Plenty of fashion brands call themselves fair, but a label that ensures fairness from the cotton field to your hanger hasn't been on the shelves... until now.

Just in time for the holidays, Fair Trade USA (formerly TransFair USA), the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States, announces that a full range of Fair Trade Certified™ clothing items are now available in the United States as part of a two-year pilot test.

This isn't hippie fashion. Fair Trade is runway ready with great looks like celebrity-designed Fair Trade Certified™ graphic tees by Project Runway's Korto Momolu and the up-and-coming fashion house Bacca da Silva from Liberty & Justice

"Maybe you've already had a green makeover, but ethical fashion is about more than just protecting the environment. It's about people, and 'fair' is just a knock-off without third-party certification to deliver the proof," said Heather Franzese, Senior Manager of Apparel and Linens. "With the Fair Trade Certified™ label, consumers can now be confident that cotton farmers and factory workers earn more and have safe working conditions, the environment was protected, and the people who made the high-quality product can look forward to brighter futures."

Before now there was no easy way for American consumers to walk into a store and choose an ethical tee over one made abroad in a sweatshop. Fair Trade USA's Fair Trade Certified label changes that as it helps consumers and companies create jobs and sustainable livelihoods for garment workers and cotton farmers in India, Latin America and Africa:

  • Consumers, for the first time, can vote with their dollars for better factory working conditions by choosing Fair Trade Certified apparel.
  • Factory workers receive direct economic benefits through a Fair Trade premium, between one and 10 percent of the cost of the garment, potentially doubling their earnings on a per-product basis.
  • Workers have a voice in the workplace through grievance channels, protection for freedom of association, and rights training.
  • Cotton farmers receive a guaranteed minimum price to protect them from price fluctuations as well as community investment premiums on every pound of cotton.

To find a large range of ethical fashion and accessories check out the marketplace at www.ethicalcommunity.com