How many readers wear a Bonds singlet with a touch of pride in its Australian-ness? Mine, I must admit, usually only comes out for the Australia Day barbie, along with the thongs and the Bushwackers albums.

Next Australia Day the garment will not have the iconic status it enjoyed. No matter that Pacific Clothing say that they're still an Australian company; the heart of its trade, I reckon they'll find, is centred on the fact that their brands are synonymous with an Australian clothing manufacturing industry. While we could wear these brands we knew our country could always be self-sufficient in putting shirts on our backs.

With the brands about to be accompanied with a "Made in China" tag, any such faith and trust is most likely about to be eroded.

It's hard enough to sell any brand at all these days. Look at the pasta sauce ads, guilt-tripping parents into not depriving their kids by going generic. As shoppers shift to the bargains of anonymous packages, there's going to be a lot more bonding of Aussies to brands. The Holden ads, for example, crack me up. "Times are tough, but Holden and Australians are tougher!" the local subdivision of a rapidly dwindling General Motors proclaims. It wipes the smile from your face, though, when you consider the localised impact on the Adelaide economy if the diminishing GMH production line shuts down and everyone goes on the dole. Still, will identifying Holden as Australian products and jobs stop the many from buying an ultracheap Chinese car? Sadly, probably not

Dick Smith gave the whole Buy Australian concept a bloody good try with his Australian brands and products, but sadly his ideas rarely took off. His labels couldn't compete with images that for years had been etched into our minds as emblems of trustworthy products. As things stand there's not much price difference between his products and their rivals. In spite of the extollations of Smith and others, we're always going to believe Vegemite is True Blue.

But the True Blue Singlet? Won't you feel like a bit of a hypocrite when you put a new one on?

Then again, me bloody thongs are probably made in China too.

Obviously my logic in this situation is far from holeproof, but I'd like to be able to dress myself in Australian made garments if I could. As it stands though, I'll most likely be wearing The Emperor's New Australian Clothes, culturally naked to the world yet believing myself resplendent.

I doubt I'd be so stroppy if not for Pacific's claim that manufacturing clothes in Australia is "no longer a competitive advantage." I could never have imagined Chesty Bond saying something like that!