What Does It Really Cost To Make Those Clothes?

[Caroline]

Also, the more expensive something is, the less people will have it. In other words it's more rare and exclusive for you tio have it, which makes it special to own.

 

[Summergirl]

I own a t-shirt company and they retail for $60-80 for tanks. Which personally I would never pay that price for (which I should not admit). But to produce anything in a first world country adds up. This is the breakdown. Usually cost me about $16- each to produce, this is embroidery, fabric, cutting, garment dyeing, trim, pattern, sewing, packaging, etc. I double the cost for wholesale, so I actually can make a profit and stay in business. So it wholesales for $32-, then the retail store usually times that by 2.20 to get the resale cost which is roughly $70-. They have higher overhead since they usually have astronomical rent. Which is why they still make a profit when the garment is sold for 50% off. That is why is the garment is made in Italy it cost so much more, not that it is better quality but their minimum wage is something like $14- hour, in India it is 2 cents an hour. So when you look at the label in your clothes and where it is made you can get a better idea of why the hell it is costing so much. The sad part is if you are wearing anything that retailed for under $40- chances are it was made in a disgusting sweat shop.

 

[Acid]

would it be as bad to make clothes in a sweat shop providing the workers were looked after and given good conditions to work in?

 

[Lena]

Originally posted by Acid@Jan 5th, 2004 - 9:58 pm
providing the workers were looked after and given good conditions to work in?

in that case we are not talking of a sweatshop anymore acid

where are you based Summergirl ?
boutiques in europe usually work on 300+%
eg 50euro wholesale
150euro retail+vat , its a steal

 

[Acid]

Originally posted by Lena+Jan 5th, 2004 - 7:20 pm--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Lena @ Jan 5th, 2004 - 7:20 pm)</div><div class='quotemain'> <!--QuoteBegin-Acid@Jan 5th, 2004 - 9:58 pm
providing the workers were looked after and given good conditions to work in?

in that case we are not talking of a sweatshop anymore acid
[/b][/quote]
so is it ok to employ a workforce in a 3rd world country and pay them a crap wage (well crap to us......but fair in their country) providing you give them good working conditions?

cause when i have a diffusion line i cant be arsed to have to pay all those italiens 14 an hour in the ittierre factory to make the same thing somebody else could for cheaper somewhere else

plus......its not like the italiens are starving and NEED food urgently, where as if i created employment somewhere say africa i could provide water and food which is essencial for their LIFE

 

[Lena]

i think third country labour and the choice of producing there is a bit more complique dear acid. eg.

a-you need quite huge orders to start with, huge workshops do not deal with small production
b-your quality might suffer big way
c-you need a local supervisor in order to reach deadlines and have production control, plus all your samples sould better be manufactured at the place of production.

apart from this, if you pay local wages and secure that your line is produced under human conditions, there shouldnt be a problem, apart from the fact that you are actually taking production away from the people that could need your investment at home.

on the side
*There is a big politico-economic issue for european manufacturing business which has been escalating during the last years. Very few companies keep manufacturing in europe or US, which leads to huge unemployment and -whats even worst- the eventual 'death' of the local skilled worker. I'm already facing this problem over here, its a nightmare for my atelier.
Very few skilled hands around, most of them 'old school' ladys, but no young people that actually know how to put a whole piece together. This can eventually lead to a real problem for indie designers or the art of clothesmaking itself.

 

[Summergirl]

I am in Los Angeles, but I guess you are feeling the pangs of globalization also! I can't believe your retail stores get 300% markup, that is way to much. What is your normal markup for cost to wholesale then? I suppose the reality is that if you want to make big bucks in the long run you eventually have to use sweatshops in third world countries, it is the only way to really make a profit. And I suppose you are contributing to their economy. It just the state of their economy that is so sad. I talked to a garment factory rep in Thailand who worked from 7 a.m. to 12 midnight just to keep her job. She said the economy was so poor that if she didn't work such long hours there were 50 other people waiting to take her job. Maybe it is just from our view the conditions are deplorable. But I did hear that they were only allowed bathroom breaks every 10 hours!?!

 

[Artemis]

I wouldn't be surprised if things are like that Summergirl. As if the working conditions aren't bad enough many workers are separated from their families for months if not years on end. It's sick how much the people who own the factories and manufacturing rights make in comparison. (Dumb fact: The manufacturing rights to Tommy Hilfiger was sold for $1.5 billion USD. As if he needed anymore money than he had already )

And back on topic: I know for a fact that wool men's suits cost around $30USD to make, give or take depending on the fabric quality. Custom made is a completely different story; this is off the rack stuff, be it high end or what you find in say, Nordstrom or Men's Warehouse.

 

[Beny]

I'm sure a lot of people will be shocked if they visited some Chinese OEM factories.

The cost in manufacting is very very low, but, what about building a fashion brand? I mean, build up your sales sys? deal with the medias? group market analysis team and desgin team? hold shows and exhibits every 6 months? That'll be a big big project.

 

[Lena]

yes, its a big project and its the only way it can be done 'properly'

 

[Guessgirl96]

Is this just about all designers that make things in third world countries, and send their things to italy or tweaking, that do this, or just some? I can imagine that from brands like marc jacobs and chloe since their pretty mass produced, but do more limited brands like balenciaga, lanvin, do this too?

 

[Lena]

Lanvin & Balenciaga do not manufacture in the Third World (as far as i know)

 

[Tushka_BeLLa]

Very interesting thread.

 

[finalfashion]

on the side
*There is a big politico-economic issue for european manufacturing business which has been escalating during the last years. Very few companies keep manufacturing in europe or US, which leads to huge unemployment and -whats even worst- the eventual 'death' of the local skilled worker. I'm already facing this problem over here, its a nightmare for my atelier.
Very few skilled hands around, most of them 'old school' ladys, but no young people that actually know how to put a whole piece together. This can eventually lead to a real problem for indie designers or the art of clothesmaking itself.

Hear hear, Lena! I'm amazed to find that my sewing skills are in demand... I never thought that I would be making my money sewing samples for designers who can't sew (not to mention illustrating for designers who can't draw)... it's incredibly sad how these skills are dying... I never thought my customers would be "designers".
Tailoring especially is suffering because so many of the older tailors have refused to share their art with young women... despite the fact that no young men are interested in tailoring anymore... so many people don't understand the values of acquiring physical skills and they don't comprehend the value and effort that go into the clothes on their backs...

so... this is a very educational, appropriate thread

 

[Lena]

hey, i'll pay for your ticket finalfashion..
we were just talking about this problem with my clients who keep manufacturing in EU, they give only ten years to the 'high quality' EU production.. not even the young immigrants from Poland/Albania/Ukraine want to learn the art of sewing/cutting etc..

 

[tott]

^ This is shocking, Lena! Tragic, really...

 

[Lena]

well, its true, all women working in the few remaining ateliers are about 50, so they wont work any later than in their 60s and absolutely NO young people continuing the art of making the garments..
its a huge issue for all western EU.. it really is tragic my dear Tott

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

I went to visit a couple of local factories a year and a bit ago, and all the machinists and cutters there were women in their 50's+...looking over both of the factories I could only see 1 or 2 'young' women, it's inevitable that alot of production is non EU now, aswell as costs, it soon will be virtually impossible to produce garments here.

 

[tott]

^ I've also noticed that it's getting harder and harder to find fabrics and other stuff in stores, they are closing one after the other as the years go by...

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

oh yes tott I completely agree! It's very difficult to find a broad range of colours/surface patterns/fabric types now and the stuff there is seems to be marked up quite a bit, making garments much cheaper to buy in the shops anyways....further discouraging folks to clothesmake themselves, and generally getting a lesser interest in the whole seamstress etc idea.