WoolWeenies Club

[OakLeaf]

IME most Smartwool socks (and other garments) come from China. You can still find some US-knit SW socks, but not by mail order - you have to read the label on every pair.

I have yet to see anything from Ibex that comes from China. Just browsing their website I'm seeing a lot of final assembly done in Fiji, which is new. Still, not to discount wages and hours, but the most toxic parts of the garment trade are in spinning and dyeing, which is still done in NZ for the vast majority of their product. And their website discloses fiber, fabric and garment source for every item they sell, which is admirable in my book.

Beyond country of origin labeling, I'm not sure what else we can do. TransFair is starting a pilot project next year to certify cotton apparel and linens, but that's next year, and they don't mention wool.

IAE I don't trust a re-seller's representation of country of origin, since with many brands, the same garment is made at multiple factories (which is why you have to read the label on every pair of SW socks).