Today is Fashion Revolution Day – a day to stand shoulder to shoulder with poorly paid garment workers in the third world and ask the high street clothing retailers – Who makes these super cheap clothes we are buying? and how much are they being paid? how are their working conditions? can they join a union? All these rights that we, in the west, take for granted.
It’s one year today since the Rana Plaza Garment Factory collapse in Bangladesh and this campaign is about putting pressure on the companies that buy clothing from factories like these. We want these companies to become more accountable for the conditions that workers in factories that they buy from are working in.
In addition, sewing bloggers are uniting, lead by Abby, Celina and Laura, and wearing our handmades inside out. We want to stand in solidarity with these garment workers as we know, more than most what it’s like to sew from scratch.
But, how lucky I am. I sew for fun – because I love it. How would it be if I had to sew for 10 hours a day in squalid conditions for a pittance? No thanks. I don’t want to do that and nor should these workers have to tolerate such a life.
How can we all contribute to turning this problem around? I think the answer will be multi-facited. This is what I’ll be doing… buying less and making more, up cycling more often and steering clear of those $4 children’s t-shirts in Target. This is an easy statement for me to make – I love to sew and the more I sew the better I get at it. I would encourage you to join me. Why not give it a try – I encourage you. You never know, you might just love it!
#insideout #handmadeinsideout