Our Daily Green is also upset, as we've long encouraged local shopping and a buy American approach, but will confess, many of the clothes we personally own and wear are not manufactured in the USA. Between thrift stores and economizing, we just didn't see many USA labels. We made an effort, but not a dedicated one. Our effort didn't even achieve our sacred 80/20 rule, but probably is more like 20/80. We would choose the USA label if we saw it, but we didn't make a concerted effort to find it.
Realizing that you're part of the problem is a good start to being part of the solution. If we don't want our nation's athletes representing the USA in foreign made clothing, we should stop representing ourselves in it. With a little digging, we discovered a company that isn't just dedicated to making the clothing in the USA, but also completely sourcing it domestically. The All American Clothing Company has a mission to:
... support USA families and jobs by producing high-quality clothing in the USA at an affordable price. By keeping our production in the USA we provide jobs and a tax base that supports our communities. We care about our country and the people in it; if we were only in it for money we would move our production overseas. We will NOT trade USA jobs for foreign profits.Each article of clothing has a traceability code to find out which American farmer grew the cotton and source of the other raw goods, where it was milled and where the final product was assembled (a small factory in western Ohio).
The company also sells shirts, boots, accessories and outerwear, all with the same dedication to Made in the USA. It's not just a marketing gimmick, the All American Clothing Company walks the walk.
4 comments :
It's funny ... we make an effort to buy local when it comes to a lot of products but when it comes to clothing, it just kind of slips through the cracks. Thank you for raising our awareness, finding a company that sells American-made clothing and encouraging us to dig deeper.
although I have had a difficult time finding USA made clothes, there seem to be quiet a few small businesses remaking old clothes new -- that's remade in the USA! :)
found your cool bog via RF Meet & Greet!
This is one of those conundrums, like food miles. You _do_ know what it means to buy clothes with minimal "clothes miles", right? It means no more $9 jeans: those are made by Chinese workers making $3 a day. Count on a pair of USA-made jeans to cost $100-200: that would be a living wage for all the Americans involved in its manufacture, from planting the cotton to sewing the pockets.
On the other hand, it means that you would have two, at most three pairs of jeans in your closet. And you wear them for ten years. Come to think of it, I like the idea!
That is super that you found this GREAT company. I would rather buy US made, but you are right, they are few and far between. Headed over now to check them out.
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