Can a $5 t-shirt ever be ethical?

Spending $50 on a t-shirt might not guarantee it's made ethically - but spending $5 means it's probably not.

That's according to two ethical fashion experts, who say more needs to be done to help New Zealanders identify where the things they buy are made - and how they are produced.

In recent years, new competition has entered the New Zealand market, and clothing retail in particular, in the form of ultra-cheap platforms such as Temu and Shein.

While Max sells women's t-shirts for about $50, Temu lists them at $5 or $7. While Glassons might sell jeans for $60, Shein has them for $20.

GDP data shows a steady increase in the imports of "low-value goods" - there was an 18 percent jump between December and March and then another 3 percent in the quarter to June. Imports are up more than 50 percent compared to March last year.

But there are concerns that some items being sold very cheaply may be being produced by workforces that are not fairly paid, or without the same controls on the production processes that would apply if items were made in New Zealand.

Tearfund campaigns co-ordinator Maya Duckworth said if something was being sold too cheaply, it should raise questions.

"Say a cotton t-shirt - the cotton is grown and there's a farmer who needs to be paid. Then the cotton has been spun into yarn, woven into fabric, dyed at some point, made into a t-shirt, decorated, packaged, shipped and then distributed to the retailer. There are a whole lot of people who have touched that garment and need to be paid a fair rate.

"If the end retailer is selling it for $6 or $10, that's a markup on what it cost them to produce it. You can say it's very unlikely those people all the way along the supply chain have been paid a fair wage."

But she said a high price was no guarantee, either.

"You can also have t-shirts sold for $100 that went through a very similar process - those workers aren't guaranteed better wages, but the brand takes home more of a giant profit."

Lisa McEwan, a senior lecturer in design for sustainability and fashion design at AUT, said extremely cheap clothing could not be made ethically.

"Externalised costs such as environmental impacts are simply not factored in, nor are the raft of human costs, such as arduous working hours, prolonged separation from family, exposure to the textile toxins and unsafe workplaces."

Duckworth said it was hard for New Zealanders to know whether products had been produced in a way they would be comfortable with.

"That's why we as an organisation advocate for modern slavery legislation, which would make it a requirement for large companies to be transparent about the processes by which their clothing or other products are made."

She said people would need to look on the websites of businesses they were thinking about buying from, for information about ethical sourcing and social responsibility. "If they don't mention sustainability or social responsibility, that's kind of a red flag."

She said being part of things like the Better Cotton Initiative or fair trade organisations would also help.

Duckworth said she could understand why people who were struggling under financial pressure might be tempted to switch to cheaper options. "Especially in a cost of living crisis when people are struggling to meet basic needs and pay the bills, a $5 t-shirt is more attractive than a $50 one."

She said it was unrealistic to expect the fashion industry's problems to be solved by shoppers alone.

"I don't think consumers should wear that entire responsibility. When possible they can look to make more informed and conscious decisions but ultimately we need the government and big brands to come to the party and play their part, too."

She said Tearfund wanted the government to resurrect the previous government's plans to draft modern slavery legislation.

McEwan said there was something to be said for "democratised" clothing - allowing people on lower incomes access to a broader range of clothing options.

"Fast fashion has allowed the less well-off in our communities to be able to feel well dressed. However the impossibly low prices have encouraged shoppers across the board to buy throwaway fashion - garments that they might literally wear only once. There are much better options for shoppers who want and have the budget to buy better."

She said people needed to ask themselves if they really needed to buy items.

"If they do, and they want to be sure it has been made ethically, the best thing they can do is to buy a t-shirt made in Aotearoa, because here we have a minimum wage provisions and legal protections that prevent worker exploitation. I am not suggesting that all offshore workers are exploited, but the problem with supply chains is that they are murky, so even with the best will in the world, a New Zealand company might still find its garments being made unethically.

"It's really important that we stop characterising clothing as a consumer product - we consume food, but we shouldn't 'consume' clothing. So firstly, we need to buy less, and secondly we need to buy garments with longevity - enduring styles made from high quality fabrics, from companies with robust social and environmental policies."

She said people needed to return to the practice of saving up and spending judiciously on fewer but better clothes.