Ethical Fashion: Fashion for Humanity

Have you ever asked yourself who made your clothes? 

In Yoga, we often focus on our heart center. To connect our minds to our bodies, we place our hands near our hearts and breathe. We tune-in to ourselves and synchronize our movement with those around us. 

The clothes we wear also connect us to the world around us. We don't often recognize it, but how we dress can have a positive or negative impact on others. 

WHAT WE WEAR MATTERS
We often think of slavery as occurring in the past. However, almost all the mainstream clothing we wear has been made at least in-part by fellow humans working in forced conditions that are demoralizing, unsanitary and unsafe. 

Our collective demand for fresh fashion at low prices drives a slave market we rarely or ever see, but we have the opportunity to alter our course. 

MADE BY CHILDREN
The devestating truth about child labor can be difficult to acknowledge and painful to consider. 

Worldwide, about 170 million children work for the fashion industry. Often lured from severe poverty at home and coerced into deplorable working conditions, they are used for their malleablity and small bodies to perform tedious tasks, including transferring pollen from one cotton plant to another, embroidering, sequining or making pleats. 

FASHION WITH A HEART 
“No one wants to contribute to slavery, slavery-like conditions and child labor, but when it comes to fashion, these practices are so universal, it is hard to know how to avoid them or what to do.” –Shannon Thomas, OWY Co-Owner, BA, CHC, E-RYT-200, YACEP 

Open Way Yoga wants to help you figure this out, we are dedicated to leading with heart and offer ways to access ethical fashion.  Our fair-trade certified brands are transparent about their supply chain.  We are here to provide compassionate answers to the question of who made your clothes. 

by Elisabeth Sowecke