Not Made in the USA please.
April 16, 2012 6:13 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for more fashion blogs that avoid USA made products. I generally try and avoid purchasing any USA brands & products as my own little personal boycott against "US-cultural imperialism" and foreign policy, but unfortunately most fashion blogs are a bit too pro-usa.
Where are all the anti-USA fashionistas?
On preview, I picked Australia and did some quick poking around for blogs devoted to fashion based on items manufactured in Australia. Didn't find much, although many brands themselves came up -- maybe this is a niche you can fill.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 6:46 AM on April 16, 2012
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 6:46 AM on April 16, 2012
Which blogs do you currently read?
Are you trying to avoid reading about US-based designers/brands or just avoiding promotion of actual products that are made in the US.
posted by fromageball at 6:50 AM on April 16, 2012
Are you trying to avoid reading about US-based designers/brands or just avoiding promotion of actual products that are made in the US.
posted by fromageball at 6:50 AM on April 16, 2012
I'm a little confused. Do you mean clothing produced by US based companies but manufactured elsewhere, or clothing actually manufactured in the US. Because if you mean the latter, the workers producing those clothes have far more protections than workers in clothing factories in most other countries you're likely to see listed on the tag. Clothes actually made in the US are hard to argue against, ethically, even with your understandable dislike of US imperialism.
Ok, so on preview I can see your update. Here's the thing, though. None of the countries you listed are going to have much of a clothing manufacturing industry. That's globalization for you. What you need to be looking for are blogs that focus on local products in general, for wherever that blogger lives. Just look for non-US, socially/ethically conscious bloggers. I think that's your best bet. I do live in the US, so the blogs I read that focus on the local economy and locally made clothing won't work for you. But the equivalent for your country must exist.
And should you be interested in fast fashion that is neither owned by a US company nor, obviously, made in the US, H&M and Topshop are probably the two most widely distributed brands I can think of.
posted by JuliaIglesias at 6:58 AM on April 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
Ok, so on preview I can see your update. Here's the thing, though. None of the countries you listed are going to have much of a clothing manufacturing industry. That's globalization for you. What you need to be looking for are blogs that focus on local products in general, for wherever that blogger lives. Just look for non-US, socially/ethically conscious bloggers. I think that's your best bet. I do live in the US, so the blogs I read that focus on the local economy and locally made clothing won't work for you. But the equivalent for your country must exist.
And should you be interested in fast fashion that is neither owned by a US company nor, obviously, made in the US, H&M and Topshop are probably the two most widely distributed brands I can think of.
posted by JuliaIglesias at 6:58 AM on April 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I currently read stuff like
- Put This On
- The Sartorialist
- Nerdboyfriend
but they are quite USA-centric. I also just started following http://well-spent.com but I'm finding the general tone of "and best of all its 100% USA-made" rather repugnant.
I mean thats the 'main problem, so many of these blogs have a base level of patriotism that is really quite distasteful to anyone not in the USA.
Well perhaps I"ll have to address this issue myself.
posted by mary8nne at 7:04 AM on April 16, 2012
- Put This On
- The Sartorialist
- Nerdboyfriend
but they are quite USA-centric. I also just started following http://well-spent.com but I'm finding the general tone of "and best of all its 100% USA-made" rather repugnant.
I mean thats the 'main problem, so many of these blogs have a base level of patriotism that is really quite distasteful to anyone not in the USA.
Well perhaps I"ll have to address this issue myself.
posted by mary8nne at 7:04 AM on April 16, 2012
Are you concerned with where the item is made, or what it represents? Some of those blogs spend a lot of time on American styles (e.g. the Ivy look, heritage, workwear). Obviously a lot of those clothes (relatively) are made in the United States, because that's a distinctly American style. If you're looking for blogs that cover American styles but avoid anything made or designed in the U.S., that's going to be a pretty narrow niche.
posted by electric_counterpoint at 7:08 AM on April 16, 2012
posted by electric_counterpoint at 7:08 AM on April 16, 2012
Response by poster: None of the countries you listed are going to have much of a clothing manufacturing industry.
oh my second comment has been deleted. I live in Europe. which I think you will find as a very strong history of textile manufacture.
Generally I currently try and by products that are neither owned or manufactured in the USA. So things like;
- Campers Shoes (Spain)
- Folk (UK)
- Edwin Jeans (Japan)
- Pike Brothers (Germany)
- Norse Projects
- G-Star Denium (Dutch)
- etc
posted by mary8nne at 7:09 AM on April 16, 2012
oh my second comment has been deleted. I live in Europe. which I think you will find as a very strong history of textile manufacture.
Generally I currently try and by products that are neither owned or manufactured in the USA. So things like;
- Campers Shoes (Spain)
- Folk (UK)
- Edwin Jeans (Japan)
- Pike Brothers (Germany)
- Norse Projects
- G-Star Denium (Dutch)
- etc
posted by mary8nne at 7:09 AM on April 16, 2012
Well I'd hardly call those first three blogs as amerocentric - Put This On just did a long series on Napolitano tailors and the hard core dandy types are all into British and Italian makers. They are just three blogs that happen to (mostly) be written by Americans so naturally they reflect what is available for sale in the US. You are just imprinting your own biases and stereotypes of Americans on them.
I also think you are totally misreading what's going on with the "made in the USA" thing in those blogs. Its about supporting small craft producers of clothing not jingoistic flag pins for all.
That said you can find a ton of ideas just googling "japanese men's style blogs" and just screen out anything written by an American.
these guys look pretty good. http://stylesalvage.blogspot.com/
(also its hard to imagine covering streetware in a way that rejects American cultural imperialism given that's where its origins lie. Probably more tenable for more formal dress - but even then all the "Ivy Style" stuff is so hot right now - especially in places like Japan where most of the really interesting Men's fashion stuff seems to be coming from )
posted by JPD at 7:20 AM on April 16, 2012 [7 favorites]
I also think you are totally misreading what's going on with the "made in the USA" thing in those blogs. Its about supporting small craft producers of clothing not jingoistic flag pins for all.
That said you can find a ton of ideas just googling "japanese men's style blogs" and just screen out anything written by an American.
these guys look pretty good. http://stylesalvage.blogspot.com/
(also its hard to imagine covering streetware in a way that rejects American cultural imperialism given that's where its origins lie. Probably more tenable for more formal dress - but even then all the "Ivy Style" stuff is so hot right now - especially in places like Japan where most of the really interesting Men's fashion stuff seems to be coming from )
posted by JPD at 7:20 AM on April 16, 2012 [7 favorites]
Are you looking for specifically high-end clothes manufactured in Europe? Or manufactured anywhere outside the USA with particular labor standards? The examples you're giving are definitely more narrow than just non-US companies that manufacture outside the US, so I wonder if there are additional criteria you haven't articulated yet. That might be helpful in terms of finding blogs.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:22 AM on April 16, 2012
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:22 AM on April 16, 2012
Ah, sorry, I didn't see your latest comment where you say you are looking for European fashions.
posted by bluefly at 7:22 AM on April 16, 2012
posted by bluefly at 7:22 AM on April 16, 2012
"and best of all its 100% USA-made" rather repugnant
On fashion blogs that is rarely patriotism; that usually translates to "it's not a cheaply made Chinese thing, yay; one hopes the seams will be straight, etc," or the aforementioned "small craft producers."
I am not American and have never found "a base level of patriotism that is really quite distasteful to anyone not in the USA" on fashion blogs. An excited "look, American-made" is equivalent to an excited "look, the union-made label!" when discussing vintage fashions. There's a perception, largely justified, of better quality manufacture and better working conditions, as compared to what comes out of the developing world.
posted by kmennie at 7:35 AM on April 16, 2012 [24 favorites]
On fashion blogs that is rarely patriotism; that usually translates to "it's not a cheaply made Chinese thing, yay; one hopes the seams will be straight, etc," or the aforementioned "small craft producers."
I am not American and have never found "a base level of patriotism that is really quite distasteful to anyone not in the USA" on fashion blogs. An excited "look, American-made" is equivalent to an excited "look, the union-made label!" when discussing vintage fashions. There's a perception, largely justified, of better quality manufacture and better working conditions, as compared to what comes out of the developing world.
posted by kmennie at 7:35 AM on April 16, 2012 [24 favorites]
The textile industry in Europe has been offshored for some time. Camper have not been made in Spain for years. Mary Portas (ugh) just did a show on the death of the UK fashion manufacturing industry.
If it's purely about style, not manufacturing standards, just read local editions of Vogue.
chesty: Australia's fachion manufacturing industry is basically non-existent.
posted by wingless_angel at 7:37 AM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
If it's purely about style, not manufacturing standards, just read local editions of Vogue.
chesty: Australia's fachion manufacturing industry is basically non-existent.
posted by wingless_angel at 7:37 AM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Maybe Garance Dore? I haven't read her blog much so I'm not sure how US-centric she is.
I also like the Facehunter.
Do you speak any other languages? It seems like there could be good Europe-based fashion blogs that might not be in English.
posted by fromageball at 7:58 AM on April 16, 2012
I also like the Facehunter.
Do you speak any other languages? It seems like there could be good Europe-based fashion blogs that might not be in English.
posted by fromageball at 7:58 AM on April 16, 2012
Hel-Looks is Finnish; I don't know enough about fashion to say if their styles are American-influenced.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:50 AM on April 16, 2012
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:50 AM on April 16, 2012
The New York business corporation for which I work, Etsy, has a local blog for the UK full of handmade things including clothes:
http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/tags/uk-edition/
Though not in blog format, you can also can search for handmade clothing shops by location. There's a lot of really interesting stuff from Shanghai that has its own non-American aesthetic:
http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade/clothing?locationQuery=china
3.5% of the price of anything you buy on Etsy goes to Americans, however.
posted by akgerber at 10:12 AM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/tags/uk-edition/
Though not in blog format, you can also can search for handmade clothing shops by location. There's a lot of really interesting stuff from Shanghai that has its own non-American aesthetic:
http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade/clothing?locationQuery=china
3.5% of the price of anything you buy on Etsy goes to Americans, however.
posted by akgerber at 10:12 AM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
I think this thread was alluded to in a PTO post today.
Anyone who reads this blog knows how much I care about America.
posted by JPD at 3:03 PM on April 19, 2012
Anyone who reads this blog knows how much I care about America.
posted by JPD at 3:03 PM on April 19, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
Or, you could just figure that almost no inexpensive clothes are manufactured in the US anyway, search for bargains, and consider the boycott in force.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 6:43 AM on April 16, 2012