When you purchase your clothing, it’s rare that you have any idea about its origins, beyond the “Made in…” tag that typically appears on the manufacturer’s label. But how do you know that your clothing was made using ethical standards of production? Can you be sure that they’re not using child-run sweatshops in Indonesia, or that the sheep that generated that wool for a sweater weren’t starved or abused? Until recently, you couldn’t. For fashion, we were forced to turn a blind eye to the not so pleasant realities that surround the clothing manufacturing industry, the human ethical issues and the environmental impact of fashion.
However, as we’re becoming more concerned about the general well-being of people, animals, and that thing called planet earth (don’t ask me what took us so long as a society!) there are companies that allow us to trace the origins of our fashion choices. There are two leaders in this environmentally-friendly industry including Track & Trace by Made-By and Icebreaker.
Icebreaker is a sustainable clothing line that allows consumers full-disclosure to the complete life cycle of their purchases. Using a barcode (coined BAACode by Icebreaker), eco fashion lovers can log onto the Icebreaker website to learn about the living conditions of the sheep that produced the merino fiber in the garment, learn about the farmers and custodians responsible for maintaining the landscape, and learn about the complete manufacturing process. The company abides by specific standards for the ethical care of their animals, and preservation of the landscapes where they graze; which includes only allow one sheep to graze on every acre of land to ensure that there is a minimal impact on the environment.
Icebreaker sells a complete line of their branded sustainable clothing including outwear, underwear and everything in between for men, women, and children. Most of their line is designed for active, outdoor activities which abide by the stigma that environmentalists are athletic and outdoorsy…but we won’t judge them for that.
Contrasting Icebreaker’s brand of sustainable fashion is Track & Trace by Made-By, which is similar in concept, but not limited to brand. Unlike Made-By, which sticks their tracking labels on only the clothing that they produce; Track & Trace provides their service to fashion designers and fashion labels who believe in full green fashion disclosure. By using Track & Trace’s labels, these designers can make their contribution to sustainability by letting eco-friendly fashionistas take an in-depth look at the origins of the clothing. Don’t expect to see these labels slapped on brands that are known for their lax ethical standards through use of sweatshops, however, brands that are abiding by clean fashion production standards will certainly be shouting from the rooftops through their use of the Track & Trace service.
While there’s never going to be a 100% guarantee that all of our fashion choices are based on clean, green living, by educating ourselves and making purchases through companies that educate us about sustainability and their contribution, we can make informed decisions about green fashion.
