It has not proved easy to find much US-made lingerie as an alternative to Victoria's Secret, but never fear, I have done the research and found some for us! Hopefully the US will follow the UK's lead - they have some great stuff over there! My favorite UK brand is "Life's Not Fair, But My Knickers Are." Love it. Anyone going on vacation soon? Bring some home!
www.urbanfoxeco.com
The website intro says "Urban Fox creates handmade, eco-friendly undies from the heart of the Midwest." All their products are made from organic cotton and bamboo and sewn by hand in the US. I am used to the deceptive prices of cheap slave labor, so I thought they are a little expensive, but as a special treat, these pretty, sassy undies look fantastic.
www.bluecanoe.com/e-store/prod_thumbs.asp?pcid=211254876662&pcatid=3101629411057
Blue Canoe products look incredibly comfortable. The company was started in Humboldt County by Laurie Dunlap, who still owns and operates it sixteen years later.
www.shopceliarachel.com/sleepwear.aspx
These jammies from Celia Rachel look super comfortable, and are nice and affordable. They have also have a pretty negligee that looks VERY similar to something I've seen at Victoria's Secret.
www.herlook.com/commando-cotton-bralette.html
This company is called Commando Cotton because they make their underwear so comfortable, it is as good as, um, going commando. They have been featured in numerous magazines, as well as on The View and the Today Show. They have really fun stuff too, like accessories designed to use with evening gowns, and tights.
www.cottonfieldusa.com/lingerie-organic-c-51.html
Cottonfield USA uses organic cotton, the prices are not outrageous, and everything looks very comfortable. I also love that their models look like average women, not overdone, airbrushed stick figures...
www.undrest.com/categories/Lingerie/
Undrest is a haute couture lingerie company based in Los Angeles. Beautiful products, looks like classic French lingerie, good for a very special treat perhaps??
www.pinupgirlclothing.com
As it sounds, this company has really fabulous retro, pinup style clothes and lingerie. The lingerie section of the website is a little racy, but no worse than a Victoria's Secret catalog. Their dresses are fabulous too. I have a wish list a mile long now.
www.bellamaterna.com/shop/
This website has stunningly beautiful lingerie for pregnant and nursing women. The hardest thing to find, I've found, is an ethically-made underwire bra, and they have these for sale here. This is probably my favorite of all the websites listed here.
www.ecolandinc.com
The bra that I can personally recommend is from Ecoland. They are among the only companies I have found to offer an underwire bra. Their cotton is very soft and very comfortable. Nothing pokes or itches anywhere! I am one happy customer.
I know that bras and lingerie can be inconvenient and frustrating purchases, but here is a good place to start. Please at least consider trying one of these ethical companies before looking at Victoria's Secret.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
You Decide
The day after I posted that I had had no response, I got a reply.
It seems, at first glance, like an ok response. But it was not quite satisfactory, and that bugged me. So, I responded.
Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your taking the time to respond, and I'm pleased to hear what your company has already done. I am still very interested in a few things. What does your company do when it finds its vendors to be out of compliance with your standards and regulations? And did these standards and regulations exist prior to 2007, when the National Labor Committee reported on the abuses (including debt bondage and alleged rape) at the D.K. Garments factory in Jordan? If so, how can you assure me that there is no prison, indentured, bonded, or involuntary labor, period? And if not, it alarms me that a company that has been in business since 1963 would be so far behind the human rights curve that it would wait until late in the last decade to enact better policies. I am not trying to be combative, but I admit I am at best suspicious that there has not been nearly enough attention paid to the rights of Limited Brands factory workers overseas. Please prove me wrong. I would love to shop at the chains owned by Limited Brands again, but for now, it is still impossible for me to do that in good conscience, and I certainly don't feel comfortable recommending that others shop there, either. On a more personal note, Brooke, I realize that this is your job, and that I am asking about the company that hired you. I wonder if your employers told you about any of the abuses I've been learning about. I think that if consumers and employees worked together, we could make our companies really stellar, and good for each person that is affected by their existence. Thanks so much for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.
Dear Ms. Stephens, Thank you for your note, as well as your kind words regarding Limited Brands' philanthropy and cotton sourcing practices. You also asked some specific questions about our labor standards. As you can tell, these are extremely important issues to us. As we state explicitly on our website, "Limited Brands sources goods from countries all over the world, and we insist that our suppliers comply with our labor and other standards. If they don't, we support them in making the necessary changes so that they do. We cannot and will not work with those who don't work to meet our standards." Let me reiterate: we require that our vendors verify that they meet a list of standards, including that they do not - and will not - use forced labor or prison labor or child labor. As we state, "Prison, indentured, bonded or involuntary labor shall not be used." Period. Specific to our internal auditing process, we use a team of auditors, accountants and attorneys to assure that Limited Brands' associates fully understand and comply with our sourcing policies and procedures, and we maintain a function within our company called Independent Production Services (or IPS), which oversees compliance protocols for our vendors based on specific standards and protocols. We also participate in a number of multi-stakeholder initiatives that work to enhance the rule of law and labor standards, as well as support international institutions and advocate for policies that benefit many of the communities in which our products are produced. I recognize that you had also asked some specific questions about the details of our work. Please understand that, for competitive reasons and in order to ensure the greatest compliance with our standards, we cannot further itemize some of those details.
It seems, at first glance, like an ok response. But it was not quite satisfactory, and that bugged me. So, I responded.
Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your taking the time to respond, and I'm pleased to hear what your company has already done. I am still very interested in a few things. What does your company do when it finds its vendors to be out of compliance with your standards and regulations? And did these standards and regulations exist prior to 2007, when the National Labor Committee reported on the abuses (including debt bondage and alleged rape) at the D.K. Garments factory in Jordan? If so, how can you assure me that there is no prison, indentured, bonded, or involuntary labor, period? And if not, it alarms me that a company that has been in business since 1963 would be so far behind the human rights curve that it would wait until late in the last decade to enact better policies. I am not trying to be combative, but I admit I am at best suspicious that there has not been nearly enough attention paid to the rights of Limited Brands factory workers overseas. Please prove me wrong. I would love to shop at the chains owned by Limited Brands again, but for now, it is still impossible for me to do that in good conscience, and I certainly don't feel comfortable recommending that others shop there, either. On a more personal note, Brooke, I realize that this is your job, and that I am asking about the company that hired you. I wonder if your employers told you about any of the abuses I've been learning about. I think that if consumers and employees worked together, we could make our companies really stellar, and good for each person that is affected by their existence. Thanks so much for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Email to Victoria's Secret (Owned by Limited Brands)
Well, friends, I think it has been quite long enough for Victoria's Secret/Limited Brands to have responded. Time for a blog post. I sent this email to Limited Brands customer service on February 7:
Dear Limited Brands:
My name is Karie Stephens and I write a blog for the nonprofit organization Looking For Starfish, which is dedicated to fighting modern-day slavery by raising financial support for existing organizations, increasing awareness of the issue, and providing ethical alternatives to everyday purchases which may be produced by slaves. I have been to the Victoria's Secret and Limited Brands websites, but did not find the information I am looking for. I have also called Victoria's Secret and Limited Brands, and received this email contact.
I saw on the Limited Brands website that the company recognizes its responsibility to ensure its partners comply with the Limited Brands' labor standards, and that the company has implemented an internal audit process. How often do you visit your overseas suppliers? Are your visits unannounced? Who is it that visits? Are your findings subject to third-party verifiers? When do you plan to respond to the organization Chain Store Reaction, which to date has sent over 1800 emails, including mine?
What are the standards and protocols to which you hold your suppliers? What do you do if a supplier or factory is found to be out of compliance? Do you reimburse workers for abuses suffered? How, specifically, do you ensure that the Jordanian sweatshop situation which came to light in 2007 does not happen again? I also found that the company educates your overseas associates. How are they educated, and who trains them?
Thank you for taking the time to respond, and thank you for the measures you have already taken. Thank you for the philanthropic work you have been participating in, and thank you for avoiding cotton from Uzbekistan. I have stopped shopping at Victoria's Secret until I have more confidence that I am not participating in the exploitation of workers, but I look forward to shopping at your company again once I have more information and feel I can do so in good conscience.
Sincerely,
Karie Stephens
I have had no response.
Dear Limited Brands:
My name is Karie Stephens and I write a blog for the nonprofit organization Looking For Starfish, which is dedicated to fighting modern-day slavery by raising financial support for existing organizations, increasing awareness of the issue, and providing ethical alternatives to everyday purchases which may be produced by slaves. I have been to the Victoria's Secret and Limited Brands websites, but did not find the information I am looking for. I have also called Victoria's Secret and Limited Brands, and received this email contact.
I saw on the Limited Brands website that the company recognizes its responsibility to ensure its partners comply with the Limited Brands' labor standards, and that the company has implemented an internal audit process. How often do you visit your overseas suppliers? Are your visits unannounced? Who is it that visits? Are your findings subject to third-party verifiers? When do you plan to respond to the organization Chain Store Reaction, which to date has sent over 1800 emails, including mine?
What are the standards and protocols to which you hold your suppliers? What do you do if a supplier or factory is found to be out of compliance? Do you reimburse workers for abuses suffered? How, specifically, do you ensure that the Jordanian sweatshop situation which came to light in 2007 does not happen again? I also found that the company educates your overseas associates. How are they educated, and who trains them?
Thank you for taking the time to respond, and thank you for the measures you have already taken. Thank you for the philanthropic work you have been participating in, and thank you for avoiding cotton from Uzbekistan. I have stopped shopping at Victoria's Secret until I have more confidence that I am not participating in the exploitation of workers, but I look forward to shopping at your company again once I have more information and feel I can do so in good conscience.
Sincerely,
Karie Stephens
I have had no response.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Not Overwhelmed, Not Ignorant, Equals Empowered
I recently attended an incredible event called the Freedom Summit. As the founder of Looking for Starfish, my goals and dreams for helping stop human trafficking abound. One of the things that is needed is for all people interested in abolishing slavery to unify and gather together. We need to combine our efforts and act together in this effort. This Freedom Summit was one such event. It was truly amazing. There were 1700 people gathered together with one single focus and that was to learn more about fighting human trafficking and to learn more about how we can work together to achieve our goals.
This event was extremely well-organized. I have attended many other such events over the course of my career as a dentist and this event rivaled some of the best dental events I have ever attended. There were multiple, wildly informative, break-out sessions, several plenary sessions with incredible, world-class, speakers (Condoleezza Rice was one of them), and even fantastic "entertainment" with the presence of Sarah Groves and her band as headliners and another band called Jubilee. There was also a "Freedom Expo" with over 30 abolition organizations represented. Truly, this was an amazing event.
Afterwards, I found myself pondering the following situation: Most people are in one of three places with respect to human trafficking:
1. They are in complete and blissful ignorance of the entire situation.
2. They find out about human trafficking and find themselves completely overwhelmed by the darkness and the enormity of the situation.
3. In self-defense, they return to a state of ignorance, only this time it is willful ignorance.
People in complete and blissful ignorance enjoy their lives. Let's face it. I've been there. It's fun to go shopping at Target and buy all kinds of stuff I don't really need. It's fun to buy cute decorations. It's fun to buy cute tops that I can actually afford. I loved going to PayLess Shoes and coming home with five pairs of new shoes at bargain basement prices. And really, sometimes, there are people out there that this is truly the only way they can buy shoes when "baby needs a new pair of shoes!" But honestly for most Americans today, that is not the only option. But until you know better, you will be in the same boat as many, many people.
Then you find out about human trafficking. Wow. It's just so huge! It's so evil. It's so dark. Twenty-seven million slaves? Really? Little three-year-olds being forced into the sex trade? NO WAY!! You've got to be kidding me? 10-year old boys being forced to kill their friends and family as part of their induction into forced military servitude? Come on. Really? I don't believe you. No! It's true. And you come face-to-face with the sheer horror of it all.
Then comes paralysis. What do I do? What do I do? I don't know! I can't help this one iota. There's nothing I can do. I can't go to Thailand and rescue young girls and boys out of prostitution. I can't go to Uganda or the Congo and talk nicely to the military leaders there and persuade them to stop their heinous coercive acts of violence. OK, well then, I'll do nothing. I will return to IGNOR-ance. Right. Good. I'm ok. I'm allright. I won't change a thing in my life because it makes no difference at all. This is so big that no matter what I do it will continue, so I might as well just continue on in my happy American life.
So. What's wrong with this picture? I know it's a true picture, because I know it described me as recently as two years ago. Well, I'll tell you what's wrong with this picture. It's a fallacy to think that we can't make change happen just by doing small things in our lives. And that is one of the goals of Looking for Starfish. Let me bring you along with me on my journey. Come along as I discover that by changing my life and getting only just a little bit out of my comfort zone, I can make powerful changes. These changes, made one-by-one, by average Joes just like myself, add up. They add up to POWER! They add up to major shifts in the world atmosphere. The little things done when we work together cause massive force to be applied to a massive situation.
Let me bring you with me to a fourth option:
4. EMPOWERED!!!!
Ok, you say, I'm game, what CAN be done? Actually, there are quite a few things that can be done by people like you and me. (Stay with me here, I promise it's not hard.)
1. You can pray. I am Christian and I believe that God listens to people and change does actually happen because people pray. I know, it's not logical, but I've seen it happen time and time again. I believe that God listens to each person when they pray. Even if you're an atheist and don't believe in God, if you put this out there, the idea that you want this situation to change, I personally believe that God will hear you. That's some power.
2. You can write letters. OH ACK, you say, no I can't. I don't have time!! Well, wait a minute. It's been made really easy for you. Go on ChainStoreReaction.com. There are prewritten letters to a skadzillion corporations demanding in a very polite fashion that these corporations make changes in their labor policies, that they monitor their vendors for breaches in human rights, and that they have transparency in their supply chain. All you have to do to send letters is fill in your information once and then click away--this can be done on a laptop while watching your favorite TV show. See, easy!
3. You can contribute. I'm not talking about being the next major philanthropic donor to a worthy cause, I'm talking about giving small amounts on a regular basis to an abolition organization. There are many who are doing a great job. I'll list a few right here: Not for Sale, Call and Response, Stop Child Trafficking Now, Hagar Project, Trade as One. If you go Looking for Starfish's website (www.LookingforStarfish.com), you will find links to many other worthy organizations.
4. Consume wisely. I have shopped in consignment stores and have found incredible bargains. I found designer shoes for $20.00 which were essentially brand new. There are places to buy things such as a store I found off Union Square in San Francisco called a Miner Miracle. This is a non-profit store that carries designer duds which have been donated for the purpose of helping women get off the street or out of foster care and into employment. Do the best you can not to buy things from countries known to exploit human labor. Do buy items from survivors of slavery. See HagarProject.org or MadebySurvivors.com.
5. Talk about it with people. Chat on Facebook. Research it on the web and share links on your FB status.
6. There is a national hotline run by Polaris Project. If you even remotely suspect forced labor or sex trafficking (because it exists in our own neighborhoods, believe me!!), call 888-373-7888. And as David Batstone, the co-founder of Not for Sale, says, "Don't be a stupid abolitionist." Don't be jumpin' into situations you know nothin' about! Call the hotline. They know how to deal with these things: there could be a sting operation already in effect. It is very important to report suspected human trafficking and it is important not to be stupid. It's difficult to convict traffickers, so let the experts do what they know how to do and you and I need to just keep our eyes open and be aware.
Well, that might be enough empowerment for today. Stay tuned at Looking for Starfish, though, because that's what we're all about. Follow the blog for more ideas at LookingforStarfish.blogspot.com. God is good and He is on our side. Can't go wrong there.
Lastly, keep up the conversation with us, here at Looking for Starfish. We love to hear from you.
This event was extremely well-organized. I have attended many other such events over the course of my career as a dentist and this event rivaled some of the best dental events I have ever attended. There were multiple, wildly informative, break-out sessions, several plenary sessions with incredible, world-class, speakers (Condoleezza Rice was one of them), and even fantastic "entertainment" with the presence of Sarah Groves and her band as headliners and another band called Jubilee. There was also a "Freedom Expo" with over 30 abolition organizations represented. Truly, this was an amazing event.
Afterwards, I found myself pondering the following situation: Most people are in one of three places with respect to human trafficking:
1. They are in complete and blissful ignorance of the entire situation.
2. They find out about human trafficking and find themselves completely overwhelmed by the darkness and the enormity of the situation.
3. In self-defense, they return to a state of ignorance, only this time it is willful ignorance.
People in complete and blissful ignorance enjoy their lives. Let's face it. I've been there. It's fun to go shopping at Target and buy all kinds of stuff I don't really need. It's fun to buy cute decorations. It's fun to buy cute tops that I can actually afford. I loved going to PayLess Shoes and coming home with five pairs of new shoes at bargain basement prices. And really, sometimes, there are people out there that this is truly the only way they can buy shoes when "baby needs a new pair of shoes!" But honestly for most Americans today, that is not the only option. But until you know better, you will be in the same boat as many, many people.
Then you find out about human trafficking. Wow. It's just so huge! It's so evil. It's so dark. Twenty-seven million slaves? Really? Little three-year-olds being forced into the sex trade? NO WAY!! You've got to be kidding me? 10-year old boys being forced to kill their friends and family as part of their induction into forced military servitude? Come on. Really? I don't believe you. No! It's true. And you come face-to-face with the sheer horror of it all.
Then comes paralysis. What do I do? What do I do? I don't know! I can't help this one iota. There's nothing I can do. I can't go to Thailand and rescue young girls and boys out of prostitution. I can't go to Uganda or the Congo and talk nicely to the military leaders there and persuade them to stop their heinous coercive acts of violence. OK, well then, I'll do nothing. I will return to IGNOR-ance. Right. Good. I'm ok. I'm allright. I won't change a thing in my life because it makes no difference at all. This is so big that no matter what I do it will continue, so I might as well just continue on in my happy American life.
So. What's wrong with this picture? I know it's a true picture, because I know it described me as recently as two years ago. Well, I'll tell you what's wrong with this picture. It's a fallacy to think that we can't make change happen just by doing small things in our lives. And that is one of the goals of Looking for Starfish. Let me bring you along with me on my journey. Come along as I discover that by changing my life and getting only just a little bit out of my comfort zone, I can make powerful changes. These changes, made one-by-one, by average Joes just like myself, add up. They add up to POWER! They add up to major shifts in the world atmosphere. The little things done when we work together cause massive force to be applied to a massive situation.
Let me bring you with me to a fourth option:
4. EMPOWERED!!!!
Ok, you say, I'm game, what CAN be done? Actually, there are quite a few things that can be done by people like you and me. (Stay with me here, I promise it's not hard.)
1. You can pray. I am Christian and I believe that God listens to people and change does actually happen because people pray. I know, it's not logical, but I've seen it happen time and time again. I believe that God listens to each person when they pray. Even if you're an atheist and don't believe in God, if you put this out there, the idea that you want this situation to change, I personally believe that God will hear you. That's some power.
2. You can write letters. OH ACK, you say, no I can't. I don't have time!! Well, wait a minute. It's been made really easy for you. Go on ChainStoreReaction.com. There are prewritten letters to a skadzillion corporations demanding in a very polite fashion that these corporations make changes in their labor policies, that they monitor their vendors for breaches in human rights, and that they have transparency in their supply chain. All you have to do to send letters is fill in your information once and then click away--this can be done on a laptop while watching your favorite TV show. See, easy!
3. You can contribute. I'm not talking about being the next major philanthropic donor to a worthy cause, I'm talking about giving small amounts on a regular basis to an abolition organization. There are many who are doing a great job. I'll list a few right here: Not for Sale, Call and Response, Stop Child Trafficking Now, Hagar Project, Trade as One. If you go Looking for Starfish's website (www.LookingforStarfish.com), you will find links to many other worthy organizations.
4. Consume wisely. I have shopped in consignment stores and have found incredible bargains. I found designer shoes for $20.00 which were essentially brand new. There are places to buy things such as a store I found off Union Square in San Francisco called a Miner Miracle. This is a non-profit store that carries designer duds which have been donated for the purpose of helping women get off the street or out of foster care and into employment. Do the best you can not to buy things from countries known to exploit human labor. Do buy items from survivors of slavery. See HagarProject.org or MadebySurvivors.com.
5. Talk about it with people. Chat on Facebook. Research it on the web and share links on your FB status.
6. There is a national hotline run by Polaris Project. If you even remotely suspect forced labor or sex trafficking (because it exists in our own neighborhoods, believe me!!), call 888-373-7888. And as David Batstone, the co-founder of Not for Sale, says, "Don't be a stupid abolitionist." Don't be jumpin' into situations you know nothin' about! Call the hotline. They know how to deal with these things: there could be a sting operation already in effect. It is very important to report suspected human trafficking and it is important not to be stupid. It's difficult to convict traffickers, so let the experts do what they know how to do and you and I need to just keep our eyes open and be aware.
Well, that might be enough empowerment for today. Stay tuned at Looking for Starfish, though, because that's what we're all about. Follow the blog for more ideas at LookingforStarfish.blogspot.com. God is good and He is on our side. Can't go wrong there.
Lastly, keep up the conversation with us, here at Looking for Starfish. We love to hear from you.
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