my new topic of exploration: WHO MAKES OUR CLOTHES?

It all began, (again, I might add, I go through this process every several years) with one of those emails i got from democracy now! http://m.democracynow.org/stories/13948

"Journalists Find 12-Year-Old Girls Making Old Navy Jeans for Gap in Bangladeshi Factory"

about an Al Jazeera journalist who started digging into a factory that makes clothes in Bangladesh who employ children, and turned out they  make clothes for old navy.
Now, I know old navy is flimsy clothes that is cheap, so it has to be made in a company that is NOT ecologically or socially responsible.  Gap, prettymuch the same. BUT the same company, I know, wons Banana Republic and Athleta.  I consider Athleta to be super nice.  actually truth be told their stuff is also a tad flimsy, but their style of not to be beat  (in my mind).
This concerned me and made me start wondering, who is making my clothes and can you get away from buying clothes made in sweatshops?

The questions came up in a facebook about Patagonia, who claims big ecological and social concern. They evem have a webpage dedicated to answering these very questions.  While I see this as noble, I also question whether they are ethical either?

They also make their products all over the world, where wages are low and ecological laws are lean.  Regardless of how you dice it, they are choosing to make their product elsewhere other than the us...and they claim the garment industry is dead in the us due to lower costs, but really, if you are going to part of the solution, then you ought to also start the change, make your garments in the us and take a cut in product.http://www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go?assetid=67517  While I question their reality, I do think they are super transparent, and this should be commended. They even make their factory list public.
Then someone added a list of sweat shops to my facebook page:http://www.ehow.com/info_7737064_lists-brands-use-sweatshops.html
and most devastating in this list: LL BEAN!
Yes, according to "ehow" LL bean, the very company which touts the healthy outdoorsy New England kid with their golden retriever puppy exploits young children in their factories according to this website "L.L. Bean, Gymborree, Hanes use forced child labor in their Uzbekistan cotton production plants."  Gymboree!!! crazy land, clothes for kids!
I do not view ehow as some ecological website so I thought their findings were interesting, but I am not sure what it is based on.
My search went on...