Ethical Sourcing: Removing the Leaven From Our Business Practices
“Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).
In 1 Corinthians 5:6-7, St. Paul says, “Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened.” As 21st-century Christians in the West, we might see this verse and think St. Paul simply intended it to be a homespun metaphor drawn from daily life.
In fact, its meaning is far deeper for us, especially as businesswomen in America. Before Passover, observant Jews remove all the leaven from their home. Jewish philosophical and educational advocacy organization Chabad explains that as a symbol for pride and arrogance, all yeast needs to be removed to be fully prepared for the Passover, a celebration of freedom and liberation.
The Chabad explainer on removing chametz (leaven) shows that it can be quite a painstaking process. “Eliminating all chametz,” it says, “would also include thoroughly scouring every utensil, pan and pot which were used together with chametz items, to rid them of chametz residue.”
So, we see that when St. Paul urges us to clear out the old yeast, he is being quite serious.
According to numbers from the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Textiles and Apparel, as of earlier this year, nearly 40% of apparel imports come to the U.S. from China, where an estimated 80,000 Uyghers were forcibly transferred out of the Xinjiang region to work in factories in 2020.
As of last year, some 82 well-known brands — including well-known clothing brands — appear to have had some of these factories in their supply chains. As we, in the U.S., learn more about the atrocities committed against Uyghers in China, we have a responsibility to think about how we can work for justice by removing the leaven of sin in our business practices.
That’s why I reached out to Catholic Women in Business community member Michaela Robinson, founder of online second hand boutique Thrifted and Threaded and the marketing and customer experience mastermind behind the sustainable, ethically-sourced clothing store Litany. What follows is an edited transcript of our email conversation.
What inspired you and (twin sister and business partner) Mackenzie to go up against fast fashion and get into ethical, sustainable thrifting with Thrifted and Threaded?
Thrifted and Threaded started out as my own little embroidery business. As it started to grow, I was tempted to source bulk orders of shirts from Michaels or Walmart, but thankfully, I watched a documentary called “The True Cost” just in time. It really opened my eyes to the reality that there are real human beings with dignity and value being abused and exploited for the sake of cheap fashion in the Western world. I knew deep in my heart after watching it that, as a Catholic, I could not knowingly support that, and I CERTAINLY couldn’t profit off of it in my own business. So, I stuck to my thrifted shirt model and just put in the extra time and effort to source quality items from thrift stores.
A few years later, Mackenzie and I talked about working together to expand my little business into what it is today: a secondhand and vintage store that also sells hand-embroidered items!
We thought that if we could source and curate beautiful clothing for people, they might consider switching to secondhand instead of fast fashion, [since] a lot of people are simply overwhelmed or unsure of how to navigate thrift stores. We wanted to make it as accessible as possible to that demographic.
We also love it and have so much fun doing it!
What inspired you to get into slow fashion with Litany?
I was inspired to get into slow fashion [an intentional approach to clothing, with an eye to ethical, sustainable manufacturing practices] with Litany later on because I realized that thrifting isn't the only way to fight fast fashion, and that ethical, well-made clothing lines that take a slow and sustainable approach to fashion can be the future of the industry.
Do you find ethical sourcing especially challenging?
Sourcing ethically is definitely more difficult than if Litany had gone with a fast fashion route. That’s not to say that sourcing ethically is even that difficult, but it is definitely more costly.
The greatest temptation is to cut corners and keep costs down. A lot of companies do that by working with a factory that will take on too much work, or not pay their workers properly, or outsource to [another country] where you have no idea what is really going on. With the extra sacrifice of time and money, Litany has found suppliers for high-quality materials that were made in ethically certified factories, and we work with an NYC-based studio to sew our garments — or else Veronica, the founder, sews them herself.
It really just means that everyone has to get used to clothing costing more than a few dollars and taking a little longer to make.
Why is it worth it for Catholic business owners to be more intentional about where they buy their products and knowing how they are made? How can they get started?
It is so worth it for Catholic business owners to take the time to do things ethically, simply because it is RIGHT! I really think that business owners have a responsibility to not just look the other way when it comes to the human beings that are involved with making whatever it is that they sell. The suffering of another human is never worth a slightly higher profit margin, and I believe that Catholic businesses should be extra aware and accountable for that.
We live in an age where the technology exists to do things differently, and all it takes to get started is a little research. I’d recommend [that Catholic business owners get] to know their supply chain and start asking where their products are made or what the conditions for the workers are.
It may be uncomfortable, but little changes make a big difference in the long run. One does not have to be perfect in order to make a difference! We are still learning and growing in this ourselves at Litany and Thrifted and Threaded. But with each new product, launch, or partnership, we are striving to do everything with a Catholic outlook and a commitment to upholding the dignity of everyone involved.
Maggie Phillips is a freelance writer and military spouse with three small children and an incredibly patient husband. Follow her work at mrsmaggiephillips.com and on Instagram at @maggies_words.