Would you KNOWINGLY buy sweatshop-made cheap clothes?

Former_MSE_Debs

Poll started 30 Apr 2013

Last week's collapse of a garment factory in Bangladesh where workers were said to be operating amid dangerous conditions has brought the issue of sweatshop-made clothes into sharp focus. We want to know if you'd buy stuff made this way.

If it was CONFIRMED a fashion store sold cheap, sweatshop-made clothes, which of the statements in this week's poll would be CLOSEST to your attitude?

Vote in this week's poll

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To see the results from last time, click this.

torbrex

I never give a thought to the people that make the clothes I buy and wear, I buy purely on value for money, will I get enough wear out of the garment to justify the price that I pay.

kwmlondon

No. If I know that a company is exploiting it's workers I'll buy from someone else. It's my choice as a consumer and it's within my power to influence big companies with my purchasing selections.

PasturesNew

I would if it meant I could afford the clothes. Say you had a job interview and nothing to wear (I mean nothing).... and there was a suit for £10 ..... I'd buy it like a shot!

I_luv_cats

Price is an indicator BUT NOT ALWAYS.


I paid over £50 recently for a sale jacket (RRP £160) which was made in India!

Even M&S are globally produced (I've Bangladesh/Mauritius garments just to name two)


Can you always trust the label anyway? I've bought M&S footwear and struggled to find the country of origin.

chiefgoobster

People will buy goods depending on the depths of their pockets. This will apply to most items inc. clothes mentioned by the OP.
Some people are even inclined to buy a "hot" telly.

elsien

When you're buying a £2 tshirt from Primark or similar, it couldn't come from anything other than a sweatshop. Anyone who pretends otherwise is deluding themelves, whether there's official confirmation or not. And it's made more confusing by more expensive shops also using sweatshops then adding on a larger profit. So paying more is no guarantee, unless you buy certified fairtrade type clothes. Which in the main are not affordable and not the sorts of clothes that a lot of people want to wear.
I suspect that a lot of us are hyprocrites about it though, condemn the practice, then go off and do it anyway because it's cheap. That or just try not to think about it in the first place.

Albjue

I think this is a really difficult one to answer. On the one hand I hate the thought of sweatshops. On the other hand I like a bargain. Then if the people didn't have this work to do would they have any money at all? I have a friend who lives in Albania working amongst the poorest people in the city of Durres. Her neighbours - young women work in what we would consider a sweat shop in the UK, however they are grateful for the work. They make beauiful Italian labelled designer dresses - prom dress types with a Italian label that sell for hundreds if not thousands of euros and get paid a pittance. The unsuspecting person who buys a designer label evening dress is fuelling the sweatshops in Albania without even knowing they are. Something needs to be done about it but I am not sure it is enough just to boycot cheap clothes shops.

vikki_louise

I wouldn't buy from them again, however its hard to know who to trust (other than 'fair trade', just because primark sells a top for £5 that marks would change £15 for it doesn't mean it wasn't made in the same place or same conditions

Hezzawithkids

Seeing as just about every high street chain store - and even some high end fashion labels - all use sweatshop labour it would leave us with very little choice.

stevemcol

Too complex an issue for my brain to deal with. I've no way of knowing whether my purchase makes things worse or better so I ignore the question and buy the best quality I can find for the price.
If I saw a fair trade label, the quality was OK and the price not extortionate, I'd probably buy it. I can't say I've ever noticed a fair trade label on clothes.