Why “Fair Wages” Mean Absolutely Nothing

(And why you should never take that claim at face value)

You’ve seen it everywhere:
"Socially responsible production”
“We pay fair wages.”
“Living wage...”

Usually accompanied by photos of a smiling person in a workshop somewhere in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, or another low-wage manufacturing country. And somehow… we’re supposed to feel reassured.

But the truth is: “fair wages” is one of the most meaningless claims in the entire fashion and jewelry world. It means nothing. Literally nothing. And here’s why.

1. How do you even know they pay fair wages?

Because they say so on a website?
Because they posted a photo with someone smiling?

Brands know exactly which words make consumers feel safe. But these claims are almost never verified by independent organisations, and there is no universal standard they have to meet to make these claims.

In most cases, you’re taking the word of the company, -that's all.

If there’s no independent audit, no transparency, no breakdown of wages, no explanation of how they were calculated…
then it’s just marketing. Nothing more.

Some brands do provide real transparency. For example, at Rays & Riches, everything is made locally in Italy by myself, so working conditions and wages are not just claims, they are guaranteed.

2. What does “fair wage” even mean? Who decides?

Is a “fair wage” what the CEO or founder personally feels is fair?
Is it based on what other factories in that region typically pay?

Because let’s be honest:
If the standard wage in a region is already exploitative -and it usually is- then paying “the standard” and calling it “fair” is a joke. Even paying a bit more than standard is not nearly enough.

A wage doesn’t become fair just because everyone else pays the same terrible amount.

3. The reality: exploitation is the standard

Factories in these countries don’t pay low wages because living costs are magically cheap. They pay low wages because:

• that has become the accepted price of labor
• every major brand squeezes for the lowest possible production cost
• workers have no bargaining power
• and companies know people will take any wage because the alternative is unemployment or worse

When exploitation becomes the norm, the wage that everyone gets paid is still exploitation.
Calling it “fair” doesn’t mean it is.

And let’s drop the fantasy about “lower living costs.” Every country -rich or poor- has wealthy people.

The fact that people can survive on extremely low wages doesn’t mean the cost of living is cheap. It usually means entire communities have had to adapt to surviving on nearly nothing. That doesn’t make it acceptable. It doesn’t make it fair. And it definitely doesn’t make it ethical.

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So what would a fair wage look like?

A real fair wage would:

• cover healthy food
• live in safe, stable housing
• access proper healthcare without falling into debt
• save money instead of living paycheck to paycheck
• support a family on a single income
• work reasonable, humane hours (not 12-14 hour shifts, but closer to the 9–5 rhythm we see here)
• take time off without risking their job
  
• give their kids the education and opportunities needed to break the poverty cycle
• have dignity, stability, and choices in their life

Most factory workers in low-wage countries get none of that. This is why vague claims like “fair wages” feel so dishonest.
Because if brands truly paid fair wages, real fair wages, those workers’ lives would look radically different.

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Why this matters

The companies that you shop from hold the power.
They set the prices.
They choose the factories.
They dictate what workers earn by deciding what they’re willing to pay.

Consumers play a role too: because demand for ultra-cheap products keeps the cycle alive.

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The bottom line

“Fair wages” is often nothing more than a comfortable lie. Designed to make us feel good while changing nothing for the people actually making the products.

Unless a brand is radically transparent:sharing actual wage numbers, explaining how they are calculated, or showing third-party audits, “fair wages” is just another marketing phrase.

And people deserve better than that.

At Rays & Riches, everything is made locally in Italy by me personally. So transparency and ethical working conditions aren’t claims, they’re guaranteed.

What You Can Do

First of all: don’t blame yourself.

There’s a reason great marketing people earn absurd amounts of money:
it’s psychology.
It taps into emotions, trust, identity, our desire to “do the right thing.” It’s not your fault you believed what brands told you.

So be kind to yourself.
Guilt doesn’t help anyone - awareness does.

But now that you do know better, here are a few simple things you can do:

1. Ask questions. Real ones.

If you love a piece from a brand that produces in a low-wage country, where labor is cheap and working standards are vastly different from Europe for example, then ask them:

• How much do you actually pay your workers?
• How many hours a day do they work?
• What do their working conditions look like?
• Who verified that? Is there an independent audit?

If a brand truly pays fair wages and ensures safe conditions, they should be able to answer these questions easily — and proudly. If they can’t? That’s your answer.

2. Support brands that produce in countries with real protections.

An easy alternative is to choose brands that produce in places with:

• enforceable minimum wages that actually cover living costs
• strict government regulations on safety, labor hours, and working conditions
• independent audits
• worker unions that have real power
• legal consequences for companies that break the rules

This doesn’t automatically mean Europe only, but it does mean choosing countries where workers aren’t left vulnerable, invisible, or disposable.

3. Shift from fast bargains to intentional purchases.

You don’t need perfection.
You don’t have to get it right every time.

But even choosing one ethically made, fairly paid piece over five cheap ones creates real change. It shifts demand away from exploitation and toward dignity.

Supporting brands like Rays & Riches, where every piece is handmade locally under fair conditions, is one way to make that change tangible.