I just discovered Nordwolle thanks to “Lage der Nation” (https://chaos.social/@lagedernation) ! Production is only on-demand to avoid over-production, so it might take several weeks before your order arrives.
They are situated in north-east Germany, where I lived as kid for a long time, which is a region struggling with infrastructure and far-right tendencies.
Nordwolle is a light house of compassion and democratic values in the area! They predominantly employ refugees, make sure they earn a livable wage (16€/h + bonuses), and help with all the bureaucratic nonsense.
Also their clothes are way more expensive than child labour wares.
Quality is ok though. But who can afford a 200 Euro jacket?
Everyone if capitalism wasn’t race to the bottom. A jacket for 30 € is only possible because there are people being paid a fraction of the price as wage.
Paying people a livable wage (16€/h + bonuses according to the owner) has it’s price.
I rather buy one expensive, but ethical, durable, and European piece of clothing, than 5 or 10 fast fashion pieces that fall apart after the first wash.
A middle ground exists.
This. Rather buy one 200 euro jacket that lasts 5+ years, if not longer than one 30 euro jacket that last 6 months.
People buy oversized cars all the time over here in Germany, and half of the population is running around in 200 euro outdoor jackets.
The answer is: A lot of people can, and they do.