🍔🍟🥤Why my t-shirt shouldn’t be the price of a Big Mac meal?

 

Hey there, fashionistas!

So, you know how you see that $15 t-shirt, and you're like, “Score! It's cheaper than a Big Mac meal.”? Well, the true cost of this deal might leave a bad taste of drama and eco-disasters in your mouth.

 

First, behind every cheap piece of clothing, hides some worker exploitation! Check out the label of the tee, chances are that it comes from a third world country, most likely Bangladesh. Why? Cuz Bangladesh, has one of the lowest minimum wages in the world! Yes, a worker can make as little as $0.05 per t-shirt! 85% of them are women, often subjected to long work hours, forced or unpaid overtime, harassment, and unsafe working conditions; all to be able to produce the lowest priced products for Western consumption. And consumers are like “We’re loving it!”.

Now let’s talk about the real deal you’ve probably ignored: “One $15 tee, free toxic chemicals included!” Like junk food comes with poor ingredients and additives, cheap clothing means bad fabrics, mostly synthetic fibers otherwise natural fibers grown with lots of genetically modified seeds and heavy chemicals. Ditto for the farmers, garment workers and … you consumers! Think about these toxic clothing on your skin, 90% of the day, everyday… isn’t your health priceless?

Costly for you, cheap clothing costs the planet too! Behind a $15 tee, lies environmental degradation. All toxic substances used in the manufacturing process of cheap clothing pollute the water, the soil, the air. Not mentioning that fast fashion is like a teenager at a fast food that says “Supersize me!” then leaves half the XXL fries and a barely savored burger on the tray. All those low-quality threads mean you're basically wearing a one-season wonder that's destined for landfill stardom in the Atacama Desert and other treasures on earth. Quite expensive in the end!

 

Some smart words from the departed fashion designer and entrepreneur which resonate at Bichōn. Sure, you might have to part with a bit more cash for our creations, but you're not just buying clothing; you're supporting a fairer and cleaner fashion! Our organic cotton t-shirts are fairly and sustainably made upstate New York and the embroidery (much more noble and pricey than a print) is made in Miami by our local responsible partner.

Fast fashion like fast food is cheap but isn’t fair trade, ethical, ecological or even any good for us. Let’s support brands that value fair wages and eco-friendly practices. It simply starts in store with a check of the “Made in …” label, the breakdown of the materials and … the price tag!