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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 Blue Canoe Organic Blue Canoe was started by Laurie Dunlap in 1994 as an all organic, made in USA clothing line. Its first home was a small cottage under some redwood trees in Northern California. It was shared by four industrious women all starting their own clothing businesses - from hemp hats to hand painted silk kimonos. The little space was bursting with machinery, supplies and the energy of new beginnings. It was a noisy, friendly place where the four of us brainstormed ideas, traded resources and information, helped walk-in customers, and hammered out ways to build our businesses. My first purchase was a $200 roll of un-dyed cotton/spandex fabric. I did all the designing and pattern making, some of the sewing, the bookkeeping, garment dyeing and purchasing. Marketing meant going to craft fairs. I divided my time between growing my business, waitressing, and building an organic, off-grid homestead with my husband and two sons. My first design was a two-piece swimsuit styled for comfort and movement. I wasn't much of a sunbather and needed a suit that would stay put when I played volleyball or body surfed. The suits were instantly popular in Humboldt County, and when women began buying them as bras and panties I realized I was on to something. There was a ready niche for organic cotton, comfortable underwear both locally and in small eco stores opening across the nation. Gradually the line and the business grew. We moved into our own building beside Benbow Lake. Inspired by a hand-made wooden blue canoe I noticed floating among the familiar green fiberglass models, I named my company Blue Canoe. Today Blue Canoe is thriving in San Francisco where we manufacture a full line of stylish eco-friendly clothing and lingerie. The years have not altered our commitment to organic cotton and manufacturing in the USA. Nineteen years ago, I followed my dream. Thousands of customers later, I can see that was the right thing to do. I hope you'll love wearing Blue Canoe as much as I love creating it! |
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