# Where can i get non-sweatshop-manufactured sportswear? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 26, 2001, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-non-sweatshop-manufactured-sportswear/59522 "2001-03-26T09:47:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-non-sweatshop-manufactured-sportswear/59522/1 "2001-03-26T09:47:15Z")
Having recently joined the gym and lost a fair bit of weight, i now need to get new sportswear - tracksuit bottoms, a good t-shirt and new trainers. The difficulty is that i’m having real trouble finding anything that doesn’t have the label “made in Indonesia/Thailand/China” and having recently read “No Logo” i’m very uncomfortable buying anything like this, especially Nike. So, does anyone have any recommendations for guilt-free sportswear? Bearing in mind that i’m in the UK, so American websites aren’t really an option due to shipping costs. Thanks Fran ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-non-sweatshop-manufactured-sportswear/59522/2 "2001-03-26T10:45:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Francesca \* > **i’m having real trouble finding anything that doesn’t have the label “made in Indonesia/Thailand/China” and having recently read “No Logo” i’m very uncomfortable buying anything like this, especially Nike.** Well, first of all it depends on your definition of “sweatshop”. Just because an item was made in Indonesia/Thailand/China/Honduras/El Salvador, etc. doesn’t mean that it was made in a sweatshop. Many of the companies that directly manufacture in these countries or that contract with companies in these countries monitor the plants closely in order to comply with local laws and avoid being designated as sweatshop operators. So, help me out-what do you consider a sweatshop? Also, I am not familiar with the “No Logo” that you speak of-is there a link that you can point me to? I’m heading off to work now, so I won’t check this again until I get home, but I’ll check back in then. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-non-sweatshop-manufactured-sportswear/59522/3 "2001-03-26T10:56:09Z")
You can [find “No Logo” here](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312271921/o/qid=985603949/sr=8-1/ref=aps_sr_b_1_1/107-9965155-0523745) ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-non-sweatshop-manufactured-sportswear/59522/4 "2001-03-26T11:13:44Z")
Hi, Sorry yes, i should’ve been more specific in my definition - I would like my clothes to come from companies where the workers aren’t denied basic rights, receive decent pay (a living wage), get paid for overtime, aren’t intimidated and have some measure of job security. I am aware that not all of the companies who manufacture in the countries i mentioned operate sweatshops, but sportswear companies like Nike and Reebok (whose shoes, btw, are often put together in the same factories) have a demonstrably bad ethical conduct record. The other difficulty is that while factories may not qualify as a sweatshop under the local laws, that may simply be because the local laws themselves do not demand basic human rights because to do so would drive the employers elsewhere and so lead to a loss of investment in the area. This has happened recently when companies that were operating in countries where regulations were tightened have moved their business to China where they aren’t subject to such laws. No Logo is an excellent book by Naomi Klein on branding and its effects around the world. You can see the Amazon page on it [here](http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0006530400/202-6231665-1855025). I do realise i’m being over simplistic in my definition and may come accross as naive, but GQ isn’t really the place for this complex issue. I was just hoping someone here might know of a place i can buy trainers! Fran ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-non-sweatshop-manufactured-sportswear/59522/5 "2001-03-26T14:59:17Z")
You could try contacting the UK branch of the Fairtrade Foundation(email [mail@fairtrade.org.uk](mailto:mail@fairtrade.org.uk)) to see if they have any info on garment manufacturers. Or contact some of the fair trade supporting charities - Traidcraft Exchange, CAFOD, those sort of folks. Most of the fair trade development I’ve heard of relates to food products (coffee, bananas, etc.), but, if enough people ask for fair trade marked sportswear, manufacturers are going to have to provide it. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-non-sweatshop-manufactured-sportswear/59522/6 "2001-03-26T15:39:25Z")
I know what you mean **Fran** it is really difficult to find day to day products that are guaranteed socially responsible but you may find some stuff you like here [http://www.ecomall.com/homepage.htm](http://www.ecomall.com/homepage.htm) . It looks like they also have some name-brand stuff too, but I suspect it is people friendlier name-brand products. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-non-sweatshop-manufactured-sportswear/59522/7 "2001-03-26T15:44:15Z")
Oops, sorry, I just re-read that US sites are no good for you. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-non-sweatshop-manufactured-sportswear/59522/8 "2001-03-26T23:00:49Z")
This might not be what you were looking for, but do you or anyone you know sew? You can get patterns and cloth for just about any outfit imaginable at your local fabric store (and probably also off the Internet, for patterns), and sweatsuits are increadibly easy, as far as sewing goes. If you find someone local who sews and negotiate a price for them (if it’s a friend or relative, you can drop hints about birthday presents or whatnot), then you can be absolutely certain that the working conditions will be humane… They probably won’t even consider it “work” at all. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-non-sweatshop-manufactured-sportswear/59522/9 "2001-03-26T23:31:07Z")
I’m in the US, so I’m not sure about what you’ll be able to find, but the links I’ve found are: [http://www.organicclothes.com/](http://www.organicclothes.com/) > **[Patagonia Outdoor Clothing & Gear](http://www.patagonia.com/)** > > Patagonia is a designer of outdoor clothing and gear for the silent sports: climbing, surfing, skiing and snowboarding, fly fishing, and trail running I found these links at [Just DON'T do it. | MetaFilter](http://www.metafilter.com/comments.mefi/3123) . Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-non-sweatshop-manufactured-sportswear/59522/10 "2001-03-27T00:37:55Z")
Here are the clothes you wanted. Made in a worker’s paradise! If these aren’t PC enough for you it’s time to get the sewing machine out! [http://www.hannaandersson.com](http://www.hannaandersson.com) [http://www.hannaandersson.com/category.asp?nms=1&nss=5&pId=40&scPos=2&sPos=1&scid=NDRCKS674ASR2KTV00JP49PDHS17A5B7](http://www.hannaandersson.com/category.asp?nms=1&nss=5&pId=40&scPos=2&sPos=1&scid=NDRCKS674ASR2KTV00JP49PDHS17A5B7) and here’s some information Frequently Asked Questions About Sweatshops and Women Workers Feminists Against Sweatshops [http://www.feminist.org/other/sweatfaq.html](http://www.feminist.org/other/sweatfaq.html) [http://www.feminist.org/other/sweatshops/sweatshops.html](http://www.feminist.org/other/sweatshops/sweatshops.html) What is a sweatshop? “The Department of Labor defines a work place as a sweatshop if it violates two or more of the most basic labor laws including child labor, minimum wage, overtime and fire safety laws. For many, the word sweatshop conjures up images of dirty, cramped, turn of the century New York tenements where immigrant women worked as seamstresses. High-rise tenement sweatshops still do exist, but, today, even large, brightly-lit factories can be the sites of rampant labor abuses.” etc etc etc and of course etc. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-non-sweatshop-manufactured-sportswear/59522/11 "2001-03-27T00:53:24Z")
I would encourage you to go ahead and buy the sweatshop wear. They are not forced to work there for the most part, so their continued presence, even in the most execrable of conditions likely means that they view it as an improvement of some sort. Sweatshops are the first step to an empowered work force. We went through that stage in most Western countries and they’ll get to that stage in their countries. Let the locals decide where and under what conditions they are willing to work. It is patronizing to tell other people that just because you wouldn’t work under some conditions it means they shouldn’t. But, if No Logo is what you want. Find a set of the clothes or shoes you like. Buy **one** set and go to your local cobbler/seamstress and have them make you copies. This is not illegal. If they don’t know how (a surprising number of seamstress don’t know how to do more than simple alterations) keep looking until you find one. About 30% of my mom’s business is replicating namebrand clothing. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-non-sweatshop-manufactured-sportswear/59522/12 "2001-03-27T01:12:40Z")
[Moderator watch ON] **obfusciatrist** , the morality of sweatshops is certainly debateable… But of course, debateable issues belong in a different forum. If you want to start a GD thread about whether sweatshops are good or bad, (or join in on an existing one… There’s probably a few already), you might want to post a link here, and invite the OP and others to read it (I have a thing or three to say on the topic, too), but for here, let’s stick to the General Question. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-non-sweatshop-manufactured-sportswear/59522/13 "2001-03-27T03:27:37Z")
Chronos, Francesca. Let me apologize. I just got home from work. On the bus ride home it suddenly occurred to me that this post had been in GQ, I thought I was in MPSIMS. I apologize sincerely for the forum inappropriate behavior.