Edit: Just to say that if you happen to have gifted any of us any clothes, we are very grateful for them, regardless of where and how they might have been bought! Friends and family have been very kind in giving us clothes, among other things, over the last couple of years and we really do appreciate them!
I've been thinking recently about how we as a family can live in a more ethical, 'green' and sustainable (while also being realistic and practical!) way. In some ways, living in an environmentally-friendly way is much harder here, in other ways it is easier. It's a topic I'm planning on coming back to but a recent post by a blogger I really enjoy reading made me start thinking again about the issue of ethical clothes sourcing again.
This is something I started thinking more seriously about back when we were still in the UK but I didn't get all too far before we moved abroad. And then, I'll admit, I put it straight to the back of my mind. But now it's one of the issues I'm wrestling with and it's symptomatic of many issues where I'm trying to figure out how to reconcile (still developing) principles with living in a country where I have to work out those principles in different ways to before. So this is just one issue of many that I am starting to think through and decide what is right, reasonable and realistic - and make my peace with the fact that the answers I come to here will necessarily be different to the answers I would come to if we still lived in the UK.
It would be really tempting to think that because I live in a different country, I automatically get a free pass on these kinds of issues but that's not a healthy or sustainable way to live long term. There are definitely areas where we've had to weigh up the pros and cons and have decided that the less-environmentally friendly option is the right one for us at the moment (disposable nappies comes immediately to mind) but it seems that the most important aspect is not the conclusion that is reached but to actually think about it and carefully consider the assumptions, motivations, and factors involved.
In terms of clothing, my most basic assumption is that how my clothes have been produced matters. I believe I have a responsibility to help steward the earth's resources well and also to 'love my neighbour' in thinking about the conditions of those who make the clothes I wear rather than just thinking about myself. This is not the sort of subject that has nice, simple answers but at the very least I have to work on the principle that, if there's an item of clothing I'd like to buy, its monetary price should not be the only consideration I have in making purchasing decisions.
Given that fairly basic consideration, I'm still thinking through (and will be for quite a while!) what other considerations there should be and how I should apply them while I live here. Just to emphasise, these are my personal thoughts and ideas. I fully expect other people to come to different conclusions but I would encourage anyone reading this to at least think about how they buy.
I tend to prioritise different buying routes: the best thing (for the environment at least) is not to buy at all. Second would be to buy second hand (either charity shops or ebay) with a close third being to buy from companies that ethically source their clothes, both in terms of production of raw materials and the actual making of the clothes. After that I'd put companies that ethically source their clothes in terms of either raw materials or the tailoring, followed by companies that make at least some effort ethically, and then everyone else.
In terms of not buying at all, it doesn't make much different whether you're in the UK or Turkey! I'll admit, this one came fairly easily to me before having children and now I have two, it is my default setting. The thought of trying to find clothes for myself with two children in tow fills me with dread and while my lovely husband is more than willing to look after them if I need to go shopping, (a) I don't want to unnecessarily take advantage of that and (b) if I'm going to have time to myself without children, there's things I'd rather do than go shopping for clothes.
However, charity shops as a concept don't really seem to exist here and neither does buying second hand clothes on ebay. I've also struggled to find companies that make a point of selling ethically produced clothes. In addition, I have an additional constraint of needing to be careful to make sure I dress modestly - right now it's not too much of an issue but if we lived in another city, I would probably need to be even more careful.
I'd be the first to admit that I haven't found any really good solutions yet, I'm just muddling along using a variety of different routes. Some are more ethical and environmentally friendly, others less so. I'm trying to get as much life out of everything I currently own as I can (this is a big plus of living here - there are lots of small tailors locally who can repair or adjust clothes, local cobblers to resole shoes, little workshops that will fix handbags and rucksacks). I have been known to get ebay orders sent to family in the UK ahead of them visiting here (yay for cheap bundles of barely used baby clothes!). I'm planning on buying some things when I'm next back in the UK. I'm also trying to buy from Turkish brands where the clothes are produced in Turkey. That's not a solution for the provenance of the material but there are at least laws concerning labour here. Sometimes I just buy from one of the cheaper chains here. Occasionally I've ordered clothes for the J and S from UK supermarkets and got them delivered to family who are going to be visiting us, for them to bring out. It's very much a work in progress, but it's something I'm going to keep thinking about.
How about you? How do you decide what and how to buy? Is this something you've given much thought to before?
