Craft librarySLOW FASHION
Ethical FASHION ~ BEYOND THE LABEL
The word "ethical" appears on countless garment tags and brand websites. But what does it actually mean ~ and how can you tell the difference between genuine commitment and empty claims?
This essay looks at the history of Indian dyeing. Our own pieces are not coloured with natural dyes.
In its broadest sense, ethical fashion refers to clothing that is designed, produced, and distributed in ways that are fair to people and responsible toward the environment. It is closely related to slow fashion and understanding the true cost of handmade. The challenge is that "ethical" has no legal definition in fashion. Unlike "organic" in food ~ which, in most countries, requires certification to specific standards ~ "ethical" in fashion is essentially self-declared. Any brand can call itself ethical. Many do. Not all of them deserve to.
WHAT ETHICAL ACTUALLY MEANS
One
A SET OF questions YOU ASK
This is not to say the word is meaningless. It is to say that it requires interrogation. Ethical fashion is not a label you read. It is a set of questions you ask.
The reality of global garment production often falls far short of what the word implies. An estimated 75 million people work in the fashion supply chain worldwide (International Labour Organization), the majority of them women, and many of them earn below a living wage.
The gap between a legal minimum wage (what a government sets as the absolute floor) and a living wage (what a worker actually needs to cover basic needs like food, housing, healthcare, and education) can be vast. In Bangladesh, the minimum wage for garment workers was raised to approximately $113 per month in 2023 (ILO Bangladesh), but living wage estimates for the country range from $450 to $600 per month (Global Living Wage Coalition).
Ethical fashion does not just require that laws are followed. It requires that people are paid enough to live with dignity. There is a significant difference.
Ethical fashion begins on the workshop floor ~ with the people who make your clothes.
Two
THE FOUR pillars OF ETHICAL FASHION
01
Fair Labour
Ethical fashion insists that the people who make our clothing are treated with dignity ~ that they receive fair wages, work reasonable hours in safe conditions, are free from harassment and discrimination, and have the right to organise and advocate for their interests.
02
Environmental Responsibility
Fashion is responsible for approximately 10% of global carbon emissions (UNEP), consumes 93 billion cubic metres of water per year (UNEP), and generates 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually (Ellen MacArthur Foundation). Ethical fashion means choosing materials that are less damaging, managing resources responsibly, and designing garments to last.
03
Transparency
Perhaps the most revealing measure of a brand's ethical commitment is how much it is willing to tell you. Transparency is not the same as perfection. What it offers is accountability ~ the willingness to be seen clearly, including in the areas where work remains to be done.
04
Community Impact
Ethical fashion extends beyond the factory floor. It considers the wider impact on artisan villages that depend on continued orders, farming communities that grow the fibre, and charities and social enterprises that benefit from a brand's support. Every garment is embedded in a network of relationships.
Three
CERTIFICATIONS that matter
SEDEX
What Daughters of India Holds
SEDEX (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) is one of the world's largest collaborative platforms for sharing responsible sourcing data. A SEDEX membership involves independent audits (SMETA audits) covering labour standards, health and safety, environment, and business ethics.
FT
Fair Trade
Fair Trade certification guarantees that producers receive a fair price for their goods, along with a social premium invested in community development. Standards cover minimum prices, working conditions, environmental practices, and the prohibition of child labour.
GOTS
Global Organic Textile Standard
GOTS is the leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibres. It covers the entire supply chain, from harvesting the raw fibre through manufacturing, packaging, labelling, and distribution. Products must contain at least 70% certified organic natural fibre.
+
B Corp, OEKO-TEX, EU Ecolabel
B Corp assesses the entire company. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 tests textiles for harmful substances at every stage of processing. EU Ecolabel sets criteria for limited harmful substances, reduced pollution, and resistance to shrinkage. LENZING ECOVERO viscose, used by Daughters of India, carries the EU Ecolabel.
“Ethical fashion is not a label you buy. It is a relationship you build ~ with the people who make your clothes, with the materials those clothes are made from, and with the values you want your wardrobe to reflect.”
Four
HOW TO SPOT greenwashing
Greenwashing is the practice of making misleading claims about the environmental or ethical credentials of a product or brand. It is widespread in fashion, and it can be difficult to detect, particularly when brands invest heavily in the appearance of responsibility without the substance behind it.
Vague language without specifics. Phrases like "" "sustainable," "conscious," "green," or "responsible" mean nothing without supporting details. If a brand describes a product as "sustainably made" but does not explain what that means in practice ~ what materials, what processes, what certifications ~ the claim is, at best, incomplete. Ask for specifics. If the brand cannot provide them, the language is decorative rather than substantive.
Small "sustainable" collections within an unsustainable business. Some of the world's largest fast fashion brands now offer "conscious" or "eco" collections made with recycled or organic materials. While these individual products may represent genuine improvements, they often account for a tiny fraction of the brand's total output. A company that produces billions of garments per year from virgin synthetics does not become ethical by releasing a capsule collection of 50 organic cotton t-shirts. Context matters.
Irrelevant claims. Some brands highlight practices that are legally required and present them as voluntary ethical choices. "CFC-free" packaging, for example, sounds environmentally responsible, but CFCs have been banned globally since the Montreal Protocol. Similarly, claiming to be "compliant with local labour laws" sets the bar at the legal minimum, which in many garment-producing countries is well below what most consumers would consider ethical.
Beautiful imagery, absent information. Lush photography of cotton fields, smiling workers, and sunlit workshops can create a powerful impression of ethical production. But imagery is not evidence. Ask what lies behind the photographs. Where specifically are the garments made? What are the workers paid? What certifications does the facility hold? The answers matter more than the aesthetics.
Questions to Ask Any Brand
Before accepting a brand's ethical claims, consider asking: Where are your garments made? Can you name your factories? What certifications does your supply chain hold? What are your workers paid relative to a living wage? What materials do you use, and why? What percentage of your collection is made from sustainable materials? What are you doing about the areas where you fall short? A brand that welcomes these questions is usually one worth trusting. A brand that deflects them is usually not.
Five
DAUGHTERS OF INDIA'S ethical CREDENTIALS
Rather than listing ethical claims, it is more honest to describe specific practices and let you draw your own conclusions.
The production facility has undergone independent third-party audits covering labour standards, health and safety, environment, and business ethics.
No production deadlines. The workshop operates without externally imposed timelines. Products emerge when the craft demands, not when a marketing calendar dictates.
Workers manage their own hours. There are no mandated shifts or clocked time. Artisans structure their working days around their lives, not the other way around.
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Workers are employed year-round, not seasonally. There are no layoffs when production slows between releases. No wholesale margin eroding the funds available for artisan wages. Just 21 products released in all of 2025 ~ no pressure to overproduce, no clearance sales because there is nothing to clear.
Every garment carries the attention of many hands ~ from workshop floor to your wardrobe.
From sewing to drying ~ every stage handled with care.
~100
Continuously employed artisans and staff
50/50
Approximate gender split
$10K
Monthly charitable commitment
21
Products released in all of 2025
“No brand is perfect. No supply chain is without challenges. The value of ethical fashion is not in achieving flawlessness but in committing to a direction and being honest about the journey.”
Six
THE LIMITS OF labels
Labels ~ whether "ethical," "sustainable," "conscious," or any other ~ are starting points for conversation, not substitutes for it. The brands worth supporting are the ones that invite scrutiny, answer questions openly, and demonstrate their values through practice rather than marketing.
Ethical fashion is not a label you buy. It is a relationship you build ~ with the people who make your clothes, with the materials those clothes are made from, and with the values you want your wardrobe to reflect.
Written by the Daughters of India team
