By David Adam, environment correspondent
The plight of child labourers and sweatshop workers in developing countries is far from the minds of most young people on Britain's high streets, according to a survey that finds more than half of under-25s do not care how their clothes are produced.
The findings suggest the new wave of fair trade outlets face an uphill struggle to convince younger shoppers to buy organic cotton and ethically produced garments. Just 42% of under-25s said they took any notice of ethical issues when it came to what they wore. Only 27% of people overall said they would be willing to pay more to guarantee their clothes were made in a sustainable way.
Over-55s have the greatest awareness of how garments are produced, with 36% looking for country of origin before making a purchase, according to the survey of 7,000 people by TNS Worldpanel Fashion.
Ethical clothes were defined as those not made by child labour or in sweatshops, for which the producers were paid a fair price, and where the environment was not damaged.
Brenda Gobine, research manager at TNS, said: "It is still early days and there is a lack of awareness of what's on offer; a quarter of respondents didn't know about the level of availability of ethical clothing."
She said some big retailers may have misjudged public demand. "Only 14% felt the use of organic fibre was a very important consideration."
Shoppers felt more strongly about treatment of people than material factors such as organic production, she said. Overall, 76% of respondents said an end to child labour and sweatshops was a very important driver of ethical production; 60% said offering producers a fair price was important; and 50% wanted to reduce damage caused to the environment.
"There is a notable split between the sexes," Ms Gobine said. Of those who felt ethical production of clothes was important to them, 59% were women. Just over half (53%) said they would buy ethical clothes if they did not cost more, the survey found. Those under
34 said price was more important than quality.
The survey asked people how they rated the ethics of several high street retailers. M&S scored highest, with the "value fashion retailers" rated worst.
Rachel Neame of the ethical clothing company People Tree said its core market was the 25-40 age range. "We are inundated with requests from students and fashion students especially about how to source ethical clothes and materials."
The company convinced TopShop to start selling its ethical range in its flagship London store in March.
"If 58% of young people said they don't care, that's 42% who do and that's a very significant number," she said.
