Clothing prices to rise 10% starting in spring

[sabra]

Source: AP

Clothing prices are expected to rise about 10 percent in coming months, with the biggest increases coming in the second half of the year, said Burt Flickinger III, president of Strategic Resource Group.

Clothing prices have dropped for a decade as tame inflation and cheap overseas labor helped hold down costs. Retailers and clothing makers cut frills and experimented with fabric blends to cut prices during the recession.

But as the world economy recovers and demand for goods rises, a surge in labor and raw materials costs is squeezing retailers and manufacturers who have run out of ways to pare costs.

Cotton has more than doubled in price over the past year, hitting all-time highs. The price of other synthetic fabrics has jumped roughly 50 percent as demand for alternatives and blends has risen.

Brooks Brothers’ wrinkle-free men’s dress shirts now cost $88, up from $79.50. Levi Strauss & Co., Wrangler jeans maker VF Corp., J.C. Penney Co., Nike and designer shoe seller Steve Madden also plan increases.

Read more: http://chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2011/02/clothing-prices-to-rise-10-starting-in-spring.html

[Joanne98]

1. The commodity speculators have run up the price of cotton.

[daa]

6. NO, its called a falling dollar and

calling China a currency manipulator. Now that the yuan is rising against the dollar, that means YOU pay the higher salary of the Chinese workers. Same with oil, isn't your gas over 3 bucks now? The dollar is falling becuase QE2 is printing 24 hours a day.

[girl gone mad]

22. The dollar hasn't fallen 100% against the yuan.

The price of cotton has doubled. Speculation is occurring in the commodities markets. Our bailouts and Fed policies are largely responsible.

[dipsydoodle]

9. That don't explain synthetics

but maybe they are oil related. :shrug:

If labour costs have risen then surely that's a good thing for those employed in those industries provided the increases do benefit the employees and not the employers.

:hi:

[redixdoragon]

16. Synthetics are made using petrochemicals.

Which could account for some higher prices. But as commodities have become the thing to be speculated on these days, I'd say the initial hurt of higher oil prices is being aggrivated by this speculation.

[WatsonT]

23. Or the rising price of grains

due to bioethanol production has shifted cultivation away from cotton and towards food production.

[madmom]

2. Who the hell can afford brand names now anyway?.. If I had to

pay $79 for a dress shirt (let alone the $88), I wouldn't eat for about a month.

[LiberalEsto]

3. That won't affect me much

I buy mine from garage sales and thrift shops

[Dappleganger]

11. +10000

[Left coast liberal]

27. Me too. :-)

[CanonRay]

4. Good thing there's no inflation

or we'd be in real trouble. Whoops.

[eleny]

5. Time to dig into my stash of fabrics & patterns and tune up my sewing machine

[Fuddnik]

7. We've got a lot of those "Naturist" communities in the area.

I've never been to one, but maybe we'll have to.

But, if you come by, cover your eyes. It will be painful.

[Ozymanithrax]

8. The cost of nudity, however, remains the same. n/t

[Atypical Liberal]

10. Probably a good thing.

As foreign textiles become more expensive, perhaps the domestic textile industry can be competitive again.

[rfranklin]

12. We could take a page from Gandhi...weave our own cloth...

and walk around in a blanket.

[defendandprotect]

13. W Bush's magic turned every dollar bill into .50 cents ... !!!

And the wars which have been kept going by Democrats/Obama are

still BANKRUPTING our Treasury --

And a private bank -- the FED -- is still in charge of decisions about

our economy and whether or not we'll create JOBS --

their philosphy has been "employee insecurity" -- !!

[reggie the dog]

14. you can find hemp shirts and jeans for comparable prices if not

cheaper than name brand cotton, the hemp lasts longer, keeps you warmer when it is cold, breathes better when it is hot, and becomes very soft after several washes

[Doctor_J]

15. Demand is rising?

Surge in labor costs?

:wtf:

[redixdoragon]

17. It's funny how we have to continue to be told...

...that the world economy is recovering. If they keep saying it enough, they believe it will be true, or at least accepted as true. If this speculation keeps up, and people get hungry and unclothed in enough numbers, we are going to get an Egypt style event here.

[Vinca]

18. I buy clothes at rummage sales. You'd be amazed at the designer duds

you can buy for practically nothing. I've found Dior blouses with the tags still on. Undies, of course, are another matter. They've got to be new.

[jillan]

20. I do too. It is amazing what you find. Especially if you go to nicer neighborhoods.

They buy their daughter a designer dress to wear to prom, then they sell it for a few bucks at a garage sale, because heaven's forbid she wore the same thing twice.

I remember when my daughter was a toddler. For Christmas I bought her this Little Tykes gym - it cost a small fortune. A friend of mine bought the identical one at Goodwill! Guess what? My daughter only played with it about a dozen times. Lessons learned.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

19. But the "BIG LIE" will continue: little or no inflation for the working class. BULLSHIT!

[ehrnst]

21. Not at the thrift store. (nt)

[Matariki]

24. And it's always depressing to shop if you have the slightest conscience.

Knowing that of the $88 you're paying for that shirt, about 50 cents or less went to the person who actually made it.

[krabigirl]

25. Most of the new "fashions" this spring suck anyway, at least for women (high-waisted mom jeans etc)

[shanti]

26. hemp now!

cheap to grow, and it grows everywhere, lovely fabric.