Despite the recent news of sweat shop usage Gap was doing brisk business even before we boosted their sales figures. I tried to engage one of the staff with talk of the controversy but was told they had been instructed not to make any comments as I (or anyone else) could be an undercover journalist.
I know I may sound cynical but if I don’t buy from Gap’s sweat shop I’d be buying from someone else’s.But this is a subject I have touched upon before....
Anyway we had a marvellous time mooching about.
Being ignorant of nautical news there seemed to be a lot of ships/boats/ferries about….I don’t know if something is happening? We had a lot of fun taking photos of the ‘boats’
The Spinnaker Tower
Detail
I am glad you enjoyed the town of my birth...have they put up the blue plaque yet?
ReplyDeleteThe neighbour xx
Exactly what I was thinking (about the sweatshops)! Personally spending all day sewing the same thing over and over in a factory would be a sweatshop to me, even being paid a million dollars. What a selfish thing to say when so many people don't have a choice what they do. I guess most people wouldn't want to do a lot of the stuff I do in my job. Glad you had a lovely day!
ReplyDelete"At Gap we firmly believe that under no circumstances is it acceptable for children to produce or work on garments. One of our vendors violated this agreement and a full investigation is under way." So, this has eased my conscience just a tiny bit but I am sure next week there will be another retailer doing exactly the same thing:(
ReplyDeleteI think the sweatshop thing becomes an issue for people to think about when items are both very cheap and very highly worked - the embroidered bags at £4.99, the beaded slippers, the elaborate Christmas decorations. A high price doesn't guarantee a proper working environment but a low one - oh thats a bargain - pretty much guarantees that someone wasn't paid properly and when that happens children and bnded labour are often there as well.
ReplyDeleteThe big firms - GAP, H&M, M&S - know that they have a lot to lose if they are found using manufacturers who use child and sweated labour so I would imagine that they do make efforts to avoid it happening.
Glad you had a good day - what did you buy (hopefully not cheap beaded slippers after my comment)
J
x
Lynn your photos are lovely, the colours are great and really sharp. Doesn't take much to imagine you and Stella mooching! I bet those pennies didn't stay in your purses for too long?
ReplyDeleteBoycott them! that's the only way to get them to change their manufacturing processes. The ONLY thing these multi-national corporates really care about is their profits. Damage that and we'll soon see REAL lasting changes to corporate ethics.
ReplyDeleteYou knew about the latest news regarding Gaps use of child labour but still rewarded them with your business? Pity, to say the least...:(
Next time you're there take Junction 8 off the M27 and pop in for a cuppa and a piece of cake (if you're going that way of course!).
ReplyDeleteI love Gunwharf - we go there a couple of times a year for school shoes at the Clarks shop and a wander round the waterfront.
My lovely Uncle lives a 2 minute walk from there in Old Portsmouth.
Christina - I feel that it is perhaps a more complex problem. As Lynn says, the problems at Gap have been identified, the company has reacted (and I think that you are right, profit is the main motivator) and spoken out. It is an important thing for companies to be seen to do something about it - but to be honest I actually have more worries about the gift shop/market stall end of the market. Though the retail end of these businesses are small their wholesale suppliers are very large and command a power equall to the highstreet brands.
ReplyDeleteThis morning I went to a florist supplies wholesaler which also sells gifts and Christmas decorations. I could buy hand painted tin garlands - 8 feet long - for 90p; I could buy embroidered and beaded hearts or baubles stuck with feathers all over them for 38p. I could not trace who made them or their conditions of work. I didn't buy them for that reason - but I know that if I had they would have walked off my stall.
I don't know whether you saw the Newsnight report on cotton production last night - about how the child labour involved in some countries cotton production is difficult to boycott as it becomes an untraceable component in making up garments.
This rings true with me as when sourcing supplies I can sometimes- find out who my supplier buys from but find it difficult to go further back in a chain that may be 10 or 20 businesses long and is commercially sensitive.
I personally try not to buy cotton (pesticides more than child labour it must be said as I wasn't aware of that problem until last night) and use no new cotton in any of my designs but that is a very personal descision. I try not to preach as I am aware that there are probably many choices that I make day to day which could be criticised.
Anyway this is a ridiculously long comment to post on someone else's blog - sorry Lynn. Once I started it just seemed to go on. . .and another thing . .
J
x
Beautiful pictures, as ever, sounds like a fab day was had by all.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your kind comment about my shop, I was touched :)
And .... I'm embarrassed about asking this now, what with the debate your post today has started .... but what the hell .... you were joking about the felted banana, right?
I work in fashion. I make clothes and I have worked in factories before. Producing clothes in the UK is very expensive bumping the retail price way up. It's so sad, but most consumers don't want to (or are unable to)spend a lot of money on clothes...hence why things are produced overseas. I know, I'm not saying anything everybody doesn't already know. But, I can say after having worked for manufacturers...all factories are pretty unpleasant to work in...even the UK ones.
ReplyDeleteGreat pics L...you do have an amazing camera...and eye!
xxx
I have very vivid memories of visiting the clothes factory were my mum cleaned when I was a child...it was horrible, the women were paid very, very low wages and the conditions pretty rough and that was 30 years ago....I have to say I get pretty tired of being told that as a consumer its all my fault, its about time governments and industry took responsibility. I just don't think boycotting is an effective or achievable tool against this issue anymore. There are far to many people in this country living in terrible poverty, there is no way they could afford to boycott cheap clothes or food. I think I feel more desperate about the lack of acknowledgment about the poorest in our own country
ReplyDeleteThe neighbour.
Monkee Maker - she is ssssooooo serious - she will do it - she will felt madness!!
ReplyDeleteThe Neighbour.
When I look at the tags inside my children's and my clothing, I see that very little in the way of garments is actually made here in the States. Then when I consider what I paid for the items, and check their country of origin, and knowing that distributors and retailers take their percentage, I am certain there are MANY major clothing manufacturers who are guilty of this.
ReplyDeleteI just find these boats rather awsome! To think how far across the world people have travelled to make their wage for their family with only sail and wind and sea. To stand on the cliffs and watch with hope for your husband coming home.......
ReplyDeleteFabulous photographs Lynn.
PS The moss is wrapped around garden wire xxx
OH, what a day and such wonderful pictures that you have been taking, love the boats!!
ReplyDeleteAina