Sandblasted jeans are usually the uniform of choice of Abercrombie + Fitch or Ed Hardy bros—not usually a look any respectable denim-head would ever consider for reasons both aesthetic and ethical. Besides looking extra cheesy, sandblasting also involves using cystalline silica wear down denim, a process that leads to silicosis, a fatal lung disease that 40 garment workers in Turkey have died from since 2005. Levi Strauss and H&M are working together with The International Textile Garment & Leather Workers' Federation to remove both products from their lines and educate others in the industry about just how big a bummer sandblasting is. The ITGLWF brought together 15 major clothing brands to sign a voluntary manifesto to ban sandblasting from their denim, and are working towards placing government-mandated bans in countries throughout the world. (WWD)
