Customer Roles in the Fair Trade Supply Chain: Long Term Benefits to Our Global Community.

January 06, 2018

Customer Roles in the Fair Trade Supply Chain: Long Term Benefits to Our Global Community.

Is fair trade meant to be a compliance system to safeguard worker rights, to help consumers know how make more ethical buying choices, to ensure large companies of compliance?  The significance of fair trade in the marketplace extends beyond worker rights to the global supply chain of which we are all a part.  Everyone who purchases something is part of the supply chain and has a choice, every time they purchase something, to make their purchase count toward something bigger than themselves. 

But this power of choice and power to do good also comes with the weight of responsibility and the knowledge that we are all connected.  The do good, feel good messaging makes it easier to sell and buy fair trade items, but if we all want fair trade to mean more than compliance, we all need to think --hard-- about the human beings making our stuff.  And what we do with that stuff.

How do we as consumers see ourselves when involved in trade? As fellow human beings?  As concerned citizens? As ethical consumers? The very meaning of 'trade' has to do with exchange of goods and services.  Are we concerned about the people that made the stuff?  Are we concerned to feel ethical when buying the stuff?  Do we want to feel connected to the story of the people of the place of the process?  The formalities of fair trade are things like living wage and non-discrimination which are not only necessary, they are deeply meaning for quality of life.  The spirit of fair trade goes beyond this to a deeper level of respect for our fellow human beings. To thinking about what is 'enough',  how we can share our responsibilities, spread the word, recover the meaning of 'trade' --the exchange of goods and services.  How can we become part of the supply chain? Not just in our buying, but in our thinking and our way of living?  Can all our exchanges be more thoughtful, more helpful, more beneficial and do less harm?  Can the way in which we use our stuff be more in line with these values?

The supply chain should really been seen as circular in nature rather than a straight line from raw material to land fill.  Putting things to use and re-use is incumbent on all of us for the good of our planet and global community. Putting ourselves into the global conversation in the way we think and act toward others each day is another way we participate in the global community. Maybe we buy less, tell more stories, listen to the stories of others with attention, pay real prices for goods and put them to re-use to help others. Maybe if each person has enough--enough money to live and take care of their families, enough stuff--we'll remember to exchange our humanness with others too.  

Fair trade, in it's spirit, may help us all to remember what really matters.  Everyone has a role and the long-term benefits might just be that we have enough--to live and to be human.

 




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Fit/Sizing/Care

FIT

Our styles are meant to give room to breath and move.  We use fine tailoring coupled with a relaxed, comfortable fit.

We use a fit guide for each of our styles to provide more information about the fit that was intended.

Slim Fit: a close fit to the body. Regular Fit: a comfortable, relaxed fit with room around the body. Generous Fit: a very loose fit (such as in our oversized blouses) with lots of room around the body for ease of movement.

SIZING

h4XS/ 36

h4S/ 38

h4M/40

h4L/ 42

h4XL/44

h4chest

h435.5 inches/ 90 cm

h437.5 inches/95 cm

h439.5 inches/ 100 cm

h441.5 inches/ 105 cm

h444.5 inches. 113 cm

h44cm extra from body

h4waist

h426 inches/ 66 cm

h428 inches/ 71 cm

h430 inches/ 76 cm

h432 inches/ 81 cm

h435 inches/ 89 cm

h4fitted

h4low waist

h428 inches/71 cm

h430 inches/76 cm

h432 inches/ 81 cm

h434 inches/ 86 cm

h437 inches/ 94 cm

h4fitted

h4hip

h437 inches/ 94 cm

h439 inches/ 99 cm

h441 inches/ 104 cm

h443 inches/ 109 cm

h446 inches/ 1

h44cm extra from body

WASHCARE

All garments have been washed several times during the printing/dyeing and manufacturing process.  

CARE for 100% cotton

We recommend cold water machine wash (up to 30 degrees celsius) with a bio detergent and either tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade for all of our 100% cotton garments/homewares (except for quilts).  

Iron on reverse side of garment following fabric settings.  

Do not use bleach or stain remover.

Cold water wash and low heat drying or line drying in the shade will increase the life of the garment, prolong the vibrancy of the colors and reduce energy use. Shrinkage on all cottons is minimal, approximately 3%.

Garments/homewares are dyed or printed using AZO free, low-impact, pigment or reactive dyes unless otherwise noted.  These dyes are color-fast, but care should still be taken to wash with like colors to retain the vibrancy of the colors.

CARE for 100% cotton quilts

For quilts with cotton fill, we recommend spot or light surface cleaning only with a damp cloth and mild detergent.  Eco-friendly dry cleaning is also recommended. 

CARE for herbal/vegetable dye items

Vegetable dyes are not colorfast and are specifically marked in the product description.  We strongly recommend that all vegetable dye products be washed once before use in a cold water wash with minimal detergent.  Wash separately. Tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade.  Iron on reverse side.  Do not use bleach or stain remover.

Please keep in mind that indigo dye does continually fade over time.  This is the nature of true indigo dye and is not a defect, but rather a sign of the 'living' nature of the dye.

CARE for silk and cotton/silk

For our silk and cotton silk garments/homewares, we also recommend gentle cycle machine wash cold water (up to 30 degrees celsius) or delicate hand washing to increase the life of the garment and reduce the environmental footprint from energy use, detergents and water wastage.  

Tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade.  

Iron on reverse side of garment following fabric settings.

Do not use bleach or stain remover.

Dry cleaning using an eco-friendly service is also recommended.

CARE for linen and cotton/linen

For our linen and cotton linen garments/homewares, we also recommend gentle cycle machine wash cold water (up to 30 degrees celsius) or delicate hand washing to increase the life of the garment and reduce the environmental footprint from energy use, detergents and water wastage.  

Tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade.  

Iron on reverse side of garment following fabric settings.

Do not use bleach or stain remover.