A splurge

For personal reasons, I have been trying to drastically cut down on the items I buy manufactured in China and other countries known to have a plethora of child labor problems. I'm not talking about one-of-a-kind, fair-trade items, but mass manufactured items you can find at just about any chain store in America. I have been trying to focus on buying items from America (lots of denim is made here!), Italy, and Spain. I know unless you make all your own clothes or have them custom-made locally, you'll never truly know every aspect of how your clothing was made. But I can't excuse myself any longer, either. Because I'm a discount-lover, this has been a tough road for me. When you pay for quality and fair wages, you tend to pay a lot more than we are used to as American citizens. And just FYI, this is merely a presonal quest and not one I would impose on others.

So this weekend I found these gorgeous Lamb shoes at Off fifth (Saks' discount store). I tried them on over and over again, finally determining that I wasn't going to leave without them. They are made in Spain, are exceptionally well-built, and fit my feet perfectly. The cost? $150. Are they worth it to you? Maybe not. To me? Every penny.