Does a "made in USA" tag actually mean clothes are more ethically made? Do we even have the infrastructure to make clothing at scale anymore in the US? I went to LA to meet with a garment worker, a factory owner, and an activist, and then to the heart of fashion, the University of Delaware, to talk to a fashion economist.

Emilie's medical wearables brand https://novamedicalwearables.com/

Dr. Lu's research https://www.usfashionindustry.com/pdf_files/2026/2026_USFIA_Benchmarking_Study.pdf

GWC https://garmentworkercenter.org/

Lalaland https://www.lalaland-design.com/  

Macy's sheep to sweater video https://youtu.be/L7QMgbMlaek?si=Pz6Dh_H6l5qXBM5j

Chapters:

0:00-0:49 intro

0:50-4:52 inside a US factory

4:53-6:16 adidas example

6:17-7:42 fashion economist explains

7:43-9:45 supply chain 101

9:46-10:09 sheep to sweater

10:10-11:24 forced labor in the US

11:25-14:08 LA garment worker interview

14:09-16:40 brands' willful ignorance & its consequences

16:41-19:53 new expanded regulations

19:54-20:51 why US garment work should continue

20:52-22:13 how the berry amendment helps factories

22:14-23:40 why US garment work might not need to come back

23:41-25:04 what the future of "made in USA" might be

25:05-26:57 tldr how to shop better& quilt reveal

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