I agree with Amy in that local manufacturers need our custom. If you only buy from mass-producers you diminish the variety of quality goods available. The less competition the mass-producers have, the more power they have to do whatever they like in the marketplace.

However, if there is no way that you can afford locally made eco-designer clothes, and a thrift store pair will not cut the mustard, and the W.mart jeans are the only ones that come close to being an eco-friendly option- then do that. But value them, and take care of them, make them last. AND, when you are in W.mart try and find out where they were made: are they ethically made? how far did they travel to get to you? What is the quality like? If you don’t get any answers: write to the marketing department for answers. If they send you a bunch of “Ëœgreenwash’: blog it, make it known.

With large companies such as W.Mart there is huge potential for mainstreaming new technologies that have less of an ecological impact, and help to foster more sustainable communities. From looking at their sustainability report, I’m not convinced that they are on that road yet: social responsibility isn’t just about throwing money at charities whilst you steam-roll local design industries. If they want to be valued in sustainable communities then they need help to evolve, and they need consumers to keep them honest.

I agree with you that it’s wonderful to have a healthier lifestyle for our families but at what cost? Lots of other ways than putting organic denim on their legs.

How long will we outsource our work and put solid American businesses at risk whenever a new Wal-Mart moves into town?

Are you a business owner?

And when your Wal-Mart jeans quickly fall apart for lack of quality and you have to buy more, they will add up to that one pair you could’ve bought at the small boutique run by your neighbor far from Rodeo.

Me? I’ll be the one hosting a sale next week for my 6 designer friends, creative women whose merchandise was just refused from the boutique owner that couldn’t afford to follow through on their contract.
Nobody wants to shop there when things are so cheap at Wal-Mart.

A sad state of things and one that will force us all at some point to closely look at what we have done to our communities and how far we’ve distanced ourselves from supporting local.