How the pandemic brought ‘Made in America’ apparel back to fashion

The CGS 2021 State of the U.S. eCommerce Consumer Survey reveals that since the pandemic started, the number of American consumers are gravitating toward local shopping and ‘Made in America’ goods is on the rise.

Children’s apparel leads the pack when it comes to what U.S. consumers look for with the ‘Made in America’ tag, followed by footwear and womenswear. More precisely, seven in ten American consumers feel that buying their kids’ clothing and toys from nationally sourced and manufactured brands is important, citing concerns about the manufacturing and a desire to help local businesses. They also argue that it’s faster to get those items delivered when bought from ‘Made in America’ labels.

Currently, clothing made in the country just accounts for 3 percent of all apparel sold in the United States, reports the ‘Los Angeles Times’, a drop in the 1.5 trillion dollars global fashion market. But upended global supply chains, travel restrictions, and Joe Biden’s plans to revive the national economy are giving the U.S. apparel industry a very much needed push.

“Almost every factory I’ve talked to this year has more demand than at any time in the last decade,” said to ‘Forbes’ Christian Birky, founder of Because Capital.

This behavioural shift is poised to benefit brands including athletic and lounge apparel manufacturers American Roots and American Riot, shoemaker Allen Edmonds, high-end labels such as Brooks Brothers or lingerie maker Hanky Panky, amongst others.