Up@dawn 2.0

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

You Are What You......Wear? (#8 / Morgan Massey / Installment 2/3)


In my first blog post I gave a little insight into the dark side of the fashion industry.  Now, here are some interesting statistics that dig a little deeper and help put things in perspective:


  • There are around 40 million garment workers around the globe today.
  • 97% of clothing we buy in America is made in another country.
  • Around 85% of all garment workers are women.
  • Global Fashion brands are a 2+ trillion dollar a year industry
  • In Bangladesh, there are an estimated 1 million children garment workers from the ages of 10-14.

If the fashion industry is over a two trillion dollar industry, it's only natural to assume that those who work in the fashion industry make big money. The fashion industry doesn't just involve high paid designers, models, and store owners. It also involves forty million garment workers, which is enough workers to populate the entire country of Argentina.  The average pay for one of these garment workers is $38 dollars a month, which is less that $1.50 a day. The median pay for fashions designers is $6,000 a month, $5000 for high fashion models, and $2,000 a month for retail workers.

This doesn't just have a large effect on people, it also impacts our severely environment.

  • Every year the world consumes about 8 billion new pieces of clothing
  • The average American produces about 80 pounds of textile waste every year.
  • The U.S alone produces around 11 million tons of textile waste.
  • Cotton (which is one of the most used fiber for clothing) is responsible for 18% of the word's pesticide use, and 25% of the world's insecticide use. 
  • Tannery workers (leather factory) are at a far greater risk of cancer (between 20-50%)
My eyes were opened after watching the award winning documentary, The True Cost. This documentary goes deep into the fashion industry and unveils the truth of what really goes on. It includes interviews with fashion designers, garment workers, policy makers, cotton farmers, and everyone in between. It's one thing to hear about the horrible things going on, but it's another to actually see for yourself. 

statistics and facts and good reads:
 http://truecostmovie.com  
http://www.businessinsider.com/average-hourly-wage-for-garment-workers-2013-5 http://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/fashion-designers.htm 
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/retail-sales-workers.htm 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3339578/Crammed-squalid-factories-produce-clothes-West-just-20p-day-children-forced-work-horrific-unregulated-workshops-Bangladesh.html

*First Blog Post http://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2015/11/you-are-what-youwear-8-morgan-massey.html

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