By Elisabeth Reed
Lately we have been hearing a lot about bringing jobs back to America. A popular country song by Toby Keith titled “Made in America” paints a portrait of a consumer that quote “Spends a little more in the store for a tag in the back that says U.S.A.”
As a fashion merchandising professor, I have done quite a bit of research in this area, investigating companies that manufacture clothing in the United States, visiting their factories, examining what products they make, what are their incentives for producing in the US, and WHO are their employees.
According to the Federal Trade Commission: In order for a tag to read “Made in the USA” – all steps in the manufacturing process need to have taken place in the US. This means the cotton is grown here, or the polyester manufactured here, the fiber spun into yarn here, the yarns knit or woven here, the dye added here, and the garment sewn and constructed here.
For these reasons (among others) the most popular items made in the United States today are basic cotton/poly blend t-shirts and cotton denim jeans, which represents only about 3% of garment manufacturing worldwide.
As I continue to research this issue, the topic of finding skilled workers is always raised. American based designers and manufacturers are continuously faced with the difficult task of finding willing and skilled labor in the United States. If you were to visit any clothing factory in the US, you might feel like you have been transported to Mexico, South America, or Asia. And just because it reads Made In America on the label, does NOT mean that it is any higher quality. US clothing brands have invested in facilities and an infrastructure in places such as China and India that can be state of the art. The labor force in these foreign countries understand clothing production, are willing to do the laborious skilled work, and all steps in the supply chain are available at their fingertips.
If Americans want to sport a Made in the USA label, our first step is to start appreciating clothing as not a commodity that we use up. We can buy cheap sweatshirts at the grocery store, as if they are something that is as consumable as an apple, or cereal. We catch t- shirts at a basketball game alongside the free sub sandwiches and pizza.
We brag at the cost of a bargain, and in the same breath insist on a Made in America label. Those two cannot coexist. If you want to support American clothing manufacturers, you have to be willing to pay the price. This is why a simple top from a Made in America brand can cost around $30. These brands pay their employees a living wage, provide health care and other benefits that we all expect in a career.
If you want to support American clothing manufacturers, remember that every dollar you spend is an investment in the future you want to see.
Elisabeth Reed teaches fashion merchandising classes at Illinois State University. She grew up in Bloomington Normal, graduating from Normal Community High School in 1996. After receiving an undergraduate degree in architecture from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s in fashion design from the Savannah College of Art & Design, she realized that there was no place quite like home and returned to Bloomington in 2008. Elisabeth lives with her husband, Matt and their two wild little boys in historic Founder’s Grove.
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