THE WAY FORWARD: #ETHICALIZEDENIM

CALLS TO ACTION FOR

Denim Lovers

 

1 . Demand transparency from your favorite brands.

We ask a lot of our jeans in terms of style, fit, and performance.

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And the people who create, innovate, and deliver that quality aren’t limited to the designers in New York, LA, and Amsterdam. They’re the ones you’ve heard from in this report, in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, Spain, Italy, and more. You can be part of the denim industry’s transformation and show your appreciation for their work by asking your favorite brands about not just how your jeans were made, but also who made them. Here are some questions you can ask of your favorite denim brands at the store and online:

  1. Where are these jeans made? Can you tell me about your suppliers and factories, and your relationship with them?

  2. Do you support transparency and due diligence legislation?

  3. Do you support purchasing practice reform? How? 

 
 
 

2. Keep the pressure on. 

Support nonprofits and organizations working on this issue, either through financial donations or by donating your time and platform to amplify their message. Some to consider: Remake, Worker Rights Consortium, Fashion Revolution, Clean Clothes Campaign, Labour Behind the Label, and the Asian University for Women. 

 
 
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3. Don’t forget.

Fortunately, fashion and mainstream publications, along with the Worker Rights Consortium’s Tracker for brands and Remake’s #payup campaign, have been covering this issue. Subscribe to support their reporting. Sourcing Journal, EcoTextile News, and the GoBlu newsletter are excellent sources of information. Subscribe to Transformers Foundation and Kingpins for more reports like this one, articles, webinars, conferences, guidelines, and more. 

 

Our hope is that if the stakeholders come together to follow our recommendations and find success, the denim industry can inspire the rest of the apparel and accessories industry as we look toward a more just and equitable future.

#ethicalizedenim

For more information: download the full report or return to our report page.