Is it more ethical to just buy expensive clothes and avoid low-cost high street brands?

Retailers must pay suppliers a price that allows them to pay workers a wage they can afford to live on, and there is clearly a level at which low prices are likely to negatively impact on workers. But it would be too simplistic to say all cheap clothes are necessarily ‘bad for workers', just as it would be to say that more expensive clothes are ‘good for workers'. A low cost high street retailer that sells large quantities of stock may well have strong relationships with their suppliers and have worked with them to raise working conditions. It is also worth noting that embellished work on both inexpensive and expensive garments can be from the hand of the same highly skilled artisan. Much of this sourcing information is not in the public domain, which can pose challenges for consumers wanting to shop ethically. But we encourage consumers to engage with their favourite brands and ask them what they are doing to improve working conditions in their supply chains.