Is provenance important?

If you were to sift through the clothes in your wardrobe, how many of your garments would be made in Britain? most likely not a lot of them! But is provenance important? I think it is. I posted previously about brands producing their garments in Britain such as The Orphans arms and Closet Clothing and on the rise of high street stores selling collections that are British made,such as ASOS and M&S. But do we really take into consideration where our clothes are made? I know I'm guilty of not really giving it much thought. However, I would prefer my clothing to be made closer to home, and in better conditions. Its shocking that a garment would need something as small as a single British button sewn onto it for it to be adorned with a 'Made in Britain' label. I like the idea of a product being made in Britain and this was one of the reasons I decided to purchase a bag from The Cambridge Satchel Company, I liked how there was a story and a bit of history behind them, rather than just being made cheaply and carelessly. The company was founded in Cambridge in 2008 by Julie Deane, who began producing the satchels in her home as a way to make money. The company has stuck to their roots and still produce the satchels in a factory in the UK. Is provenance important to you?

Visit www.makeitbritish.co.uk for more brands made in Britain.

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24 Carat Jeans?!

To celebrate the launch of Selfridges' super sized denim Studio, that opens on June 24th, coveted denim label JBrand unveil their new jeans, complete with 24 carat gold rivets and a price tag setting you back £525.  According to JBrand's Creative Director Donald Oliver, the jeans do "..The same job as a LBD, but a little tougher" and apparently "It's the next step in giving our girl something she can wear in the evening."
In all honesty it sounds  a little excessive to me, for just a pair of jeans. Its quite ironic and almost as though the fabric has come full circle, as denim was originally created during the gold rush for workers as they needed durable trousers to withstand hard labour when gold mining, and now the jeans are getting covered in 24 carats themselves!

Sam Rollinson for JBrand's Little Black Jean Collection

Britain produces and purchases more luxury goods than anywhere else in the world, so what does this say about the British fashion shopper?! I think this may be signalling that in our recession British consumers have realised that its better to choose quality over quantity. Saving up for a quality piece that costs a little more works out better in the long run than buying many shoddily made garments from bargain shops such as Primark. This is better for the environment, factory workers overseas and the economy in the long run. Either way I don't think I'll be saving up for the 24 Carat jeans anytime soon...