Manufacturers’ scheisty practices

Recently, it’s come to my attention that a lot of giant popular retailers are a little scheisty!

Forever 21, who also owns Heritage 1981, and Twelve by Twelve had suits brought against them in cases of sweatshop labor.

Popular Retailer American Apparel has had many sexual harassment lawsuits brought against them.

Urban Outfitters has been criticized for sweatshop labor, but also – on a lesser scale – for President Richard Hayne’s donations to ultra right wing campaigns, including that of Senator Rick Santorum. Interesting enough, Santorum is dead against citizens’ sexual rights – including the rights of same sex couples, however he’s not above bestiality.  What a hypocritical way to run a company.

Retailer Abercrombie & Fitch has had suits filed against them for discrimination and as late as last year, employees say there’s still a “hierarchy of hotness” afoot. One commenter said the job is a “cattle call” and employees are hired based on looks.

Once upon a time (when I was writing for another blog project), I mentioned Victoria’s Secret for finding fits (hey, it works for me, right?) and was overloaded with tales of sweatshop labor and terrifying conditions.  Not only that, but a little research found that customers – including Giselle Bundchen – were complaining the VS bras were actually making them ill!

(Img via BallBusting Jobs)

“What’s the point?” you ask.  I think it’s important to do a little informed consumer research on large companies with these sort of stigmas.  Does it sit well with your inner values that popular retailers practice human cruelty by employing sweatshop labor – such that their workers (who are illegal immigrants in the first place) are forced to take garments home and work through the night to finish them?

Another ponderance – how does ignoring these practices and continuing to give that retailer your patronage reflect on you??  If you’re all for women’s rights is is a conflict of interest to shop at American Apparel??

I feel like it’s hypocritical that we”ve gone so far to combat things like animal testing in products – to the point where girls are calling for vegan hair dyes, but still, we’ve overlooked a lot of the other evils in the companies who produce consumer products.

I don’t do big chain retailers like F21 unless it’s a specific need that I KNOW isn’t anywhere else, and I’ve exhausted all the other options.  In the case of VS, I’ve gone there to have fit sessions because I knew a girl who worked there and was a fit specialist.  I wonder how many people take these lawsuits with a grain of salt, though, and continue to give money to companies who employ awful ways of doing business.

Just curious.  I want to know your thoughts on the matter, and if you know of retailers who are shady on the sly, let us know!