OUR VALUES
Ethicality
For us, ethicality starts with the people involved in producing our apparel, at all levels of production. We choose brands that show a genuine commitment to ensuring that all of their workers, including factory workers, are treated well.
Integrity Wardrobe partners with brands that:
1. Ensure a living wage in the final stage of production
2. Comply with the following International Labor Organizing (ILO) Principles:
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freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining
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the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour
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the effective abolition of child labour
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the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
3. Are actively working to ensure living wages and ILO Principles throughout their supply chain and are transparent about their current practices and progress towards their goals.
We use a combination of sources to judge ethicality including certifications and labels like Fair Trade International, World Fair Trade Organization, and GOTS and brands' self-reported manufacturing processes, practices, and commitments.
Although we have done a lot of research, we are not experts. We always encourage you to do additional research before actually making a purchase and to let us know what you find!
Sustainability
First, we believe strongly that fashion is not sustainable if it is not ethical.
Any brand that claims to be sustainable but participates in and supports systems that treat human beings as disposable is inherently not.
Second, other than that which you already own, the most sustainable apparel is long-lasting secondhand apparel. Choosing secondhand pieces lessens demand for new apparel which, no matter how minimal, undergoes a production process that almost always has a negative environmental impact.
Third, when it comes to new apparel, we consider sustainable brands to be those that upcycle materials or use plant-based and organic materials that can be more responsibly returned to our Mother Earth from which they come. They generally stay away from synthetic fibers and animal products unless they are certified byproducts or have been upcycled.
Finally, we look for brands that create apparel that is made to last and that encourage their customers to form long-term, intentional relationships with their purchases.
BIPOC-Owned
We live in a racially and ethnically unjust world that is sick with the lie of white supremacy among other forms of oppression. Nearly all fashion brands are dependent upon and profit off of the labor of BIPOC people globally.
However, as a result of racism and colonialism, white-led work, with more access to both monetary and perceived social capital, too often rises to the top, even when it has been appropriated from BIPOC people and cultures. Meanwhile, the voices, creativity, artistry, design, and the heritages of Black and Brown people worldwide are too often silenced or belittled.
It is for these reasons that we are dedicated to showcasing BIPOC designers and founders and their brilliant work. Finally, we will not stand for white-owned brands that claim to be against racial injustice or in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, but that continue to participate in the oppression of BIPOC people around the world without proven efforts to change.
Gender
We believe that gender is socially constructed and that all clothing is genderless, regardless of how it is labeled.
However, we have included gendered categories in our catalog in order to make it easier to navigate for some. We are also working to add a filter for explicitly genderless brands.