The High Price Of Cheap Fashion
Smith, Patricia
Upfront
September 2, 2013
International
Page 12
Have you ever wondered where your clothes come from and who makes them? Your clothes might come from Bangladesh or possibly China and where the clothes are made is China(40%), Vietnam(8%), Bangladesh and India(6%), Mexico and Indonesia(5%), El Salvador, Honduras, Pakistan, Cambodia(3%). Only two percent of clothes sold in the U.S. are made in the U.S. Stores like H&M, Forever 21, Benetton, Banana Republic, J. Crew, and Childrens Place have their clothes made in sweatshops around the world. “Consumers are definitely hooked on walking into a store and buying something cheap and trendy, but more people are beginning to realize there are some hidden costs.” stated Elizabeth Cline. As Elizabeth Cline said “Clothing has gone from a long-term investment purchase to a disposable good, fast fashion has a lot of parallels to fast food. It’s a similar psychology to the dollar menu at McDonald's: You go in all the time for a quick, cheap fix.” In Bangladesh, a clothing factory collapsed and killed 1,127 workers because the company added extra floors with a lot more heavy machinery. Only getting paid two dollars a day($37 per month) in Bangladesh There are 4.5 million people employed in just 5,000 factories. China is the worlds first leading clothing exporter, Bangladesh is second. Only 10 countries make more than 80% of the U.S’s clothes.
I have never thought of where my clothes come from. My grandma does not shop at Walmart because the clothes are made in sweatshops. I don’t like the idea of sweatshops. In Berlin, people protested in front H&M after the collapse in Bangladesh. Some people are like “Oh my God, a dress for $4.99, and its cute!” but they don’t think about where it came from. Why don’t people that work in factories find a different job if they only get paid two dollars an hour, I think Burger King pays more. I think that this proves that we Americans need support from the other countries. Do people really care that much about what they wear, after reading this do you still wanna wear what you wear? Think about where your clothes come from.
