Assalamu alaikum.
Hi guys! I recently watched a fascinating documentary called True Cost. It's about fast fashion, waste, pollution, but most importantly, the people who make our clothes. It's also about how the big company owners are getting richer and the poor, poorer. It's about pesticides, GMOs and how it's all a monopoly to make money and put farmers and related workers into impossible debt. Shockingly, farmers have the highest rate of suicide in the world!
One of the places the documentary focuses on is Bangladesh. How the building had cracks in it and the workers complained and pointed it out. They were silenced and forced to go back into an unsafe environment to work. Hundreds were killed. Few survived. It was around this time, that the industry was making the most money. With so many people in need of a job, they were easily replaceable. The big company owners, who ever they are, obviously don't care.
Definitely a good movie to watch. I give it five stars! It teaches us not to waste and not to mistreat the land as well as it's people.
If you want to learn more and take action, visit www.truecostmovie.com.
Also, my mom just got me a book today from the library. It was published in 2012. It's called Over-Dressed, The Shockingly, High Cost of Cheap Fashion. Obviously, I haven't read it yet, so can't tell you much other than it's a very similar topic. It's scary how this book came into my life right after I finished watching that documentary.
Lastly, I decided I would go through my pants, shirts and sweaters to see where they were made. So here's the list:
China 6
Hong Kong 4
Cambodia 5
Honduras 5
Bangladesh 3
Turkey 1
Mexico 1
Haiti 1
Trengganu 1
Unknown 6 (cut tag or too faded to read)
*Note: that doesn't include the clothes in the wash, on my back or in the closet.
I grew up with hand me downs, so I think for someone who had the latest thing or even just clothes that are actually from their time, would probably have a different mix of countries.
