Does knowing where a shirt comes from affect your decision to buy it? A handful of brands and retailers are emphasizing transparent production in their brand identity to appeal to conscious consumers. Clothing brand <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Small-Trades/204526832909942" target="_blank" target="_blank">Small Trades</a> gets its shirts from Mohnton Knitting Mills in Pennsylvania, a family-owned business in operation since 1906.
Transparent fashion: The making of a shirt —
Does knowing where a shirt comes from affect your decision to buy it? A handful of brands and retailers are emphasizing transparent production in their brand identity to appeal to conscious consumers. Clothing brand Small Trades gets its shirts from Mohnton Knitting Mills in Pennsylvania, a family-owned business in operation since 1906.
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Small Trades founder Robin Weiss visited Mohnton Knitting Mills in August with Maxine Bédat and Soraya Darabi, co-founders of online shopping boutique <a href="https://twitter.com/Zady" target="_blank" target="_blank">Zady</a>, which is going to carry Small Trades' knit shirts. The factory visit is part of the vetting process for Zady, which guarantees that each brand featured on its site meets certain criteria for ethical production.
Transparent fashion: The making of a shirt —
Small Trades founder Robin Weiss visited Mohnton Knitting Mills in August with Maxine Bédat and Soraya Darabi, co-founders of online shopping boutique Zady, which is going to carry Small Trades' knit shirts. The factory visit is part of the vetting process for Zady, which guarantees that each brand featured on its site meets certain criteria for ethical production.
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Mohnton Knitting Mills has its own knitting factory where it turns combed cotton ring-spun yarn into thermal cloth, waffle stitch cloth and jersey cloth on circular knitting machines. "We're good at what we do," says Gary Pleam, fifth-generation owner of the mill.
Transparent fashion: The making of a shirt —
Mohnton Knitting Mills has its own knitting factory where it turns combed cotton ring-spun yarn into thermal cloth, waffle stitch cloth and jersey cloth on circular knitting machines. "We're good at what we do," says Gary Pleam, fifth-generation owner of the mill.
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Dick Raihl has worked on and off for Mohnton Knitting Mills since the 1960s. He oversees the knitting factory. After the fabric is knitted, it goes to an independent processing company about 30 minutes away, in Shoemakersville, to be washed and scoured.
Transparent fashion: The making of a shirt —
Dick Raihl has worked on and off for Mohnton Knitting Mills since the 1960s. He oversees the knitting factory. After the fabric is knitted, it goes to an independent processing company about 30 minutes away, in Shoemakersville, to be washed and scoured.
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After the fabric returns from the processing plant, it goes to the cutting room to be cut into various patterns.
Transparent fashion: The making of a shirt —
After the fabric returns from the processing plant, it goes to the cutting room to be cut into various patterns.
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Adnan Azar is a machinist by trade who became a pattern maker so he could get a job. Aside from finding new clients, the biggest hindrance to expanding Mohnton Knitting Mills is finding skilled labor willing to do jobs that aren't "sexy," owner Gary Pleam says.
Transparent fashion: The making of a shirt —
Adnan Azar is a machinist by trade who became a pattern maker so he could get a job. Aside from finding new clients, the biggest hindrance to expanding Mohnton Knitting Mills is finding skilled labor willing to do jobs that aren't "sexy," owner Gary Pleam says.
emanuella grinberg/cnn
Beverley Deysher, 64, has worked at Mohnton Knitting Mills since she was 18. She started out putting elastic waistbands in underwear and now supervises the sewing floor.
Transparent fashion: The making of a shirt —
Beverley Deysher, 64, has worked at Mohnton Knitting Mills since she was 18. She started out putting elastic waistbands in underwear and now supervises the sewing floor.
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Much has changed since Deysher and Wendy Leffler, pictured, started at the factory decades ago. The factory employed about 70 people when Deysher started in the late 1960s. Now, it employes about 20 part time and full time.
Transparent fashion: The making of a shirt —
Much has changed since Deysher and Wendy Leffler, pictured, started at the factory decades ago. The factory employed about 70 people when Deysher started in the late 1960s. Now, it employes about 20 part time and full time.
Benjamin Lowy/Getty Images for CNN
To stay open, Mohnton Knitting Mills had to lay off most of its staff over the years and cut benefits for remaining employes. Owner Gary Pleam says 1998 "was the last good year." The company also has streamlined operations to target boutique clients like Small Trades, whose edited collection of striped T-shirts and dresses ranges from $50 to $80.
Transparent fashion: The making of a shirt —
To stay open, Mohnton Knitting Mills had to lay off most of its staff over the years and cut benefits for remaining employes. Owner Gary Pleam says 1998 "was the last good year." The company also has streamlined operations to target boutique clients like Small Trades, whose edited collection of striped T-shirts and dresses ranges from $50 to $80.
Benjamin Lowy/Getty Images for CNN