BLOOD RED SHOES GUIDE TO ETHICAL CLOTHING

by artrocker.com
In the music scene, and especially in the punk scene that we started out in, there tends to be an emphasis on personal politics. A lot of musicians tend to be vegetarian or vegan for example, and of course the dreaded term “selling out” is thrown around at anyone who makes any money out of their art. So generally speaking, people in bands are often subject to a slightly elevated set of ethics compared to people in say, an office job. So one thing that bugs me is the predominance of sweatshop-made clothing in the music scene, which is partly enforced by the constant brand associations made by companies like Topshop or Converse, whom are class-A users and abusers of sweatshop labour forces.
let's use our pound as a vote...
Now I’m not gonna write this like I’m a saint - we all buy cheap clothes and cheap food for obvious reasons. But what I’ve been finding is that it’s getting easier and easier to buy these things from a supply chain that at least pays a decent living wage and offers some humane treatment and benefits in its garment factories. And a lot of it costs the same as buying from those high street brands too, it’s just they don’t rip us off as much. So if all these oh-so-different, vegetarian, guardian-reading, recycling, “stick it to the man” music kids like me and you want to really think that we’re somehow more ethical than the rest of the gang, a good fucking start would be to use our pound as our vote and support some companies who are at least BETTER than the other brands. To be realistic, you ain’t gonna rectify the world’s ills by doing this, but you’re gonna be helping a lot more than if you get all yr shoes from Nike-owned Converse. Here’s some places you might find useful:
www.americanapparel.net Yeah everyone knows it already - but it’s worth saying still. www.nosweat.org This is a US-site, but the shipping isn’t too pricey. www.earthandwear.com They have identical converse copy shoes, but non-sweatshop made. www.knowmore.org Read up on what brands are the main sweatshop labour offenders. www.fairtrade.org.uk So you can see what other consumer goods you can get more ethical with. * * * * *
  • Stephen McLeod Fri, 2009/11/13 - 4:05pm

    mmm

    earthandwear have converse copy shoes... but only in really limited sizes.. only 5 and 6 for the stuff not in clearance; the latter being sizes 2,3 or 4 at present - not much use to the more err, 'well-endowed' amongst us.

  • La Luminata Thu, 2009/11/12 - 8:15pm

    Love it

    Fantastic to read, Blood red shoes are now my new Brighton hero's!

  • Sam Swift Fri, 2008/07/18 - 11:18pm

    A Carnivore's Humble Opinion

    I am all up for not just responsible consuming, but what about hand-me-downs? Screw the high street brands they pay sweet F.A. for clothing that is negligably better quality than immitation brands (that apparently fund terrorism) and flog it to the masses for a 900% mark up (probably more). You can find it all in a Marie-Curie/Oxfam shop 6 months later anyways (tho in islington they'll probably charge you half-price so i recomend dalston or hackney). 2nd-hand chic!!!!

    As for world-wide vegetarianism, sorry not gonna happen.

    How about realistic alternatives like ending the McTryanny of the rainforest. Get rid of soya-intensive mcshite and Big-Cahoona-Burgers and get everyone onto organic locally-reared (at least from the continent) produce. In this country WE CAN ALL AFFORD IT!!!! I'm afraid this includes staying away from mutant chicken shops too! Most people eat an unhealthy amount of poor quality meat anyway, that's why so many stupid people idolise the morons in the tabloids.
    - that's one theory anyway :)

  • Anonymous Wed, 2008/07/16 - 1:37pm

    ethical stylist

    I think it's fab that a great local band like Blood Red Shoes are making a stand - we need more role models to show people how easy it is to make a statement with what we wear.

    I work as an ethical stylist in Brighton - www.ethicalstylist.co.uk - and try to promote exactly what you're saying - let me know if you want to work together on a mini Brighton ethical fashion campaign!

    Lou

  • AnonymoMike Watsons Mon, 2008/07/14 - 10:10pm

    Spending Power and the climate/grain

    Thats great - the power of spending is probably the only way left to express our opinions. On that note would the writer join in advising that avoiding the consumption of meat so far as possible would be one of the best ways to help combat not just the current grain shortage, but also climate change: the rearing of meat is one of the heaviest industry's in existence creating huge carbon emissions, and requiring so much grain as to make the rearing of cattle completely inefficient. A well educated public could turn these problems around through their spending choices alone in a matter of years, not decades even.

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