What is ethical clothing?

"Ethical clothing" is a broad term. An ethical T-shirt, for example, will be made from 100 percent organic cotton or "fair-trade" cotton. Cotton is a pesticide-hungry crop, and stories of poisoned workers and ruined environments are common in the cotton-growing world. Organic cotton can guarantee an end product grown without most of the damaging pesticides.

"Fair trade" means that workers in the field receive a reasonable wage for their toil, but it doesn't necessarily guarantee good working conditions for factory staff.

Beyond organic cotton, the factory where the T-shirt is manufactured needs to be run in a fair manner. Workers must be allowed to form trade unions; children shouldn't work on the production line; no one should need to work more than 60 hours per week; and even the lowliest cleaner should receive a wage that covers essentials, with some discretionary pay leftover.

These aren't new ideas; they're found in the eight core conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The ILO has been around since 1919.

We're playing catch-up

British consumers cottoned on to the concept of ethical consumerism before us. In 2006, major retailers like Marks and Spencer and H&M Hennes began to compete on how ethical they were. Organic and Fair Trade cotton ranges, at budget-basic prices, are now a common sight on the British high street.

Marks and Spencer's CEO Stuart Rose says: "customers care more than ever how products are made."

Oxfam New Zealand's chief executive Barry Coates says that awareness about how our purchasing practices affect vulnerable workers in the rag trade is still building in New Zealand.

But: "we are starting to see the emergence of suppliers who can assure their clothes are made from organic and fair trade cotton and/or sewn in factories that comply with international labour standards ... Some leading designers and brands are starting to see the opportunities. This provides the potential for far faster growth in the ethical clothing market in New Zealand."

Could do a lot more

We were extremely disappointed in the response we received to a questionnaire that invited 20 New Zealand retailers to outline what they're doing to improve labour standards and environmental practices in their supply chains. We covered outlets ranging from fashion designers (Kate Sylvester) to major clothing chains (Ezibuy) and large retailers with a clothing section (Farmers).

Only 5 retailers responded (see Kiwi brands and retailers).