Made in France intrigues, seduces… but still carries its share of preconceived notions. Too expensive, not modern enough, limited choice, questionable environmental impact: all clichés that sometimes hinder the act of buying.
At Bandit Manchot, where products are made in France using recycled (or upcycled) leather, we see every day how far these ideas are from reality. Let's debunk the main myths together. 👇
1. "Made in France is too expensive"
This is probably the most frequent objection. But it needs to be qualified.
Yes, producing in France costs more than producing on the other side of the world, because:
● wages are decent,
● working conditions are regulated,
● skills are recognized and rewarded.
But what we pay for is not "just" a product: we pay for quality, durability, traceability, and a fairer economy. It's also a well-designed, repairable product (hello repair bonus!) that lasts over time. Which in fine often costs less than a succession of disposable purchases.
The real luxury today is not the low price. It's consuming less, but better.
2. "There isn't much choice in Made in France"
Cliché number two: Made in France would be limited, basic, even boring. In reality, it's quite the opposite. French creativity is rich, bold, and innovative.
Today in France, you can find companies that create and manufacture:
● ethical and responsible clothing and accessories,
● electric bicycles and other innovative ecological transport methods,
● designer objects,
● innovative digital and technological objects,
● committed, hybrid, extraordinary brands…
Made in France is not a fixed style. It's a field of expression, where each brand brings its vision, its tone, its universe.
At Bandit Manchot, we prove it every day: you can be responsible without being conventional, sustainable without being classic, and local while remaining accessible to the widest audience.
3. "Made in France doesn't really impact the environment"
Another persistent misconception… and yet. Producing in France means:
● drastically reducing transport (and therefore CO₂ emissions),
● comply with strict environmental standards,
● limit opaque and energy-intensive supply chains.
And when you go further—as with upcycling—the impact is even stronger.
Using products and materials that have already had a previous life means:
● avoiding the production of new resources (and all the pollution that comes with it),
● giving a second life to what would have been thrown away, thus limiting the production of new waste.
"Made in France" is not a miracle solution, but it is a concrete lever for more responsible fashion.
4. "Made in France is mostly marketing."
There are, as everywhere, abuses of language and "greenwashing." That's true. But to reduce all of "Made in France" to a mere marketing argument is to forget the workshops, artisans, and small businesses that fight every day to produce differently.
Behind a product manufactured in France, there are faces, hands, stories, and strong choices. It's not a slogan. It's a human reality.
5. "Buying local doesn't make much difference."
That's wrong. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Buying French, and sourcing and using local services, means:
● supporting local employment,
● preserving sometimes ancestral know-how,
● keeping workshops/businesses active,
● encouraging more virtuous models,
● and always limiting transport (and thus CO₂ emissions).
Every purchase is a vote. A vote for the world we want to live in. Will it change everything overnight? No. But does it contribute to a fundamental movement? Yes, clearly.
And that's how things evolve: by a sum of individual choices that become collective.
In conclusion: "Made in France" is not perfect, but it is precious!
"Made in France" is not a trend. It's an approach, a commitment, a vision.
At Bandit Manchot, we have chosen:
● to produce in France,
● to use upcycled leather,
● to work with businesses next to our workshop (for our tools, our supplies for jewelry making, our printing work…)
● to work with partners who maximize the use of upcycled and recycled materials (for our packaging and papers used for our bookmarks and postcards, for example)
● to create durable, useful, singular pieces,
● and to advocate for a different way of consuming: more conscious, more joyful, and freer.
"Made in France" is not a step backward, but a way to move forward differently.
