Ethical consumerism is growing as the demands for eco-friendly and sustainable products are on the rise. The fashion world is no exception as ethical apparel is readily available to shoppers with various labels such as organic, fair trade certified, union made or made in the USA. However, "ethical" can mean different things to different people. It would be easy to assume that a label is a guarantee that an item of clothing has been completely manufactured under ethical conditions, but that is not always the case. It is good to familiarize yourself with some of the various label options before making a purchase.

One of the newest options for ethical fashion is clothing made under the Fair Trade Certified label. The Fair Trade movement promotes manufacturing goods without the use of forced, child, or prison labor. It promotes fair wages and environmental sustainability. As a result, manufacturers in developing countries are being fairly compensated for their work. This not only helps their immediate families but also improves the economy in their existing communities.

Recently Fair Trade USA, formally Transfair USA, launched a pilot program to bring fairly traded manufactured clothing to the United States. This organization is working with companies that manufacture in developing countries to improve working conditions in these communities. However, there is currently no requirement for living wages or unions for marginalized workers. Additionally, the requirements to become Fair Trade Certified are minimal, meaning that only a portion of the manufactured goods need to be considered fairly traded. This leaves the door open for large companies who regularly manufacture clothing in sweatshops to be able to sell Fair Trade Certified clothing simply because a portion of the goods are considered fairly traded.

An alternative to Fairly Traded is clothing Made in the USA. Local manufacturing standards for USA made products are similar to Fair Trade. Clothing that has been manufactured locally helps to stimulate the economy by keeping dollars circulating within local towns. American production also often positively affects the environment as items have less distance to travel to reach the consumer, thus lowering the carbon footprint. However, a Made in the USA label also does not guarantee against unethical production. Unfortunately, the reality of inner city sweatshops still exists within American borders. In other cases, only parts of the materials are made in America and may have been assembled elsewhere under poor working conditions.

Union Made clothing addresses some of the concerns seen in Fair Trade Certification and Made in the USA apparel. Garment workers who are unionized receive a fair living wage which helps them to support their families. Most Union Made apparel is manufactured locally. In addition, Unions are required by law to support equal opportunity hiring practices and provide employment consideration regardless of gender, age, race or religion. Working conditions are monitored to ensure they comply with health and safety regulations. Furthermore, worker disputes are resolved through union organizations designed to protect workers' rights.

However, Union Made clothing is still a small market and options or styles can be limited. There are also currently no organic options available as the Union label strives to invest in standard regulations for environmentally friendly material.

As we navigate the options of ethical apparel, finding clothing brands that represent the best of fair trade and union made combined can be limited. It can be a challenge to know if the apparel you are buying has been manufactured under truly ethical working conditions. It is important to understand the "ethical" differences between the various labels offered to consumers so that you can make educated buying decisions.