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The Tip is 'Keep eyes open' After reading an article about items made in America I thought about how many times I make purchases without thinking. I'm usually focused on budget and needs. Prior to reading this article on made in the USA products, I rarely thought about the importance of buying made in USA products. This helps create jobs in our country. Now I keep my eyes open and I am surprised how easy it is to find American products. It only takes a few seconds to look. Now I make a point when I am shopping to search for made in America brands. By doing so, I'm able to identify more and more what products are made in America. Even with my eyes open to made in USA I can get discouraged. Sometimes store clerks don't know the country of origin which can be frustrating. If this happens use your eyes to find the origin information yourself. Look at the labels and when you find a Made in USA product tell the clerk so the next time they are asked they will know. Also, when the label is not easily seen I use the other made in America buying tips to help me find made in USA. If the store doesn't carry what you are looking for, use Made in America Secrets to find it and tell the manager about your experience at their store. When enough people are asking for made in the USA products, more stores will begin to carry products that are made here. This technique does work. I also pick and choose the stores I visit. I do this because I have found that some stores are made in America friendly while others are not. Keep your eyes open for the made in USA label and pretty soon you will be able to identify which products are made in the USA. Buying Tip Continued - Read more on Made in America Products by Sweetgrass From Souks to Recycled Soda Bottles ? Passion in the Making When Sweetgrass founder Paige Morse took her first trip abroad in the early 1990s, she never expected it to lead to a career in fashion design. But in the souks ? or markets ? of Morocco, Egypt and Turkey, she fell in love with textiles and color, patterns and hue. A creative fire was sparked. When she returned to the United States, she started sewing. Her first creations were fleece hats and scarves made from recycled soda bottles. Family and friends were the lucky recipients of her initial designs, once dubbed something Peter Pan would have worn if only Neverland had been a little colder. New discoveries followed when she moved to Boulder, Colorado. At a local handcrafters' co-op, she met hemp activists who educated her on the many benefits of industrial hemp. She also learned firsthand the importance of local economies and how they form the basis of thriving communities. Here she was able to refine garment fit and design, and also formulate a vision for how to sustain herself, her community and the planet while doing something she loved. On a trip to Thailand in 1995, Paige discovered the source of hemp fabric she had first seen in Boulder. She met Laotian women who had traveled for days to sell their rolls of hand-woven, hand-batiked fabric, and she came home with three oversized duffle bags stuffed with cloth. But more importantly, she returned with the conviction to create a clothing company that integrated her love of fashion with her beliefs about sustainable living. Today, located in southern Oregon between the Cascade and Siskiyou mountains, Sweetgrass has grown into a premier eco-fashion company. Please explore our site and learn more about our Design Philosophy, Environmental Ethic and Business Ethic. Browse our latest line of clothing. |
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