Look around your closet and take inventory of what you have.  Do you know where your things originated?  Probably not.  Everything we consume and own has an impact on our environment, community, and the future. When purchasing clothes, we should be more leery of what we take home, as each new blouse can speak volumes about the people that had to it if it was mass-produced in a sweatshop.  A sweatshop is a working environment with difficult and dangerous conditions for the workers.  Usually these workers are exposed to harmful materials, extreme work hours, and even abuse from management.  These workers are paid less than a dollar a day, if they are lucky, for up to 10 hours of incessant work.

Thinking about making a change?  Start by taking these steps for sweatshop-free clothing.

SUPPORT NONSWEAT SHOP CLOTHING STORES
There is a growing number of clothing brands that manufacture their clothing within the United States where they adhere to strict labor acts.  American Apparel pays twice the national minimum wage and even provides an onsite medical clinic for their workers along with subsidized lunches.  Other brands include Edun, Patagonia, and Free People.

BUY USED CLOTHING
Vintage and thrift stores provide tons of near new clothing that has been tossed by the previous owner.  Instead of throwing them into a landfill, find pieces that you can use to add style and eccentricity to your wardrobe.

EDUCATE YOURSELF
It’s hard to have a completely sweatshop free wardrobe, but you have to start somewhere.  Start researching for brands that are organic and ethically produced by visiting their websites.  Most brands provide information on their manufacturing procedures.  Otherwise, email them about the materials and labor used for that awesome jacket you found.   We have featured brands such as cmarchuska and stores that sell only organic and/or sweatshop free clothing such as Fashion and Earth.  Add key pieces to your closet instead of buying new pieces at the mall monthly, and fine tune what is already in your closet.  Each choice you make can promote a better future for your style and the community.