Woman finds a cry for help sewn into her dress

A woman in Swansea, Wales, was preparing to wash a dress she bought from the retailer Primark when she found a disturbing label sewn into the fabric that read "Forced to work exhausting hours."

Rebecca Gallagher told the South Wales Evening Post that she was "amazed" when she saw the label while looking for the washing instructions. She called Primark, who she said placed her on hold and never returned to the line. In a statement to British Vogue, the company said: "We find it very strange that this has come to light so recently, given that the dress was on sale more than a year ago, with no other incidents of this kind relating to this dress." The company would also like Gallagher to send them the dress so they can "investigate how the additional label became attached and whether there are issues which need to be looked into."

The incident has Gallagher questioning whether she will buy any more items from a fast-fashion chain. "To be honest I've never really thought much about how the clothes are made," she said. "But this really made me think about how we get our cheap fashion. I dread to think that my summer top may be made by some exhausted person toiling away for hours in some sweatshop abroad."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up