Green

• Reduce and Reuse -- Buy less, buy second-hand, and buy quality (it lasts longer!)
• Buy Fair Trade -- There currently is no Fair Trade label for clothing like there is for coffee or tea.  You have to do some research into labels and companies to find out if it's truly fair trade in practice.  Retailers which belong to the Fair Trade Federation are the best bets right now.
• Look for the UNITE Label -- This is the union created from the merger of large textile and hotel unions.  A union label suggests that the workers had a voice in contracts.  (www.unitehere.org) This is a better indicator than "Made in the USA" which has several problems:
  • Problems with the "Made in the USA" Label:
    • The US has sweatshops in its major cities and in its territories which are not protected by US labor laws
    • Many "US-made" products have been manufactured abroad and then a small US company adds embroidery or buttons to the product in order to make its claim.
• Check the Source -- Many companies operate responsibly, even buying products from cooperatives.  Research these to find out before you buy.
• Research -- Many of your favorite companies use dozens of  subcontractors, so it's difficult for a major company to be completely socially responsible.  However, you can look up disputes and complaints about companies at www.responsibleshopper.org. Many companies have and publish their own codes of conduct.  Several of the "big box" companies like Wal-Mart and Sam's, K-Mart and Meijers, tend to be the worst abusers because they carry so many brands.
• Change the System -- Do school clothing suppliers belong to the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC)?  See www.workersrights.org or www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org. Express your concerns to your favorite clothing companies--they respond to consumer desires.

Other Good Sources to Look Into:

• www.chinalaborwatch.org
• www.cleanclothesconnection.org
• www.corpwatch.org
• www.fairtradefederation.org
• www.laborrights.org
• www.sweatfree.org
• www.greenpages.org