Ethical Clothing: Challenges, Solutions, and Social Justice

This essay critically examines the issues surrounding ethical clothing, focusing on how it challenges the common good both locally (Australia) and globally. It highlights the exploitation of workers, animal cruelty, environmental pollution, and lack of transparency within the fashion industry. The essay emphasizes the importance of fair wages, good working conditions, and the use of sustainable materials like organic cotton and bamboo. It also discusses the relevance of Catholic Social Teaching principles, particularly human dignity, in addressing these issues. The essay proposes several solutions, including consumer choices, local production, ethical labels, and technological advancements. It emphasizes the importance of avoiding harmful fabrics and embracing sustainable alternatives like recycled materials and cruelty-free leather. Furthermore, it highlights the role of advocacy, community engagement, and industry organizations in creating a more just and transparent fashion supply chain. The essay concludes by emphasizing the need for collective action to protect workers' rights, promote fair labor practices, and ensure the well-being of all stakeholders, ultimately striving for a more ethical and sustainable future for the fashion industry.

Running head: ETHICAL CLOTHING
Ethical Clothing
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

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There are various kinds of issues in relation to the ethical clothing that challenges the
element of the common good in the society. The people making the clothing should be given
the fair wages along with access to the good working conditions that can help in
manufacturing the garments in the ethical manner. The common good are challenged by the
issues as it hurts the animals in various ways. The fashion brands that are based on animal
cruelty are unsustainable and proves to be harmful for the planet in the long run. The fashion
industries producing the garments in the unethical manner pollutes the environment that can
adversely affect the water, ground along with the climate (Vam.ac.uk 2019). The fashion
brands in the event of using the organic materials like the cotton along with the bamboo can
help in safeguarding the planet. There are various Australian brands that exploit the workers
and the children which challenges the common good within the society. The employers turn a
blind eye to the sad plight of the workers that has a detrimental effect on the element of the
human dignity (Choice.com.au 2019). Human Dignity can be said to be the bedrock of the
Catholic Social Teaching and it states that the human beings were created in image of the
God. It states that all the human beings are equal before the eyes of God and the human
beings should be meted out effective treatment in the society. The Catholic Social Teaching
preaches about the fact the human beings have value and they should be respected that can
help in the prevention of the social fragmentation. The employment not being provided to the
women contravenes the aspect of the human good that can degrade the position of women in
the society. The raw materials being sourced in the ethical manner can help in taking care of
the common good within the society. There are many companies in the global arena who
makes the employees work 16 hours in a day that is instrumental in challenging common
good. The workers globally are subjected to the psychological, physical along with the sexual
abuse that has a detrimental effect on the mental state of the workers across the world
(Abc.net.au 2019). The fashion brands are not transparent and they do not address the

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element of the modern slavery within the supply chain that harms the reputation of the
companies in the global arena.
There are various ways that can be used that can help in addressing the issues of the
ethical clothing that can pave the way for a more just society. The consumers should choose
the brand which considers planet along with the workers. The people should buy the clothes
that are made locally and make use of the ethical labels that can help in rightly dealing with
the issues of the ethical clothing. The ethical designers should be taken recourse to by the
people for buying the clothes (Harris, Roby and Dibb 2016). Technology can also help the
people in making the smarter choices. The people should avoid the fabrics that makes use of
petroleum along with the chemicals globally that can help in the establishment of a more
humane society. The plastics should be avoided by the people as they challenge element of
the common good.
The natural fabrics should be selected carefully by the fashion brands that can help in
taking care of the element of ethical clothing. They should take due care of the fact that the
cotton that is used is not grown with the help of the pesticides and which requires a large
amount of water inputs (LeBaron and Lister 2016). Bamboo should be used by the fashion
industry that can act as an ethical option for the business. The plant should be farmed in the
sustainable manner that can lead the way for the establishment of a just society. The organic
cotton along with the bamboo linen can be used that can be useful for offering protection to
the environment. The companies can use polyester which is made from the recycled ocean
plastics that can help in making the clothes in the ethical manner. Lyocell can also be used
which is made out of the natural cellulose which is found in the wood pulp that can act to the
advantage for the consumers along with the fashion industries (Davies and Gutsche 2016).
The brands can also recycle the waste into the fabric that can ensure the protection of the

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environment. The cruelty free leather can be used which is made within the lab that can prove
to be advantageous for the entire society.
The advocacy along with the community engagement can play an important role in
solving the issues related to the ethical clothing. The common good can be ensured within the
society in the event of the industry organizations coming forward that can help in the creation
of framework in relation to the sustainable apparel production. It can play an integral role in
covering social, environmental along with the product development aspect in relation to the
apparel along with the footwear supply chain. It can help the companies in the measurement
of the social sustainability across the supply chain (Abc.net.au 2019). It can play a crucial
role in addressing the human rights issues like child labour, discrimination, minimum wage
laws along with the workforce standard that can be instrumental in the development of the
society. It can help in increasing the transparency across the supply chain that can work for
the benefit of the workers. The common good can be reached in the society in the event of the
people working together that can improve well-being of the people in the society. It can help
an individual in getting access to the community resources that can create a better world.
Catholic Church states that life of the human beings is sacred and dignity of human
person acts as foundation of the moral vision of the society. It believes in the fact that the life
of the human beings is sacred and the measures that are taken should enhance dignity of
human person. There exists a principle of the Catholic Social Thought that stipulates that a
healthy society can be established in the event of protecting the human rights (Thompson
2015). The Catholic Social Thought also preaches that the economy should be able to serve
the people that can help in continuing participation in relation to the creation of God. Basic
rights of workers should be protected that can help in the growth of the society. The workers
should be provided with fair hours of work that can ensure their rightful position in the
society. The child workers should be protected from any kind of exploitation that can act to

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the welfare of the society. The Catholic Social Thought principle of solidarity can be
achieved in the society in the event of the people coming together irrespective of the racial
along with the ideological differences (Novak 2017). It can be achieved in the event of the
employers recognising the rights of the workers that can help the employers and the
employees in coming together. It can be instrumental in pursuing the element of the justice
along with the peace that can be of use for the society.

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References
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Davies, I.A. and Gutsche, S., 2016. Consumer motivations for mainstream “ethical”
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Harris, F., Roby, H. and Dibb, S., 2016. Sustainable clothing: challenges, barriers and
interventions for encouraging more sustainable consumer behaviour. International Journal of
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LeBaron, G. and Lister, J., 2016. Ethical audits and the supply chains of global corporations.
Novak, M., 2017. Catholic social thought and liberal institutions: freedom with justice.
Routledge.
Thompson, J.M., 2015. Introducing catholic social thought. Orbis Books.
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