Andrew Mina

Growing up my Mum made most of the clothes, for me and my siblings, and those she didn’t make were purchased from the local shops.

For birthdays, special occasions and Christmas there was usually a new outfit. Some of these clothes were special request, some patterns of material I had a say in, some designs were very unique – one off pieces.

But as an adult, who does not know how to sew, knit, or assemble clothing, get their clothes from? I am finding that my clothes – assessment complete – predominately come from China or India.  Some say ‘designed in Australia’ or ‘assembled in Australia’, but most were not manufactured here.

This has me caught in some tension. On the one hand purchasing clothing made in poverty stricken countries mean employment and on the other hand it means these jobs are less likely to be available in Australia.

What concerns me the most is ‘who’ made my clothes in these poor countries! Children and slaves most often is the real answer. They are usually underpaid (most people live on less than $1US per day or merely cents per garment), overworked (some work more than 18 hours per day),  have no employment rights or work in unsafe conditions (at times beatings usually occur when workers rise up).

But how can I live in a global society / economy and avoid clothes not manufactured in Australia? Simple answer is no. With great difficulty can I find clothing manufactured in Australia and because these employees enjoy good conditions, not available to exploited counterparts overseas,  the cloths cost more and therefore Australian consumers pay more.

Another factor still remains in my mind. Does the income made made from domestically made clothes remain in Australia or does it go to a multi-national corporation. Well in most cases yes.

So were can you go to get information about Australian made clothes? These sites: http://www.fairwear.org.au/engine.php & http://www.ethicalclothingaustralia.org.au/home/home

With regards to those workers in the poorer countries I believe that if work was to return to Australia that new industries could spring up and they would not be left unemployed. I would also note there are 22 million people in Australia and India has 1.21 billion people.

Further small addition to this discussion is that if products are purchased in Australia their carbon-footprint would be less than that of clothes produced overseas.

My other concern is about my clothing being made from artificial materials. I have discovered that natural fibers and natural dyes last longer, but cost more. Choosing to purchase natural fiber clothing for more money may mean that I have clothes that last longer but perhaps never at the height of fashion. But does this matter…really?

Meanwhile, we all have a choice and to the best of my ability I am choosing ‘Australian Made’ (http://www.australianmade.com.au/consumer-site/) and natural fibers.