Levi’s (Diving into Sustainable Pockets)

Ever heard the saying “It takes a village to raise a child”? This is the perfect analogy to mirror the efforts needed by consumers and businesses to effectively practice sustainability in the fashion industry. The need for sustainable fashion has never been more urgent as the world as we know it is deteriorating at an alarming rate, in addition to promoting immense amounts of pollution on land and in the air. Taking a step back, supply and demand can be said to be the focal issue impeding efforts towards fashion sustainability. The demand for clothing is often seen as a great way to increase profits for businesses as they have projected earnings to meet/exceed each quarter. These corporations will do anything it takes to meet those goals, some of which neglect ethical practices hence the recurring push to neutralize sweatshops and familiarize ourselves with sustainability. 

Levi’s for instance is a clothing company that has contributed to the push to influence others to practice sustainability. From sourcing to production, the California-based company founded by German native Levi Strauss adapts to the times and seeks innovative yet ethical ways to produce their product with little to no kickback. “And the team has always been at the forefront of change and progress: The brand touts eco-friendly and sustainable practices like recyclable denim (The Good Trade, 2022)”. Although Levi’s has been able to produce in such a way, the business has not been Fair Trade certified. Now, this does not devalue the brand or exclude them from the businesses that are pro-sustainable wear but some of their practices still are questionable. One of them being their outsourcing and production. The business iconic 501 style jeans are manufactured by hand outside the United States and are rather stitched by factories in Thailand (Winn, 2012). The American apparel industry has been a great influence on other countries and how they create and distribute clothing.

In regards to global production, America must uphold its responsibility of implementing safe and ethical practices in the fashion industry regardless of the product being outsourced. America can not thrive without the global contribution and this has been showcased a handful of times even in the likes of war (ok now to lighten up the mood a little). Levi’s jeans are eco-friendly and actually contain recycled denim from all over. Earlier it was mentioned that Levi’s is an innovative company. Well, they found a unique way to finish a garment with minimal chemical usage using laser technology. Their testing lab located in the business’s origins is responsible for running trials on their denim to document how they should go about putting the final touches on their denim. With all the research and efforts into these trials, you would think these jeans cost an arm and a leg. Yet these slightly upscale jeans cost roughly $110 in the United States. As an inner-city kid who works a 9-5, the price does not budge me. Go ahead and give sustainability a try.

References

https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/fair-trade-clothing

Nusca, Andrew. “Tablets, Lasers, and Time to Market: How Levi Strauss Reinvented the Way It Makes Jeans.” Fortune, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2018, https://fortune.com/2018/02/27/levi-strauss-tablets-lasers-market-jeans-model/.

Trebay, Guy. “Want to Make It Big in Fashion? Think Small, like Evan Kinori.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Aug. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/19/fashion/evan-kinori-menswear.html.