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"  Usually when our conscience kicks in about the clothes we buy and wear, it&amp;#039;s for completely selfish reasons: we spent too much money, we&amp;#039;ll only wear an item for one season, etc. But what if we took a second and looked beyond ourselves\u2014in fact, to the far reaches of the globe, where many of our garments are actually made? The truth behind standard garment production is enough to inspire a completely different level of guilt. In a new and powerful PSA, Christy Turlington Burns, Amber Valletta, and other progressive members of the industry shed light on the situation that too many of us are ignorant about. While we only see the garments as they appear on the sales floors of our favorite stores, thousands of workers in countries like Bangladesh produce this clothing in factories, from 8 A.M. to as late as 4 A.M. the next day, seven days a week\u2014for virtually no pay, and often in horrific conditions. &amp;quot;The prices of the garments go up and the labor goes down,&amp;quot; says Turlington Burns, who is extremely active in many philanthropic pursuits in developing countries across the world. &amp;quot;The margins are enormous. The fact that human beings are being sacrificed for that margin is just completely unethical.&amp;quot;      And while the margins for higher-priced, luxury garments might be unethical, lower-priced clothes are just as bad. &amp;quot;It can&amp;#039;t be $12.99 without some kind of conflict,&amp;quot; says Valletta. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s just impossible.&amp;quot; However, the emphasis of the PSA is not just on the negative. On the contrary, it&amp;#039;s a very positive call to challenge the industry norm. Leaders like Paul van Zyl of eco-luxury brand Maiyet are setting the right example by bringing prosperity and fair labor to skilled artisans across the globe, rather than exploitation. And in the end, it&amp;#039;s only up to us to make this example the new standard. &amp;quot;Knowledge is the most important,&amp;quot; stresses Burns. &amp;quot;The consumer can demand that [change] happens. Everyone has to take action.&amp;quot; Related: 7 Eco Fashion Brands To Know Now "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/news/a25971/christy-turlington-amber-valletta-fair-labor-psa/>