We know sweatshop clothing is bad – and buy it anyway. Here’s how your brain makes excuses

You face a dilemma. You’ve found the perfect shirt, and it’s an absolute bargain, but you notice it’s “Made in Bangladesh”. You’re conscious it was probably made using cheap labour. Do you buy it, or walk away?

Today Oxfam released its annual Naughty or Nice list. This list highlights retail brands committed to transparent sourcing, separating labour costs in price negations, and conducting a wage gap analysis to work towards paying workers a living wage.

This list is one of several resources trying to encourage ethical consumption. Yet despite concerns of sweatshop labour, and consumers claiming they’re willing to pay more for ethically-sourced clothes, there remains high demand for ultra-low-price mass-produced clothing.