3 resources to get you started with ethical fashion

Watch | The True Cost

If you're a newbie to the world of ethical and sustainable fashion, this is a good place to start. Funded by Kickstarter and released in 2015, The True Cost is a documentary film that gives a sobering insight into the clothing industry, exploring the lives of factory workers and examining the environmental after-effects of production. Images of what goes on behind the scenes are juxtaposed with the store displays, catwalks and shiny adverts that we’re more accustomed to seeing. Interviews with workers, factory owners, environmentalists and well-known figures in the fashion industry uncover the issues and raise the question of whether ‘business as usual’ is doing anyone any good. It's available to watch on iTunes, Amazon and Netflix. 

Don't have 90 minutes to spare? Prefer your shocking facts to come with a side-dose of humour? Good ol' John Oliver delivers the goods here.

Download  | Good On You app

The Aussies have given us many good things over the years - quality soap operas, Skippy the kangaroo and photo opportunities with koalas, to name a few. They’re also pretty hot on the ethical clothing front. Good on You is an app which gives you access to ethical ratings on different brands, helps you find out how your clothes are made and even enables you to contact brands directly. Launched in Australia in 2015, it has now reached the (not-as) sunny shores of the UK, and we’re reliably informed that they’re working hard on getting more UK brands on the app asap. Best of all? It’s free! Bonza.

Read | Why do we need a Fashion Revolution?

On 24th April 2013, a building containing five clothing factories which manufactured clothing for well-known brands collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing over 1000 workers and injuring more than twice as many. On the same day, Fashion Revolution was born. Founders Carey Somers and Orsola de Castro believed the collapse left us with “…too many people to lose from the planet in one day not to stand up and demand change”. Turns out they weren’t the only ones; the movement has grown to encompass people from all walks of life all over the world who are working together to create a fairer, more transparent fashion industry. For a more in-depth read take a look at the White Paper published in 2015 - It's Time for a Fashion Revolution. We'll be joining with Fashion Revolution this year as part of the Together Street Challenge. Sign up now to get involved!