sweater, shirts, underwear,
jewelery, boots, pajamas,
sneakers, lotion, make-up,
hair wax and shampoo,
the list goes on and on...
all the things that we put onto our bodies, to keep warm, to look good, to express ourselves, to care for ourselves. . . how do these things matter to a boy in Dhaka or a woman in Cambodia?
whether it’s something you enjoy or something that just has to be done -
we all need clothes and use many of these types of products on ourselves, but what are they made of, who makes it and are we caring for others while we
put so much effort into caring for ourselves?
this month is about
“what we wear”.
i really like decorating, bringing together colour, lines, ideas and creating something... it’s the same with clothes, to me it is decorating of sorts and i really enjoy finding something that feels uniquely “me” that day. It might not be all that interesting to someone else, but to me it has some importance.
over the last couple of years, i have acquired a lot of clothes....
things i have kept that i might wear or that goes with something else or maybe bought b/c it was cheap at a thrift store or an impulse buy.
this last while, i find myself needing to cleanse my closet... as i looked at my clothes, there were very few items that i would actually miss if they were gone and most of it hadn’t even been worn for some time. So.... i just went thru my closet and got rid of atleast 2/3 of my clothes and that was just round 1... i am still in process. I don’t have a lot to wear right now, which is a bit frustrating, but i don’t want to undo what i just did by filling it up again.
i find myself thinking not only about buying smart items that fit well, feel like they are me, but also and more importantly HOW i want to clothe myself... how much do i want to buy from some of my Go-To stores where i am always bound to find something great and affordable, but at what cost to someone else?
i know it’s not realistic to never buy new or to only buy Fair Trade/Sweatshop Free clothing all the time, it is generally more than I can afford. Boycotting a store entirely is something to seriously think through because of the many ramifications it has, especially on the poor... but surely there is more than just all or nothing as we look at this.
too much of what we buy is made in an un-ethical environment with
long hours, little pay, locked bathrooms (to keep people working),
mandatory over-time, unsafe working conditions,
and underaged workers. . .
children making our clothes.
there is more to look at than just the price tag on a pair of shoes, a great sweater, a funky necklace or the best moisturizer... there are people and a planet involved and “what we wear” costs them both dearly.
. . . . . .
c o n n e c t i n g t h e d o t s
liNk
