SCM September 6, 2022

IE-401

Reflection On “The True Cost”

The True Cost is a 2015 documentary criticizing the complex issues in the industry
of fashion, particularly fast fashion, and arises the widespread corruption it involves to the
surface. It focuses on the issues of Bangladeshi workers and follows one employee and
her living conditions. It also follows the CEO of People Tree, Safia Minney, and her
company’s ethical methods of production as opposed to those of laborious work from
production factories in third-world countries. Aside from that, it also tackles a cotton
farmer’s experiences regarding pesticides and their harmful effects on people’s health
and the wave of wage protestors in Phnom Penh which was met with violence. These are
stories combined to give the viewers a look into the harsh and disheartening intricacies
of the fashion industry.

Upon watching the hour-and-a-half documentary, I was made aware, although not
entirely surprised, of the saddening facts surrounding the deeply flawed system of fast
fashion. It is upsetting to know that the people who work in outsourced factories get paid
almost less than 68 cents a day and could potentially get not paid at all for an entire
month’s work if they miss even only one day of work. Perhaps, what is more, upsetting to
know is that there are people who turn a blind eye to the actual working situation of
employees in countries such as Cambodia, Bangladesh, and India. A sourcing manager
from Joe Fresh would even go as far as belittling the danger of sewing clothes when there
are deaths due to collapsed buildings, blocked fire exits, and grueling work hours.
Throughout the documentary, there have been several usages of contrasts to emphasize
the fashion industry’s negative impacts on employees and the environment, but what
struck me the most was when visual similarities between the protests in Phnom Penh and
the Black Friday rush were shown. As the former fights for their rights, the latter swarm
for their vanities.

The film was able to successfully show the ‘true cost’ of the fashion industry by
highlighting the negative impacts of the industry on its employees’ personal lives, and
even the environment. Moreover, the film discussed the most important aspects of the
fashion industry that needs to be improved, and that the system itself must be changed.
The spread of awareness regarding these conditions must be further focused on to call
out the capitalists that continue to demand low prices lesser than the value price resulting
in competition amongst third-world countries. The world government should also do its
part by implementing international laws and specific sanctions on private companies that
would continue to use such methods. But most importantly, it is with us, the consumers,
where it should all start. By being responsible for the clothes we wear and if we are
supporting certain companies that contribute to the hardships of many workers in the
world.