The Race to the Bottom

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"We have to remember no one goes overseas to manufacture their clothing to be altruistic," she says. "They're going overseas for cheap exploitative labor where you can rip someone off, you know? And so I think that we really, really have to put the blame where it belongs here."

Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May.

This week, Katherine asks Aja Barber how we can change the way we buy clothes.

Many of us have an uneasy feeling about the clothes we buy and wear. Although we know that there are ethical issues with their production, few of us understand how to change our behaviour, and make better choices. As a stylist and fashion consultant, Aja makes it her business to understand the whole supply chain, from raw materials to disposal. There are some dark stories to absorb, but there’s also plenty of hope: Aja shows that the change starts with us, and with the joy we find in the garments we love.

We also talk about Aja’s path to the work she does now, and her beautiful practice of getting dressed on Instagram. She can teach us so much about about learning to love our own bodies, and to cherish our old clothes.

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