ABSTRACT
For the fashion industry in the early twenty-first century, production means off-shore contractors and subcontractors. Garments are not often made in factories or units owned by the label or company. They are outsourced via various arrangements to contractors who may again subcontract on to another contractor. Within the production phase, the key ethical issues relate to aspects of labour and environmental impact. Knowing the methodology of the industry is crucial in order to appreciate that despite the twenty-four-hour digital nature of the industry communications, there are currently a broad variety of manual skills. Fairness is the starting point in any reflection on work conditions and wages. Female workers often experience sexual and physical harassment and bullying, with little or no recourse. The general public often associates trafficking with women being taken without their permission, across borders, sometimes to work in the sex trade, or as domestic help.
