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Working in the children's clothing industry for over ten years, our shop has seen even the most boutique of US brands move production overseas to China and other countries with greatly reduced labor costs compared to our minimum wages within the United States. Many of these shifts in production were indicating to us, many times our business has not renewed seasonal lines once a domestic domestic manufacturer begins production overseas.

So, what is the problem with imported garments, and in particular flower girl dresses, made in foreign countries?

Flower girl dresses are a perfect example of the children's garment industry to consider when evaluating the pros and cons of importing children's clothing. This is because the cost of a quality flower girl dress can range from $ 50 to $ 500 retail within the Unites States. Usually, an imported flower girl dress of very high quality with hand beaded accents and complicated design patterns, will wholesale for much less than a comparable dress made within the United States. The retail price may remain about the same as a domestic designer may import flower girl dresses for their own lines, or a retailer that buys internationally can benefit very from a large mark-up on the styles. So, is it necessary to check the tag on a flower girl dress to determine the country of production since it may or may not mean a lower price?

Our business is concerned about dresses for girls made in foreign countries. We have seen beautiful dresses of intricate design and very high quality work come from overseas. We have also seen some that were not up to our standards for retail sale. Whenever possible, we do try to offer dresses within our collections that are made in the United States. The main concern for our shop is child labor practices and working conditions of garment production facilities overseas. There are most certainly wonderful places to work and create children's dresses in other countries, but our business simply can not be sure of safety and respectful treatment of children and workers outside the United States.

With that said, we do still have a small percentage of dresses we notice are imported under certain designer names. We are careful to know our designers who are domestic to the United States and trust their decisions and operations are humane and just. We do not carry lines that are exclusively imported from overseas and do try to offer dresses from designers were the majority of the styles offered are manufactured here in the United States.

Recent years have raised large concerns on the safety of garments created overseas in terms of lead content or other possibly dangerous metals. These issues can refer to flower girl dresses as many are adorned in crystals or rhinestones, have studies that hold these sparkling elements, and other sewing notions (such as metallic fibers in fabric) that can actually contain lead or nickel. Recent laws have attempted to curtail the import of any garments or toys containing harmful substances, but monitoring the possibility must be difficult to test and ascertain for safety in every instance. For this reason alone, we would be very selective in importing garment styles from overseas and would consider only the most simple designs void of beading, glitter, and metallic accents should The Briar Patch ever import flower girl dresses independently.

So far, our experience has been very positive. The availability of high quality, reasonably priced flower girl dresses made in the USA remains consistent and pleasant for our business. Dresses made in the United States may be without some of the very time consuming hand work of bead application and embroidery. We have searched and investigated beyond traditional wholesale markets and department store lines to find affordable and beautiful dresses made here in the United States. The other practice we utilize to offer unique and artful dresses with special hand embellishments is to work with local cottage industry crafters who benefit from a work at home income. These talented artisans can create hand crochet lace trims, ribbon roses, crochet flowers, silk accents, monograms, and so much more. It is a really win-win situation as our dresses are set apart from all others available in shops or online, and they are made in the United States, and embellished locally. These flower girl dresses are true works of art created with hand finished detail and we are sure of the sustainability and responsibility of all elements used to embellish the garment.

So, our advice is to seek out a flower girl dress that is made in the United States if this issue of personal concern, but do stick to your budget. If the perfect flower girl dress is an import, carefully consider the depth of your commitment to by only "made in the USA". You may be able to contact the designer if the dress is distributed domestically, and inquire if they ensure working conditions are humane where the dress is produced. Many families are quite dedicated to purchasing only locally or domestically created items, so be sure the choice of flower girl dress is acceptable to both the flower girl's family and the bride and groom. If you can find a flower girl dress both made in the United States and also hand embellished by a local craftsperson, your purchase can be helpful on many economic levels.

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Source by Patricia Pirkis