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by - December 8, 2008 - 9:30 AM
by Kelsey Timmerman, author of Where Am I Wearing?
In the past I didn’t give much thought to where my clothes were made or who made them. But after riding a roller coaster with garment workers, bowling with them, meeting their families, and sharing bowls of rice prepared over gas stoves during power outages, I can’t help but care. But let’s back it up a bit.
On my global quest to answer the question “Where Am I Wearing?” I picked my favorite items out of my wardrobe and traced them back to where they were assembled. I went to Bangladesh to visit the factory where my underwear was made, Honduras for my favorite T-shirt (it’s got a pic of Tattoo from Fantasy Island), Cambodia for my all-American blue jeans, and China for my flip-flops.
Over the next few days I’ll be sharing some of my experiences. But first, let’s get some basics out of the way…
1. 97% of our clothes are made abroad.
2. Eighty-five people have a hand in making a single pair of our blue jeans.
3. The garment industry accounts for 75% of Bangladesh’s and Cambodia’s exports.
4. Those frayed edges and holes in your pants that give them that cool worn look are the result of a twenty-something girl sitting all day at a powered grinding stone.
5. The average garment worker in Cambodia earns $50/month and supports seven people.
6. Garment workers don’t like bowling. (More about that later this week.)
7. Over half of the world’s footwear is made in China – eight billion pairs.
8. One-third of American consumers are willing to pay more for clothes produced under good working conditions.
9. You only get one honeymoon. Don’t take your new bride to a garment factory on yours. Trust me.
Learn more about Kelsey at whereamiwearing.com. You can pick up his fascinating new book from Amazon.com. A PDF of the first chapter is available here.
Comments (10)
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I can’t wait to read more, and to get your book. I was just telling someone the other day that if you look at your clothing tags, it’s a geography lesson every time…
One of my college sweatshirts was made in Lesotho (a small country in South Afraica that has one of the highest HIV fatality rates in the world and has horrible problems with child labor abuses).
A band t-shirt I bought at a concert was made in the Sultanate of Oman- a small country bordered by Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
posted by Leigh on 12-8-2008 at 11:45 am
Sound good. I can’t wait to read the book.
posted by harold on 12-8-2008 at 2:00 pm
I just checked. I don’t have a single pair of shoes not made in China. Crazy! I can’t wait to read the book. Your blog is hilarious!
posted by Bruce on 12-8-2008 at 7:42 pm
This article made me pull my neck trying to read the tag on my shirt.
posted by gibson8or on 12-8-2008 at 8:30 pm
Look forward to more of your posts!
posted by Dawn on 12-8-2008 at 8:35 pm
Leigh, I never knew Lesotho was a country until I looked it up after I saw I had a sweatshirt made there.
Senator Sherrod Brown endorsed “Where am I Wearing?” One of his assistants told me that he (the assistant) thought that you shouldn’t be allowed to wear something unless you could locate the country in which it was made on the map. I think a lot of us would be naked.
Bruce, Yep, China is the King of Shoes. In the chapter on China, I mention a story from my days selling woman’s shoes and recount an occasion when a woman game in looking for hiking boots with one small requirement — that they weren’t made in China. At first I didn’t realize how impossible of a requirement that was. Out of 20 different styles of hiking boots we sold, we had one pair not made in China. They were made in Slovakia and didn’t fit her feet right. She left bootless.
Thanks for the comments! Hope to see you all back here tomorrow.
posted by Kelsey on 12-8-2008 at 10:20 pm
For great jeans made in the USA check out Diamond Gusset jeans at http://www.gusset.com
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 12-8-2008 at 11:27 pm
“8. One-third of American consumers are willing to pay more for clothes produced under good working conditions.”
That seems sort of sad to me. I would hope more than 1/3 of Americans would be willing to pay more to be sure their garments are made under good working conditions.
posted by Morris on 12-9-2008 at 11:20 am
@Kelsey
It could be worse. My father hates to buy anything not made in the US, especially his clothes. It kind of makes sense, since he’s an electrician who mostly works on factories, and by buying foreign products he’d be helping to put himself out of work. It drives my mom crazy, though, trying to find stuff NOT made overseas.
posted by gibson8or on 12-9-2008 at 12:08 pm
@ Morris
What’s sadder is that 1/3 are willing to pay more, but aren’t really given the option to do so. I think we should be able to walk into Wal-Mart or JCPenny’s or Target and have a choice.
@gibson8or
Kudos to your Dad. I don’t think buying solely made in US clothing is an answer to the problems of the garment industry, but consumers, like your dad, taking an interest in where and how their clothes are made is.
posted by Kelsey on 12-9-2008 at 12:21 pm