An industry unraveling

Washington Times ^ | Sunday, December 26, 2004 | By Jeffrey Sparshott

[agitator]

Chicomdeshi products suck. The designs suck, the materials suck, the fit sucks, they suck. When you see a clothing company logo that sounds like "Old Time Western Trading Post" it really ought to be reading "Chicomdeshi Import Weasels." Go to a website like

Woolrich
Established 1830
Reselling Chicomdeshi Crap 2004

Now let's hear some stupid buttheads complaining about the "union label."

[miltonim]

China is expected to capture about 50 percent of the U.S. clothing market

[drt1]

For once I'd like to see some coverage of the barriers to US exports that exist in all of these countries. If you don't believe this just try to export virtually anything to almost any Asian country - Almost impossible and, after all of the tariffs and non-tariff specifications are met, non economical and non competitive.

IMO Our trade negotiation Elites are as bad as our Immigration policy Elites.

[endthematrix]

After some research I found America never really had a domestic shoe industry.

[goldstategop]

Its almost impossible to find brand-name American made clothes these days. Virtually of the American labels import foreign textile products.

[goldstategop]

My leather jacket and down coat from Columbia Sportswear are made - you guessed it - in China!

[KneelBeforeZod]

taiwan has been outsourcing to china as well

[raybbr]

ping

[durasell]

Woolrich? You're kidding?

[durasell]

http://www.aldenshop.com/

I would stack these shoes up against almost any other, with few exceptions.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

300 million Americans...walking around naked, but for an enslaved China....a national disgrace.

A country that makes nothing IS nothing.

[barkeep]

I was about to correct endthematrix and you made my point. Here in West Texas we have several makers of USA boots, but we are talking custom, high dollar boots. Go to Wallyworld, Sears etc. and you are going to see shelves full of "made in China".

[durasell]

I had a pair of Tony Lamas once. Not that great. Maybe you could suggest a good pair.

The truth of the matter is -- we can make great stuff. Unfortunately, it's priced beyond the means of most people. For instance, if you want a really great dress shirt, you can buy one that's made in the USA. However, that shirt will cost you more than most people spend on a suit. And if you want a great Made In the USA suit, it may cost more than a decent used car.

[endthematrix]

There was story on Lou Dobbs that showed a US shoemaker who mad you shoes in (IIRC) an hour! You walk in, get measured and CNC machines go to work. The mechanization and the convenience brings the cost down.

[Glenn]

A country that makes nothing IS nothing.

If I recall correctly from my school days:

If you export raw material and import finished goods, you are, by definition, a colony.

[durasell]

That sounds like kind of a novelty deal. A decent pair of custom (called "bespoke") shoes will run you over $1,000, John Lobbs being the most famous. There also used to be semi-custom shirt guys who mixed and matched sleeves, buttons, collars etc. from a stock of different sizes/styles. They didn't last long. People tend to go either go "all out" when it comes to custom clothing or not at all.

[endthematrix]

Re: I was about to correct endthematrix

No need, my post still stands. Imports 98% penetration (2003)
http://www.apparelandfootwear.org/data/shoestats2004.pdf

[durasell]

The jobs are going and they ain't coming back, no matter what Lou Dobbs says. As a country, we either figure out a way to build or create something else or we sink. As individuals, we either learn to adapt or get ground into dust.

[endthematrix]

As for shoes, I picked up mine while in Italy. Custom made, $130 Euro. Great shoe and price. I'd pay twice for the same shoe in the US.