Malique Morris and Marc Bain, BOF correspondents, dive deep into the impact of recent tariffs on the American fashion landscape. They discuss the challenges of reviving domestic manufacturing infrastructure, highlighting the difficulties brands face in moving away from Chinese production. Morris and Bain explore how some local brands thrive by marketing their craftsmanship, while others struggle with rising costs and supply chain hurdles. The conversation navigates the dream of 'Made in USA' fashion and whether it can truly become a reality amid these complexities.
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insights INSIGHT
Tariffs' Limited Impact on Jobs
The tariffs aim to revive American manufacturing and curb cheap Chinese imports in fashion.
However, actual revival of manufacturing jobs in apparel is unlikely per experts.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Brands Succeeding with Made in USA
Brands like American Giant and premium denim makers produce domestically and avoid tariff exposure.
They charge higher prices but maintain loyal customers appreciating quality and local production.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Market Craftsmanship, Not Nationalism
Brands should focus on storytelling around craftsmanship and product uniqueness rather than nationalism when marketing Made in USA.
Offering experiences like factory tours can build strong emotional connections with consumers.
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In early April, President Donald Trump announced an unprecedented wave of tariffs, imposing duties as high as 145 percent on imports from China. Among the rationales offered were the prospect of a US manufacturing renaissance.
The American fashion sector – heavily reliant on overseas production, particularly in China – now faces significant disruption. Some brands are adapting quickly, leveraging their domestic operations and leaning into a ‘Made in USA’ identity. Others are reevaluating their reliance on China as their primary sourcing destination. But the prospect of a mass return of garment manufacturing jobs remains a remote possibility, most economists and fashion industry experts say.
In this episode of The Debrief, BoF correspondents Malique Morris and Marc Bain join executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to assess whether the dream of American-made fashion is any closer to reality.
Key Insights:
The ‘Made in USA’ dream remains out of reach due to the lack of US manufacturing infrastructure. "The infrastructure just literally isn't here," says Bain. "Even if you use US grown cotton, most of the time that cotton is shipped out of the US to be spun into yarn and woven into fabric somewhere else. These are all sorts of things that we just don't have here. It's been lost over decades and it would take decades to get it back.”
Brands that already manufacture domestically are seeing success from marketing craftsmanship, experience and emotional value. The outdoor clothing company Filson, for example, offers walking tours around their manufacturing facility that shares a space with their Seattle headquarters. “Fashion is already an emotional purchase, and consumers do care about the story behind a brand. That's why brand marketing is so important for building the label,” says Morris. “This is another way to tap into that. It's storytelling, not nationalism.”
Whereas the US has a lack of infrastructure for manufacturing, China is in the exact opposite position. Small brands might have their supply chain concentrated in one geographical area and are especially vulnerable to tariff changes. “If that area happens to be China and suddenly there's this giant more than doubling of tariffs, you are in serious trouble,” says Bain.
Although cheap overseas clothing companies like Shein and Quince will now be subject to increased duties, consumers won’t abandon cheap fashion overnight. “Even if [middle-class shoppers] are not going to buy American-made brands that are significantly more expensive, maybe they'll go second-hand, maybe they'll vintage,” says Morris. “I think the hope here is that people will just get conditioned out of the idea that they can get $2 jeans and a $10 dress.”
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