Brand name clothes exploiting the workers...

[Bulls on parade]

Im sick of the shit about how brand name clothes like Nike are considered 'cool' by today's youth when in reality the clothes are made by some extremely poor worker in some third world country.

The sad thing is I see everyone wearing this shit and not realising that they are promoting the products of these multi-billion dollar corporations, and it is everywhere. You can't buy something now without it having some fucked up brand name and having it made in china or indonesia or whatever country where the workers work for less than the minimum wage while the fatcats at the top reap the profits.

There isnt any more clothes that are made which dont exploit people. Are there any companies which don't bring their factories to foreign countries so they can take advantage of people's lack of rights?

[nz revolution]

I dont think there are many clothes made that don't involve expolitation.

The only way to get rid of it is to get rid of the problem... capitalism.

:)

[bluerev002]

this topic has been brought up so many times, but i agree with you. most likely they (the youth) have no ideas or dont even care to know how these cloatsh are made.

[Lefty]

what really sickens me is that when told, they simply don't care and feel no need to help those less fortunate than them.

[IHP]

I think maybe "billabong" brand might be made in first world factories. Im not entirely sure.

The ignorance of fashion victims and so forth is astounding. we're just going to have to try and make them think a bit more. it would be interesting to see how much Tiger Woods is given in sponsorship from Nike, and how much they pay a worker who has worked an 18 hour shift.

--IHP

[Ian]

Nah IHP, Billabong is made in knitted in Bali (guess the labour there will be a hell of a lot cheaper now), they merely sew a label on it in Collingwood and say 'Made in Australia'

[IHP]

bastards.

[MiNdGaMe]

Really? interesting i have a Billabong bag, bought before i was an anarchist :(

[mentalbunny]

This subject is complicated, would you rather have these people being exploited, or not paid at all?

I think the only way is to wake up the consumers, who in turn wake up the corporations and tell them that this is not acceptable, so that they pay these workers what they deserve. Or we could get rid of capitalism completely, but that will take ages.

I admit, I'm guilty of wearing sweatshop brands, but it's near impossible to avoid it and i'm being much more careful now.

[bluerev002]

or we can send a letter to billabong and tell them were boycottin and why were boycotting them. then each of us get the ppl in their cities and towns to boycott billabong.

[Iepilei]

today was rather interesting, I was at a mall with some friends of mine. Everytime we passed certain stores... like A&F, American Eagle, Gap, etc - I'd go inside, grab a tag off the closest shirt to the entry I could and would read the country the product was made in out loud... laugh, say something like "what crap" and leave.

You get some interesting looks from the people there, as well as the customers.

[deimos]

i have 2 reebok t shirts 1 reebok sweater and adidas boots(i got the boots last christmas)
am i a fashion victim? :confused:

(Edited by deimos at 12:35 pm on Nov. 9, 2002)

[IHP]

yes. you are also supporting a big corporations exploiting workers. but thats a different story. it is, of course, your choice.

--IHP

[Som]

Its not just the big brands that do it, its nearly every piece of clothing around.

Its a huge trouble to avoid, at the very least, i just try not to be a walking advertisement for them.

[nz revolution]

I think Som made a good point although most people are aware of it.

My clothes are just $5 (about US$2.50) t shirts that i got a red star printed on it and plain ones, $6 dollar NZ army shirts and a few che t shirts. I refuse to wear brands or advertise anything but left wing icons and symbols.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the idea that is expressed over and over again about individuality? This guy I know is very pro-communist and he was saying his idea of individuality is so people will stay in their little groups and not interact with others, so the idea of co operating with others doesnt sound very tempting, which will then keep people from uniting and doing away with capitalist oppression. Like when i was young I remember Barney the Dinosaur singing some song about being your own person or something, so the rightists are programming kids at a young age to be an individual and extremely self centred

[deimos]

yes. you are also supporting a big corporations exploiting workers. but thats a different story. it is, of course, your choice.
what?iam already a fashion victim and supporter of exploitation by owning one year old adidas boots and 2(the second reeebok shirt broke down.an evidence of bad quality...) brand clothes?

[mentalbunny]

i admit it's a bit harsh to call you a fashion victim for that. it's so hard to avoid buying brands, it is a consumer society afterall...

[Punx for Peace]

An economist called Thorstein Veblen wrote of "conspicuous consumption". According to this theory, a lot of fashion articles are consumer articles MERELY because of the brand.

According to Veblen's theory, there is no more utility for a t-shirt that is plain, than in a t-shirt with Gucci, Nike or anything else printed on it. It is consumerism - pure and simple.

Consequently, t-shirts, jeans, and many other consumer items (from cars to watches) are of no greater value becuase of their outward appearance. They are functional only.

Every consumer has to consider whether the addition of a brand or anything else is worth the additional cost over and above the value of the object itself.