Cheaper, but not necessarily more ethical

Letters

Editor: I was struck by the article "Cheap, cheerful clothes" in the March 6 issue of the Jewish Western Bulletin and feel that it warrants a response. To begin with, I am unsure of the pertinence of this article to the Jewish community of Greater Vancouver and question the plethora of fashion subjects that could have been discussed in this space, such as local Jewish designers, stores or trend-setters. More importantly however, the article offers a wonderful opportunity to outline many of the social issues concerning shopping at stores such as The Gap or Old Navy, which may be equally or more pertinent to Jews in the Lower Mainland and perhaps offer some food for thought.

I agree with efforts to find clothing stores that are both fashionable and reasonably priced, and often strive for this myself. However, there is also power in attempting to act as a responsible consumer and question the reasons behind finding clothing that is priced at such a low cost. In the case of The Gap (which owns Old Navy among many other stores), it has been criticized by international organizations for the mistreatment of workers, sweatshop labor, oppressive working conditions and destroying old growth forests. This is not to suggest one should stop shopping at The Gap entirely, as The Gap has also been praised for their non-discrimination policy on sexual orientation and ranked as one of the top companies for executive women. However, it is an opportunity to raise public awareness of supporting our local shops, individuality through fashion, and a reminder that cheaper prices do not always mean more ethical shopping.

Mira Oreck
Vancouver

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