Getting Dressed in the Dark: Understanding The True Cost

Ten years ago, I had a breakdown in a dressing room at the mall. I needed to buy my first suit for a new job with a leading anti-slavery organization. Oh, the irony. Bangladesh, India, Guatemala, Vietnam. I knew the likelihood of forced labor, low-wages, and zero possibility for something besides garment factory work for the people who made the clothing I was trying on. But what choice did I have? Spend hours sorting through racks at Goodwill? Spend my entire budget on one fair trade piece? Like most middle class Americans, I had neither time nor money. I needed to ignore the origins of my new clothing, pay the grossly, inflated retail price, and suit up for my social justice job. It felt like hypocrisy. It felt like I had no other option.

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Julie is passionate about telling the story of where business meets good. She is the Founder of B Storytelling, a content development company specifically designed to help popularize the good happening through business. They do this by helping Benefit Corporations and other social enterprises identify, build and leverage their brands. Julie has an MBA in Managing for Sustainability from Marlboro Graduate School. She lives in West Palm Beach, Florida with her husband, Thomas.