Crochet Garments And Accessories Are On Trend This Season, But How Are They Made And At What Cost?
While knitted fabric has consistently been a fashion staple, crochet fabric has become more en vogue in the last two years. The 70s-influenced garments and accessories have come back, and crochet pieces once seen as kitschy are now in high demand. We are seeing bright, bold colors in crochet on runways around the world, as well as soft sensual undergarments and even bathing suits. A crochet bucket hat may very well be in your closet or on your shopping list for a beach vacation.
But what is crochet versus knitting?
Knitted fabric is all around you. T-shirts are made from machine knit fabric. Most of the sweaters that you find in our local boutiques or even big box stores are made from knitted fabric. Your favorite cabled sweater - it is knitted. Knitting is made by hand on two needles or on a machine:
Crochet fabric usually has more texture. It is made with a single hook and results in a thicker fabric than a piece knitted from the same yarn:
Here are the same sweaters done in knit and crochet. Check out the difference in the appearance of the fabric: flat ‘V’s on the knitted one versus interlocking knots on the crochet one:
Crochet and fast fashion
As a result of this surge in interest in crochet pieces, many fast fashion brands are offering sweaters, vests, bathing suits, and more in their big box stores and websites at a very affordable price point. BUT (and this is a big but)… unlike knitted fabric, crochet cannot be created on a machine. This means that any crochet item you see in a store was made by a person by hand. If the price for that bucket hat seems in line with something sewn on a machine out of fabric, it means that labor is exploited somewhere in the supply chain. On top of that, huge fast fashion brands like Shein have been stealing crochet designs from indie (and often minority) artists and making their own cheap versions to sell online. The cheap crochet items in stores are produced using slave labor, in crowded and unsafe work environments, and primarily by women. In addition to exploiting workers, these items also devalue the true artistry of crochet.
So how do you responsibly get these trendy crochet pieces?
If you want to avoid purchasing items that support exploited labor and rip off indie designers, here are some ways to do it:
1. This one shouldn’t be a surprise - learn to crochet yourself! Our three-week class teaches you to read a pattern and make these fingerless mitts.
2. Support small independent artists who make and sell themselves. You can find these folks at craft fairs, handmade shops like Shopmade in VA and Imagine Artwear here in Alexandria, or online. Etsy is an excellent resource for finding indie artists, but their fees and other business practices have recently come under scrutiny. Try to purchase directly from the artist you find on Etsy rather than through the Etsy platform. Here are a few local crochet artists on Instagram to support: @wizswips, @candycolorcrochet, @cozyandscripts, @halfstitchstudio, and @theredplant.
3. Buy from designer brands that have a commitment to safe and well-paid labor. This means you will pay more for this item, of course. The Shoe Hive has a collection of summer beach bags by Apointetc that are handmade in Madagascar and compensate the artisans appropriately for their labor. Other brands carried by our local boutiques are committed to fair wages in their production process, like Ulla Johnson and Stella Pardo (both at the Shoe Hive and the Hive). Checking the website of your favorite brands will tell you a lot about their commitment to fair living wages.
So how do you know when shopping if that crochet purse was made by sweatshop labor? Start by checking the price tag. If it seems too low to have been made by hand, don’t buy it. Keep in mind that a 4”x4” granny square in crochet takes about 10 minutes of labor. Add more time for a more dense or complicated fabric - up to 30 minutes for the same size square. Then add on the cost of materials and the mark-up that the company would need on top of that. Even at minimum wages, the cost will add up. I hope that now you will value handmade crochet pieces, as they are unique and very special. Someone’s hands touched every inch of yarn that made that piece!
