Where is YOUR underwear made?

The underwear currently in my top bureau drawer is made in several countries, including, among others:  Egypt, Israel (maybe we could get these two countries together for an Underwear Summit), Morocco, Bangladesh, El Salvador, Brazil and Italy.  Only two of the two dozen pairs are made in the United States.  Can you guess which ones?  And, can you guess how hard it was for me to find underwear actually made in the USA?  Which of course I did, but only after being completely shocked one afternoon last week when I looked at the label and saw that I was sporting lingerie made in El Salvador. 

The answer to the first question is:  Hanky Panky is the only underwear brand in my drawer that is made in the USA.  All the others, including those with All American branding, including Victoria's Secret, DKNY, and Calvin Klein (among others), are made all over the world.  Oh, I forgot, there are also some that originated in Vietnam and Brazil.

Now I don't mind helping out the world economy.  But, COME ON!  I don't have to have the World Economy on my ... well,  you know ... around my hips.  I have enough baggage these days around my waist that I don't need any more waste around my hips!

So, I have taken a stand.  I just got online and purchased 7 pairs of Hanky Panky underwear, in various styles and colors.  All are made in the USA with the added benefit of being relatively attractive (okay, maybe not as attractive on me as say, Gisele Bundchen, but we'll see how she is after 3 kids and nearing 50).  And, I will continue to do my little part, as small as it may be, to support American manufacturers and American companies, by at least making an effort to buy American.

It may all sound a little "pie in the sky," and I may eventually be mistaken about where the lace comes from and where the threads come from -- I have actually heard that there are no American manufacturers of thread, but need to research this one a little more ... in my spare time --  and where the sewing machines come from, etc., etc.  But at least I'm starting.  I'm starting to push more of my limited assets (the important monetary ones, not the physical ones) and purchasing power into the hands of an American company that hires workers with the expectation of paying them at least a minimum wage and (possibly) health care benefits, not to mention vacation and sick time.  And, maybe if I start with the smallest piece of clothing in my wardrobe, I'll eventually start making a larger impact by purchasing American-made for the rest of my wardrobe (I hear that Nanette Lepore, for example, makes clothing manufactured primarily in the USA). I don't know about you, but I would rather pay a little more for an American product with the belief that I'm supporting American workers during these difficult times, than pay to support economies outside of the U.S., at least for the time being.

It's a start.  Here's the link for Hanky Panky.  If all of us women tried this, imagine what a difference we could make (and how happy our significant others would be at the intangible -- so to speak -- side benefits).