Episode 77: The Exciting History of the ILGWU (featuring Alex of St. Evens)

Clotheshorse all-star Alex of St. Evens is back today to talk about the exciting history of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, also known as the ILGWU. We’ll talk about the history of garment work, how unions changed it, and how our clothes are made today.   We’ll also take some detours to Sex and the City and Costco. And we’ll also talk about why you YES YOU should care about clothing!

Read Alex's Vintage Detective column about the ILGWU at Clotheshorse.world!

Alex's extra credit reading recommendations:
Liberated Threads : Black Women, Style, and the Global Politics of Soul by Tanisha C. Ford

Fighting for the Union Label : The Women's Garment Industry and the ILGWU in Pennsylvania by Nicole H. Wolensky, Kenneth C. Wolensky, Robert P. Wolensky

How to Kill a City : Gentrification, Inequality, and the Fight for the Neighborhood by P.E. Moskowitz and Peter Moskowitz

Watch some ILGWU television commercials!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Lg4gGk53iY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO7VUklDlQw

Participate in the #UyghurLivesMatter challenge!
★Every day for the next week, tweet at FIVE major global brands each day...or comment on the instagrams of five major brands:  "What are you doing to ensure there is no Uyghur forced labor in your supply chain?” followed by #uyghurlivesmatter.

Please take a moment to fill out the Clotheshorse IRL survey!

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Clotheshorse is brought to you with support from the following sustainable brands:

Selina Sanders, a social impact brand that specializes in up-cycled clothing, using only reclaimed, vintage or thrifted materials: from tea towels, linens, blankets and quilts.  Sustainably crafted in Los Angeles, each piece is designed to last in one's closet for generations to come.  Maximum Style; Minimal Carbon Footprint

Salt Hats:  purveyors of truly sustainable hats. Hand blocked, sewn and embellished in Detroit, Michigan.

Gentle Vibes:  We are purveyors of polyester and psychedelic relics! We encourage experimentation and play not only in your wardrobe, but in your home, too. We have thousands of killer vintage pieces ready for their next adventure! 

Picnicwear: a slow fashion brand made by hand in NYC from vintage and deadstock textiles. Picnicwear strives for minimal waste but maximum authenticity; Future Vintage over future garbage!

Shift Clothing, out of beautiful Astoria, Oregon, with a focus on natural fibers, simple hardworking designs, and putting fat people first.  Discover more at shiftwheeler.com

No Flight Back Vintage:  bringing fun, new life to old things.  Always using recycled and secondhand materials to make dope ass shit for dope ass people.  See more on instagram @noflightbackvintage

Late to the Party, creating one of a kind statement clothing from vintage, salvaged and thrifted textiles. They hope to tap into the dreamy memories we all hold: floral curtains, a childhood dress, the wallpaper in your best friend’s rec room, all while creating modern sustainable garments that you'll love wearing and have for years to come. Late to the Party is passionate about celebrating and preserving textiles, the memories they hold, and the stories they have yet to tell. Check them out on Instagram!

Vino Vintage, based just outside of LA.  We love the hunt of shopping secondhand because you never know what you might find! And catch us at flea markets around Southern California by following us on instagram @vino.vintage so you don’t miss our next event! 

Shop Journal: Specializing in upcycled, handmade, and vintage fashion for all genders. Owner Laura Cerri makes each piece by hand with love in Pittsburgh, PA. With an emphasis on upcycled menswear, tie-dye, modern jewelry, cottage core collars and everything in-between, Shop Journal makes pieces they love and hopes you will, too. Getting dressed should always be fun! See more on instagram @shop_journal

Old Flame Mending helps you keep your clothes intact through clothing repair, visible mending, and tailoring. Through extending the life of textiles, Old Flame Mending makes your pieces not only wearable and functional again, but also unique and beautiful. This mending duo is based in Pittsburgh, but they take mail in mending orders ...