we had a lovely spring day, the kind of day that makes you want to dress nicely, put your hair up and go for walk.
or shop.
i chose the latter, which handily includes walking!
we're having a girl weekend, my daughters and i. shopping, eating out. i bought them cute sandals because i couldn't resist. there we were in spring jackets, skirts, and sandals.
(i must say, i even shaved my legs for this very occassion.)
i picked up my layaway, too. i am now the proud owner of a jean purse - among other things. the temptation to spend a dear amount of money on a very flimsy knit multi-colored belt/scarf thing almost got the best of me. but, i resisted...however, the dang thing is still on my mind.
i am trying to be an ethical consumer..meaning, trying to buy goods which are not supporting a sweatshop or sweatshop type of industry and goods which are not tested on animals(namely cosmetics because these are more of a frivolous nature, then say medicine). but shopping at the saan store for sandals, toys, shoes and kids clothing; shopping at reitmans for clothes and costume jewelry..even if it doesn't say the items are made in burma, but instead says, made in china, the odds that i am buying a product made by ethical standards are pretty dismal. and that's just fucking depressing.
this pours such fuel on me to make my own damn clothes, underwear and jewelry..but that's not really the answer. the answer is to pay these workers properly, give them benefits and dignified working conditions. there is no denying they need the jobs and have families to support.
i was quite young and exposed to the news, i remember stories about people freed from sweatshop labor situations and i thought to myself how great that was and how lucky we were that this didn't happen in our town. i was probably wearing clothes produced in some sweatshop somewhere in the world.
and of course there is history. not only the history of the garment industry, but of manufacturing in general.