Make A Statement: Ideas For Socially Responsible Clothing Accessories
Never before in history have there been so many people aware of the environment and as a result, today’s consumer seeks out socially responsible brands to deal with.
Whether you are a clothing accessory designer or a home builder, the surest way to grow your customer base is to promote social responsibility within your business practices. If you are a designer of fashion accessories, here are some ideas to promote social responsibility through your product line.
Use Organic Fabrics and Materials
When designing such clothing accessories as scarves, gloves, hats or jewelry, the best way to make a social statement is to use organic materials for the finished product. You can promote this as part of your brand and even make it a mission statement. Remember that such things as bamboo, cotton, wood, and silk are biodegradable and therefore speak for themselves as being sustainable. While you might need to charge a bit more for organic and sustainable products, your audience will be willing to pay a bit more because they are just as intent on making a social statement as you are!
Promote Sustainability Within Your Company’s Operations
Social responsibility takes on a huge area of focus. It entails being aware of everything that has life and breath has value. This means that you must create the entire package. Only use sustainable fuels in powering your manufacturing plant and be aware of the waste you create. Use that waste in production wherever possible. Instead of trashing those wood shavings, learn to compress them to be used in recycled wooden beads or buttons. It’s amazing just how creative you can get and as a designer, you are already ahead of the game. You can ‘see’ things other professionals can’t envision and that puts you at the head of the class.
Design Lapel Pins and Buttons with a Social Message
When doing such things as designing custom pins, you might even want to create a line that speaks of environmental issues. Promote social awareness in any way you can but remember, today’s consumer is savvier than ever before so they will spot a fraud from a mile away. If you don’t carry over into your practices what you are promoting through your line of clothing accessories, you will eventually be found out and probably publicly humiliated.
Avoid Sweatshop Production
Many of today’s companies outsource work to third world countries that use what amounts to slave labor to manufacture their merchandise. This can work against you if you are promoting social responsibility because the issue is greater than our environmental impact. Being socially responsible also means that we recognize the value of human life. As mentioned above, consumers will quickly see your efforts as a marketing ploy if you don’t carry that awareness throughout all your business undertakings. If you think that they will never know where your clothing accessories are being manufactured, it’s time to think again. Millennials are especially conscious of things like this and they will do the digging. You can count on that.
The bottom line is that socially responsible products begin, like anything else, at home. Don’t be the parent who tells their children to do as they say, not as they do. Be that guiding light that lives the message they are promoting. Authenticity is huge in today’s marketplace and that’s the message you need to hear. You are obviously someone who cares about being responsible for your actions, so let these ideas sink in. If you want to make a statement with socially responsible clothing accessories, it’s up to you to be that statement. Everything else will fall into place.
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