It's time to reconsider buying cheaply made off-shore clothing.

If you are like me and appalled with the images of the garment factory disaster in Bangladesh last week, then now is the time more than ever to shop local! There’s an uneasy feeling for me when I look in my wardrobe and see labels with “manufactured in Bangladesh” on my dresses or T shirts. When I talk with my friends, there certainly is a growing feeling of not wanting to contribute to tragedies in unsafe warehouses and we are all re-thinking our shopping habits. Haven’t you picked up a $10 blouse and thought "how can they make this so cheap?" Well the answers can be seen on the grief stricken faces of the family members in Bangladesh.

There are many wonderful and ethical small Canadian companies to support, so why would I need a cheap T shirt that may have been manufactured in a sweat shop. Please check out this thought provoking article by CBC writer Don Pittis who did his own informal survey and the results will amaze you.

Sometimes, just because an item is expensive doesn’t necessarily mean that it was made in a safe environment. In fact often times the opposite is true. Big Business is in business to make a lot of money!

I understand that we all have tight budgets, but do we really need to fill our closets with cheaply made clothing. Listen people, our closets are already bursting at the seams! We don’t need fifteen pairs of jeans or 12 black camisoles. Stop the madness! When we purchase quality items we need to replace them less often. It certainly makes lots of sense to have a few great things than a lot of cheap crappy things.

Quality clothing doesn’t fall apart after the first wash. If there is an issue with our local purchase, we can go directly to the source. A local business owner wants to keep you as a customer. The owner is a member of your community, just like you. Maybe your kids go to the same school or play ball together. Connecting and purchasing from local businesses is good for the community. When we shop local, we may sometimes pay more for our purchases (not always though) but doesn’t it make good business sense to support a Canadian and local economy.

So before you make your next purchase check the label. Buying local just makes sense and helps me sleep a little better too.

• Posted On: October 7, 2013

Katie... Hi, I'm one of the people who make's Shop-Local Canada tick. I'm a contributor, researcher, editor and a support person. Let me know if I can help.

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