by Emily Duff
It’s International Women’s Day and, while this should be talked about everyday, it’s the perfect time to shed light on the scary situations many women are in due to the fast fashion industry.
Low pay, dangerous workplaces, and abusive environments are rampant still in 2024.
Many companies will use today as a way of selling you clothing branded with slogans of Girl Power and Girl’s Run the World, these are not only distractions from what today is truly about but capitalist attempts to persuade you to support the conglomerates who profit from our need for female empowerment. Using these profits, they fund the very thing that holds women hostage.
While some brands will post #thefutureisfemale and #girlssupportinggirls, the reality is that their practices don’t reflect this.
Fashion is a feminist cause, not only due to activisms regular commodification but because 80% of textile workers are women of colour (Survivor’s Network).
Here are just a handful of terrifying statistics:
• 93% of people making our clothes don’t earn enough to cover life’s necessities (Survivor’s Network)
• Only an estimated 2% of fashion workers around the world are paid a livable salary (Fashion Revolution)
• 150 million more women are hungry than men, and this continues to increase (Care.org)
• 1 in 3 women globally have experienced gender-based violence, and COVID has increased this (Care.org)
• At least 60% of Indian and Bangladeshi garment factory workers report harassment at work (Fair Wear Foundation)
• In Vietnam, 43.1% of interviewed garment workers had experienced at least one workplace violence or harassment in the previous 12 months (Fair Wear Foundation)
• 1 in 3 countries are either making no progress at all towards gender equality or are moving in the wrong direction (Care.org)
So, “dolls,” please don’t be tempted to shop 25% but instead consider supporting the amazing female designers crafting new and unique clothing.
Here’s just 4 of many sustainable, UK based brands to consider:
1. Somebody Else’s Guy
Recently featured in Edward Enninful’s final British Vogue issue, this Newcastle-based brand crafts unique gender neutral clothing that “celebrate the diversity in our society.“
2. Molby the Label
Working to reduce fabric waste, this Merseyside-based brand designs and hand-makes every garment in-house. Each piece is handmade to order, meaning they’re crafted to fit your needs and last a generation.
3. Hissy Fit Clothing
One of the most honest brands, which makes up around 90% of my wardrobe, this Birmingham-based brand has a fully transparent supply chain and an extremely low carbon footprint.
Only using deadstock and vintage fabrics, they regularly use social media to how they source, design, and produce each unique and exclusive Hissy Fit item.
4. Odd Muse London
Dedicated to luxury, long-lasting fashion, this London-based brand has women at its core. Launched “with a vision of bridging the gap between fast fashion and sustainable, quality garments,” takes a slower pace when it comes to crafting their products.
Let's shift our focus to supporting ethical and sustainable fashion that does not fund the oppression of women