It may seem paradoxical to suggest that you can truly “support local” by buying online, but supporting local artisans doesn’t necessarily mean buying in your own city, it can be buying goods produced locally instead of factory-made abroad. The idea of local products in this age of digital shopping has interested me for a while, and one company seems to have mastered the balance of online shopping and supporting local. UncommonGoods is making an effort to make American and sustainably-made jewelry and gifts available on a large scale.
As a blogger I often receive interest from brands looking to sponsor posts on Trendy Techie. All reviews I do are 100% honest, and I never feature a brand I don’t support. When UncommonGoods approached me to feature them, I researched them extensively before deciding to accept the gift and write this post. I was impressed by the company’s focus on sustainability and supporting American artists, and fascinated by how candid they are about their operations.
UncommonGoods is refreshingly open about their business practices, with a detailed look into the operations of the business. “We try to never lose sight of an inverted pyramid business model,” says the company’s history page, “meaning that the needs of the people closest to our customers, our customer service and warehouse teams, come first. As part of this model, our lowest paid hourly seasonal worker makes 50% more than minimum wage.” I have never come across such an honest and detailed company site before, and I am impressed by the home-grown feel that inhabits the company’s values.
The golden birch bark bracelet seen in this post is by Nancy Nelson, an American artist featured by UncommonGoods (check out others here). Nelson’s jewelry is heavily inspired by her countryside surroundings and features textures and shapes cast from real pieces of nature found in the forest near her country home. I love its whimsical, put-together boho feeling (see more).
bracelet: Nancy Nelson, c/o UncommonGoods | dress: Guess
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