Over the weekend I finally got around to reading Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline, which I mentioned previously in “The Real Deal Behind Getting A Great Deal“. Even though it seems like a glum topic, it actually was a very enjoyable book and I was able to read through it pretty quickly. Part of what I liked about it so much was that the author was someone who had been caught up in the mentality of buying a lot of clothing for cheap and who couldn’t resist getting a great deal. It felt very honest and real in that way.
As I said, I read through it quickly, so I plan to go back and read it again to absorb more of the information. One thing that stuck with me is that the problem isn’t just with the sweatshops, i.e. factories, but more so with the companies who are putting demands on the sweatshops. If the factory wants to keep the company’s business, and the company is putting unrealistic pressure on getting a mass amount of product by a certain date, telling the factory managers to just work everyone overtime (even though they already work 12-13 hours a day, 6-7 days a week), then we can’t just blame the sweatshops. In addition to the time and product crunch, of course, is the prices. Recently, China has been needing raise the prices on the cost of their manufacturing, so what do the clothing companies do? Move their business to places like Bangladesh, where the prices are cheaper, and the worker conditions even worse. Rather than thinking it reasonable that these factories have to charge actual money for their manufacturing, clothing companies seem to want to get something for a little bit of nothing. While we think we’re getting a great deal on a $10 shirt, the clothing company is laughing all the way to the bank.
Another interesting aspect of the clothing industry that Cline tackled was the overabundance of thrift store donations. It’s easy to think that we can just donate our clothing when we’re done with them, therefore justifying our shopping sprees. However, the thrift stores are so overwhelmed with donations that much of it never even reaches the sales floor. Cheaper clothing doesn’t last as long, and therefore doesn’t always hold up for a second go around. Quality clothing isn’t just good for our own wardrobe, but it also will be more likely to hold up to second hand use when we’re done with it.
I enjoyed the author’s transparency in that she was open about where she was on the journey of purchasing ethically made clothing. I related to the fact that she was still walking around in her mass-made “deals” while trying to learn how and where to buy alternatives. I like that she talked about solutions, such as where to buy fair trade fashion and tips for making and altering second-hand clothing. I’m not sure that I’m quite ready to sew my own clothing, but I visited a site mentioned in the book called Refashionista.net, and I was pretty blown away by the thrift-store makeovers. It definitely shows the potential for giving old, outdated clothing a new life.
If you are interested in this topic at all (and if you’ve read this far, there’s a good chance you are), then I highly recommend giving Overdressed a read. If you’ve already read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
