Top Three Reasons to Consider Handmade Bags this Summer

A common buzzword that I hear quite often now is “ethical” shopping.  How does that work, though, and is it practical?  Well, as far as practicality goes, I can assure you it’s worth it in the end.

There are thousands of small businesses both in the United States and around the world that we can show our support to over large corporations that create items in bulk.  Why should we, though?  Well, today I’ll be providing you with three of those reasons.  Just keep in mind this is hardly a comprehensive list – I’m sure you can imagine more as well!

• Sourcing our Goods Ethically

As I briefly touched upon above, this is probably the first reason that I think of for why you should consider purchasing handmade goods – in particular, bags, this summer (and probably for the rest of our lives, but I’m trying to limit the scope a little, here).

If you want to know how it works, I recommend checking out this link first: https://www.changetheworldbyhowyoushop.com/how-to-shop-ethically-on-a-budget.  It can provide some nice background detail.  However, in simple terms, it involves lessening our own environmental impacts while supporting local or specialty artisans.

So, if you’re already in the market for something like a purse or other type of bag, buying a handmade one falls into this category.  If you opt to, you’re making the choice to support a small business owner rather than potentially harmful organizations that don’t seem to care about the environment.

• They’re One of a Kind

I know the last point was a bit heavy, so I’ll shift gears to something more light-hearted.  If you’re into fashion, which you probably are if you’re reading this, you might be someone who enjoys the knowledge that the item they are purchasing is truly unique.  This can be almost impossible to find by shopping through other channels.

There are plenty of examples out there of this.  You could look at handmade bags at Rebekah Scott Designs as one of those, for an idea of what to expect.  There is a vast variety of styles and designs out there just waiting to be discovered by someone who will love them.

Having the same items as everyone else hampers our creative expression, too.  If I’m going to purchase an item, I want to know that it is special – especially if it is coming at a higher price.  Artisanal goods bring that to the table, thankfully.  So, besides just shopping locally, it’s a method for self-expression and demonstration of our personalities based on the items we choose.

Since each bag is made by hand at these sorts of retailers, there will be variances in each of them.  Sure, you might have the same basic textile as someone else, but the person who is creating it puts their own hard work into it – there are always small variances, bringing you something special.

• They’re High Quality

How many times have you bought something from a large department store, be it on sale or at full price, and it’s fallen apart on you after just a few uses?  Even a few weeks or months isn’t a justifiable amount of time for something to last, in my opinion –what we purchase should have more durability than that.

It can be hard to know the quality of the items we select, though.  If you look at this article, it does provide a bit of guidance, but it’s far from a surefire guide.  Part of the issue is where our items are manufactured.  Outsourcing to what approximates to sweatshops or slave labor hardly inspires the workers there to create items of the utmost quality when they work on pennies a day.

That’s part of why buying big isn’t viable anymore when we’re looking for things that will last us for a long time.  If you’ve heard the phrase “they just don’t make them like they used to,” you may not put a lot of stock into it.  However, let me tell you – there’s quite a lot of truth to it!

So, if you’re aiming to purchase a bag that is going to be sturdy and durable, consider getting one that is made by hand.  More care is put into the production process in these cases, meaning you’ll end up with a better product in the end.

So – those are the top three reasons that I can think of.  Like I said, I’m sure there are more out there.  While it is personal preference of course, I think that sourcing our wardrobes ethically is one of the most positive impacts we can have in our communities.

What I mean by that is I think we should be supporting local companies and smaller businesses.  They bring a lot to the economy, and they have real names and faces that we can offer support to!