According to a recent study conducted at the University of Missouri (MU), Columbia, Mo., American consumers place a much higher value on apparel produced entirely in the United States with U.S. raw materials, as opposed to products produced partially or entirely overseas.
In the study, which was published in the “Clothing and Textiles Research Journal,” Jung Ha-Brookshire, an assistant professor in the textile and apparel management department at MU, surveyed American consumers to determine the value they place on apparel produced in different countries.
She showed participants a cotton shirt, told them it was made in China, and said it sold for $40 in retail stores. She then showed them the same piece of clothing and told them it was made in the United States with U.S. cotton.
The study participants valued the U.S. cotton shirt at $57, which is more than 42% higher than the same shirt produced in China. The value placed on U.S.-produced products is so high that MU experts expressed concern that it could be damaging to U.S. apparel manufacturing businesses and the overall economy.
“Americans tend to severely overvalue apparel produced entirely in the United States,” says Ha-Brookshire. “This is concerning because if Americans place higher values on these U.S. products, they perceive those products to be too expensive and are less likely to buy them, opting instead to buy similar Chinese-made products perceived to be more in their price range. To help U.S. apparel businesses create and maintain domestic jobs, American consumers need to have a realistic understanding of the value of apparel made in the U.S.”
Ha-Brookshire will present her research at the Textile Product Labeling Summit at the University of Missouri in November.
For more information about the summit, click here. — L.M.
