Why Buy New Zealand Made Clothes?
From garments more well-travelled than most of us to clothing produced in factories not quite up to scratch – the backstory of what we buy has become an increasingly hot topic.
Keeping shopping habits local is an easy way to not only do your bit for the environment but also support the New Zealand economy and the people who live here. Better still, buying New Zealand-made no longer means compromising on quality or choice – in fact, it’s typically quite the opposite!
Do it for the birds and the bees (literally)
The environmental impact of clothing sourced overseas is huge. Buying local often means reducing ecologically unfriendly packaging, and will certainly cut out vast amounts of fossil fuels in transport.
Clothing made in New Zealand also complies with strict guidelines, which is a big win for the environment in an industry that is notoriously hard on the planet – no pesticide and fabric-dye-filled runoff contaminating water supplies here thanks!
Feelgood tip – swap those well-travelled goods with locally-made merchandise.
Fast fashion or future-friendly?
The days of patching worn jeans and sewing up holes in socks are long gone – popping to the shops for a wallet-friendly replacement is just too easy. But with prices so low, something’s got to give – whether it’s the quality of raw materials, worker conditions, or the standard of the finished product. This fast-fashion movement ironically has you popping to the shops for replacements a whole lot more often!
All this disposable fashion also becomes a major landfill problem. Synthetic fabrics are much cheaper to produce (they make up about 60% of a typical closet) and can go on to live hundreds of years after parting ways with your wardrobe.
On the flip side, buying New Zealand-made means these items live up to local production standards, and are much more likely to survive playground adventures and multiple trips through the washing machine. They might even look good enough to pass on to family or friends once you’re done with them – recycling at its best!
Feelgood tip – invest in quality, locally made items that can be passed on.
Guilt and hassle-free shopping
Shop-a-holics rejoice! If you’re buying locally produced goods, pat yourself on the back for your contribution to the local economy. You’re supporting fair, local employment and helping to keep New Zealand businesses alive and able to compete with the big guys.
Shop-a-holics rejoice some more! If you’re buying locally produced goods and have accidentally bought the wrong size for your little one, it’s as easy as popping into a store or a local phone call to fix your problem. Local businesses are usually happy to help (as each customer is important) whereas it’s likely you’re literally one in a million for big global companies. Even finding contact details can be a challenge!
Feelgood tip – shopping local simply supports New Zealanders.
Dimples' does it differently
No compromises here, just adorable, high-quality clothing, using high-quality raw materials, produced by fairly treated Kiwi workers!
Our commitment to the environment hasn’t changed as the business has evolved and grown, and neither has our commitment to our workers. All Dimples clothing is made here in New Zealand from locally sourced merino (or from our neighbouring Australian sheep) and pure organic certified cotton (to ensure the impact of cotton farming is minimal). We don’t have a huge factory producing our clothing – instead, our expert sewers work from their homes. It’s essentially a scaled-up version of the small home workshop where it all started.
The end result is hard-wearing, long-lasting clothing – that stays looking super cute for longer.
Feelgood tip – buy New Zealand made.
