Problem

Unethical practices in the apparel industry


Experimental visualization of narrower problems
Other Names:
Corruption in the garment industry
Bribery by clothing manufacturers
Criminal involvement in clothes production
Social abusive uses of the fashion industry
Incompetent tailoring
Negligence in clothes-making
Unregulated clothing industry
Irresponsible practices in the apparel industry
Nature:

Despite the glamour of high fashion, most of the apparel industry is a world of misery and exploitation, of child labour, cramped factories and starvation wages. The very structure of the clothing industry makes it difficult to police. Manufacturers farm out work to hundreds of competing sub-contractors who hunt around the globe for ever cheaper labour, often finding it in countries with dubious humanitarian records, such as China, Burma and Indonesia.

The highly competitive nature of the apparel industry favours illicit copying of styles, counterfeiting of trade marks and labels, and exceptionally high mark-ups. The industry is strongly dependent on encouraging the consumer to adopt particular new styles and to reject old ones as unfashionable, thus leading to excessive allocation of resources to apparel which is only worn for a limited period before being discarded. Style changes are determined by a small elite whose motivation is to undermine the appropriateness of old styles, whether or not the new styles are appropriate, and to encourage conspicuous consumption on apparel.

Incidence:

Examples are legion. In the area of worker exploitation an excessive profits: many big-name trainers selling in the UK for around £80 are assembled for about 50 pence in Indonesia; jeans that sell for £50 may be sewn for about 25 pence.

Subject(s):
Amenities Clothing
Design Fashion
Industry Industry
Industry Manufacture
Industry Production
Industry Textiles, cordage
Innovative change Change
Societal Problems Corruption
Societal Problems Crime
Societal Problems Irresponsibility
Societal Problems Maltreatment
Society Social
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
GOAL 1: No PovertyGOAL 3: Good Health and Well-beingGOAL 10: Reduced InequalityGOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and CommunitiesGOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Problem Type:
D: Detailed problems
Date of last update
18.06.2019 – 19:18 CEST