What would your garment say if they could speak?
In our culture today, we have become so disconnected from the community of hands that put together our garments.
All we typically see is “Made in China” or “100% Polyester” and don’t stop to consider the journey of the
garment. If you want to know more about the tag of a garment read our articles: What the Tag Is Not Telling You Part 1 and Part 2.
If the garment could speak, would it tell you of the suffering it witnessed in the Indonesia factory? Maybe it would share the distress of the thousands of families poisoned by toxic chemicals released from the fabric dye? Possibly it might mention the undrinkable water due to the textile shop processing viscose and rayon?
A living wage and drinkable water are owed to every human on the basis of dignity; and yet somehow, the
fashion industry has carried on with its abuse for decades. It does not take much to discover these realities in the fashion industry beyond a simple Google search or picking up any book on textile factories.
There have been some great organizations out there that promote transparency in the industry and reveal the names behind the people who make our clothes, such as the documentary True Cost or Fashion Revolution’s trend “Who Made My Clothes”?
The injustice in the fashion industry can feel overwhelming to even begin to make a shift in our own
purchasing habits. In this new year, let us take small steps to research where our garments are made, who made them, and support those companies that desire the welfare of their workers. A great resource is Good On You to look up brands and find better options.
One of the reasons Litany began was to be a vessel of healing in the fashion industry. As Catholics, we are
called higher. We cannot turn a blind eye to those suffering in the industry or brush it off as “this is just how clothing is made these days.” We must do better.
At Litany, if our garments could speak, they would tell you how its design was sketched by Veronica. Then the cotton and linings came from Isaac, while Jen supplied us with silk from our favorite shop in the garment district of Manhattan. Then the fabric was cut and sewn by Veronica in the living room of her Brooklyn apartment or sewn by Raza in his old brownstone factory. Finally, it was all packaged carefully by Rebecca.
This means our garments might take a little longer to be shipped to you. We want each stitch to be just right. We make sure our garments are made with high quality natural fibers so that they will last and be handed on to future generations. We want to give you something that will last—something that you will easily know the names of each person involved.
Thank you for supporting us from reading these articles to wearing our silk scarves. Together we will bring
about healing in the fashion industry. It all begins with the conversation of “Who made your clothes?”
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