I have mentioned before that it’s important to me to buy made in the US as much as possible, but I wonder how much MORE is too much more to pay for that? To be completely honest, I’ve never really given it that much though, because up until now I didn’t consider budgetary constraints as much as I do now, and buying made in the US has been a priority for me.
Generally I shop from brands that I know are typically made in the US: James Perse, Splendid, Solow, Everlane*, and know what works for me there. Also, it’s rare to find a premium denim brand that’s NOT made in the US, and since I don’t buy new denim very often, and am not willing to settle, it’s always going to be made in the US.
But I’m concerned that made in the US is exponentially much more expensive, on average. And I know why that is, of course, labor costs are higher, regulation, overhead, etc., and that’s a GOOD thing. We should be paying closer to the “real” cost of our clothes in my opinion – more than $5 for a t-shirt, of course, but $50?
This article recently in Business of Fashion got me thinking about “the hype around made in the US:”
the reality is that no matter how much costs increase to accommodate better working conditions, labour costs in America will always be higher.
My argument will always be that one $50 t-shirt that’s made in the US is better than 10 $5 t-shirts that are made in Bangladesh. For one thing, who needs that many t-shirts? (see how I’m changing??) and in all probability, those $5 t-shirts will be rags after a year when the $50 one will still have held it’s shape and stood up nicely to wear. (I speak from experience here!)
Of course, you also don’t HAVE to spend $50 on a t-shirt, Everlane has wonderful made-in-the-US-tees for $15, and I’ve been told that they’re produced in the same factory that my favorite brand produces their t-shirts (I can’t verify that).
But aside from the argument that paying more for quality is ALWAYS a good idea, what about the environmental/ethical impacts of buying made in the US? There’s a lot more to the story, actually, more than I can articulate here, but it is something we should all being thinking about : being more conscious about our purchases, and knowing more about where they come from.
There are also interesting designers producing in the US, like Emerson Fry, and Eileen Fisher (not everything) that follow a minimalist designer aesthetic that you’ll find harder to replicate by mass market chains, outside of maybe COS, or Zara. Which is something else you’re paying for: Design. But again, how much MORE is too much more? Is this Emerson Fry dress worth $248?
again, from BoF:
…realistically, only a small fraction of American consumers are willing to pay premium prices for US-made apparel. The majority of consumers think of fast fashion, discount retailers, dollar stores and coupons when it comes to purchasing clothing. Country of origin is simply not top of mind.
How much are you willing to pay for made in the US? What’s your limit? How likely are you to consider country of origin when buying clothing?
*not all of their items are made in the US, but most are. And Everlane specifically is very transparent about it’s factories, even the ones in other parts of the world.
Nice post, I’m going to have to point out here that there are several factors not taken into calculation here. Overall it seems like the argument for quality over quantity is the main reason for backing up items made in US, and also the regulation and labor right oversight being much more rigorously applied. What could be added to this is the environmental footprint made with the cost and gas, etc spent on transporting the items to retail site, if made locally the carbon footprint of shipping is something one can feel guilt-free of. In terms of quality it would be difficult to flatly claim that America made is always better, other countries have produced quality garments as well, and there’s a kind of dismissal of other development countries’ ability to produce good items. It’s not easy for these countries because they are constantly faced with mega-companies like Wallmart or Target or H&M threatening to move factories elsewhere the moment one seeks to focus on things other than reducing price and labor cost, capital is mobile and it keeps on punishing other less developed states all so that developed countries can enjoy a dirt cheap item. So there’s the external factor. Consumer appetite for fast fashion keeps on generating companies who can switch production easily and leave thousands unemployed with a change of the headquarter’s whim.
This is to say that yes for producing more employment and chance for American factories the movement to focus on made-in-america makes sense, but this comes at the cost of devaluing labor of people from non-American countries. Why not lobby for better protection of labor and human rights elsewhere and be willing to pay for more for fairly traded and made items and expand the scope of care to those who do not necessarily have the luck or fortune to work in America?
There is also the problem of people capitalizing on the heritage made in America hype. The irony here is that heritage became fashionable, just the way old-fashion became new-fashion. There are quality garments produced in American factories, sure, but the reality is that so many great factories had to close its doors because of the very move to find the least-labor-costly factories possible by multinational corporations and this has done its damage. It does cost more to produce items here and in terms of technical skills and quality it is hard to say that made in America will always mean superiority to any other factories elsewhere. Also being “made” in certain country doesn’t always mean that the supplies and fabrics are also sourced here, so once taking this into account the argument about carbon footprint also is a bit shaky.
Another thing is that production of fashion is insanely environmentally unfriendly for most garments–the denim dye, many are toxic, the river separating Mexico and America where the desperate immigrants must choose between that or facing the desert, is so toxic that one is banned from swimming in that water. Part of the reason why it’s cheaper to produce clothing’s elsewhere is because it is easier for companies to infringe on environmental law in other countries because they are more vulnerable to shift in production location.
I agree with this,
“Why not lobby for better protection of labor and human rights elsewhere and be willing to pay for more for fairly traded and made items and expand the scope of care to those who do not necessarily have the luck or fortune to work in America?”
We can export the best parts of America, our work practices, and I’d add our evolving environmental consciousness too. Physical Made In America will only work if there is definitive craft/skill advantage. But if we expand our definition of America to mean our ideals as well, the picture changes.
thanks for bringing all those points up nanashi 🙂 i was trying not to write a thesis here, so i’m glad you pointed out other factors to consider – which i agree with completely. especially “DE-valuing” labor of people from other countries. i’m very cognizant that factories provide jobs to people they may not have any otherwise, and that, i think is good. the problem comes when the protections are sub-par, and things like rana plaza happen. but i do think that is one of the most important things we can do: bring fairer labor practices to other countries. because manufacturing is not going to LEAVE those countries, at least we can make it better for the people who engage in it. the question is really HOW?
i also agree with you on the hype – it’s not always all it’s cracked up to be, and i don’t think that you have to pay a lot to get quality; i’ve just found that it’s more likely that the more you pay, the higher quality the garment is and the longer it will last.
ultimately for me, all of the issues you raise are important, but i suppose i try to focus on the immediate things i can do right now to try and make a difference. by at least being aware of what i buy, and whether i need it or not, i think i’m doing something. not everything, and probably not enough, but we have to start somewhere, right?
Nanashi, you said it all for me. I’m concerned about the huge double standard I see in American companies: GAP being congratulated for raising the minimum wage of their employees, but on the other hand, the disaster at the sweatshops of Rana Plaza, fires in Karachi, Tazreen, and others. Gap’s response was that there would be more oversight of their factories…Sure, SELF-policing, which never works.
I am conflicted over the loss of millions of jobs in developing countries if US factories pull-out. But on the other hand, I want to see more work stay in the US and not constantly out-sourced.
There is no easy answer, that is for certain, but I want to do the most humanitarian thing. Whatever that is…
I am usually willing to pay more for clothing made in the U.S., but not much more, and that is generally because I know costs are higher here. I don’t think quality is necessarily better here (i.e. I don’t understand why people claim American Apparel is so great. I don’t think I have ever gotten an AA t-shirt that didn’t have a horribly crooked seam). And I don’t avoid clothing simply because it is made in China or another country where manufacturing costs are cheaper.
There are a few reasons that I am ambivalent on this topic and usually get annoyed when I see someone on an online forum or blog (not you, Grechen, since you are very thoughtful and explain your reasoning clearly) rant about clothing made in China (usually China is the scapegoat), because in many cases, those people are misinformed, borderline racist, and blindly say “buy America” as some sort of misguided attempt at patriotism. U.S. jobs that are outsourced still bring money into the U.S. economy. The positive effects might not be felt as strongly here as say your dad bringing home wages directly from an American factory job, but there are still trickle-down effects that many people do not account for.
I don’t want to write a book or rant more, so I will leave it there. I think people should be thoughtful about what they can personally afford, human rights issues, and environmental factors, but “made in [fill in country other than United States]” should not be categorically denigrated.
i agree with you renza – i definitely don’t think we should have a knee-jerk negative reaction to not made in the US – just be more aware and educated about WHERE our clothes come from and WHO makes them. i try to take into account a lot of factors when i buy something, not just the price, which i think is important; i wish more people did just that. just took a second to think about it…
if i put my economists hat on for a second, i am firmly in favor of free trade, because it benefits everyone, as we’ve seen in china, etc., and you’re absolutely right that jobs that are outsourced STILL support the US economy. i do wish there were more humane working conditions in the countries where most of our clothing is manufactured, but also understand that it’s a process- that we as American consumers CAN help influence. just 100 years ago in the US the working conditions were pretty abysmal…so it shouldn’t take as long to improve conditions in other countries at this point.
i don’t know what the “answer” is, if anything, besides just encouraging people to be more thoughtful when shopping. that’s all i want 🙂
oh, and completely agree with you on AA – i’ve never bought anything there that lasted very long, or that i felt was very good quality.
Gretchen, those are my sentiments too.
I own a zillion of Everlane tees, and I must say the quality is mediocre at best. Same goes for everything else I’ve tried by them. It’s just a bunch of very clever marketing. I have some James Perse items I bought back in 2007 that I can still wear. So, yes, I’d buy James Perse tees when they’re on sale (cannot afford paying full price).