It’s Fashion Revolution Day! Show your support by asking #whomademyclothes on social media. On April 24th 2013 the Rana Plaza Factory collapsed in Dhaka,Bangladesh killing 1133 workers and injuring 2500 more. As a maker I’m wearing my handmade clothes inside out today to raise awareness and show solidarity. One of the goals of #FashRev is to encourage the fashion industry to be more transparent and fight for the ethical treatment of workers in the garment industry.
I’m wearing my newest make here, my Racerback Refashion, which was made from leftover fabric scraps ordered originally from Marcy Tilton and an older dress from BCBG. One of the reasons I started sewing my own clothes after having kids was wanting to control the fabric selection and have more durable, long-lasting clothing. At the time I couldn’t afford to buy the quality of clothing I wanted to wear and what I could afford was cheaply made from who knew were.
I’ve only been sewing for a few years now and love how much I’m still learning about sustainability and fair trade practices. The more I know the more my own fabric sourcing habits are changing as well.
What I’m always on the lookout for:
- transparency in origin
- organic and sustainable
- fair trade + ethical working conditions
- natural + non toxic dyes
This led to my love of using natural dyes to make my sewing unique and eco-friendly. As a crunchy momma I’m super concerned with the health of my family and the environment so wearing ethically produced non-toxic garments is a must. If you missed my last post on this issue check it out here. To learn more and find events in your area check out the Fashion Revolution site!
Great post, Rebecca! This is a great reminder to keep ethics and sustainability in mind when choosing all our purchases, fabric and otherwise. Looking forward to seeing how you incorporate this into your new business. :)
Thanks Carolyn! I love that this event shines light on the importance of this issue.
Excellent post! It is really difficult to delve into the background of the items we have and the things we eat. It is probably because we wouldn’t like what we learn. You have reminded us!
Thanks so much Linda! Isn’t this a great reminder! I know it’s made me take a second look before purchasing clothing, fabric and everything else for myself and my family.