As I sat in my car today, driving to the office, it occurred to me that I was surrounded by – and wearing almost exclusively – made in Canada and made in USA goods. Unlike a lot of people out there, I actually practice what I… rant and rave about ;) Here are some of the different brands I buy. Most of these companies are on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as well. You can follow my made in Canada Twitter list here and my made in USA Twitter list here both of which I update on a daily basis.

My car is a made in Canada Toyota Matrix (buying a foreign made car wasn’t even an option for a big ticket item like this), my ice scraper/snow brush is made in Canada by Mallory Industries. The reusable grocery bags I have are always in my hatchback and are made in Canada by CredoBags and Kootsac.

On the passenger seat next to me, was my made in Canada handbag from Cha Cha Handbags (made from reclaimed leather and lined with organic cotton canvas), my laptop bag, also made here, is a custom design from a great Etsy store called Track and Field Designs. The cosmetics in my handbag are from Pure Anada, Natural Beauty and Cover FX, all Canadian made. I don’t wear perfume as I’m allergic to most, so I wear essential oil blends from Vancouver based Escents Aromatherapy (my favourite scent since the holidays is Fig and Vanilla, otherwise, I must confess, I’m a Patchouli girl). Also in my bag is my CleanWell natural hand sanitizer spray, made in USA and my trusty ecojot notebook, made in Canada.

I was wearing the first pair of wool socks I bought from Les Bas de Julie 4 years ago. They are so warm and perfect for glacial days like today, as well as to lounge in at home instead of slippers. My grey slacks were from Le Chateau – made in Canada and my top, also from Le Chateau was made in USA. My knickers are Hanky Panky, proudly made in USA as their website states (I actually stocked up a couple of years ago, getting 3 x 5-packs since they were all I wore since discovering them on a trip to Boston. LOVE them).

My bracelet is from an amazing jewelry designer from Toronto named Orusia Pushan and my necklace is a collection of favourite charms I put together from 3 different Etsy vendors Wired Out Designs (USA), Made by Sam (Canada) and RJ Charms (Canada) strung on a silver necklace chain I’ve had for years. My winter coat is from Soïa & Kyo made here in Montreal that I got 3 years ago. Boy is it well constructed, warm and just stunning (looks like the coat below)!

I wish I could find a pair of affordable, stylish and warm winter boots with a heel made in Canada or in the US. I found some that were made here in Montreal actually, but the $400 price tag for boots that I thought were just OK looking was a bit steep. I don’t want any fur on the them either… Suggestions?

So as you can see, it’s not that hard to find locally made apparel, cosmetics and accessories. You just have to know where to look, but above all, you have to get into the habit of checking the country of origin label on everything you touch in a store. It’s the best way to learn… That… and by checking my blog regularly ;)

What do you wear or carry around that’s made locally?