The Geography of
Fashion
Walter’s global jeans
This lesson, we’ll see how an ordinary pair of
jeans can involve many countries.
The table shows wages paid in clothing factories.
Explain why:
a)the American company didn’t get the jeans made in
the USA.
b)the denim was sent 1000km from Italy to Tunisia, to be
sewn into jeans.
Task 1: Look at all the labels on your clothes. You may need
your friends to help you. One of the labels should tell you the
name of a country where that piece of clothing was made.
On your map of the world, with the help of the atlas, label
where that piece of clothing was made. Also, colour the
country in.
Check everything you are wearing:
Shirts
Jumpers
Ties
Trousers
Shoes
Bags
Shirt
made in
China
What do you notice about most of the countries you have
labelled? Were they above the red line or below the red line?
Countries above the red line are called More Economically
Developed Countries (MEDCs). This means richer
countries.
Countries below the red line are called Less Economically
Developed Countries (LEDCs). This means poorer
countries.
Write out the writing in bold in your exercise books.
1. Look at the pie chart.
Imagine you paid £40 for
your jeans. Out of this
£40, how much went
to:
a) the shop where you
bought them?
b) the American company
(the brand that made
them)?
c) the workers who sewed
them?
d) do you think this is fair?