It seems that the type of product a “wise customer” is going to spend money on is likely one that is an investment that not only benefits them, but the people and Earth around them as well. It seems that most of the wise consumers did not have problems spending a little more money on something if they felt like it would last longer or have a better impact/less bad impact on the world around them. An example of a product or service that a wise consumer would spend money on is a pair of raw denim jeans. This is only something I have recently discovered myself, so I did a little research using this website ( hyperlink ). Raw denim, even though it is more expensive up front, saves the consumer more money in the long run. A pair of raw denim jeans may cost around $200, depending on the retailer, compared to a $50 average pair of jeans. The average jeans will last a few months tops, considering how much you wear and then wash them, whereas, a pair of raw denim jeans can be worn day after day for months at a time without a single wash. One of the reasons they last so long is that raw denim is denim in its purest form. It has not been washed and distressed to look a certain way like most jeans. After a certain period of wear they also tend to wear and look like a distressed pair of jeans, but last that much longer because they didn’t start off that way. Also, by not distressing them from the beginning, you are saving water and helping keep workers safe from all of the dangerous chemicals they encounter when washing and distressing regular jeans.
When the “wise consumer” is considering making clothing purchases like the one mentioned above, it seems important that the design principles in these products be things along the lines of: “fair trade made”, “all natural materials”, and “environmentally conscious product”. The “fair trade made” label would be important in letting consumers know that what they are buying is ethically made. They know that the workers are all treated fairly and paid a living wage. The “all natural materials” label would showcase the ability to use natural materials and develop a product that they can use for a long time. Raw denim, being denim in its purest form, would definitely reach the market of consumers looking for more natural products since they are not processed like other denims. The “environmentally conscious product” label would allow consumers to see that they purchase they are making is smarter than the alternative. In relation to raw denim, this purchase is much more environmentally friendly that buying regular jeans. They are not processed like normal, they last much longer, and they are more eco friendly in their production.
It seems that the “wise consumer” would be more likely to invest in a product that they know was created with as little harm as possible and will also cause as little harm as possible in its use. The purchase of a pair of raw denim jeans does not seem like much, but in the article it stated that all these little purchases add up to so much more, especially when it evokes a change in mindset and bring about a new a way of life.