A Timeline ofCSR & Clothes

What You Need to Know

HistoryIn the late 1990’s Nike brought CSR within the apparel industry to the

national spotlight

With profits of over $800 million, they were paying workers < $10/hour providing sweat shop conditions

Bill Clinton founded the Apparel Industry Partnership (AIP), the first organization

dedicated to improving CSR in the apparel industry

Apparel companies such as Nike and Reebok started to emphasize ethical

sourcing, and required their manufacturers to meet certain standards

History

TodayMost major developed countries have

laws in place that deter child labor and poor working conditions, though they

can still be found in many places

The focus of CSR within the apparel industry has moved from being

retroactive to proactive

TodayToday’s more conscious consumer has

forced companies to start CSR initiatives, from Timberland completely recyclable boots to TOM’s One for One

program

Companies see opportunities in “green” products, which has led us to

be very wary of “green-washing”

TodayGreen-washing occurs when companies use words such as “organic” or “natural” make products appear more earth friendly than

they actually are

This has blurred the lines between companies who are sincere in their efforts

and those just interested in increasing profits, making the consumer’s job as hard

as ever

FutureIn the future CSR will be viewed as a product, one that will be “franchised” throughout the different regions that a

company has a presence

This allows a company to build a system of CSR within their brand that can easily be implemented into new

markets

Helpful Links1. https://fashionwithaheart.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/300/2. http://causecapitalism.com/csr-10-in-10-years/3. http://www.csrwire.com/blog/posts/1350-franchising-csr-the-future-of-corporate-

social-responsibility