Made in Asia articles

These articles are only about a month old so I thought it’d be interesting to spread more views on manufactured items made in Asia.

The New York Times‘ article is particularly interesting. As China is growing exponentially as an economic power, so are the wages, and higher wages means improving (at least we’re hoping) work environments. With higher wages, outsourcing to China is no longer a cheap endeavour as manufacturers are now looking to other asian countries like Vietnam and Cambodia for labor work. However, outsourcing to other asian countries proves to still be a difficult move.

The Reuters article points that cheap labour entices designers to use more expensive fabrics and that many countries don’t seem to mind the Made in China labels as much as previously thought. Also, the article points out a very important factor where Made In labels are being faked, thus it is difficult to really know where clothes come from.

Frugal Fashionista Doesn’t Care About Underpaid Workers

Ok, I know it’s very tough not to shop for something that’s made in China or some other Third World country…but how insulting and disrespectful can you be?

I read this appalling article online from the Toronto Star about how we’re in dire economic times, and that it was time to look for some cheap fashion.

What’s the most insulting part of the article was this:

Funny thing, though, this looming recession. As bad it gets, economists and retail anaylsts predict this one will be different from years past. We’ll have never looked so good. The recent explosion of “fast fashion” has retailers like Joe Fresh, Wal-Mart and H&M in a race to introduce trendy and basic apparel for less and less. Thank you, China, Vietnam, India, Cambodia.

Seriously? Have you no shame? I was waiting to read about a worker who’s working 10 cents an hour and how fast fashion is an epidemic we should try to avoid not encourage! You would think that very last phrase was sarcastic. It wasn’t. It was seriously thanking them as the rest of the article dives on how to shop for 5 outfits for less than $100.

I do consciously think about the stuff I buy, and I feel guilty when I buy something made in China, but it’s because of this that I spend much less. Sure I may tout the opening of a store here and there and touring high end places like Chanel, but I am not encouraging in any way to purchase ANYTHING. Sure the purchasing is left to your discretion, it’s your money, do what you want as long as you know what you’re going into. But to blatantly tell people “Hey I know this thing’s made from Cambodia and that workers suffer, but I get to save me some dollars cause times are ‘hard’ over here.” Give me a break.

I find this article to be heartless. Shame on you Toronto Star.