Why Made in LA Matters

All Myles Price apparel is made in Los Angeles. All our fabrics are produced in the United States. What does that mean and why does it matter?

The short answer can be summed up in a word.

Craft.

The Supima cotton that is our foundational fabric is grown by small farmers who use environmentally sustainable practices. The cotton is milled in small batches in small factories, assuring both craftsmanship in its quality and good working conditions for those who produce it. Finally, all the design and production work occurs in Los Angeles, all by family-owned factories operated by true craftspeople, where attention to detail is paramount.

The longer answer tells maybe a more interesting story.

As we all know, most garment-making has disappeared from the United States, lured by the cheap labor in overseas markets, where environmental and labor regulation is minimal and huge factories produce clothing on the largest and cheapest scale possible. In 1960, 95 percent of the clothes Americans wore were made in America. Today, 2 percent of the clothes we wear are made in the U.S.A. More than 60 percent is made in China, the rest in other countries where labor is cheap and oversight is absent. What is lost in this equation, beyond the obvious environmental and human rights abuses, is often the quality of the clothing. Economic scale triumphs over craft. practices. The cotton is milled in small batches in small factories, assuring both craftsmanship in its quality and good working conditions for those who produce it. Finally, all the design and production work occurs in Los Angeles, all by family-owned factories operated by true craftspeople, where attention to detail is paramount. practices. The cotton is milled in small batches in small factories, assuring both craftsmanship in its quality and good working conditions for those who produce it. Finally, all the design and production work occurs in Los Angeles, all by family-owned factories operated by true craftspeople, where attention to detail is paramount.

But a new story is emerging in the United States driven by a new kind of consumer who wants something better. Only two cities remain in which garment-making is a significant industry, New York City and Los Angeles. And when it comes to apparel, L.A. is king: one third of all the apparel made in the United States is made in Southern California. The L.A. fashion industry employs almost 100,000 people, entirely in small, craft-oriented factories.

There is a reason that these apparel companies were built in L.A. The emergent “new creative” economy finds a locus in Los Angeles, where all the ingredients required for a full fashion industry are present – craft-based manufacturers, designers, photographers, and crucially, a fashion-forward consumer base.

This is a big reason why Myles Price is located in Los Angeles. We are part of a new kind of apparel industry. Decades ago when most apparel was made in the USA, 80 percent was made in factories employing more than 500 employees. Today, over half of all companies involved in apparel manufacturing have less than 20 employees. And it’s not just about the number of employees and the attention to detail that smaller garment producing or fabric dyeing shops enable – it’s about who these workers are and the specialized skills they possess. We are in L.A. because this is where the craftspeople who are capable of making the very best apparel work.

This does not come without challenges. The United States, because of its regulatory structures and better-paid labor force, is the most expensive place in the world to manufacture. And California, with the nation’s strictest environmental and labor laws, is the very most expensive place to manufacture.

But you get what you pay for. When you wear a piece of Myles Price apparel, you can feel the level of craft and care that went into it at every step of its journey from farm to closet to your go-to garment.

This is why “Made in L.A.” matters.

Why Made in Los Angeles Matters.

Why Made in Los Angeles Matters.