Handbags. They aren’t necessarily associated with feelings of empowerment nor social, environmental or human rights issues. Yet, here I find myself donning a handbag that has accomplished just that. I never expected to jump full force into the highly underreported world of conventional handbag production, but here I am metaphorically jumping now, literally jumping on occasion, and sporting my findings for you here in this blog post {both literally at the beach and literarily in my words}. Being an educated, compassionate consumer feels mighty fine and given that our goal in life should be to attain as much joy as possible, I hope you enjoy venturing on this ethical fashion journey with me!
Don’t you just love supporting companies doing amazing things in the world? Jill Milan Handbags and Accessories is one of those companies. We all have power to make a dent in the world even by the simple act of supporting companies we respect and admire and sharing our purchase(s) with the people in our lives.
Now let’s get down to handbag, accessory and clothing production talk.
Besides the obvious benefit of avoiding donning animal-derived materials, other benefits of choosing handbags from a role-model company such as Jill Milan:
1) Ethical fashion statement: You will be making an ethical fashion statement and each and every time you carry it around, you will be provided with a new opportunity to share with everyone you encounter why your handbag is more than just another handbag. It is a bag that represents that you understand that a lot goes into making high-quality handbags and not all of it good. However, you’ve found a chic solution that symbolizes that you treat yourself with respect and you respect Mother Nature, animals and other people.
2) Environmental fashion statement: Leather production is an environmental polluter. When you support companies avoiding leather, you will not be contributing to an industry that is known for polluting water supplies with heavy metals like chromium, a hardening agent in leather production.
3) Fair labor fashion statement: Labels on clothing and accessories these days can be deceiving. A “made in Italy” label on a bag can triple or quadruple the price of items from high-end luxury brands such as Gucci, Prada or Loui Vuitton, but the reality is that it is rarely native Italian artisans passionately producing the fashion items that they have been producing for centuries. Instead, Chinese immigrants often slave away for long hours in dilapidated, poorly lit sheds and sleep in small rooms behind thin plywood right in the factories. As this article mentions,
“Though located in one of Italy’s most picturesque and tourist-frequented regions, many of the factories are nothing more than sweatshops with deplorable conditions and virtually indentured workers.”
Jill Milan handbags are more costly because the company has selected to hire the Calistri family, whose third-generation family business has been making handbags for top designers for more than half a century. While not everyone may be able to afford a Jill Milan handbag, everyone can afford to be wise about the items they choose to purchase and to not spend wastefully. Respect your clothes and other belongings just as you would your body and its health.
For more resources and reading:
Nicholas Kristoff NYTimes Op-Ed ~ Where Sweatshops Are A Dream A stellar article by Luke Pryor from my alma mater’s school paper, The Cornell Daily Sun. Why Is the Yangtze Running So Red? from Bloomsberg Business
I know there is a lot of information to absorb between what I’ve written in this blog post and the articles I’ve linked you to, but tremendous joy can be achieved from learning about where apparel comes from, how it is produced and how we can use what we’ve learned to make a difference in the world. I believe that caring about our health is where caring about the rest of the world begins! Even though I write mostly about health, well-being and nutrition, the health of the planet and the well-being of others should inextricably linked to my job and this blog!
As always, thank you for reading! XOXO, Talia
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