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Megan Bailey

James Dunham

ENG 1102

24 March 2021

Behind the Threads

A popular hashtag has been storming the internet and popular social media sites for the

past few years. #WhoMakesMyClothes? This hashtag is a call to brands and consumers alike to

become aware of the way factory workers are often unfairly treated. #WhoMakesMyClothes

pertains to what is commonly recognized as fast fashion. “Fast fashion pertains to the apparel

industry and can be defined as the retail strategy of adapting merchandise to current and

emerging trends as quickly and as effectively as possible”. (Arrigo) This flexibility in

merchandising often comes with a price unknown to many buyers. One of the most common

representations of the fashion industry’s horrifying factory conditions is “the 2013 collapse of

the Rana Plaza located in Bangladesh” (Foussinaes). Cracks were discovered on the foundation

of the building on April twenty third, workers in the factory were instructed to evacuate.

However, the following day on April twenty fourth the factory’s managers forced the workers to

return to work as usual. The Plaza collapsed that same day wounding 2,500 people and killing

1,1334 (Smith). The fashion industry has many shameful secrets, including, among others,

unfair treatment of factory workers. Below is a picture of the collapsed factory and a reminder

of the true cost of the clothing we purchase.

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Fig 1. In 2013 the Rana Plaza fell in on itself, harming many. (Minur-Uz-Zaman/Agence France

Presse)

In the late 1980’s is when fast fashion began to make an appearance, as written by Dana

Thomas in her book “Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes”

(Foussianes). What used to take months to produce an article of clothing companies are now

able to produce in a matter of weeks. With the intrusion of social media and instant messaging,

people are constantly bombarded with the newest and latest trends, and these trends demand a

swift manufacturing process. In no time at all do runway trends make their way to the racks of a

favorite clothing store. Clothes are no longer constructed to last as speed is the desired result.

Unfortunately, immediacy comes with a disadvantage, and sweatshops as well as the factory
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workers are taken advantage of across the world to produce clothing cheaply. Ninety percent of

all clothing across the world are made in low income countries for example, Bangladesh, China,

Asia, Vietnam, and the Philippines (Smith). “European and US companies profited from moving

their manufacturing to low cost countries in the far East for low labor” (Arrigo). Perhaps low

cost for the companies, but at what cost to the individual’s that they employ? Only two to four

percent of the price of selling an article of clothing goes to the factories workers’ wages (Smith).

In her article for DW, Sarah Hucal describes a court case that was held in Germany to

see if the company KiK should be held responsible for the working conditions their laborers are

subject to. The case began because of a fire in Karachi Pakistan that killed 258 people in the

year 2012 at the Ali Enterprise textile factory. These deaths could have very well been

prevented with proper safety codes, such as fire exits and available fire extinguishers, safety

measures that undercover journalist Raveena Aulahk reported as absent in her undercover work

as a sweatshop worker (Travis). It is reported in an article from Odyssey written by Hannah

Travis “that less than half of H&M’s top tier suppliers have fire exits”. Unfortunately, the court

case held in Germany is a rare occurrence as many suppliers are not held responsible, much less

questioned about their working conditions in their factories. Companies often pass the blame

onto the manufacturer stating they have no control over that part of the production process

(Foussianes). The following image shows how little it would cost consumers if proper fire and

safety measures were met, compared to the current cost of clothing with inadequate safety

measures.
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Fig. 2 This image shows the mark up cost of an item of clothing if proper safety codes

were met. (Shannon, Liz)

In addition to the building conditions being horrendous, so is the abuse of the factory

workers, as one in four women in Bangladesh admit abuse has occurred at the factory that they

are employed at. Child labor is not uncommon, and many girls are taken out of school at the age

of seven to work to help provide for their families (Travis). In the article written by Hannah

Travis for Odyssey she describes journalist’s Raveena Aulahk’s experience going undercover as

a factory worker in a Bangladesh sweatshop, where a nine-year-old girl, Meem, was put in

charge of training her. Women are often harassed, and all too often sexually abused, according

to an interview with the NGO’s director told Sarah Hucal in her article “The hidden human cost

of fast fashion.” The director went on to explain that eighty percent of the workers in the textile

factories are women, and for many impoverishment is their reality. Sixteen-hour work shifts

with as little as two-bathroom breaks allowed, causing bladder infections, is only the tip of the

iceberg when examining extremely harsh working conditions (Odyssey). Also, an issue that has
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been raised, is denial of maternity leave. According to Hannah Travis in her article for Odyssey,

Nike no longer allows WRC which stands for Workers Rights Commission inside to inspect their

factories, leaving one to question what Nike does not want them to see.

Considering these horrendous cases and stories, one may be led to question why these

women do not simply quit and find another job. This dilemma is explained by Sarah Hucul in

her discussion with NGO’s director that jobs are not easy to obtain, especially for women in

certain countries, and in another industry. As difficult as it may be to fathom, poverty is what

leads these women to desperation and a factory occupation may be better and safer to work in

than a job in stone cutting or being a maid in a household, where abuses are even more common

and the pay even lower. In addition to these concerns, Deloitte Access Economics disclosed to

Oxfam in 2017 that paying a living wage to the factory workers would only increase a garment

by one percent (Mccosker).

A factory worker from Bangladesh, Arifa Akter, who is now an assistant general

secretary for the National Garment Workers Federation located in Bangladesh, recounts her story

as a young girl starting work at a textile factory. Akter, in a YouTube video for “War on Want”

explains that the pay for factory workers is not a livable wage. Corresponding with the

information given from Hannah Travis in her article for Odyssey that the minimum wage

occupation pays more in a week than a worker in a sweatshop will make in a years’ time.

Although the cost of living is considerably lower in undeveloped countries, Akter explains it is

still not enough to live off of. When she first began working for the factories her wage went to

her family, but once she got married, she quickly realized her wages were far from enough

money to support her family. Even with the minimum wage being raised in Bangladesh from
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sixty euros to eighty-five euros (Hucal). Akter went on to tell that rent and food also went up at

the same time, counteracting the wage raise.

Although many people would agree that fast fashion is a debated business and the way

people and young children are treated is unacceptable, Arifa Akter explains in her video

interview that factories are an important part of their lives and that not buying clothing is not the

answer, as that would result in a major loss of jobs. It provides these women with jobs and

ultimately opportunities. Factory occupations provide women with the ability to help care for

their families, although she states that the government and brands doing business need to make

sure factories are telling the truth about how many hours are worked in a day. Akter explains

that the government in Bangladesh has laws in place that a person is not to be worked more than

so many hours in a day, yet this is not enforced and often brands and the government looks the

other way, not questioning the factories owners. Akter believes that consumers should ask where

their clothing was made and if the workers were safe and paid fairly. She thinks that if buyers

begin questioning brands about the well being of their factory workers, then the brands will be

forced to inquire the factory owners about their practices, leading to positive changes being

made.

In addition to unsafe working conditions and improper wages, chemical use is also a

dangerous factor in the production of clothing. Chemical use in cotton farming has been shown

to cause illnesses and has shortened the life of the cotton farm workers (Charpail). Chemicals

are also used in the factories as well as synthetic dyes, such as Phthalates, Formaldehyde, Flame

Retardant’s and plastic (Evans). One KG of chemicals are needed to produce one KG of fabrics,

which then explains how twenty seven percent of weight from a fabric is from the chemicals it is

produced with (Charpail). An article written by Allison Evans cofounder of the natural cleaning
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brand Branch Basics wrote an article on their company’s website discussing some of the most

common health hazards that the clothing we wear can have on our bodies.

Evans explains that flame retardant’s that clothing is treated with can have a negative

affect on the brain, thyroid, and reproductive systems. Flame retardants are most commonly

found in children’s clothing and children’s sleepwear as well as bathrobes. Formaldehyde is

another chemical she mentions and calls it a “complete carcinogen”, stating that it affects cancer

at every stage. Formaldehyde is part of a process used in “wrinkle free” garments and anti-static

pieces. This chemical never does come out of the clothing, meaning the chemical lasts for as

long as the clothing itself does. Another popular chemical is Phthalates, a chemical found in

plastics, and has been linked to causing cancer numerous times. Phthalates are most often found

in athletic clothing and jeans.

While the chemical ingredients are hazardous within the clothing, they are equally toxic

to the water ways. The clothing industry is the cause of over twenty percent of the water

pollution across the world, as the chemicals and dyes pollute rivers and streams, as the water

after the dying process is not carefully disposed of. According to the journal article written by

Elisa Arrigo the “textile industry is one of the main causes of pollution worldwide and are

responsible for water pollution worldwide”. The dying process of clothing and fabrics is the

second largest factor that causes water pollution in the world, as the water left over from the

processing is discarded directly into rivers and streams. This is horrific for the sea life within the

water but also the individual’s, who live near the water sources. The water then contains harmful

substances such as lead, mercury, and even arsenic and many others (Charpail). In the article by

Mathilde Charpail from Sustain Your Style indicates that the clothing production is the second in

place when it comes to pollution in the world close to oil production. Another article on
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sustainability and fast fashion was written by Morgan McFall Johnsen for Insider and claims that

ten percent of carbon emissions are from the production of clothing. This ten percent of

emission is more than all the international flights combined (Charpail). The image below depicts

the water pollution. The pink foam from the chemical dyes that were dumped.

Fig 3. The water pollution from garment factories dumping their waste is concerning to

the health and welfare of aquatic life as well as those living near these water sources. (Gulsah

Mersin)

Synthetic fabric such as polyester, which is a plastic, is found in sixty percent of all

clothing and does not break down (McFall Johnsen). Washing clothing disperses 500,000 tons

of microfibers into the ocean every year, which equals fifty billion plastic water bottles (McFall

Johnsen). The graph below gives an example of how microplastics make its way from the

clothing we wear, to water sources, and ultimately into the food we consume.
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Fig. 4 This graph shows the impact of synthetic clothing on our health (Wagner, Luisa).

In light of all these negative effects on people’s lives and the planet it is saddening to

consider Sarah Hucal’s words in her article written for DW that sixty percent of clothing that is

manufactured are never worn, and more often than not thrown away as only fifteen percent of

clothing items are donated or recycled (Charpail). On average a person will buy sixty-eight

articles of clothing and wear each around seven times before disposing of them, whereas in the

1980’s people would buy five times less articles of clothing and used them for a longer period of

time (Foussaines). Twenty percent of clothing that are made are never purchased (Foussaines)

explaining how H&M had $4.3 billion dollars in clothing merchandise that were never purchased

in the year 2018 (Foussaines) as fast fashion can be an extremely unpredictable business. And

even recently from the year 2000 to 2014 the fashion business has increased sixty percent

(McCosker).

Ethically made clothing, which is clothing made consciously and reasonably do exist.

There are companies, who are open about where their factories are located and what’s going on
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within the walls of the factory, in contrast to Nike’s closed doors. There are brands, who are

open about what they pay their factory workers, informed consumers can look for certification’s

brands have earned such as Global Organic Textile Standards and Global Reporting. Some of

these brands that are known for their careful practices are Patagonia, American Apparel, and

Threads for Thought. (Odyssey)

There are many varying perspectives to the clothing industry. Perspectives that touch

people’s lives. The answer to the hashtag question #WhoMakesMyClothes? is answered. They

are people, like us, with families, who are often just trying to get by, pay next month’s rent, to

put food on the table, to give their children a good life. And sometimes those children, who have

a burden to help their families yet see it as an honor. Women, who worry day in and out because

no one was able to watch their children. Women not allowed to take maternity leave, who are

afraid to file abuse complaints. Sometimes desperation gropes these individual’s, sometimes it is

for a better life. No matter how, perhaps everyone could stand to be a little more mindful in our

habits and the lives behind the clothes we wear, to think about what we truly need and what truly

matters. As Hannah Travis says in her article “A Day in the Life of a Sweatshop Worker”,

“Think about every purchase you make as a vote, either for or against unethical labor practices.”

Perhaps the next time we see a runway trend on Instagram we will pause before picking it up at

our nearest H&M. Perhaps we will think of the hands that crafted each piece and the person

those hands belong to. Maybe just by changing our habits a little, we can prevent another

tragedy, like the Rana Plaza, and ultimately change lives.

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Works Cited

“Arifa: The Life of a Sweatshop Worker.” Youtube, uploaded by War on Want, 13 April 2017,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXTwzW5mXvs. Accessed 24 March 2021.

Arrigo, Elisa. “Global Sourcing in Fast Fashion Retailers: Sourcing Locations and Sustainability

Considerations.” Department of Economics, Management and Statistics, University of

Milan-Bicocca, vol 12, issue 2, 2020, pp. 508-508,

https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i2p508-d306777.html. Accessed 2 March

2021.

Charpail, Mathilde. “The Fashion Industry is the Second Largest Polluter in the World.”

Sustain Your Style, 2017, https://www.sustainyourstyle.org/old-environmental-impacts.

Accessed 24 March 2021.

Evan, Allison. “How to Choose Healthy and Sustainable Clothing”. Branch Basics, 31 August

2021, https://branchbasics.com/blogs/cleaning/how-to-choose-healthy-and-sustainable-

clothing, Accessed 24 March 2021.

Foussaianes, Chloe. “What Is Fast Fashion, and Why is Everyone Talking About It? Some fast

facts about fast fashion” Town and Country, 17 January 2020,

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/fashion-trends/a30361609/what-is-fast-

fashion/. Accessed 2 March 2021.

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Hucal, Sarah. “The hidden human cost of fast fashion.” Made for Minds, 7 December 2018,

https://www.dw.com/en/the-hidden-human-cost-of-fast-fashion/a-46577624.

Accessed 2 March 2021

Hymenn, Yvette. “The Impact of a Living Wage for Garment Workers.” Good On You, 20

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Accessed 24 March 2021.

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developing-nations/. 24 March 2021.

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environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10 Accessed 2 March

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Accessed 24 March 2021.

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