I’ve been raising my “Made in USA” consciousness. I want to support USA manufacturing more than I have been. My approach is like someone who looks at his diet and decides to swap out a few Ding Dongs with some vegetables. It’s a subtle change that requires some effort and maybe some sacrifice, but not too much. A manageable step in the right direction.
To that end, within the last month, I bought white T-shirts from the Jockey Made in America Collection and a white polo shirt from All American Clothing Co.. I also bought walking shoes from the New Balance Made in USA Collection. Finally, we bought a frying pan and lid from Heritage Steel.
With each of the aforementioned items, I unconsciously could have bought competing wares that were not made in the USA. Chances are, if I threw a proverbial dart at a board covered in these types of items, the dart would not land on one made in the USA. With some consciousness, though, I found and bought USA made products.
I could not remember the last time I saw a label in a shoe that said Made in the USA. When my New Balance X 1540v4s arrived, the Made in USA label was a sight to behold!
With Love,
P. Gustav Mueller, author of The Present
P.S. A decent book on the history and current state of USA textile manufacturing is American Flannel, How a Band of Entrepreneurs are Bringing the Art and Business of Making Clothes Back Home, by Steven Kurutz.