The 2 Euro T-Shirt - A Social Experiment

YT "Fashion for a bargain - that‘s what everyone wants. A T-Shirt for 2€ isn‘t inconceivable nowadays. Unfortunately, people don‘t often consider who is paying the real price. #whomademyclothes

We placed a bright turquoise vending machine, offering t-shirts for 2 Euros, at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, to test whether people would still buy it when they are confronted with the conditions in which it was produced. Eight out of ten shoppers decided against it!

We need to challenge brands and retailers to take responsibility for the people and communities on which their business depends. Ask the brands whose clothes you love #whomademyclothes and help start a Fashion Revolution.

24 April was Fashion Revolution Day which is held in memory of the 1,133 workers killed in 2013 when the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed. We need greater transparency in the fashion supply chain because we can't improve conditions or protect the environment without knowing where our clothes are made.

If you would like to support our campaign and help to build a better future for everyone in the global fashion supply chain, please donate via the following link http://fashionrevolution.org/get-involved/support-us/ "
newtboysays...

Unfortunately, 2 out of 10 is more than enough to continue this practice indefinitely, and it says a lot that 20% of people will knowingly put others in untenable positions for nothing more than a $2 shirt.

ChaosEnginesays...

It's not just Apple; Samsung and HTC are just as bad.

The sad thing is that you could easily pay all these people a decent wage and it would barely make a dent in their profit margins.

As for clothes, I try to buy locally made stuff as much as possible, but equally, I don't really care about clothes, so I hate spending money on expensive clothes (other than outdoor/sporting gear.... I spend stupid amounts on that )

antsaid:

It is not just clothes too. What about electronics like Apple stuff?

Reefiesays...

My own take on this is that I shouldn't just buy more expensive clothes...

I can do things to make my clothes last longer and that they aren't treated as a disposable commodity by reducing the number of washes (always bugs me when people wear a pair of trousers for a day or even just a few hours and then chucks them in the washing machine) as well as picking appropriate clothing for whatever task I'm currently doing.

I can help recycle clothes by making better use of charity shops, both in giving clothes to them and by purchasing from them.

I can buy clothes from retail stores that audit their entire supply chain. I'm fed up of retailers who have one or two lines of responsibly sourced clothing that they use for marketing and advertising purposes, but the rest of their stock does not receive such diligence. It doesn't seem right that they can paint a fair image of themselves by only selling one or two garments of clothing that come from sources where employees are treated and paid decently.

Most importantly I can do something simple like ignoring fashion trends. I am comfortable with my choice of clothing, I don't need to buy what everyone else is wearing. Unfortunately it's hard to make this point stick with others when our culture is so heavily dominated by consumerism and we're made to feel 'uncool' because we're not buying into the latest trends.

Totally understand your cynicism @deathcow, in all likelihood it's what'll probably happen. I guess I'm just gonna focus on what little I can do to make a difference

deathcowsaid:

clothing prices will double from this push, and Manisha will go from 13 to 15 cents per hour

antsays...

I wished we could go naked fully before Adam and Eve sinned and not worried about clothes!

ChaosEnginesaid:

It's not just Apple; Samsung and HTC are just as bad.

The sad thing is that you could easily pay all these people a decent wage and it would barely make a dent in their profit margins.

As for clothes, I try to buy locally made stuff as much as possible, but equally, I don't really care about clothes, so I hate spending money on expensive clothes (other than outdoor/sporting gear.... I spend stupid amounts on that )

CaptainObvioussays...

So I guess I'm going to sound like a bad guy here, but this seems truly idiotic and naive to me. Not buying the shirt just means you are not going to support their wages - while horrendous - are still obviously better than nothing or they wouldn't be working for it. It would be counter productive to not buy the shirt. It would also be counter productive to push for transparency in the fasion industry as labor would just be shifted. The only pressure I see working are trade deals that don't rape other people in the name of globalization. We need human centric trade deals with enforced import regulations. These trade deals must enforce worker rights to western standards - same worker protection laws. Any country that doesn't comply should not be allowed to import their goods here. While obviously wages are still going to be disparate, at least hours, unsafe working conditions, child labor laws, etc will be enforced. Unfortunately most trade deals are written and driven by business to do the opposite. That's what needs to change, and its the only thing I see working.

eric3579says...

Im pretty sure this is more a stunt to promote overall awareness and really has little to do with buying or not buying these t-shirts.

It's the 3 million yt views that may have an effect not some silly vending machines seen by so few. This was all about the video they made, as the expense of the production just to inform a few people 'live' is a poor investment on getting the word out. Me thinks.

starrychloesays...

I'm proud to buy clothes made by child labor in sweatshops because I know it saves them from sex work or toiling in the fields or mines. I would buy the shirt, because it's the best way to support the children, short of giving them money directly.

ChaosEnginesays...

That's a false dichotomy.

Sex slavery or garment slavery are not the only two options.

starrychloesaid:

I'm proud to buy clothes made by child labor in sweatshops because I know it saves them from sex work or toiling in the fields or mines. I would buy the shirt, because it's the best way to support the children, short of giving them money directly.

mechadeathsays...

I think the moral is that we should all...
make our own clothes?
buy expensive clothes?
donate money instead of buying clothes?

actually i have no fucking idea what the take away is here.

mechadeathsays...

Yes, it may raise awareness... but their campaign is trying to effect some kind of societal change regarding the clothes we buy and they're showing us the dark side of ALL the clothes we buy.

Yet, we still need to wear clothes; So what is the expected change in behavior here? Buy clothes that are made locally to avoid any interaction with poor countries? Pay more for expensive clothes in the hopes that the extra spending is passed down to the factory workers (it surely isn't)? I just dont get it, their message is dark and hopeless and a bit obvious.

eric3579said:

Im pretty sure this is more a stunt to promote overall awareness and really has little to do with buying or not buying these t-shirts.

It's the 3 million yt views that may have an effect not some silly vending machines seen by so few. This was all about the video they made, as the expense of the production just to inform a few people 'live' is a poor investment on getting the word out. Me thinks.

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