如何避免穿对工人和环境有害的衣服

如何避免穿对工人和环境有害的衣服

It has been over two years since the horrific Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh. While the memory of that horrific event will not fade, there is a silver lining that has fortunately emerged. A growing number of shoppers are paying attention to where and how their clothing is made, and refusing to support companies who don’t deserve their business. Conscientious consumers are seeking ethical and eco-friendly clothes made by companies whose visions are more in keeping with individual preferences.

孟加拉国拉纳广场(Rana Plaza)工厂倒塌事件已经过去两年了。尽管对这一可怕事件的记忆不会消失，但幸运的是，一线希望已经出现。越来越多的购物者开始关注他们的服装是在哪里和如何制作的，并拒绝支持那些不值得他们经营的公司。有良知的消费者正在寻求合乎道德和环保的服装，而这些服装的制造商的愿景更符合个人偏好。

CC BY 2.0. Tinou Bao

The only problem is, it can be hard to find such companies. The clothing industry is dominated by fast fashion and big-name brands with huge marketing budgets. They’re in our faces all the time, which makes looking for the truly ethical companies much harder.

唯一的问题是，很难找到这样的公司。服装行业由快时尚和拥有巨额营销预算的知名品牌主导。他们一直都在我们的面前，这使得寻找真正有道德的公司变得更加困难。

In an excellent YouTube video called “Ethical and Eco Fashion Shopping Tips,” a young Canadian “conscious designer” named Verena Erin shares her thoughts on how to be a smart shopper. She offers plenty of practical tips, some of which I’ll summarize here.

在YouTube上一个名为“道德与环保时尚购物小贴士”的优秀视频中，一位名叫Verena Erin的年轻加拿大“有意识的设计师”分享了她如何成为一个聪明的购物者的想法。她提供了许多实用的技巧，我将在这里总结其中的一些。

What are your priorities?

你的首要任务是什么?

Before you even start shopping, you have to know what’s important to you. Assess your personal values. Do you care most about manufacturing? Local production? Sustainable materials? Vegan or cruelty-free products? Fair trade? Organic?

在你开始购物之前，你必须知道什么对你来说是重要的。评估你的个人价值。你最关心制造业吗?当地生产吗?可持续材料?纯素食还是无残忍产品?公平贸易?有机吗?

Which clothing attributes are most important?

哪些着装品质最重要?

What do you look for when shopping for clothes? Quality, fit, comfort, price, colour, durability, functionality, style, trend, and pattern/print are all things to consider. Once you narrow down your preferences, it will be easier to know what to look for.

你在买衣服的时候会注意什么?质量、适合度、舒适度、价格、颜色、耐用性、功能性、风格、趋势和图案/印花都需要考虑。一旦你缩小了你的偏好范围，你就更容易知道要找什么了。

What do you need?

你需要什么?

Verena Erin recommends keeping an ongoing wish list of items you’ve thought about or need. That way you’re less likely to invest in superfluous things. Don’t be too specific, since that can limit your ability to see the potential in certain items, but it’s good to have approximate categories, i.e. a pair of black jeans or leggings. Strive for a "capsule wardrobe" -- a collection of a few essential items that don't go out of fashion and are eternally versatile.

Verena Erin建议把你想要或需要的物品列一个愿望清单。这样你就不太可能在多余的东西上投资。不要说得太具体，因为那样会限制你看到某些东西的潜力，但有个大概的分类是好的，比如黑色牛仔裤或打底裤。努力打造一个“胶囊衣橱”——收藏一些永不过时的必备单品。

Figure out where and how to look.

弄清楚去哪里找，怎么找。

The Internet is the most accessible shopping outlet for everyone. It gives access to a broad range of ethical products, and many companies have filters that make it easier to search. It allows you to research companies and contact them with questions.

互联网是每个人最容易获得的购物渠道。它提供了广泛的道德产品，许多公司有过滤器，使搜索更容易。它可以让你对公司进行调查，并与他们取得联系。

Online shopping, however, is problematic if fit is a priority; but then you could consider using a tailor – a service that Verena Erin says is much underused, considering the many different body shapes that cannot possibly be satisfied by sizes on a rack.

然而，如果健康是优先考虑的话，网上购物就有问题了;不过，你也可以考虑找个裁缝——Verena Erin说，这个服务还没有得到充分利用，因为货架上有很多不同的体型，尺寸是不可能满足的。

Shop in person.

亲自购买

If you live in a city, it is much easier to find stores that specialize in eco-friendly and ethical clothing. If there’s a certain online retailer that you really like, check for lists of stockists in your vicinity.

如果你住在城市里，很容易就能找到专门经营环保和合乎道德的服装的商店。如果你确实喜欢某家网上零售商，那就检查一下附近的零售商名单。

Look locally at craft markets, farmers’ markets, or One-of-a-Kind shows. This allows you to talk to people who actually make the products you buy. You can also order custom-made items.

看看当地的工艺品市场、农贸市场或独一无二的展览。这可以让你和那些真正为你制造产品的人交谈。你也可以定做产品。

Second-hand stores are great.

二手店也很棒

This is arguably the most sustainable way of shopping, since no extra labour or material is used to make a new garment and your purchase diverts it from landfill. There are different kinds of second-hand stores: thrift, vintage, and consignment (both regular and high-end). There are also places to rent clothes, usually formal attire, which makes sense for those rarely used items.

这可以说是最可持续的购物方式，因为制作一件新衣服不需要额外的劳动力或材料，而且你购买的衣服可以避免垃圾填埋。二手店有很多种:二手店、古董店和寄售店(包括普通的和高端的)。也有出租衣服的地方，通常是正装，这对那些很少使用的东西是有意义的。

There is debate about whether buying second-hand clothes made by unethical brands is appropriate or not. On one hand, your money doesn’t go toward supporting that company, but rather supports the second-hand store that’s selling it. On the other hand, if an item features the company’s name or logo prominently, you are advertising on its behalf, which is a form of support.

关于购买不道德品牌的二手衣服是否合适，存在着争论。一方面，你的钱不是用来支持那家公司的，而是用来支持出售它的二手商店。另一方面，如果一个商品突出了公司的名字或标志，你就是在代表它做广告，这是一种支持。

Finally:

最后:

Be OK with something that’s not necessarily perfect. And if you can’t find an ethical or eco-friendly option, always go for quality. Don’t hesitate to contact brands you like if they’re dragging their feet toward ethical and environment change. The more consumers speak out, the faster changes will occur.

对不完美的事情不要苛求。如果你找不到道德或环保的选择，那就一直追求质量。如果你喜欢的品牌拖着道德和环境的脚步改变，不要犹豫，联系他们。消费者越大声疾呼，变化就会越快。