How do we get out of the consumerist cycle of exploitation? We start by fessing up to the problem and admitting our own participation in it. From there, we can come up with creative solutions to this social and spiritual dillemma.

When I was in high school I remember a boycott being called on products coming out of South Africa. This was back when apartheid was in full-effect and Nelson Mandela was still in prison. The boycott caught the attention of an entire generation of consumers and I can recall not buying the then-in-fashion Rebok sneakers (I was an avid breakdancer and my entire crew joined the boycott). It was one of my earliest exposures to activisim and conscious consumerism.

As things are now, I do avoid purchases from retailers that employ unfair labor practices. It ain't all that easy. I can remember the disappointment going through racks and finding something that looked great, but having to put it back when seeing the label.

Gap, Bannana Republic, Old Navy, Target, Nike... the shitlist goes on... but I had a special issue when doing my second hand shopping.

I passionately endorse second-hand thrift shopping. Many second hand stores raise money for non-profit organizations. Goodwill, Salvation Army, Out-Of-The-Closet, and local operations like Community Thrift (big money for AIDS research) take the dread out of clothes shopping knowing that profits go to helping humanity and not to exploiting it. I remember years ago finding a clean, almost new pair of Nike's that fit me perfectly. I was in a quandry: Do I buy these shoes made in slave labor conditions or do I remain abstinent?

I considered the pros and cons. I realized that Nike was not going to make profit off of this purchase, but that I would be wearing the product, in effect, providing free advertisement and preceived endorsement. I put the shoes on. Damn, they felt good! (-and you know how difficult it is to find shoes that fit second hand). My solution came to me in that moment: Buy the shoes and tear off the logo!

I bought the shoes at an outrageously low price then took them home and proceeded to attempt to cut the swoosh off with an exacto blade. What I found was that these things are manufactured to REALLY make it hard to remove the label! The stitching was intrigal to the whole structure of the shoe! Well, not one to be thwarted from my intentions, I grabbed a black sharpie marker and drew a large "X" across the swoosh. I kinda liked how it looked! I then started to "X" all of the logos (and there were a few). People would ask me what the hell was that about. I got to tell them about Nike's messed up labor practices and about getting them at a non-profit second hand. People liked the idea. By the time I made it into the SF Art Institute as a student, the aesthetic was perfected and it became a part of my style as well as my statement.

It is years later and I still "X" my labels. I feel that the second hand sale of a garment "exorcises" the corporate evil out of it and that the "X" is simply a manifestation of the exorcism and demonstrates a counter-endorsement and an anti-advertisement.

Recently a guest at Harbin noticed the "X" on my label and thought it was ultra cool. She said it had that "D.I.Y." aesthetic that her kids were into. It was then that I realized that I just might be on to something.

I want to popularize this practice. Being the activist that I am I want to tell as many folks about it as I possibly can. This includes you reading this blog entry here. Perhaps there will eventually be a website and maybe a YouTube vid, but this is a decent place to start.

So, what you need is a black Sharpie "laundry marker"
Just draw an "X" over the offending logo or label and Wallah! Your second-hand clothes are purified of the evil they were made of! (This also goes for the first-hand purchases you've made before going second-hand)

So, you can now "cross your T (shirts)" and feel free from financing the greed and corporate exploitation!