Ethical Clothing Australia looks out for workers and creators

Want to know your clothes were made with care and passion in a good environment? Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA) does too!

ECA exists to ensure clothing and footwear brands in Australia are complying with ethical standards. The organisation aims to have work conditions, in both factory and home situations, up to scratch.

This includes looking at factors such as health and safety, realistic deadlines, reasonable working hours, legal rights and entitlements. Basically, it's making sure these workers have a voice, are feeling looked after and understand their rights.

ECA offers advice and sees the benefit in a multi-stakeholder approach, transparency of the supply chain, and accountability through independent audits.

When designers and manufacturers become accredited through this voluntary system, it means they follow these practices.

There are a number of brands already accredited, across all avenues, whether that's fashion, baby wear, outdoors and adventure clothes, uniforms for school or work, shoes and accessories.

Many brands are Australian owned, operated and made - such as Cue. A fashion store for women, this is the place to go for cutting edge chic looks that are inspired by the latest trends from London. They keep their items top of the line, tailored and trendy.

Baxter Boots has been making handcrafted boots for Australians since 1850. These boots have a reputation for being beautiful shoes that last. They offer a range of styles from something for work, to something that will help you channel your inner cowboy.

Puma is a worldwide brand that does all kinds of sports gear for women and men. It has a history of making designs for the fastest and best athletes across all areas, including running, soccer, golf and motorsports. 

ECA is aiming for a better industry by supporting local businesses and reducing exploitation.

Their values of sustainability and accountability extend to their postcards, which are printed with environmentally friendly materials.

The colours of the design, as well as the dotted lines and flowing material, comes directly from the ECA brand. These elements help to portray the brand's values of freedom and organisation.

There is a lot of information on the back of the postcard in clean boxes. The eye-catching slogan, 'Made the right way' pops out in white boxes against the blue background. This could also refer to the postcards themselves, which are printed with vegetable based ink and 350gsm EcoStar paper which is 100 per cent recycled.

You'll find more information about the company, the clothing brands and printing, on the website: www.ethicalclothingaustralia.org.au

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