Made in Detroit, Ohio?!?

Yeesh. Sometimes these posts really write themselves.

Thanks to the website, The Atlantic Wire, I got introduced to a Detroit Free Press story that I wouldn't have seen otherwise. Reporter Susan Tompor uncovered a sad little truth:

"Made in Detroit" T-shirts aren't, in fact, made in Detroit.

In her article, she writes about how she can get choked up hearing hometown boy Kid Rock sing that "I heard them say they're shuttin' Detroit down. But I won't leave cuz this is my hometown."

Kid Rock did indeed buy the "Made in Detroit" brand after it slid into bankruptcy in 2005. The brand's website refers to itself as "the singular symbol for a city that's not about to quit." (Inside the T-shirts, you'll find a logo plus this phrase: "Tough times don't last; tough people do.")

But where are the shirts made? Tompor went shopping, and found shirts made in the Dominican Republic, India, Honduras, and ... Ohio. Some shirts had had tags removed.

Is making "Made in Detroit" shirts in India illegal? No (although removing the tags might bring you unwanted FTC attention). But for a shirt that speaks to regional pride to be made elsewhere -- even elsewhere in the US -- isn't the best ethical move. I suspect that the buyers would wear their shirts with even more pride if they knew that it was indeed Made in Detroit.

Tompor quotes the brand's operations manager as saying that "it would cost more for Made in U.S.A. shirts but ... the company is working toward using more U.S.A.-made shirts." She hopes that works out.

And so do I.