Meaningful Purchase - February - del forte denim

Jeans. Could there be a more difficult-to-shop-for wardrobe staple? Well it becomes even more difficult when you try to find jeans that weren't made in a Chinese sweatshop. I think this is why for so long, I just didn't bother. I have been aware of the problem of sweatshops in the denim industry for a long time. In fact, there is an image from a PBS documentary that, ever since I first saw it, I have not been able to get out of my head. These beautiful girls use clothespins to keep their eyelids open so they can work extremely long hours without falling asleep making the jeans that I buy without even blinking - many of which I don't even wear and instead keep piled up in the back of my closet. I simply can't support this any more. There is a store in my city that sells fair trade denim, but none of their styles fit me right. So, I started looking online. Now, let me be clear. Fair trade, sweatshop free, organic denim is not cheap. If there's one thing I've discovered since starting this blog, it's that shopping with a conscience is not easy, especially on your bank account. (Which is why one of my larger goals is to buy less, way less.) Since these jeans are an investment that I hope will last a long time, I was looking for a pair that were classic straight and easy fitting, nothing with a low rise or skinny leg. Well, mission accomplished! These jeans are made by Del Forte Denim. They fit exactly how I wanted them to: relaxed and easy. And I really like the deep indigo color of the wash.
I bought them from Nancy's Gone Green, which is a great little online boutique that sells new and vintage eco-friendly clothing and accessories.
They were a little too long, so I had them tailored and viola! Jeans I can wear and feel good about on the outside and the inside. Finally.