logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2025
19m 22s

How to Make a $12.98 T-Shirt... in the U...

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL & GIMLET
About this episode

After decades of manufacturing in the United States moving overseas, there are calls to bring it back. But doing that is not straightforward. WSJ’s Suzanne Kapner and the founder of American Giant explain how that company produced inexpensive T-shirts in the U.S.


Further Reading:

-How a $12.98 T-Shirt Is Made in America—at a Profit  


Further Listening:

-How One Business Owner Is Getting Ahead of Trump's Tariffs 

-China, an Alabama Business and a 20-Year Battle 


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Yesterday
Can Superman Save Warner?
The man of steel is back in a new $225 million reboot. Riding on this weekend’s release is the hope that DC Studios will finally begin to match the past successes of its archrival Marvel. Its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery views DC Studios as critical to its success or fai ... Show More
22m 36s
Jul 10
Who Will Be the Next Fed Chair? Maybe Kevin
For years, President Trump has feuded with the Federal Reserve and Chair Jerome Powell over interest rates. And now, two Republicans named Kevin (Kevin Hassett, one of Trump’s closest economic advisers and Kevin Warsh—a former Fed governor) are vying to be the next chairman of th ... Show More
22m 47s
Jul 9
The Healthcare Costs of Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill
President Trump’s megabill cuts over $1 trillion in healthcare spending over the next decade, mainly from Medicaid. Experts project nearly 8.7 million fewer people covered by Medicaid, and hospitals face reduced payments and higher costs. WSJ’s Dominique Mosbergen reports on the ... Show More
20m 47s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 17
A Toy Manufacturer Explains How Trump’s Tariffs Could Crush His Industry
In the past three weeks, we've spoken to economists about the tariffs. We’ve spoken to a historian about the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act and the 100-year legacy of American protectionism. We've spoken to supply chain expert Jason Miller from Michigan State about why China is set up t ... Show More
35m 9s
Mar 2023
What Made in America Means for the World
In a Foreign Policy essay that is being much discussed by policymakers this week, Adam Posen argues that U.S. industrial policy is needlessly protectionist—and is likely to backfire. Why does he think Washington has it wrong? And how did we get here? Posen discusses and debates h ... Show More
42m 3s
Apr 15
Can Tariffs Really Revive 'Made in USA' Fashion?
In early April, President Donald Trump announced an unprecedented wave of tariffs, imposing duties as high as 145 percent on imports from China. Among the rationales offered were the prospect of a US manufacturing renaissance. The American fashion sector – heavily reliant on over ... Show More
26m 59s
Jun 12
Common Ground Classic: Bringing Manufacturing Back to America
As President Trump calls on American companies to ramp up domestic production and reduce reliance on countries like China, many lawmakers are welcoming the push — seeing it as an alignment with priorities they’ve been working on for years. Today, Bret revisits his conversation wi ... Show More
11m 55s
Jun 17
Is a Trump Smartphone Made in America Possible?
The Trump Organization took the wraps off a golden smartphone it says will be made in the U.S. and sell for just under $500. WSJ deputy tech and media editor Wilson Rothman walks us through the promised specs and why it isn’t possible to make it in America by August. Plus, Gulf s ... Show More
11m 36s
Mar 2025
How China Killed America’s Middle Class - And How Trump’s Tariffs Will Bring Jobs Back to the U.S.
Patrick Bet-David explains how Nixon’s 1972 visit to China and China’s 2001 entry into the WTO triggered the loss of millions of U.S. manufacturing jobs. From cheap labor costs driving outsourcing to the devastation of states like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, this video expl ... Show More
12m 32s
Nov 2016
Start A Clothing Brand: But Don't Go Bankrupt ;)
Written by Codie Sanchez                       Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real  With Nasty Gal declaring Chapter 11 Bankruptcy this week, it made me realize how the shiny bow is often on the gnarliest of presents. Don't let the veneer fool you, starting a business ain't for sissi ... Show More
1h 1m
Dec 2024
Trump’s Tariffs Could Mean Costlier Clothes
The cost of your clothes could go up if Donald Trump implements promised tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China. Audie talks with Christina Binkley, editor-at-large for Vogue Business, about the possibility of costlier clothes, whether we should adjust our holiday shoppi ... Show More
30m 17s
Feb 2025
Is recession risk rising?
A growing number of young American consumers say they’re opting out of the economy entirely or pulling back from spending at certain stores over their political views. We’ll explain how this trend could collide with other economic shifts, creating the perfect recipe for a recessi ... Show More
13m 15s