If, like me, you’re spending more time scrolling on your phone than usual, you may find yourself being targeted by fast fashion brands and bombarded by celebrities suggesting that we invest in a slogan T-shirt, with “100 per cent of profits” going to healthcare workers.

Not only does this mean that we’ll have a fresh "Lockdown Lewk" to show off on Instagram, it also means we’re able to exhibit just how well we’re sticking to government guidelines by staying indoors, and we’re letting people know that we’ve donated our precious cash to a good cause. Sounds like we’ve won the hat-trick, right?

Not so much. There’s much more to unpack here.

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First off, most of these T-shirts are produced by fast fashion brands. Many fast fashion companies are run by billionaires who have proven time and again that they prioritise their fellow people at the top while consistently failing to pay their workers a living wage.

This has come into sharp focus even more since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Since the beginning of lockdowns, global brands have been cancelling orders and abandoning factory workers in a time of dire need. According to the Bangladeshi and Garment Exporters Association, more than one million Bangladeshi garment workers have been sent home without pay, after brands cancelled £2.4bn of existing orders in the wake of the crisis. For context: there are around four million garment workers in Bangladesh, many of whom are set to lose their jobs.⁣⁣

What’s more, the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, meaning the production line directly contributes to the climate crisis. Most charity T-shirts on the market are made from cotton. These require many precious resources like water and soil, not to mention thousands of air-miles, to make it from the field to our doorstep and eventually adorn our torsos.

The unsettling truth about this pandemic is that it’s not the “great equaliser” Madonna described it as. It’s the most vulnerable that will suffer the most — and that applies to the fashion supply chain, too. ⁣⁣When we buy a T-shirt, those people, not style, should be at the forefront of our minds.

We may be raising valuable money for healthcare workers, but we’re simultaneously putting the lives of the people who make our clothes at risk. This puts extra pressure on healthcare workers in other parts of the world, so we’re thereby contributing to a never-improving system.

And, the last time I checked, fashion wasn’t an essential item.

T-shirt activism shouldn’t be a substitute for actually doing the work and supporting charities long-term

Of course, we don’t have to forgo charity T-shirts altogether — there’s no doubt they can be beneficial to a cause — but only if manufactured in a way that doesn’t cause direct harm to others and the planet in the process.

One person who did it the right way (I should point out, before we went into lockdown) was illustrator and disability activist Mimi Butlin. She collaborated with disability charity Leonard Cheshire. Together, they created a ‘Disabled Looks Like Me’ T-shirt in order to: “Raise awareness of invisible disabilities and break down stereotypes of what ‘disabled’ looks like.”

Butlin told me: “As someone with an invisible disability I am aware of my privileges in it, but it also comes with its own set of challenges, often with many of us not having the severity of our conditions taken seriously by the government, medical industry and society in general. It’s also about reclaiming the word ‘disabled,’ because it's not a bad word and it’s not something to be ashamed of.”

Together, they felt concerned about the waste element involved in creating a T-shirt, so they decided to use 100 per cent Fair Wear foundation Organic Cotton and partnered with Everpress to minimise waste, only making what they sold.

Shape Created with Sketch. Coronavirus: London on lockdown Show all 29 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Coronavirus: London on lockdown 1/29 A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street Photos Angela Christofilou 2/29 Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread Angela Christofilou 3/29 An empty street in the heart of Chinatown Angela Christofilou 4/29 People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown Angela Christofilou 5/29 A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown Angela Christofilou 6/29 Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance Angela Christofilou 7/29 A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus Angela Christofilou 8/29 Making sure I stay two-meters apart – D’Arblay Street, Soho Angela Christofilou 9/29 A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice Angela Christofilou 10/29 A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden Angela Christofilou 11/29 As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street Angela Christofilou 12/29 A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area Angela Christofilou 13/29 Communities have been coming together in a time of need Angela Christofilou 14/29 A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day Angela Christofilou 15/29 A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced Angela Christofilou 16/29 During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown Angela Christofilou 17/29 Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time Angela Christofilou 18/29 ‘Stay Safe’ – Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures Angela Christofilou 19/29 Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown Angela Christofilou 20/29 Camden High Street There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops Angela Christofilou 21/29 Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day Angela Christofilou 22/29 Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up Angela Christofilou 23/29 Empty streets around Soho Angela Christofilou 24/29 A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home Angela Christofilou 25/29 Camden High Street, one of London’s busiest tourist streets turns quiet Angela Christofilou 26/29 Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak Angela Christofilou 27/29 Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced Angela Christofilou 28/29 A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road Angela Christofilou 29/29 A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub Angela Christofilou 1/29 A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street Photos Angela Christofilou 2/29 Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread Angela Christofilou 3/29 An empty street in the heart of Chinatown Angela Christofilou 4/29 People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown Angela Christofilou 5/29 A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown Angela Christofilou 6/29 Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance Angela Christofilou 7/29 A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus Angela Christofilou 8/29 Making sure I stay two-meters apart – D’Arblay Street, Soho Angela Christofilou 9/29 A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice Angela Christofilou 10/29 A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden Angela Christofilou 11/29 As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street Angela Christofilou 12/29 A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area Angela Christofilou 13/29 Communities have been coming together in a time of need Angela Christofilou 14/29 A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day Angela Christofilou 15/29 A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced Angela Christofilou 16/29 During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown Angela Christofilou 17/29 Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time Angela Christofilou 18/29 ‘Stay Safe’ – Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures Angela Christofilou 19/29 Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown Angela Christofilou 20/29 Camden High Street There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops Angela Christofilou 21/29 Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day Angela Christofilou 22/29 Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up Angela Christofilou 23/29 Empty streets around Soho Angela Christofilou 24/29 A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home Angela Christofilou 25/29 Camden High Street, one of London’s busiest tourist streets turns quiet Angela Christofilou 26/29 Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak Angela Christofilou 27/29 Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced Angela Christofilou 28/29 A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road Angela Christofilou 29/29 A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub Angela Christofilou

Butlin notably points out that: “T-shirt activism shouldn’t be a substitute for actually doing the work and supporting the charities or causes long-term. It shouldn’t be the ‘good deed’ these large companies tick off to make themselves look better, which sadly I feel it often is.”

If you absolutely love a slogan T-shirt and you know you’ll wear it for years, whether or not you click ‘buy’ is obviously your decision, but in a time of a global health crisis, do we really need a T-shirt to make a statement?

If you really want a slogan on your tee, why not customise an existing top and donate directly to your chosen charity instead? It’s not as if we’re short on time. No more excuses: we must consider the entire supply chain and rally for the rights of the people making our clothes — now, more than ever.

Source: Independent

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