Can your socks change the world?

I believe that dressing well can help make you a better person. But what if dressing well could also help make the world a better place? We all spend money on clothes, but what if part of that money went to a good cause?

Image courtesy Conscious Step

Image courtesy Conscious Step

That’s what the guys at Conscious Step are trying to do. Just last year, they saw the trend in fun socks as an opportunity to spread awareness and make positive change. They took the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to heart and started selling socks. They partnered with a number of non-profits with the goals of fighting poverty, protecting the environment, improving education and tackling HIV/AIDS. Each pair of socks – 4 designs in total – is connected with its own charity, as identified by the little emblem. Conscious Step tells me that roughly 40% of their profits go directly to each organization.

I was intrigued by this story when one of the company’s founders, Hassan Ahmad contacted me. He offered me a pair of socks to review for free but I declined and bought a pair instead. It felt rather shameful to not dish out $15 when we’re talking about a socially conscious business, not a multinational clothing company. But selecting the socks was trickier than I’d imagined because that’s when style comes in to play. For example, I may want to support Action Against Hunger, but the pink argyle pattern doesn’t really work for me. So instead I looked at which pair of socks would fit best my wardrobe.

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I settled on these mustard and navy socks that raise money for Room to Read – my purchase means two schoolbooks are donated to children in Asia. The socks themselves are excellent. They feel substantial, with reinforced heels and toes. They are nicely cushy and warm. The only drawback is that they are calf-length, as I prefer over-the calf. But hey, having to use sock garters is not a hardship when you consider the issues at hand. (Or at foot?)

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There was another issue I was curious about when I first encountered Conscious Step. Their goals are commendable, their partners worthy of support and their socks high quality, but where and how are they made? Thankfully, the guys at Conscious Step have tried to insure even the manufacture lives up to their standards of integrity and fairness. The socks are made in India of organic cotton. The factory does not allow child labour, pays for overtime and believes in freedom of association for their workers. The guys from Conscious Step have even been there to check all this out for themselves:

There is a lesson here that goes beyond Conscious Step socks, and it is about being aware of all our shopping choices. Consider, for instance, when a piece of clothes is so cheap, it seems too good to be true. Where is that savings coming from? The profits of the company selling them? Of course not. Most likely the workers are paid next to nothing to work in appalling conditions. It is up to us, as consumers, to stop the demand for clothes that are too cheap. If we are willing to spend a bit more, when we have the chance, knowing that workers are being treated and paid fairly, we at least set an example. The hope is that with more awareness, equitable work environments can be attained all around the world.

So I commend Conscious Step, not only for their vision but how judicious they have been with their process. Their socks are available on the Conscious Step website and at Pipler Accessories in Cabbagetown.