First Coffee, Now Fashion: Apparel Brands Seek Fair Trade Certification Despite Challenges

The same people who stirred a bit of morality into your morning cup of joe want to get into your overstuffed closet, too. Fair Trade USA, a nonprofit organization that certifies that goods made in developing countries meet certain standards related to wages and environmental impact, is several years into an effort to bring its standards to the clothing industry. The effort began quietly, but has recently started to gain momentum. Just a few weeks ago, Patagonia pledged to launch a Fair Trade certified line of yoga apparel.