Fashion's big problem is that it's meant to make us feel good. We don't want to be asked questions about it, or have our conscience pricked. Asking someone if the clothes they wear are fairly traded is liable to make them sink into a depression. I know it does me.

The simple question is, of course: why can't we just have the clothes that we have now - but ethically? Why does a child have to be forced into work to make my clothes? Who would willingly buy a coat that had cost the health of a 12-year-old or separated her from her family? The answer is (surely?) no one. But that sort of information isn't on the swing tag and, unfortunately for the mistreated workers, when we buy fashion we do tend to enter into a parallel universe: we pay our money and expect hope and glamour, not a story of reality and despair.

The sad realisation is that we're greedy and just a little bit lazy. It's very easy for commentators to spout nonsense such as "ask about where the clothes you're buying come from". Has anyone tried doing this? You're dealing with a shop assistant who, in between texting, is counting down the hours to his/her lunchtime, they will not know or care whether their employer has implemented basic human rights in its factories.

So what to do? Well, start small. Aim to make a small part of your wardrobe fairly traded, aim to boycott (and write and tell them) at least one manufacturer until they improve. Don't despair, this won't take long. (If you need impetus and have a child, imagine them being forced to do back-breaking work in a factory.) But most importantly: look good. Ethical fashion may have a pure and beautiful beating heart but it looks ugly. We need to accept what a false world fashion is, before we can put it back together again with any sort of conscience.