Money Moral Dilemma: Is it wrong to make money from clothing I'm morally opposed to wearing?

RevtheKev

You object to wearing it so I guess you are not going to do that. Selling it second hand may prevent someone else from buying a new part silk object so is the best means to reduce silk production in this dilemma. Making a profit from buying items at a charity shop is not an issue, unless you haggled the price down- you have helped them reach a market place they weren’t exploiting themselves and they set their price which you can think of as a wholesale price or unsorted price as you wish. If it did bother you then as others say you could share the profit or donate it all back, this in my opinion would go beyond the point of being morally neutral or not immoral and be what I’d call positively virtuous! However, you have mentioned you are short of cash so it’s perfectly moral for you to sell what is yours and which you bought fairly and without promoting the silk trade to enable the purchase of alternative clothes- which you’re going to need plenty of layers of this winter given the energy prices. I think even thinking about the humble silkworm and about the charity shop marks you out as a good person. :-)

fragster

If you're living by your personal morals then you already know the answer to this question.

If you're living by the morals of strangers on a forum then is that wise?

Morals shouldn't be crowd-sourced, take some responsibility.

TripleH

What clothes are morally right to wear?

Those made from animals cause suffering to them.

Those made from synthetics are less good for the environment.

Can we be sure Those made from plants have not caused suffering or environmental damage?

Pollycat

I never buy anything from a charity shop without checking the care label for fabric composition.
I find that what I think is silk from first feel usually is silk.

As for making money against your morals, you bought the item second hand.
Any 'damage' you perceive was done when the garment was manufactured using silk worms and then purchased by the person who knew it was made from silk.

I would balance this by selling the item and donating the profit back to the charity shop I bought the item from.
Your choice whether you deduct the price you paid for the item.

Ed264

I would suggest you return it to the charity shop and allow them to resell it. Just write off the £1.50 and put it down to experience.

pollypenny

Obird63 said:

If you are that morally opposed to it, I would simply donate it back to a charity shop and maybe check the labels before you buy next time... 

This - and tell them that it is silk, so that it can be priced accordingly. 

Maat

I'm vegan so think I'm in a good position to advise on this dilemma - since I would have the exact same one myself in your situation. Firstly what happened was a mistake so please don't feel guilty about that. Even the most vigilant of vegans have an occasional issue like this and what's done is done.

With regard to selling the garment it comes down to how you feel really. I don't think I could make money out of the item myself. However, if a vegan friend was in this situation and I knew she needed the money I wouldn't judge her for selling it to help her cope financially. In the end it comes down to the balancing of how much you need the money set against your own feelings about the material. Good luck with your decision.

lakesider52

Stop being such a virtue signalling snowflake and wear it. 

martingreatest

MSE_Kelvin said:

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

I bought a cute top from a charity shop for £1.50, but when I got home I realised it's partly made from silk - a material I don't wear because of the way it's made. I've looked the top up online and found I could sell it for £15ish. I'm struggling for cash with the cost of living going up, so selling it would help, but is it wrong to make money from it given I'm morally opposed to the way it was made?

Unfortunately the MSE team can't answer Money Moral Dilemma questions as contributions are emailed in or suggested in person. They are intended to be a point of debate and discussed at face value. Remember that behind each dilemma there is a real person so, as the forum rules say, please keep it kind and keep it clean.

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply.

Got a Money Moral Dilemma of your own? Suggest an MMD.

I use to buy many things from a great Charity shop that funds children in Romana.  I recently donated lots of new clothes I never wore. They were very grateful. It is better to buy less than throw away clothing.

 You can take the item back to the charity shop and they will swop it. However selling something from a charity shop seems mean and unethical and also since you are against silk it seems you shouldn’t ask whether  it is moral to benefit from silk. How can you preach about the ethics of a shop buying silk when you want to profit from it. Do the right thing.

squirrel59

I understand your dilemma perfectly. It's like buying a secondhand coat with a furry collar, to discover later it's real fur. But think of it this way: It's secondhand and by selling it on you may actually end up protecting silkworms, as someone looking for a silk top might buy yours instead of a new one. And if that's not sufficient to assuage any residual guilt, you could give part of it to your favourite charity and keep the rest. You do deserve at least that, if only for caring enough.