Decided to start buying UK clothes

Heavens are any clothes made in the UK?

It’s a good idea, but may be hard to find unless money is no object.However I always do try to buy British where I can, including shoes (Hotter) and especially food items.

There’s the Hiut denim jeans manufacturers who made Meghan Markle’s jeans in Wales, and Barbour jackets?

David Nieper.

www.davidnieper.co.uk/

and this list:

makeitbritish.co.uk/top-ten/british-womenswear-brands/

An admirable objective!
However, “produced in the U.K.” does not necessarily equate to ethically produced
Don’t forget that many garments bearing the label Made in the U.K. may have have been manufactured in back street sweatshops in Leicester. The raw materials may have come from anywhere, even cotton may have been farmed by slave labour in China.
There was a good piece on Radio 4 on Monday afternoon round about 3.30 (?) based on trying to do precisely that. You might find it on Sounds.

House of Briar in Pitlochry - and they have an online service.

Sorry, BrUar.

Haven’t seen any and probably totally out of my pocket

Thanks for the website, Hejira. I have just looked through it and there are some lovely clothes made in the UK but all out of my price range. Such a shame that no-one seems to make affordable British clothes in natural fibres. I spot a gap in the market. Isn't M&S missing a trick here?

The reason British clothes aren't 'affordable' is because workers here must be paid a decent wage and employers have extra charges to help pay for the benefits we get here - pensions, NHS etc.

We have got too used to defining affordable clothes as those made cheaply in other countries where we benefit from their poverty. We need to rethink what is an affordable price and if that means buying far fewer clothes but paying more for them, so be it.

Also remember that BooHoo was recently in trouble because its clothes were being made in the UK but by workshops, where the workers were being paid illegally low wages and proper NI contributions were not being made.
BUT
If we paid a proper price for our clothes, in the first place, manufacturers in this country would not need to cheat their workers to be competitive.

When clothes were made here ( Marks and Spencer) and Ladybird clothing for children (Woolworths) or C&A or British Home Stores we all bought them.It’s not the case that the public won’t pay a bit more to buy British, but that firms can make more profit by not making them here.We can only buy what’s in the shops after all.

The younger market would always go for the cheap options
Monica it’s true, but those who are a bit older would prefer better clothes, made with better materials and not buy so many.

Many years ago, in my long distant youth, it used to be M&S's
proud boast that all of their clothes were made in the U.K. In those days the quality was very good and the clothes where made in large reputable factories. We used to live near one and I had many a good dress for my daughter from the seconds there when we were young and quite broke as well as, of course, buying some of our clothes in their shops.

Of course, in those days, it was difficult to source where some of the materials came from, but as least by buying the finished product, people felt they were supporting British workers at a time, the 80s, when there was less work around.

However, as MawBe says. it would be far more difficult to know for sure what kind of industry you would be supporting now, even just considering the work entailed in producing the finished product.

How do you know for sure where clothes are made?

I wouldn't mind paying a bit more but, for instance, Bombshell dresses are mostly around the £100 mark. That's a lot for a dress. Actually, not a very good example for me as I mostly live in trousers/jeggings and tops, but still.......

Adrian Chiles addresses precisely this question in Make it British, Radio 4
www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiakYieidbtAhU3QUEAHeDmCWgQFjACegQICBAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmakeitbritish.co.uk%2Fpress-coverage%2Fmake-it-british-dresses-adrian-chiles-in-uk-made-clothing-for-bbc-radio-4%2F&usg=AOvVaw2EuX3f32FizSVtjTE9_1GM

There are many small British makers try Etsy. But don’t expect cheap.

www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MiaandMer

Here is an example of a small maker and the sort of prices.

I used to work for a company that proudly boasted 'Made in the UK'. Actually the goods were only assembled here, the raw materials came from China!

The younger market would always go for the cheap options

Oh lemongrove you are so wrong I m not sure what you are basing that statement on ... my young working grandkids spend hundreds more than I ever have on clothes and shoes
Me I ll carry on at the charity shop I often get complements on my clothes ?

I also work for one of these "reputable" U.K. clothing manufacturers when I was younger. They produced most of the clothing for the high street stores. However, if a particular order could not be despatched due to a shortage in one size, a number of garments a size higher and lower were sourced from stock and re-labelled to meet the contract!

There are a few clothes that are fully produced in the U.K., Harris Tweed would be one, as would be some locally produced wool garments, Fair Isle and Shetland sweaters and the like. Anything cotton would have to use imported raw materials and cotton isn’t woven here much if at all anymore. Maybe your best bet would be to avoid synthetic materials and cheap fast fashion, maybe make your own or buy from small designers from Etsy.

I know it’s EU, but linen is still made in Ireland, and it’s not hard to source clothes made from Irish linen.

A company that has a lot of clothes manufactured in the U.K. is Celtic &Co., they have some lovely clothes that aren’t old fashioned -not cheap, but very good quality, and all items state where they are made.

Here you go: makeitbritish.co.uk/top-ten/british-womenswear-brands/