An Open Email To T.J. Maxx Re: Selling Products Known To Cause Cancer, Birth Defects, Reproductive Harm...

(An Open Email To Retailer T.J. Maxx Re:
Selling Products Known To Cause Cancer, Birth Defects and/or Reproductive Harm:)

Dear T.J. Maxx:

First, let me say this: "I Love Shopping at T.J. Maxx!".

That said, I'd also like to add:

"WHY does T.J. Maxx sell any products that include the following warning:

"WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm."?

Er, Hello?  If something's 'known to cause cancer AND birth defects OR other reproductive harm' in the State of California, you can bank on the fact that it's going to cause those same life-threatening health risks in the other 49 states.

So, I must ask you: WHY are you stocking them on T.J. Maxx's shelves and on the T.J. Maxx website?

There are more than enough items available that do not contain potentially lethal chemicals in them to fill those places.

Please Note: Including the Prop. 65 Warning does NOT relieve T.J. Maxx's of any responsibility if those items acknowledged to be toxic are purchased from T.J. Maxx and then, God forbid, cause cancer, birth defects and/or other reproductive harm in your customers.

Especially, if those poor souls don't live in California and, therefore, aren't even offered the warning about the potentially life-threatening dangers contained within them.

For Example: I was going to buy a pair of Betsey Johnson sunglasses from the T.J. Maxx website (see image above) - until I (thankfully) saw that warning. The thought that - had I not seen or been presented with that warning - I'd have bought the sunglasses and worn them on my face is horrifying!

(*Please know that I'm not excusing Betsey Johnson, nor whomever is in charge of licensing her name, nor any other company or celebrity who allows these sorts of (unnecessarily) toxic products to be produced in their names... and purely for additional profit.)

To me, this all comes down to taking Personal Responsibility for your personal and business decisions/actions as well as for the good (or the harm) that you cause to other people, living things and/or to the World because of them.

I look forward to hearing from you and I'm sincerely interested in hearing your honest response to my inquiry..

Thank you very much!

The Fashion Racket Is A Rip-Off or Why I Only Buy US or EU-Made

The Following is a Yelp review that I just posted.  It's on the Theory clothing store (Maiden Ln.) page, but it could just as easily be on Betsey Johnson's page or Elie Tahari's or St. John's or Calvin Klein's or on any/all big name fashion house pages.  (*Please see helpful links at the bottom.)

"Made (Not Just "Designed") In USA" Matters!

"Full Disclosure: My review concerns the quality - or lack thereof - of "Theory" clothing, not the store.  I'm sure the shop is lovely: it's on (high-rent) Maiden Lane.

"Theory" is a fairly pricey, off-the-rack (it's fairly mass-produced) clothing line.  It always has been and remains so.  And, I wouldn't have a problem with that IF the quality of the materials/fabrics and the quality of the workmanship were still... well, Quality.

Please Note: "Theory" clothing used to be manufactured in the United States of America - specifically in New York City!  Theory CEO Andrew Rosin was crowing about this fact in interviews as recently as 2012.

In Case You Missed It: If you remember, not that long ago, most of your favorite clothing lines were manufactured in the USA or somewhere in Europe.  And, there was a standard of quality that buyers could rely upon: predominately natural fabrics/textiles that felt substantial/didn't feel "cheap"; clothes were often lined, any visible stitching was even and unbroken/patterns were lined-up; and the clothes lasted.

Today, if you look at the labels of most - if not all - of your favorite higher-end clothing lines (including Theory), they all say (with rare exceptions) "Made In China".  And, even THAT might not be a problem IF it weren't for the fact that - across the board - the quality of the materials/fabrics and the quality of the workmanship of the clothing produced under these labels have all gone down the toilet!

But, the thing that really pisses me off - and should piss You off, too - is that we're all still paying the kinds of prices we were paying when the clothes were "Made In USA" or "Made In France" or "Made In Italy" and they actually looked and felt like it.  Hell, even mall-store brands were being manufactured on either side of the pond!

As I said, the problem isn't just with Theory - it's virtually all fashion magazine- and runway OTR-level labels (Betsey Johnson, Elie Tahari, St. John, Calvin Klein, etc.. Levi-Strauss from China is abominable.)

The Problem: They're ripping you and I and everyone off:  We're still paying premium prices and they're giving us garbage.  And, we (well... you. I boycott "Made In China"/ only buy "Made in USA" or UK) just keep taking whatever crappy scraps they deign to give us.

Also worth noting: The sea of plastic and "pleather" footwear that has replaced leather uppers and leather-soled shoes/boots is impractical, tragic and environmentally-toxic (now, often promoted as "VEGAN", but at same price point as before).

Many of those clothing labels/companies were making millions of dollars, before.  Now that they've moved manufacturing to China, many are raking in billions of dollars.  And, still, they expect us to keep giving them our hard-earned money for crap-quality clothing?

I - for one - am sick of it.  And, I hope you are, too!

I'm not giving them my money anymore."

"Made In USA" Matters Helpful Links:

1.) THE AMERICAN LIST: A guide to great things still made in the U.S.A.

2.) 35 Fair Trade and Ethical Clothing Companies

Betsey Johnson?! I Must've Bumped My Head...

Greetings & Salutations, Beautiful People!

I'm not feeling particularly politically or socially outraged at this moment...It's about 12:45am on Monday... Er, No... Make that Tuesday.

So, in lieu of my usual Blog M.O.... Here's something I hope You (or, at least Some of You) Really Like:

A Spectacular BETSEY JOHNSON Black & White Dress!

It is Brand & New/Unworn. I bought two dresses at a Betsey Johnson store recently... Gd, I must've bumped my head or something... And, now that my mental clarity is returning, I've decided to keep one and sell the other.

It's available on my eBay page. Seller ID is: vintage_u_luv.




Cheers!

Peace.

L.