April 09, 2025

We used to manufacture in the US - it didn't work for us, nor did it work for you

Would KOOSHOO Consider Bringing Production Back to the USA?

We get this question more and more these days—and especially since the announcement of new US tariffs on imported goods from countries like India and Japan (see our personal message about tariffs to our community here).

And the honest answer?

Yes. Absolutely.

But the truth is, it’s not that simple.

In fact, we’ve done it before.

Back to the Beginning

For seven years, KOOSHOO products were made in the USA—right in the heart of Los Angeles, the country’s largest and most resilient garment hub. We got to know the industry well. We learned from skilled sewers, small factory owners, dye houses, trim suppliers, and pattern-makers whose talents helped shape our earliest products.
We loved it.

We wanted it to work.

But if we had stayed, KOOSHOO wouldn’t be here today. We know this for a fact.

Manufacturing in the USA is very expensive—especially when you’re a small brand committed to using non-synthetic, certified-organic, ethically sourced materials. The market simply wasn’t (and still largely isn’t) willing to pay what it would take. The minimum wage is high (a great thing), and labor drives costs.

But pricing is just the tip of the iceberg.

What Makes US Manufacturing So Challenging

1. The Numbers Don’t Add UpLet’s take one product we did make in LA: our incredibly popular, organic cotton Twist Headband.

It’s a minimalist design—just one line of stitching and a label. We designed it this way very deliberately to minimize labor costs.

Back then, we sold it for $25 USD.

Today, made in a Fairtrade-certified facility in India, it sells for $9.99.

Fairtrade certification means workers are paid living wages and work in safe, regulated environments. If we're being honest, our Fairtrade partner in India is a nicer workplace than any of the 30+ cut-and-sew facilities we visited in LA—bright, well-ventilated, regulated hours, safety precautions everywhere, and genuinely happy people.

Same performance. Same quality. Still ethically made. But much more accessible.

And that’s one of our simplest products.

This year, we’re launching some of the most beautifully detailed accessories we’ve ever created (our Satin Bow Scrunchies, for example). These pieces require real sewing expertise and significant hands-on time. If we made them in the USA, they’d need to retail for $40–$60. Instead, we’ll offer them for $11.99–$14.99. That’s the difference global production makes.

If there were a sizeable market for $25 headbands and $50 specialty accessories, that would be phenomenal. We’d love that. But almost every day during those 7 years of US production, we received messages along the lines of: "Your products are too expensive" or worse, "How dare you gouge your customers with these absurd prices?"

We blogged soliloquies on the value of Made in America. We pursued media stories on why it matters. And still, the messages kept coming.

This is what's often referred to as the "say–do gap" — the difference between what people say they want and what they actually do.

"I’d definitely pay more for ethical products." → Then opts for the cheaper, unethical option.

Intentions are good. But turning values into action is hard—especially when the price gap is so wide.

2. Missing Machines & Skillsets

It’s not just about labor costs. It’s also about capability.

Many of the machines used to make hair accessories—like those used to seal round hair ties or shape acetate for hair claws—don’t exist in the US at scale. Countries like China, Italy, and France have near-monopolies on these techniques.

Infrastructure like this takes years or even decades to build—and a healthy market to support it.

Skilled labor is shrinking, too.

The US lost more than 80% of its textile jobs between 1990 and 2024. As of late 2024, only about 266,000 Americans work in textile, apparel, or fabric manufacturing—down from over 1.2 million just 25 years ago (source).

In the last two years alone, more than 20 US textile plants have closed, according to the National Council of Textile Organizations.

We saw this first-hand in LA. We had to shift production multiple times due to closures.

And here’s where it gets even more complex—and this is anecdotal, but consequential.

During our years in LA, we visited close to 100 businesses in the garment industry. In the labor sectors especially—dyeing, cutting, sewing, packaging—it was an open secret that many incredibly skilled workers were undocumented. Some had been with firms for decades. They are engrained community members with kids and grandkids built into the fabric of society. While tariffs are now pushing for a revival of American manufacturing, there’s simultaneously a crackdown on undocumented workers—often the very people holding up what’s left of the garment industry. These two efforts are in direct conflict.

3. Material Realities

The US grows a lot of cotton—but most of it is grown for export, and processed into blends or synthetics (which we don’t use). According to Vogue Business, 97.2% of global organic cotton is grown outside the USA.

Natural rubber—our other primary ingredient? Not grown in the US at all.

Even trims, elastics, and dyes are mostly imported. These too are now subject to tariffs, increasing costs further.

One of the key reasons we manufacture in India is because both our organic cotton and natural rubber are grown near our production facility. Choosing this region helped us shrink our shipping footprint, support local farming communities, and maintain ethical standards across the supply chain.

4. Consumer Expectations Have Shifted

In the 1960s, 95% of American clothing was made domestically (source). But people bought fewer items and paid more for each one.

Today, the average American buys 68 garments per year (source). The top 10 selling hair tie packs in the US average 55 hair ties per pack (read the icky truth about Planned Obsolescence in the hair accessories industry). Cost, convenience, and quantity drive behaviour.

We still believe in “buy less, buy better.” It’s core to KOOSHOO.

But that value is hard to live when costs are rising and disposable income is shrinking.

Even with a 25% tariff, an imported hair tie will still likely cost half of a made-in-USA version.

And if people continue to expect 50+ ties per pack, that cost only multiplies. We're working to change this perception but it's tough - read our blog, How Many Hair Ties do you Really Need on a pack?

So Where Does That Leave Us?

We’d love to return to our roots.

We’d love to bring at least some KOOSHOO production back to Los Angeles.

But only if it’s viable. Only if it’s competitive. Only if consumers have the income and mindset to support that choice.

We’re not there yet—but we believe it’s possible.

Not through tariffs. But through investment, strategy, and long-term vision.

If we truly want to bring manufacturing back to the US, we need to ask: Where is it working today?

Answer: In niche and specialized sectors.

Luxury apparel. Technical gear. High-performance fabrics. Surgical gowns.

Let’s invest in those sectors. Let’s grow them. And from there, pull in the nearby opportunities—the low-hanging fruit that can scale with them.

Let’s build something strong, deliberately and consciously, over time.

The current tariff approach? It’s a sledgehammer where a scalpel is needed.

It’s putting pressure on small, ethical businesses like ours—without building any of the infrastructure needed to support real domestic production.

The Global Picture

We believe in the power of global collaboration.

Cotton has been grown and woven in India for over 5,000 years. That knowledge—passed down through generations—produces some of the most beautiful textiles in the world.

We’re honoured to work with partners who bring that artistry to life in our products.

Our Fairtrade certified cut & sew in India is a social good facility owned by Nuns

Even for overseas-made products, many jobs are created in the US—in sales, logistics, customer support, marketing, and fulfillment.

Global doesn’t mean exploitative. In our case, it means ethical partnerships around the world.

It means building a business that’s better for people and planet.

Global isn’t win-lose. It’s not us vs. them. Specializations exist for a reason—and we all benefit when those are celebrated.

We’re all humans. We’re capable of building incredible things, together, where everybody wins.

So Would We Consider Bringing Production Back to the US?

Yes. One day, we hope to.

But we’re also a small, values-driven business with limited leverage—and a family to feed.

Until the system changes, global production remains our best path to offer high-quality, low-impact products without compromising on ethics or design.

We’ll keep doing what we’ve always done: Being transparent. Asking better questions. Staying open to possibility.

And building a world—product by product—where people and planet are treated with care.

In researching this story, I went down a photo memory-lane of our time working in LA. While I couldn't find a spot for them in the story above, below is a mini gallery of our time manufacturing in L.A.
Young, idealistic Rachel and Jesse in our L.A. dye house
From fabric mill to dye house to cut and sew to trim shops we'd go