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.

Most garments bought in England today are produced in other countries and imported to the UK. 

However,British manufacturing of clothes is on the rise with brands such as 'Closet clothing' , 'she likes' and 'The Orphans Arms' manufacturing garments in Britain. The prices are pretty reasonable, with tops from Closet clothing coming in at around £28 and quirky printed jumpers from The Orphans Arms coming in at £45, definitely worth it for a garment thats hand printed in East London and made in England!

The Orphans Arms

This is definitely good news as we know the terrible reality of the sweat shop workers abroad and the condition in which they work in to produce cheap clothing for British retailers. In April this year we read about the horror of Rana Plaza, a garment manufacturing complex in Bangladesh that collapsed, killing 1,129 people. The complex produced clothing for British retailers Matalan,Bonmarche and Primark.  People are drawn to this cheap thrill of fast fashion, how inexpensive and disposable it is..but buying British can still be purse friendly, its also more economical and ethical. High Street retailers are taking a stride in the right direction with British-made collections, including ASOS, Topshop, and M&S, who have produced a 'Best of British' line for Autumn 2013.

M&S 'Best of British' menswear

The 'Make it British' logo will now make it easy to identify products that have been made in the UK and will launch at this years London Fashion Week, lets hope we start to see more of it on the British highstreet!