I appreciate your honesty and your apology, it's refreshing on a site like this.

I have been in the apparel industry for 10 years and I also have many friends that run companies that produce clothing. I also know some overseas factory owners. I have an educated distaste of AA, not just spouting.

China has bad working conditions mostly due to their own government. They are the new world power now, we're screwed, and its our own leaders fault. The Chinese government also places super heavy taxes on items imported from the west, encouraging the local economy and maintaining self sufficiency. I think america needs to do the same but tax chinese imported items. It would really boost the economy.

Another thing to think about is how many illegal immigrants are working in american factories right now, are being mistreated and not enjoying the benefits of citizenship?

And since you don't do enough research, here is a nice long list of OTHER clothing companies that manufacture in the United States.

http://www.apparelsearch.com/america.htm

American Apparel is NOT the only clothing company made in the USA. I'd rather support a company that didn't treat its workers as garbage. Isn't that the reason to buy locally to begin with? That kind of irony is something only hipsters can appreciate.

I apologize.

As re-read my responses it certainly comes off with a "holier than thou" attitude and that wasn't my intention. Truth is I wish I could find more "Made in the USA" products, but its close to impossible. I didn't mean to attack you personally. I'm really worried about where we are headed as a nation if we don't begin to support and demand, through our purchasing dollars, that more things be manufactured in the U.S.. We're really headed in a bad direction as a country but we're too caught up with the now, living in the moment, to plan for the future, and it looks bleak. This country is so divided and we're just fighting with each other and not paying attention to the road ahead. The threat from China is very real.

I see an all-American company like Walmart and all I see is a direct pipeline for China's products straight to our hands. The eliminate all the small businesses in the community and the middlemen, wholesalers, jobbers, etc.. The Walmart family takes their cut and the rest of the money goes back to China. You want to talk about employees being treated bad by an employer? Look into all the lawsuits versus Walmart throughout the country but they're so rich they just pay out the settlements and continue to do the same thing. Yet, Americans love Walmart because you can save a few dollars, even if it destroys our country in the long run.

Look at the apparel companies I cited above, none of these are cheap brands. So what's the justification for having to use foreign factories? To remain competitive? Please. It's all the maximize profits, at our country's expense. To create a T-Shirt for 50 cents and sell it to us for 50 dollars. This can't continue, as a country, it's unsustainable.

We're in trouble my brother, we really are.

We don't support our own and that's all it comes down to. Just the other day I got into with fellow commenters about an American Apparel story I'll repost it here because I think it's relevant to this discussion.

REPOST:

I've never bought anything in American Apparel because their styles don't appeal to me but I wish they did because I would love to support them. This is an American company manufacturing their clothing right here in the U.S.A. and everyone wants them to go under because they don't like their styles or the people who wear them? Come on, really? No wonder this country is in so much trouble, we don't support our own. I remember when I was young people still looked for the "Made in the U.S.A." tag. I remember the commercials "Hey, Hey What do say? This was made in the USA!" but now everyone wants to see an American company that manufactures in the USA go under because of their fashion style, GTFOH!

From American Apparel's website:

"Our average factory worker makes $12 to $14 dollars an hour -the highest pay worldwide for the manufacturing of apparel basics, and significantly more than California's minimum wage. For us, higher pay means heightened efficiency, a better and more consistent quality of work, stronger employee morale, and ultimately, retention rates of skilled operators. For them, higher pay is often a path to the American Dream for their families.

"We don't have to do things this way, we just believe it's the right way.

We employ more than 5,000 people in our LA area manufacturing facilities, making us one of the largest apparel manufacturing employers in the country. This, in a state with unprecedented unemployment and an unprecedented budget deficit. American Apparel keeps Californians, keeps Americans, working, and in doing so contributes millions of dollars annually to the State and country's tax base, as well as the local economies in which our employees live. http://www.americanapparel.net/verticalintegration/

But everyone wants to see them go and replaced by another chain selling lower quality but more expensive clothing made in some third world sweatshop.

That's why this country is going to shit. We don't support our own businesses and even even when they do right we throw dirt on them. We deserve to have double digit unemployment.

I wish American Apparel luck and will try to support them, like they support our American workers.

http://gothamist.com/2010/08/13/dov_charney_declares_death_of_hipst.php

Fuck American Apparel. It's not the only American brand. I was almost tricked into supporting their business model years ago when they first started, but with all the bullshit and hype they generate they are in other ways worse than producing off shore.

I'm not endorsing 'sweat shop' conditions, but building a factory in an underdeveloped country and creating jobs and opportunities they would never have had otherwise is not a bad thing. There needs to be regulations to create employment rather than exploitment.

American Apparel is just another greedy capitalist venture like Starbucks or Walmart. They go a step further to treat their employees badly and have very discriminatory hiring procedures. Do a little research about how the workers feel about their employer. All this is masked behind a guise of a grassroots brand.

You can stick a bunch of roses in a pile of shit, but its not a rose garden, its just a pile of shit with roses stuck in it.

The following is a list of the Foreign Owners of U.S. Treasury Securities as listed by the U.S. Treasury:

People's Republic of China (mainland) - 867.7 Billion or 21.9%

Japan - 786.7 Billion or 19.8%

United Kingdom - 350.0 Billion or 8.8%

Brazil - 161.4 Billion or 4.1%

Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region) - 145.7 Billion or 3.7%

Russia - 126.8 Billion or 3.2%

Republic of China (Taiwan) - 126.2 Billion or 3.2%

Combined China owns $993.9 Billion or 25.1%

So keep bashing American companies and praying for their demise.

Keep sending your money overseas.

Just remember how you contributed to the erosion of this country when you try to explain it to your grandchildren.

So I assume your entire wardrobe comes from American Apparel? Because if if doesn't, then according to you YOU are contributing to the erosion of this country.

Im sure nothing you have ever purchased was produced abroad, so I guess your shit doesn't stink either.

Or move to China.

Name one other American clothing line that's "Made in the USA"

Gap? No

Old Navy? No

Banana Republic? No

American Eagle? No

Aeropostale? No

Abercrombie & Fitch? No

Hollister? No

Polo by Ralph Lauren? No

Levis? No

You missed my point, I'm not debating whether sweatshops in other countries are good or bad. What I'm saying is that all our jobs being outsourced to other countries is bad for us and our economy, get it? American Apparel is one of the few companies still manufacturing in the U.S., providing jobs averaging $12/hr to 4,000 employees in California and that deserves our support because if they can prove that this is still a viable business strategy then maybe other companies will follow suit and we can get our country back on track.

And yes "American Apparel is just another capitalist venture" like every corporation in the United States of America so what are you saying? At least their keeping jobs here and contributing to our economy.

But keep buying your "Made in China" Levis, just this week China became the 2nd largest economy in the world and they're coming for us next. They already financed these wars for us, our great grandchildren will still be paying them off. But by all means keep sending them your money.

Americans are too selfish, ad want everything now. by that I mean they would never save up to buy something that might cost more if it were made in the USA. They would rather have it right now. Just look at the products at any chain stores, and smaller stores for that matter. It is almost impossible to find anything made in the USA. I try all the time. But I WILL NOT buy any american symbol, ie flag, iconic landmark trinket made in another country. BTW my laptop was MADE IN CHINA. We do it to ourselves.

I thought this was funny --- but apparently even Chinese people (in China) don't want to buy "made in China" goods --Chinese Parents favor Foreign Brand Toys

This is totally true. My brother and sister in law live in Shanghai and they and all the other parents they know won't buy certain items locally for their baby because of poor quality control. China knows their shit is crappy and toxic, and that's why they export it all to the round eyes.

Chinese people from Taiwan and HK try to avoid buying foods made or processed in China.

It would be interesting to know how much their products cost compared to competing products made in other countries.

"China makes so many freedom symbols, but their country is not free. Their people are not free. People here fought for liberty; they died for liberty."

this sort of polemic garbage shouldnt be so thrown around so easily.

there are people in China who have it good and people other people who don't. Same as it is here.

Your place in society has everything to do with whether or not its a 'free/good' country.

Just a reminder but the actual statue was made in France.

They probably had it made in China

Colea neglects the fact that the US is currently occupying two countries in the Middle East.

The Chinese government certainly needs reform and people's rights need to be better protected in China, but to say the people are not free and allude to Communist Romania under Gheorghiu-Dej and Ceauşescu is incorrect.

it's not helping when the gift shop within Liberty Island are selling made-in-china merchandise.

and yes. China owns this country anyway. it's time you people stop lying to yourselves.

Face it, China owns us anyway.