item at the lowest price possible. With all that said, it is no wonder why the industry of fast fashion has taken off over the past decade. Felipe Caro and Victor Martínez-de-Albéniz, researchers for UCLA’s school of supply chain coordination, define fast fashion as “a business model that combines four elements: (i) fashionable clothes mostly for consumers under 40; (ii) affordable prices in the mid-to-low range; (iii) quick response; and (iv) frequent assortment changes”. Retailers like H&M, Forever 21, Target, and Wal-Mart have been able to take this business model and make a fortune. But while all these quick trends and cheap prices are great for the consumer, its cost on the foreign worker and the environment does not go uncovered. In the book Overdressed by Elizabeth Cline, she presents many arguments supporting the claim that fast fashion is unethical based on

On April 24, 2013, NewYorkTimes journalist Jim Yardley reported on the collapse of Rana Plaza, an eight-story factory complex in the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, which claimed the lives of 1,100 people. A 400-page report of the incident places the blame squarely on the shoulders of the building's owner, Sohel Rana, along with the owners of the building's five garment factories, who now face possible charges of murder, along with accusations of “ignoring safety warnings and locking exit doors,” while the Bangladeshi government continues to receive harsh criticism for its lax enforcement of labor safety standards in the country's billion-dollar clothing manufacturing industry (“Sweatshop Labor”). The garment industry in Bangladesh is one of the world's leading exporters of clothing, second only to China, with more than 5,000 garment factories employing an excess of 3 million workers, producing merchandise for top brand retailers in the United States and Europe (Yardley; “Sweatshop Labor”). Workers in these factories endure long hours and unsafe working conditions for wages so low parents must send their children to work instead of school so that they have enough to eat. The tragedy of Rana Plaza brings to the forefront the true cost of things; is it worth 1,100 lives to save a few dollars on a shirt or a pair of jeans?

Bob Jeffcott’s article, “Sweat, Fire and Ethics” examines the problems surrounding the clothing industry and examines the world of sweatshops and the exploitation of women and girls around the world. Jeffcott writes regarding the harsh working conditions workers inhabit and what consumers can achieve to try and make a difference. His central focus is to educate consumers on the rampant problem of unsafe working conditions that goes on behind the scenes of major brands in today’s society. While Jeffcott successfully gets his point across by using historical examples to educate readers, emotionally drawing readers in, and presenting sensible solutions that consumers can do in order to support.

Fashion is everything to society and the media. The fashion industry has transformed into a necessity in the life of people. Everyone wants to look good, feel fabulous and feel as if we belong with everyone else. The envy and desire to wear certain things and look a certain way all come, from wearing the latest fashion handbags, accessories, dresses, shoes, and the list goes on. But, when is considering fashion into an individual’s life going too far to the extreme? Many do not consider the whereabouts of fashion materials and how the environment is affected by the mere existence of certain garments. Some may believe these objects grow on trees. But that is clearly not the case. Even though it would be nice. The fashion industry as a

Karen Coates really exploits the relationship between corporations and garment manufactures in her article. It really opens people’s eyes, it shows people who may not know, they could be wearing clothes that was made with the hands of a struggling worker. In her essay she shows us the values of the four social actors. One of them being the workers. The workers are the most abused. They have little to no say in what they do, they are controlled and tormented every single day for a little days pay. The workers struggle to stay up long hours, they work in hard conditions and when they finally get to go home they are not living in the best of situations. Most workers pay can’t support a large family who has kids and medical expenses. The workers

I watched the documentary, The True Cost which explores the communities around the fast fashion industry and follow a few workers to share their stories. In the film there is similar pollution in the community because of the factories similar to what you mention happens outside the Zara factory with the river changing colors based on the colors they are using in the factory. I am glad you brought up donating your clothes and how even though you think you are doing something good by donating them they do not always end up going to someone who needs them but sometimes in landfills which harm the environment since they do not decompose. About twice a year I will go through my closet and make a clothing donation, its upsetting to

About a month ago, also on Social Media I heard about a documentary that was about to be launched. It seemed very interesting, the documentary talked about how is the fashion industry. Well, we all know about the poor conditions in third world countries and how many products we consumed are produced in there. But, “The True Cost” documentary really explores this matter, and not only this matter, but all the other causes and consequences in other fields that the fashion industry

Case Study 1.2 “Geoffrey B. Small is Big on Quality, Customers, Community” is about a leading fashion designer that does not want his customers to think about the brand name, color, style or price of the fabrics they wear. Small’s wants his customers to be “thinking about the quality and origins of the fabrics you wear, their impact on the environment, and your own view of social responsibility as a customer.” Even if the customer cannot afford his clothing he wants them to understand his mission as a designer.

There are a large amount of social and environmental problems within the global apparel industry.