Shopping in Bowling Green for local goods can be next to impossible. I personally do not find things that I like, and the idea of giving money to a business that sells a lousy product because there are no other options is (for me at least), something I would rather not have to do. This summer, I committed myself to not buying things that suck/blow in Bowling Green. As it turns out, the things that are most like Bowling Green are the coolest. It is the exotic chains that seem to ruin the unique things we all love about Bowling Green.

My commitment was easier said than done. Guys are substantially more challenged to find clothing than girls are. I have not found any local retails for men’s apparel, which is a disturbing notion indeed. A trip to Nashville or to Louisville to appease one’s appetite may be worth it. Ethical fashion is in, and in a world where it may not be possible to purchase local fashions to stick it to the corporate machine, the information age has offered us some alternatives.

The first of these, is a lesser of two evils. American Apparel, is vertically integrated, and while the money is going to LA, far, far away from our Kentucky home, at least it will be on this side of the Pacific.

/ Photo Courtesy of American Apperal, $9.

Although not all money going abroad is an unfortunate occurrence. Thanks to new efforts to introduce fair trade consumer goods, us Bowling Greenians more options to make us feel good about the products we consume. Nepalese Paper is a business that has done well to promote the fair trade products of women who otherwise, would not have a job. The paper products are awesome and environmentally sound (without regard to the transit distance). Paper mills in the United States are notorious for dumping toxins into the water table, harming humans and wildlife alike.

Nepalese Paper has products made from the leaves of the Locta. As the business’s website notes “The “Lokta Bush” has characteristics of re-growing again and again after pruning. The long fibrous handmade paper is prized for its attractive texture, durability, strength and resistance to insects.” Therefore, it is a treeless, handmade, economically stimulating product, that will not break the bank. The NB24 and the NB11 are both journals that will accommodate even the most diligent of note-takers. With the NB11 selling for $7 and NB24 for $19, a whole semester’s worth of note-taking paper can also benefit those who need employment.

Isotope T-Shirt, Etsy, $20.

The best choice however may lie in Etsy, the one stop local shopping… on the INTERNET! This seems to be a major paradox, yet in a strange twist of fate, etsy.com, a website devoted to local arts, has created perhaps the best website where people may establish connections with small-time vendors. I have spent hours on end on this website looking for everything from a tapestry for my room, to superbly themed T-shirts.

plumprettysugar Tanks, Etsy, $42.

Etsy is also a great place to find art and women’s apparel as well. I would strongly recommend searching throughout the website. You will definitely find something you like and it is relatively affordable in most cases. You will always be able to find an option cheaper than what you might find at a chain store in Bowling Green, however. Certainly, it is always best to help our local business’s, but when that is an impossibility, Etsy offers a comfortable and practical alternative.