Why America Stopped Making Its Own Clothes

People indulge in clothes shopping every day and often do not consider the changes that occurred throughout time that led to the development of mass produced clothing for both men and women. As a result of the Civil War, the production of clothing shifted from homemade clothing to clothing mass produced in factories. After the Civil War, Urbanization along with new developments, such as advertising and the new, wealthy urban class, increased the demand for mass produced women’s clothing and clothing stores that made clothing readily available.

Kelsey Timmerman, from rural Ohio, is the author of the book Where Am I Wearing. The spark that influenced his interest in traveling to other countries was because of the pile of clothes on his floor. After Timmerman saw this, he looked at the tags on his clothes. He then wondered exactly where did his clothes come from. The group of people that this book surrounds are American Consumers. Timmerman wanted them to lose their consumer innocence. He wanted them to change their buying habits because the clothes equal the people. Kelsey Timmerman wrote this book because he wanted the American Consumers to see exactly where their clothes are from. He wanted them to understand what the lives of the people in

Although the Chinese apparel manufacturers would lose profitability due to rising cotton prices and competition from emerging countries, they stand to gain the most from the removal of U.S. quotas and tariffs. According to the author, in 2007, 95% of the 20 billion garments Americans made were purchased overseas. Due to U.S. trade barriers, China’s share of the U.S. apparel import was only 30%. Once these barriers were removed, Chinese apparel would flood the American market due to their low cost and dominance in garment manufacturing. Experts predict that China could eventually supply 85% of U.S. apparel. As they increase their market share in the

Fashion is everything to society and the media. The fashion industry has transformed into a necessity in the life of people. Everyone wants to look good, feel fabulous and feel as if we belong with everyone else. The envy and desire to wear certain things and look a certain way all come, from wearing the latest fashion handbags, accessories, dresses, shoes, and the list goes on. But, when is considering fashion into an individual’s life going too far to the extreme? Many do not consider the whereabouts of fashion materials and how the environment is affected by the mere existence of certain garments. Some may believe these objects grow on trees. But that is clearly not the case. Even though it would be nice. The fashion industry as a

A lecture was conducted at the Duke University by Chris Yura, who is the founder and president of the company called SustainU. SustainU is a company that recycles fabrics to manufacture apparel. Additionally, the manufacturing of the apparel for the company happens entirely in the United States. One of the main purposes of not offshoring the production of the goods is to bring jobs back to the American people. More specifically Yura notes that less than 2% of American clothing is currently made in the USA. This differs greatly compared to 1997, wherein 40% of American clothing was manufactured within our nation. The reason for the radical decrease in local production was due to offshoring and outsourcing, where American companies could manufacture their goods overseas and pay less for the production costs. While that is one benefit to maximizing the company’s profit margin, this took a lot of jobs away from American people. Yura notes that there are many advantages to manufacturing within the USA, such as quicker turn around

Sweatshops a big issue in today’s society, even though their existence can sometimes stay hidden from the public’s eye. A famous author named Berry states, “ most of us get all the things we need by buying them and most of us know only vaguely, if at all, where those things came from; and most of us know not at all what damage is involved in their production. We are almost entirely dependent on an economy of which we are almost entirely ignorant.” The majority of people in the US have no idea where the clothes they are purchasing are actually coming from. Most people would not support the exploitation of their own race of people. If they were able to see and come to realization about what is actually happening they would have a much different change of heart.

A large majority of Americans do not realize where the clothes they purchase are produced. Unethically made goods are predominantly less expensive than goods made outside of sweatshops. With the increase in investigations, it is apparent major brands such as Nike, Disney, Reebok, the Gap and others are involved in the use of sweatshops. Sweatshops are commonly known for having poor working conditions, unfair wages, unreasonable hours, child labor, and a lack of benefits for workers. In foreign countries, sweatshops have around 168 million children ages 5 to 14 forced into child labor (“11 Facts”). Labor conditions are violated, and are often ignored by the US Department of Labor. Sweatshops are still ongoing due to the ignorance or lack of care for the people involved in a sweatshop corporation. With the awareness of where the majority of inexpensive clothing is manufactured, the public and major American companies should reconsider supporting sweatshops.

Cheap clothing is something that almost everyone has in their wardrobe right now. Stores like Forever 21, H&M, and Uniqlo are all examples of companies that use extremely cheap labor in return of cheap, low quality clothing. Considering, capitalism being a large attribute to the low wages given to workers in sweatshops, people simply do not care to think “Since this item is such a low price, how much did it even cost to make this?” For a pair of $17.99 jeans sold at Kmart, the labor in the United States would cost $2.08, but in Nicaragua it would cost $0.14. Big companies tend to not care how their workers are treated or how much they make at the end of the day. The lowest price they can end up getting for an item, the more money the company makes. “A manufacturer will tell me he has 2,000 twelve piece bonuses he needs swen. I tell him I need at least $10 per blouse to do a decent job on a garment that complicated. So then he tells me to get lost-he offers me $2. If I don't take that, he tells me he can have it sent to Taiwan or South America somewhere, and have it done for 50 cents. So we haggle-sometimes I might bring him up to $4 per blouse.” (Ross 134) In the end, cheap labor equals low wages making it hard to pay for the expenses of

While reading Celia-Grace, Nanette Lepore and Vera Wang, I have realized that global outsourcing is a necessity for anyone but in some instances, it doesn’t have to be. The global economy is a vast structure based on trading of goods and services, yet some companies and countries refuse to accept that way of economic growth. Nannette Lepore is choosing to help build the “locally made” clothing portion of the garment district in New York, Celia grace is wanting to outsource and help brides with certain wants and needs, along with more ethically made type of wedding gown. Vera Wang is a well-known dress maker and has her factories based in America.

Sweatshops were first well known to the public eye when several major corporations’ exploitation of workers were revealed during the late twentieth century. Sweatshops generally are factories that provide workers with socially unacceptable working conditions, especially dealing with clothing items. With the expanding apparel industries around the world, more and more corporations are using sweatshop factories to their advantage. Numerous companies claim that they are not responsible for actions of those factories from which they purchase from because it is not part of their corporation. However, action needs to be taken by the government and individual corporations to improve the working conditions in sweatshop factories. Due to the harsh working environment, insufficient pay, and other factors that cause inhumane treatment of workers in sweatshops, the US government should improve working conditions for workers, have stricter regulations on sweatshops, and strive to improve the treatment of sweatshop workers across the globe.

Nike, Victoria’s Secret, GAP, Levis, Nordstrom, Calvin Klein. Other than their status as large fashion retailers, they all have one thing in common: the International Textile Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation condemns their use of overseas sweatshops. Goods manufactured in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and many other Asian and African countries are often made in less-than-ideal conditions for low wages. While opponents of overseas labor champion stricter trading laws, this form of supply-and-demand economics remains a vital part of the global economy, as it enables prices to remain low in developed countries and employs many individuals in distant, poorer areas.

is not only aiding these third world countries to keep sweatshops running, but also hurting itself at the same time. Over its history, unemployment has continued to be a problem. Recently, unemployment rates reached as high as ten percent in 2009. A big contributor to high unemployment rates is having our clothing companies shift their manufacturing jobs overseas. In fact, only 2.5% of clothing purchased in the United States was made there (Li par 10). In conjunction with this, 90 percent of all clothing on sale in the U.S. is manufactured overseas (Mendoza par 3). It did not always used to be like this. The Journal of Social History reported that back in 1950 there were over a million garment workers in the U.S. (Cumbler par 5). In this time, the U.S. was thriving and many people were employed. Over the years this has dramatically changed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported since 1990 and 2011 the U.S. has lost over 750,000 clothing manufacturing jobs alone (Mendoza par 3). Instead of giving the American citizens a job opportunity, these large companies opt for the cheaper way out. They rob the people of their jobs to make more money for their benefit. These American companies cannot neglect the American citizens. If these jobs were to be kept in the United States, the unemployment rates would drop dramatically, more people would be employed, there would be pressure on Third World countires, and the country would grow stronger as an

We all like to wear the newest most fashionable clothes for a cheap price. What we fail to think about while purchasing these items is how it made it to the store in the first place; someone had to make the clothes you are wearing but who? After some research, I found our cheap fashion is coming from working children from all over the world. Receiving clothes from foreign countries like Brazil and many more is doing more harm than good to the working children, and the working conditions for these children should be safer. The practice has caused people to buy cheap fashion without realizing the consequence of the children who made it.

As consumers, large consumption of cheap clothing triggers a pressure on manufacturers to keep mass producing products at a desperate, low price. However, this results to the continuing exertion of unhealthy and unjustful conditions of sweatshop labor. As previously stated, large corporations such as Forever 21, H&M and many others have sourced their factories to undeveloped countries, where employees receive barely enough pay to survive on from a day to day basis. The approach to an end or limitation of sweatshop suppliers will never reach a possibility if the limitless drive for inexpensive clothing keeps increasing. To consumers, low priced clothing may seem strikingly attractive, but the continuance purchase of cheap clothing signals a sign of approval to factory suppliers; declaring the permission to keep sweatshops alive in undeveloped countries. Generally, consumers don’t understand the substantial cost behind a cheap t-shirt before throwing it in the shopping cart, due to the coverup of labor and human rights practices from many apparel companies (Winkler). This then constitutes to the unawareness of poor labor conditions enforced by clothing retailers. Unintentionally, consumer consumption aids as fuel for the production of sweatshops in the garment industry. To enumerate, 98% of clothing today has been outsourced outside from domestic

My country of Origin is America. Fashion is one of the heartbeats of this country and America runs on it. I am from New York City and in New York fashion is everything. Whether it’s in the blogs or the newspapers the trending topic is always who’s wearing what and what’s new in fashion. America and New York especially is perceived as being more financially well off than other countries. Fashion has always been a top priority for Americans. Americans are very specific about what they wear and when they wear it. They are cautious of whether things are in or out of season and in or out of trend. As oppose to another country like Italy, where I learned that in Italy the people are more care free about what they wear. They pick up anything