Out Of Step With Ethical Standards

This article gives some great talking points and looks at some of the issues in the fashion industry in general. Please note this is less about Ivanka Trump than it is about manufacturing as a whole...

1. "Like many U.S.-based apparel companies, the Trump brand signs deals with suppliers, which, in turn, contract manufacturing work to factories around the world." -In other words, unless the company, like many of the ones listed in this article, really pays attention to the entire manufacturing process, it's likely that the company hired to produce is actually outsourcing the jobs to others to produce even cheaper...making provenance that much harder to track.

2a. "The company had not yet matched the policies of other labels because it was newer and smaller, she added, but is now focusing on what more it can do." It would seem that the smaller the company, the EASIER it would be to monitor the production, the less likely the orders would be scattered across multiple producers and could in fact be brought together under one set of guidelines.

2b. Which is why "Many smaller brands turn to industry-backed groups, such as the Fair Labor Association or the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, to help address factory conditions and worker treatment." Seems pretty simple to me.

3a. On making clothing in the USA - “The workers no longer exist here or only in very small, small capacity; the machinery in many instances does not exist here,” Klem said. “It is a very complex problem.” I agree - I'll post more on this later, but mostly this is because of...

3b. "Industry experts say about 97 percent of all clothing and shoes purchased in the United States is imported from countries where wages are lower and products can be made more cheaply." Now, I know we have people in this group from around the world, but I imagine this is the case in many areas, not just the USA.

Which is of course why the provenance of any products is near impossible to track down. 

Click the Photo for the link to the full article from The Washington Post

DIRECT ACTION: 
Send an email directly to Ivanka Trump's company at info@ivankatrump.com 

Cut and paste and customize for you.

I am concerned about your labor practices and feel that it is your social responsibility as a corporation to ensure fair labor and ethical standards as part of your bottom line. 

Many smaller brands turn to industry-backed groups such as the Fair Labor Association or the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, to help address factory conditions and worker treatment. This could be an easy way for your company to get on track with what your customers truly want. 

Sweatshops are a deep-rooted global problem, but solutions are emerging as workers and consumers demand a better system. I will only buy the best clothing from companies who act to create a better future for garment workers around the world. 

Until your company changes it's policy towards how it is manufactured, I can no longer be your customer.

Thank you for your consideration.