Where are your clothes made?

The modern consumer is becoming increasingly aware of where their fashion is coming from and the effects this may have on local communities, families and the environment. Manufacturing fashion garments in certain parts of the world is often more affordable, but with this comes poorer working conditions for many workers, which also has an effect on their local community.

Why overseas?

The process of garment manufacturing differs from country to country. When it comes to preserving human rights, some countries are not as good as others. Indonesia, for example, has a number of distinct advantages over other garment-producing countries. Their working conditions are better than most, their hours are appropriate, and they have the opportunity to spend time with their families at night. 

Sometimes, producing garments locally just isn’t an option. It could be that resources are unavailable in your home country, perhaps due to the high expense of labour or the increasing cost of importing raw materials. In certain circumstances, it may be more environmentally friendly to manufacture items offshore. The cost of labour in Europe and other developed continents is generally too expensive for most fashion brands to make profit, which is why overseas production is usually the only option. However, it is possible to work with overseas manufacturers and pay them a fair wage.

The ethics of overseas garment manufacturing is complicated, as many consumers have a misconception that all manufacturers are operating ‘sweatshop’ conditions. While it’s important to be educated about where your clothes are made, we at THE-CØDED know first hand that many overseas manufacturers offer only the highest-quality working conditions for their employees. Choosing the right manufacturer is key.

Communities

Many factory workers will all come from the same communities and villages. Garment work is predominantly done by women who travel to and from work together, they usually work between 8-12 hour shifts and use their wages to purchase food for evening meals on their way home. Many follow a strict religious routine and will go to a place of worship before and after work, making their days extremely long. Workers use their water breaks and lunch breaks to catch up with friends and family and have a well earned rest, but this isn’t always the case in every factory.

What THE-CØDED will do for factories

At THE-CØDED, we put our factories first, and our people at the forefront of our mission. We value our garment manufacturer partners above anything else, and our ethical fashion movement strives to bring their carefully crafted goods straight to the consumer. Factory workers get a fair price for their garments, and can be proud of the unique pieces of clothing they are producing. Factories won’t be working for us, they’ll be working with us.