Tag: Jeans

FASH455 Video Discussion: Inside the Costs and Challenges of Making Textiles and Apparel in the U.S.

Video 1: How an Oklahoma denim-maker supports creating American-made jeans
Video 2: President Trump’s Tariffs Backfire on US Textile Exporters

Discussion questions (note: for students in FASH455, please respond to at least two questions listed below in your comment)

  1. Based on the videos, what is your evaluation of the opportunities and challenges of making textiles and apparel in the U.S.?
  2. In what ways has international trade influenced the growth, decline, or transformation of U.S. textile and apparel production?
  3. What do you think about the Round House Jeans owner’s strategy of selling imported jeans from Bangladesh at a higher profit margin to “subsidize” its low-margin U.S.-made jeans? Do you think this could be a sustainable business model in the long run?
  4. Based on the videos, why do you think U.S. textile and apparel production experienced even greater losses in the first half of 2025, despite higher tariffs on imports? [Detailed data HERE]
  5. If you were invited to offer policy recommendations to boost U.S. domestic textile and apparel manufacturing, what would you propose, and why?

Additional reading: