Jeans have long been seen as the uniform of freedom. But if freedom is what we're selling, what's the truth behind the people making them?
In this solo episode, Andrew looks at two global scorecards, one for freedom and one for happiness, across the 11 countries that produce most of the world's denim. The results aren't comfortable. China ranks third worst in the world for freedom. Egypt is eighth worst. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, all near the bottom. And most of these countries also rank in the bottom half for happiness.
Factories full of low spirits, making clothes that claim to represent self-expression.
Andrew asks: Can a product symbolize freedom if the people who make it aren't free? When factories move to cheaper countries, does freedom move with them or just the profit margins? And at what point does outsourcing start to look like making jeans in a prison?
This isn't about guilt. It's about awareness. If jeans are going to mean something, maybe we need to start asking who made them and what kind of life they're living.
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