Nonfiction Article Reading Response

  The article “The High Price of Cheap Fashion” is about Americans becoming more aware at where, how, and under what conditions their clothes are developed. This started happening when many people learned news about a factory that collapsed in Bangladesh, killing more than 1,100 workers and injuring 2,500 more. The workers at the factory made clothes to sell in companies in the United States and Europe. Investigators found out that the building owner had illegally added extra floors and heavy machines that the building couldn’t support. This accident is one of the worst accidents in the clothing industry, making other countries aware of this problem and calling for extra safety measures.  Today, U.S. companies manufacture most of their clothing in countries like China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. The factory workers only earn a fraction of what United States workers make. China makes 40% of U.S.’s clothing. Bangladesh makes 6%. Since now there are more new stores, there are more frequent purchases. Today, Americans on average buy 68 garments of clothing and eight pair of shoes per year. Each American throws out 10 pounds worth of clothing on average every year.

  However, the huge change in manufacturing to developing countries has provided jobs for millions of poor people in third nations. Many people work in “sweatshops” under dangerous and difficult conditions and face low wage. China is in the lead for the world’s “biggest ready-to-wear clothing” producer, but business has decreased since the workers’ pay raise has gone up.  Currently, the average Chinese clothing factory worker makes $1.26 per hour. This has caused major retailers like Gap and Sears, to shift some business into Indonesia, Thailand, and Bangladesh. Bangladesh is second to China, but has one of the worse practices in the global garment industry. Workers must work long hours and face unsafe conditions. After the factory collapse happened, Bangladesh’s government made strict inspections and announced that they Bangladesh’s pay wage will be raised.  However, Bangladeshi officials warn that these drastic changes may damage Bangladesh’s economy.  Fifty major retailors recently signed a pact to spend at least $60 million over the next 5 years to monitor safety in Bangladesh’s clothing factories. It would also cost less then 10 cents for one garment of clothing with clothes to be produced with more worker protections. Slowly, Bangladesh’s garment industry will change and more protection provided for factory workers will develop.

   America is starting to have American apparel firms to be fair-trade certified (meaning that it’s factories have been inspected for safety and workers’ pay and found to be fair) like a yoga clothing company called PrAna. More people are looking for clothing that are fair trade and made in America.