As my first official company review I thought I would start with one near and dear to my heart. One of the first companies that made me aware of really great Canadian made products,
Muttonhead clothing.
Established in 2009 and based in Toronto, Ontario Muttonhead bleeds local. Not only are the designs for their products done in house, but they use one of Canada’s few remaining fabric mills to custom make their fabric. Muttonhead’s philosophy is that local manufacturing is important, they also highly support free trade and I couldn’t agree more.
Admittedly, I only have two hats from Muttonhead, one for summer, a 5-panel yellow that I adore, bought online, and a charcoal-mix toque that I ended up buying through O’s Clothes in downtown Hamilton. Both of my hats a
re coming up on their one-year anniversary with me and I couldn’t be happier with how well they’ve weathered being on my head, and how even though the fashion trends have changed my hats are still very much in fashion. Not to mention, my toque is the warmest thing I own.
Now that’s not to say everything is fine and dandy, I have two major problems with the accessibility of their products. It was by fluke that I heard of them in the first place. If the man at O’s Clothes hadn’t suggested that I go with the Muttonhead beanie, because of it’s warmth and quality and the fact that it was local made, opposed to some other beanie I had in my hand, I would have walked right on by. It seems as if you have to know of them to find them. Luckily for me, they’ve updated their website with a list of stores in which they are sold, found here. My second is that they only accept credit card payments. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem, but last year me, didn’t have a visa, so I needed to borrow a friend’s which was kind of weird. Anyway, having a visa is totally necessary for purchasing online,
A few other noteworthy things:
The prices of Muttonhead clothing are what you’d expect from a local business, though some of you might find it shockingly high. Be prepared to spend more money, to support local businesses, and to get the quality you’re looking for.
Now you might ask why it costs more to buy local, when it should cost less, and I agree, but here’s the thing. Buying locally made products, means moving away from big factories and cheap fabrics. It’s moving away from the big box stores and into small companies with big dreams. It means paying a fair price for the product and ensuring things like a sweat shop free environment. Not only that but it means putting money into our economy, and not into the pockets of people in different countries.
Next, the sale items on the website go incredibly fast, so if you’re not an XL you need to be on top of the sale game. Muttonhead is by no means a “small” local business, they have a following of over 23,000 on instagram alone. I know how much I love sales, so you have to be quick.
And lastly, their site is really great in terms of the layout and how easily it is to navigate but they only stock the most recent items in their line. Things like my toque, come back every fall, but certain t-shirt designs and accessories are a one time only deal, so if you’re looking at something it’s best to pick it up before the season changes and it’s gone.
I’m completely impressed with Muttonhead and how they’ve grown, even in the year I’ve been aware of their existence. Please help me share the Local Love, and give them a look, a like, or a follow.
You can find Muttonhead all over the internet, specifically:
thelocalspine.wordpress.com 