The resurgence of "Made in America" has been a rising trend, just check out how #madeinamerica is trending on Twitter. But in all serious, it is literally what our country was built on. The early, young American economy was replete with artisans---we created our own clothing, machines, tools, and grew our own food. And why wouldn't we? We had just recently fought for our independence, and by-golly we were going to be independent! Plus, the other world powers did not want much to do with a bunch of colonial whippersnappers, so if we wanted it, we had to make it. And we did.

I have always loved studying early American history for that very reason, but it has been a bittersweet study as I see how far the US strayed from that self-sufficient mindset. Buying American-made is more than just a hipster statement, it is a step toward reclaiming who we are and what we value as Americans. Americans still have stories to tell through their craft, and buying American-made products shows that we still value those stories.

I am proud to fall in line with America's heritage and handcraft my pocket squares right here in Nashville, TN.