This is a story about where your clothes come from. Today, 98% of the clothing worn in America is made overseas. Over the last quarter century, US manufacturing has left US shores for foreign lands at staggering rates. With the departure of that manufacturing went many US textile mills, US fabric producers and other US businesses that support making clothing. This feels strange. In our ever shrinking world with communication governed by rapidly evolving technology, with jobs that require more travel and more relocation to more places, and with a global economy that moves faster than at anytime in history, it is easy to feel unmoored. To that end, it isnʼt really a surprise to see a call for local rising up amongst US consumers, a call for a manufacturing process that is a touch more grounded.
At Ibex, weʼve given that a lot of thought. Itʼs compelling to know where our food was grown, where our water came from, and what went into our clothing. Weʼre starting to answer that last call. From fields in Montana to fabric sewn in California, weʼre pushing a more localized supply chain, an American-made collection of clothing that will help serve us as we push our products state-side. With this change, we see the people that sew Ibex clothing, what each garment looks like in their hands and on their cutting tables. We build relationships with them. We get to feel good about our process and to share that feeling with you. When you pull on a garment made with our Shak Lite fabric, you feel the same attention to detail and the same versatility of wool, but youʼll also feel a bit more comfortable knowing the whole of that fabric came from closer to home. A cry for locality, for authenticity is going up and the answers are coming in from craft brewers, farm to table restaurants and, at Ibex, with field to fabric clothing.
