tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post748261286415972922..comments2024-02-12T00:45:00.928-05:00Comments on Shop the Garment District: As yet untitled... (and "Death By Pastrami")mimi jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09046101113822427313noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-60506683224373866332015-06-22T17:11:05.411-04:002015-06-22T17:11:05.411-04:00Baye, this is exactly why I shared it. As I menti...Baye, this is exactly why I shared it. As I mentioned in the additional intro to this post, there was a great deal of discussion that followed in the comments. Please read them, and explore what I have shared since, especially posts like this one: http://www.shopthegarmentdistrict.com/2015/02/when-fashion-bloggers-go-to-cambodia.html Read on, if you are so inclined!mimi jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09046101113822427313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-37791670136396788222015-06-22T15:38:51.671-04:002015-06-22T15:38:51.671-04:00Did you just give space on your blog for someone t...Did you just give space on your blog for someone to justify paying $1 an hour saying that's enough in a foreign country? You KNOW that's not true. Anyone with a lick of intelligence and access to a television knows that isn't true. As someone who majored in American history, let me assure you that there is an abundance of evidence to prove that factories here closed because manufacturers went elsewhere always looking for cheaper labor. They certainly did not just disappear forcing companies to go overseas looking for factories. You didn't get schooled. You were deceived, beguiled, misled which is precisely what you are doing when you pass this along to your readers. I am so disappointed! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-13713428612822229152013-10-02T08:22:39.932-04:002013-10-02T08:22:39.932-04:00And, thank you for your comments!And, thank you for your comments!mimi jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09046101113822427313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-73908786120984782942013-10-02T08:22:12.223-04:002013-10-02T08:22:12.223-04:00Oh - you wrote this comment a long time ago! I ha...Oh - you wrote this comment a long time ago! I have since watched "china Blue", and read more... I've learned so much since then! Still an amazing puzzle of issues...mimi jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09046101113822427313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-85885552275142680722013-08-05T14:07:29.796-04:002013-08-05T14:07:29.796-04:00My last quarter I was in a fashion class where we ...My last quarter I was in a fashion class where we discussed, dissected and delved into the labor practices of overseas factories. It was during this quarter that the factory in Bangladesh collapsed so our focus was even more poignant. One of the videos we watched was called "China Blue". For those who want a different perspective than Mr. Bernstein gives in his interview, Google it and watch. <br /><br />The one thing I always remember, there are three sides to any argument...his, hers and the middle. I think the same can be said for this subject.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18203154893118068764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-1232467681967501882013-04-27T22:22:00.507-04:002013-04-27T22:22:00.507-04:00It's just occurred to me that the staff who wo...It's just occurred to me that the staff who work in the Primark shops can probably easily afford to buy the clothing their employer sells. I very much doubt that is true for the staff who work in designer stores, even with a substantial discount. I feel even less guilty about buying from Primark now :)ReadyThreadSewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06960629046836505658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-29423986989618573782013-04-26T19:45:37.562-04:002013-04-26T19:45:37.562-04:00I've been thinking a lot about this, since you...I've been thinking a lot about this, since your fantastic post "On fur, sweatshops, prison and unfair labor practices", and especially in light of the awful collapse of the clothing factory in Bangladesh. It seems patently obvious that those workers had no choice, despite voicing their concerns over the unsafe building they were forced to go back or be dismissed, and for many of them that would be their only income. I don't see how Leonard can say that stores only buy from approved factories when so many of the stores whose labels were found in the rubble don't even know if they had clothes produced there or not. And these are big labels (Bennetton, Next, Primark, Bonmarche are just a few). On the other hand, I know people who have safety clothing made in China and the factories they have visited appear to be clean, safe and well run with an adequate wage paid to employees. Are they just fronts? Is it related to the size of the business and the demands they make of their suppliers? Is there just such a tortuous web of different suppliers and sub-suppliers that no one knows were it all really comes from (and don't really want to know either)? It all seems so complicated, I can't see how to avoid it<br />I've never commented on your blog before (too shy!) but I love reading your thoughtful posts. Thank you.Lisa Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09886356750244956460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-61620400317170172012013-04-23T22:00:30.000-04:002013-04-23T22:00:30.000-04:00Oh, of course not! Heh, heh... I do see your point...Oh, of course not! Heh, heh... I do see your point, since I could have bought 20 similar shirts elsewhere. I'm only expressing the wild gap between my pay rate and the price of the goods. What I was earning wouldn't have been enough to rent an apartment, though - and certainly not food, too.mimi jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09046101113822427313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-25963254267742988462013-04-23T21:51:32.176-04:002013-04-23T21:51:32.176-04:00But were you working for them for 50 cents an hour...But were you working for them for 50 cents an hour?Liznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-31213461073837311122013-04-23T21:09:35.935-04:002013-04-23T21:09:35.935-04:00Tough one here. I have personally worked for a co...Tough one here. I have personally worked for a company here in the US who would sell a shirt for more than I could earn in a week. Fair? I don't know. I just thought of it as wildly expensive. mimi jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09046101113822427313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-38592532084957005882013-04-23T21:06:23.790-04:002013-04-23T21:06:23.790-04:00Wow. I wonder how this problem is silently magnifi...Wow. I wonder how this problem is silently magnified in the US because of the availability of credit, allowing people to buy things they never actually own, until they hit a wall. It seems in the US, that most people can live "as if" for a good long while, until... they can't anymore. I am amazed at the price of some things people who don't seem to have the means will buy. Fancy sneakers, headphones, electronics.... Having a job at all, no matter what the pay, makes a person eligible to "buy" lots of things they can't afford. So much to think about.mimi jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09046101113822427313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-4955626605463060142013-04-23T20:31:12.146-04:002013-04-23T20:31:12.146-04:00You've hit on one aspect that really niggles a...You've hit on one aspect that really niggles away at my sense of equity...the multiplier relevant to the difference between the cost of production and the final market price. I am much more uncomfortable with the massive profits of the luxury brands. When this much money is made out of the very, very cheap labour of the workers (I know, I know, there are other expenses all up and down the value chain from idea to final product) it doesn't bear reflecting on for too long; it's an uncomfortable thought.Liznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-32366262666202331882013-04-23T20:23:03.334-04:002013-04-23T20:23:03.334-04:00This is the main reason for the massive growth of ...This is the main reason for the massive growth of the class called the "working poor" --- those with jobs, but paid wage levels that keeps them hovering at, or below, the poverty line. Wages have not increased in real terms in some 40 years, yet living expenses (rent, food, utilities) rise in line with inflation every year. Not only a North American problem, but the sheer numbers here in the US are terrifying...some put the "working poor" numbers at around 40 - 50 million now.Liznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-68982135560521680652013-04-23T16:21:29.191-04:002013-04-23T16:21:29.191-04:00Great article. On the rare occasion I buy clothes ...Great article. On the rare occasion I buy clothes for myself (I make the huge majority), I refuse to feel guilty for buying from Primark, etc, because I know that somewhere in the world someone is being paid to make that garment. It may not be a good wage, but it surely has to be better than begging. I have no doubts whatsoever that the fabric I buy for my own sewing is probably produced in far worse conditions than the factories that produce the final garments. I also know that there is really nothing I can do about it other than never buying anything - including food (lentils are apparently produced using near-slave labour in many parts of the world)!<br /><br />There was an interesting documentary shown in the UK a few years ago where the narrator visited a factory in China and was shown loads of boxes of sunglasses parts - the same workers, on the same wage, could be assembling for Primark in the morning and Louis Vuitton in the afternoon. I would rather buy from Primark, who perhaps make a few pennies profit on each item, than from luxury brands that use the same labour and make huge profits on each item. ReadyThreadSewhttp://readythreadsew.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-3969572546649223482013-04-23T14:25:15.528-04:002013-04-23T14:25:15.528-04:00Federal minimum wage average in the US is $7.25/hr...Federal minimum wage average in the US is $7.25/hr. A living wage, according to UMass/Amherst professor Dr. Arindrajit Dube (Senate Committee Hearing) would be near $22.00/hr. In the US, a new sewing factory worker could not hope to command this figure. So, not a living wage here, either.mimi jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09046101113822427313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-18335744300861472392013-04-23T11:33:54.305-04:002013-04-23T11:33:54.305-04:00Thank you for commenting! I am so happy to see th...Thank you for commenting! I am so happy to see that people are as interested in this subject as I am!mimi jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09046101113822427313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-32309047575992127552013-04-23T09:20:11.221-04:002013-04-23T09:20:11.221-04:00It is good to hear another point of view, if for n...It is good to hear another point of view, if for no more than to realize there IS another point of view. We are fed politically correct propaganda day after day and it is refreshing to hear a voice take on a hard discussion in the public arena. Thanks for writing!Nancy Bowronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11955027801790901689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-1006897986709418442013-04-23T09:17:34.937-04:002013-04-23T09:17:34.937-04:00Thank you, Liz! As always, a great, informed pers...Thank you, Liz! As always, a great, informed perspective on the bigger issues. You are right; "Living wage" is probably not the right word choice here. It seems to be about what people are willing to accept as payment for their labor, actually. But, what is the alternative? How much value does the "better than nothing", "rising tide eventually lifts all boats" argument have, in your opinion?mimi jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09046101113822427313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-29746957292145777682013-04-23T09:12:28.929-04:002013-04-23T09:12:28.929-04:00Great info, Isabel!Great info, Isabel!mimi jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09046101113822427313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-63346884784248762412013-04-23T09:04:55.679-04:002013-04-23T09:04:55.679-04:00Here is a link to the radio report: http://www.wny...Here is a link to the radio report: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/newtechcity/2013/apr/23/Isabelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12946432196021977689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-25661986138245571732013-04-23T09:04:52.808-04:002013-04-23T09:04:52.808-04:00Love this post too Mimi, thanks very much. A &quo...Love this post too Mimi, thanks very much. A "living wage" means a wage that is capable of paying for those things that are called basic human rights for the worker and family: food, shelter, clothing, education, access to medicines in some cases, etc. There is no country in the world where 50 cents an hour would be considered a "living wage". Sure, it might be more than the worker might otherwise get, and therefore a higher wage than country minimums, but let's not call that a living wage. Low wages like this...they rebound on the society in some way or another. Corruption is one of the most common ways when the whole society ends up on the take because they can't find the means to get by in the formal economy. That worker who gets 50 cents an hour might have had to get up at 3 am to walk 5 hours to get to work because he or she can't pay the bus driver or afford a bicycle, and then do a 12 hour shift. I've seen these working conditions directly. This routine can't be sustained over time. A means to phenomenal profits for the west it is. A living wage for the workers...not quite, not yet. I'm not confident that the underlying ethics of under-developed economy labor are yet sorted. Please keep these posts coming Mimi, I think it's a very important narrative.Liznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-81753107751422884182013-04-23T07:58:47.665-04:002013-04-23T07:58:47.665-04:00Great post. While I was reading it, I was listenin...Great post. While I was reading it, I was listening to NPR about sourcing in the US. They discussed a website that makes it easier to match designers with US factories: http://makersrow.com/<br />Isabelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12946432196021977689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-1932907071455525412013-04-23T06:46:17.800-04:002013-04-23T06:46:17.800-04:00Those fuel price increases would have to be awfull...Those fuel price increases would have to be awfully drastic to close the gap, Peter! Thanks for the compliment!mimi jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09046101113822427313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-35223047892575900762013-04-23T06:44:42.601-04:002013-04-23T06:44:42.601-04:00"Don't mind looking like everyone else&qu..."Don't mind looking like everyone else"... or just have bigger fish to fry, or aren't particularly picky about what they wear. For the young and fit, you could really wear a paper bag and look just fine, for a good few years, anyway. And, funny enough, I do know quite a few people who wear t-shirts ALL the time. But yes, there is a market for higher end goods, too. Just not a big one.mimi jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09046101113822427313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654329590294133998.post-85674535531495713402013-04-22T20:18:48.499-04:002013-04-22T20:18:48.499-04:00Excellent post, Mimi! Of course, some time in the...Excellent post, Mimi! Of course, some time in the not-so-distant future dramatically higher fuel prices could make it much less economical to have our clothing manufactured on the other side of the planet. What happens then is anybody's guess, since our factories and know-how are already largely a thing of the past.Peter Lappinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05109154527996679077noreply@blogger.com