The Impact of Cheap Clothing

 Americans produced 15.1 million tons of textile waste in 2013. 85% of all of that clothing has ALREADY ended up in landfills. Read that again.

 Much attention has been cast on what we eat, where it comes from, the way in which it is produced, and the waste we create from it. Consumers in the United States are motivated by certifications and certain assurances of organic, fair-trade, "natural", Non-GMO, gluten-free. This widespread care is relatively new. While a hugely important step in the way in which Americans eat and support small farms, corporations have manipulated what these labels legally mean in contrast to what they actually are. Misdirection is the way in which large food companies use these labels we all know and look for to find every means to dilute and mislead what these labels were originally intended to denote. Farmers are bullied and forced out of business by these companies that use money and political power to their advantage. Foods under the USDA organic labels allow 25 synthetic pesticides and it is becoming extremely expensive for small producers to not only grow our food the right way but to also obtain such certifications as the qualification processes are not only expensive but time-consuming. Anybody familiar with farming practices knows how much time and effort is necessary to keep a farm together and operating smoothly. Non-government funded organic labels have instituted more stringent rules but they are few and far between and less recognizable to the general public. We need to do everything we can in our power to support the efforts of small farms because they are the ones who truly care. Small producers of food and clothing are not rich nor will they ever be. They work because it is what they love and what they believe the world deserves.

Why would our clothing deserve less? Foreign manufacturing has claimed a huge share of the clothing Americans buy and has consequently cheapened not only the prices but the quality of the garments. There is a widespread view by most consumers that cheap clothing is a financially responsible decision but what are the long-term results of these decisions? A pair of quality, domestically manufactured denim lasts for an average of four years of consistent wear. Yes, this seems like a lot of money- it is- but the clothing you wear should be an investment. A cheap pair of denim might seem like a good idea at the time of purchase, but it more than likely to degrade within a much smaller margin of time. A pair of hand-made jeans gets only better with age as the fades bring out a quality of craft and love that is evident to only those that have the pleasure of the wear. Cheap jeans will cost you more money within that four year period than taking the moderate financial hit on the front end and buying a pair that will last and keep fewer garments out of our landfills and put money into the hands of people who love their craft and truly love their customers. We should care who makes our clothing just as much as we care about who grows our food and how. 

 We carry only small-batch clothing made from the hands of crafters that put more time into their product that is even thought imaginable. We curate our clothing with an immense amount of care and personally know many of the people that make the awesome things at our store. We want you, our customer, to care as much as we do and wear with pride everything you walk out of our doors with.