Monee Williams
Dr. Monroe
BUF 4700
March 4, 2022
Within the apparel industry, the main problems are assuring that the workers are treated well, have acceptable working conditions, and that garments are made in a sustainable way. Nowadays, some customers want their purchases to be done in a eco-friendly way. Also, other customers may prefer the personalization of a smaller, sustainable company. For example, āWhen you buy his clothes, he sends you a noteā¦ that he writes himselfā¦ It is a small screw you to big companiesā (Trebay, 2020).
The company I chose for Fair-Trade Clothing is Levi’s. The company Levi Strauss & Co was founded in 1853 in San Francisco, CA by Levi Strauss. The mission statement of Leviās is, “To sustain responsible commercial success as a global marketing company of brand apparel”. Additionally, their vision statement is, “We are the embodiment of the energy and events of our times, inspiring people with a pioneer spirit”. Levi’s core values consist of “innovation, sustainability, progress, originality, integrity, courage, empathy, creativity and hard work.” (mission-statement.com/levi-strauss) In 1886, Levi introducedĀ the two horse trademark that illustratedĀ two horses trying to separate a pair of Levi’s overalls. Their logo stands for the strength of their clothes in the face of competitors.
As part of Fair Trade, most of Leviās products are currently made in third world countries, like Indonesia, India, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka. However, some of the higher end Leviās products (like premium and vintage) are still made in the United States (levistrauss.com). Leviās garments are made by machines, not handmade.
In my opinion, although companies want to keep their price points low, if they are choosing to produce apparel globally, it is their responsibility to make sure that the workers are treated well and paid competitive wages.
From a business/financial perspective, Levis is sustainable. Their net reviews typically grow by 11 ā 13%. Quarterly dividends paid to stockholders continues to increase. In the 4th quarter alone, Levi enjoyed revenues of $1.7 billion (investors.levistrauss.com). Levis is not considered upscale, but prices range from $19.99 – to $1,000’s for vintage collectables.
As it relates to the market demographics, all age groups wear Leviās, including babies, children, adults (young and old). I am already a happy customer of Leviās, owning several pairs of their jeans. I can attest that the quality is superb and lasts for years.
In my opinion, Leviās lives up to itās mission and continues to provide apparel for customers that is reasonably priced and sustainable.
References
Trebay, G., 2020, āWant to Make it Big in Fashion? Think Smallā. The New York Times
āQuarterly Resultsā. Leviās, www.investors.levisstrauss.com/financials/quarterly-results
āWho We Areā. Leviās, www.levistrauss.com/who-we-are/company/
Hi Monee,
It was great to see that we picked the same retailer from an extensive list, but we still had a different approach. You added the countries where the jeans are made, how much they average, and their mission. We both agree that itās a sustainable brand, which I didnāt know before this assignment. Maybe you found it surprising too. Great work, very interesting.
Hi Daniela, thanks for responding to my post. My approach came from Dr. Munroe’s instructions. Yes, I was surprised to find out that Levi’s are a sustainable brand. Thank you, Daniela for find my post interesting.
Hi Monee , I always thought levis was more upscale but reading the blog you stated they are considered not upscale. Some of their apparel is priced as high as $1,000 ( i guess that’s why their products are good quality) and to me, I believe that is a high price to not be considered upscale, wow. but what I like about levis is that they are for every age group and demographic as well and they are a diverse fashion brand.
Hi Ileana, thanks for responding to my post. I stated, “Levi’s is not considered upscale, but have prices ranging from $19.99 – to $1,000’s for vintage collectables.” Levi’s has been in business since 1853. Yes, the whole family can wear Levi’s.
Hey Monee,
I Agree that the most pressing issues facing the clothing sector are ensuring that employees are paid fairly, that they have appropriate working conditions, and that products are produced in an environmentally friendly manner. Also, Happy to learn that Levis is actually a sustainable brand. Before this Blog assignment, i was unaware of that.
Great Blog post!! and Happy that we once again have class together lol.
Hi Alex, thank you for responding to my blog post. I am glad you agree with me that employees should be paid fairly, have appropriate working conditions, and that products are produced in an environmentally friendly manner. I also didn’t know Levi’s was a sustainable brand until this assignment.
Thank you. The feeling is mutual!
Monee I appreciate how informative and enlightening your blog is. I also wrote about Levi’s and also agree with your suggestion of paying third world countries reasonable pay is that their material is being outsourced and sold at higher markups and percentages.
Hi Emmanuel, thanks for responding to my post. I appreciate that you thought my blog post was informative. I am also glad that you agree with my suggestion of pay third world countries reasonable pay.