Ain't Just for Pancakes

I just got back from a mini-vacation "upstate.” On the way to Hudson, I visited Crown Maple Syrup in Dutchess County, one of the largest producers of maple syrup in the United States. There I met CEO, Mike Cobb and COO, Tyge Rugenstein and, thanks to their generosity, received a private tour. Good thing it's the off-season (the maple sugaring season is from February to April).

I learned how Crown Maple uses a highly sophisticated process to reduce 40 to 50 gallons of raw sap to make just one gallon of pure maple syrup. While every producer needs to do this, it’s Crown's technology that sets them apart. Tyge explained how reverse osmosis, energy efficient multi-stage evaporation and the unique application of a filtration system typically used to clarify water makes Crown Maple the most technologically advanced maple syrup in the world.

After, Mike and I chatted as we tasted the different grades (there are four since 2015) of pure and infused maple syrup. He cheerfully described all the different ways to use maple syrup to flavor everything from bacon to salad. I left hungry, but not empty handed - settling on bottles of Dark Color Robust Taste Maple Syrup and the Signature Vinaigrette. Maple syrup - it ain't just for pancakes!

Swiss Design. Brooklyn Made.

It's not just a job. It's a feeling. Passion and determination. An understanding for the material. An eye for beauty. It's not easy to start a business and build a fashion brand from scratch. Production consumes a lot of time, leaving less of it for sales and marketing. But Alfred Stadler has been doing it for five years. From the beginning Alfred Stadler Lifestyle's focus is on quality and functionality, designing and producing high quality collections of bags, accessories and home products made of leather, stonewashed cottons and wool felt. Whenever Alfred can do so and remain competitive his materials are sourced domestically.

Alfred's introduction to artisanal craftsmanship began when he apprenticed with a saddle maker in Switzerland building custom saddles for Olympic dressage riders. Armed with this experience working with Old World tools as well as his mastery of the revered two-needle saddle stitch, Alfred soon landed at high end design companies like DeSede, Jack Lenor Larsen, Ruckstuhl and Vitra. He has an outside-in perspective on the significance of Made in America and believes that the United States stands to benefit in the long term by investing its own substantial resources in building a solid foundation for production.

In his opinion American consumers really do want things Made in USA, but may not appreciate the value of what's made here. Moreover, Alfred wishes more talented artisans choose to hone their craft as he did. As a proponent of quality made products, he teaches leather craftsmanship classes at Pioneer Works, an education and research center near his studio. Alfred is making footprints along the way toward steering American consumers away from cheap, fast fashion and toward something more meaningful and long lasting. Alfred Stadler Lifestyle products are available online shipped direct from his workspace in Red Hook, Brooklyn and in retail stores primarily in the Northeast.

A Jasmine Blooms in Brooklyn

Melati Bath & Body is the outcome of
Indonesian-American, Leah Adhihusada's quest for a vegan alternative to commercial soap and skincare products. Unhappy to learn the unpleasant truth that many of these products are made with animal fat, Leah embarked on a journey of discovery that led her back to her homeland.

In Jakarta Leah's Grandpa Fa, an industry expert with firsthand experience in large scale soap manufacturing, was her guiding light. With his knowledge, her own painstaking research and the loving support of family and friends, Leah started production. Today, her line includes soaps, body butters, bath bombs, botanic perfumes and sachets. All Made in NYC with natural ingredients and without animal byproducts.

Earlier this year, Leah took the courageous step of opening a spot in Brooklyn's trendy neighborhood of DUMBO to showcase her full product line. Her eclectic shop is accentuated by uniquely Indonesian products together with other locally made giftware.

Dom Goes Shopping

I like to wear jeans and, honestly, hadn't put a lot of thought into it. Do they look good? Is the price right? This is as far as I'd take it. Despite European origins, blue jeans are as American† as apple pie - and, as I discovered, as precious today as gold was during the California Gold Rush. Shopping for Made in USA jeans would be easy peasy. After all, weren't my old Levi's made here?

Nope...

For starters, I searched online and was delighted to find several labels of casual affordable American made jeans. Diamond Gusset, Round House, Duluth Trading, Buddy's Jeans. Finally I ordered boot cut jeans from All American Clothing. These aren't designer jeans. They're made rivetless of raw denim, not stonewashed or ripped. And they are at least half the price of designer jeans. The material is heavy and the indigo dye luxurious. I'll take special care to break them in. Although I hesitate to buy apparel online, All American has a generous refund policy. Still I wanted to try on my jeans first.

On a trip to Texas, I learned about cotton at the Audie Murphy American Cotton Museum.  The United States is the third largest cotton producer in the world and Texas produces the most. So, I tried my luck shopping retail in Fort Worth. One shop owner on East Exchange Street by the historic stockyards asked if I needed help. Glumly thumbing through the stacks of foreign made Levi's jeans, I was certain that he couldn't. He insisted, I asked and, without blinking, he told me he couldn't. He explained that he would like to carry Texas Jeans, but the minimum order is 1000 pairs.

Sadly, in Fort Worth, the 16th largest city, I didn't find American jeans. But certainly I would in Brooklyn, which would be the 4th largest. After all, New York is the nation's fashion capital, the Garment District and Fashion Avenue are in Manhattan and there are many department stores that carry several brands of jeans. Surely, I'd find a pair of affordable jeans here!

Good thing I like to shop! I shopped at Men's Wearhouse, Burlington Coat Factory, Century 21, American Eagle, JCPenny, Brooklyn Industries and other smaller retail clothing stores too. I browsed countless brands and collections of jeans. I even asked a Levi's employee in one department store about their Made in USA collection (she had no idea). The overwhelming majority were foreign made. My heart was sinking.

At last I struck gold at the Nordstrom Rack Gateway Center in East New York. Someone at Nordstrom's has a soft heart for domestic jeans. They carry Lucky Brand's Made in USA line, sewn here with denim from North Carolina - the historic center for textile manufacturing. And they sell AG Adriano Goldschmied, DIESEL® (both from Koos Manufacturing) and J Brand. All cut and sewn in Los Angeles using imported material and hardware. Designer jeans, but on sale at affordable prices.

What about Made in Brooklyn jeans? Made In NYC, Save the Garment Center and my own Made in Brooklyn Tours do our best to promote local manufacturing. Loren Cronk and Williamsburg Garment Company are both Made in Brooklyn and I'd buy their jeans if I had the clams. I remain hopeful that American blue jeans will become more affordable as domestic manufacturing is restored after being devastated for decades. This is something I'll consider in this year's presidential election.

† In this post, American refers to jeans Made in USA.