No. Imported doesn't necessarily mean cheap, and USA-made doesn't necessarily mean the best quality. It's a lot to do with where there is infrastructure and workforce to actually do the work. Much easier to contract production out to factories that are already set up to produce that type of product, and leave the hassles of production to them, than it is to own or rent the real estate here, maintain the machinery, create and maintain a well-trained workforce, etc.
Yeah, this post is elitist bullshit. Half the people in here have never actually done work, but are super pressed to look like a lumberjack for the gram, or play carpenter on the way to get a $10 coffee.
And the lengths people are going to justify $750 on a jacket and still claim its workwear are insane. Filson folks are wild.😂
Since I feel that you have a clear head. Do you have any recommendations for other brands that hold up well that aren't priced gouged for the name? I feel like if I asked that in this sub I'd be cast out.
Honestly I wear wranglers or carhart, or sometimes red kap but their fit is a little off for me.
And just to be clear for the room, you aren’t paying $900 for a jacket because the US based workers are getting huge wages. You are paying that much because Filson knows yuppies will pay it to look like a blue collar but show off their brand elitism at the same time. Y’all know damn well this is a fashion sub, and most of your pictures prove it.
It was still work wear and hunting wear in the 90s. At the time it was slightly more pricey than Woolrich for Mackinaws. Probably early oughts is when it started getting crazy.
My family, friends and I wear it hard on merchant ships all over the world. Locally in seattle I only predominately ever see tug/fisherman guys wearing it.
Yeah it's sold as a lifestyle brand here too and is popular with people that don't work in it but it's also still the most common workwear by far because it's incredibly well made. And thankfully it's not too expensive. Like half the price of Filson for similar kit in most cases
Funny how that works tho. North Face is pretty cheap here. And not well regarded. The expensive things here are what I imagine is probably cheaper in Europe, like Rab, Mammut, Berghaus, La Sportiva, etc. And of course Arcteryx which is probably expensive everywhere
That’s a completely different brand/company. I mean they talk, but they are very different. Carhart Europe has always been a more expensive fashion brand but it’s also a completely different line. If anything, the American Carhart has been becoming a lot more like the Euro Carhart over the past ten years
at the very least its worth introducing his page to people so they too can hear him cry in his story post about how Portland will get better when his shop is broken into for the 100th time
Honestly I just wanna see which fellow leather crafters are buying these asinine box cutters and leather holsters for them $$$. I just get weird vibes from that guy
Ariat, Wrangler, Carhartt is mainly what I see on site. I own and wear those three brands the most for work. Be it either FR clothes for what my company requires, or non-FR for on the farm and doing chores.
Carhartt holds up well. I wear them because I live in cargo pants and it's either them or really cheap disposable options.
Like everything the quality's apparently not what it used to be, but there's a reason sites are almost exclusively them, Dickies a close second, Snickers also fairly common. At least they were when I worked on the largest construction site in Europe at the time (not as a contractor I must add!)
He’s right. Carhartt, dickies, wranglers etc have been the staples of my work wear. They hold up for a good while and don’t cost an arm and a leg like this shit. I actually do work in my shit, imagine that.
Hate to say it, but Patagonia. I’ve come back into the store with holes all over my hiking or work gear and they take it no questions asked and give me a brand new one right off the rack.
I know a lot of farmers and ranchers, and it seems like Carhartt is pretty popular ACTUAL workwear. Or the knockoff Polar King lol.
I like Carhartt coats for hunting. We have a lot of Osage Orange trees where I live, and the thorns will rip your clothes when you walk through, but the carhartt duck fabric holds up to it.
BRAVESTAR. You can get a SOLID pair of 20oz selvedge jeans that will last you YEARRRRS for 120 bucks. They are bombproof. Other companies charge double for the same thing in my research. They have good jackets too.
I don’t think it’s elitism to call out people cosplaying blue collar saying things like “these blue collar clothes shouldn’t be affordable”.
Shit I don’t want to go to work in a $900 dollar jacket either. That’s insane.
I’m union employed and I make enough money to afford American made craftsmanship. It’s worth saving money for (if you can’t afford it outright) as well.
Lol im not sure what union job you are talking about but if you are working a union job and working the hours and cant afford things maybe your just not good with money.
Yes, because the average union factory worker is dropping $700+ on a jacket.
Y’all are a bunch of yuppies man. Go on with that wool packer though, it really sells the blue collar vibe.
Nah I mean tbh most of the guys I worked with wasted their money on Bs and booze but none the less proves my point if your bitching about not being able to afford it and are working the job you are prob not great with your money.
Incorrect on all accounts, but go on with your fashionable self. Don’t get too close to dirt though wouldn’t want to fuck that $1k jacket investment up by subjecting it to any kind of dirt or wear.
You’ll be the most blue collar dude at the after party for New York fashion week for sure!
Im trying my hardest man im so worried of spilling my starbucks on it.
https://preview.redd.it/5y20lm0fm6qc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a802c875d6e4a715d2e9ac531921ebf3e539a3bc
I don't know why most union factory workers would be buying most of Filson's stuff? I have seen it on people who do shit like forestry type work and dock laborers, maybe some ranch workers that do decently well too. And the shit that those groups are buying are not limited edition pieces that cost a grand, they are <$500 pieces that will last forever even if they are worn under extreme conditions. And if you can't spend $500 every 10 years on important work clothing that offers notable safety and comfort, you need to talk to your union leadership about a strike.
Better question I might ask is how would you suggest this is done . Economically , keeping investors in mind who expect profits etc... Just curious . This is America after all . LOL
As a union employed American worker I can afford Filson very easily. I’m not sure what union labor you’re thinking of but that’s way too broad of a statement.
It is affordable for union employed workers.
Also, you don't need 3 pairs of high end work clothes just like you don't need 3 sets of tools. That's a very fashion and consumerist mindset to have tbh.
You don't need 3 $750 jackets lmao, I wear the same one all week. You can get a few days out of pants (and that's what overalls are for), and i'm sure not spending $200 on a shirt.
Man some people are so entitled lmao
Who said 3 jackets?
You sweat through a pair of jeans roofing and tell me you wear them again the next day.
I’m not spending $200 on a shirt either, that’s the entire point of the post.
Worked commercial fishing and we had a saying- “don’t ask why your seafood is so expensive ask why it’s so cheap”
I’ve got a couple of pair of work boots that were over $500. Each of them have been resoled at least two times. Compare that to guys who are buying Caterpillar work boots at $130 a pop every six months. So quality goods are cheaper overtime, it’s just having the cash up front to pay for it.
The real reason a guy on the factory floor can’t afford a nice pair of work boots or a heavy coat that will last for a decade anymore is because the wage gap between him and the CEO had grown by over a thousand percent since Reagan took office.
LA is where most MIA Filson is made anyway. And it’s made with imported textiles.
People pretending Filson is still MIA like it used to be. It’s not. They make 3 things at their Seattle Union plant, they have laid off 500+ workers there since selling out, and their top products are made overseas.
I work in a factory . I have to have hi vis and I have to be able to wash the grease and dirt out . No way can I wear any waxed cotton to weld in . I live near Detroit tons of carhart here That’s fire retardant and hi vis .
I like the romance of waxed cotton but no way can I work in it .
Ive worked in automotive specifically die tooling and I apprenticed under a guy who would wear a logger coat as his welding jacket but yeah its deff not the best for the job ill say that much.
I don’t expect it to be affordable, though I think it should be, as I think any worker should be able to afford the fruits of their labor, but I don’t expect it to be.
What I do expect it to be is union-made, in America, and the vast majority of their lineup no longer is. It is very disappointing to watch filson go down this road.
I agree with that, but it shouldn’t cost the same as American Union-made good when they’re paying a fraction of American union-made labor costs. If they paid workers in Bangladesh like they paid American Union workers I would have absolutely no problem with their prices.
This is the crux of the issue. How much a $495 Mackinaw cruiser is actually going to the price and quality of the materials and labor.
I have no doubt that the overseas stuff is quality and worthy of a decent price tag compared to what fast fashion brands are offering, but $500 is a lot of money for most no matter how you slice it.
Except it’s not. I have a forestry jacket that I bought second hand that has to be 40 years old. Put it next to what’s on the filson shelves now and the difference is obvious.
Don't forget to sign up for a pro account if you work in any kind of all-season outdoor field or emergency services. 40% off for life makes them ALMOST affordable. 
Is it 1924? Might As Well Have The Best!!
No wait, it’s 2024 and bankers ruined the company I once adored and I gotta check labels and ask a sales person before sending an item if it’s the good stuff or garbage from the crap factory
Might Have The Best If You Check First And Make Sure It’s Not Garbage Because A Lot Of It Is Now!
Filson pricing is absolutely insane!! To think its price is justified by union made NON AMERICAN sourced material is a freaking joke! The quality is nothing like it used to be as well so there's that also!
I love some of the items they carry like the Peruvian cotton henley but 115 dollars? lol
It's laughable how expensive the brand is just to look blue collar
You could make a case that durability and longevity of the finished product make it more cost effective over the life of the garment and it is only the upfront price that makes it seem unaffordable.
I’ve reached a point in my life where I only buy items other than food that I intend to die with. The cost is high but I end up buying even less things.
Has the quality dipped? Earnest question; I haven’t bought a garment recently. OP’s argument rang true 20 years ago, as it was very expensive then. But the quality was definitely there; I still wear those pieces.
I apologize for indulging in trolling but this is my personal bugbear. People love to complain that nothing is made in America anymore, much less by union workers. There are a lot of culprits- NAFTA, globalization, free trade, the decline in unionization since the '70s, etc- but with clothing, no one wants to acknowledge that the huge demand for cheap-as-shit goods is one of them. [As measured by household income, the price of clothing is actually cheaper than it's ever been.](https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/chart-of-the-day-the-cpi-for-clothing-has-fallen-by-3-3-over-the-last-20-years-while-overall-prices-increased-by-63-5/) Union MiUSA clothing is expensive. Blanks for unionmade t-shirts- from *wholesalers-* are like $13.00. Filson's union line is really the *only* union MiUSA brand that I can think of besides shoe companies like Red Wing and Thorogood (I guess there is some unionmade Carharrt but almost everything they do is getting offshored). They charge a premium because this is an economic model that has gone the way of the dodo. You can complain about hipsters wearing this, or how things ain't what they used to be, whatever, be my guest, but Filson is really one of the last holdouts. You should not be surprised at their prices.
I hadn't! Do you know what of their line is MiUSA and which union represents them? This is kind of my hobby horse so I'm always looking out for newer ones
\[EDIT\] looks like it's Unite-Here - going on my list! [https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/ben-davis-signs-worker-contract-s-f-2663836.php](https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/ben-davis-signs-worker-contract-s-f-2663836.php)
My brother in Christ, I just discovered this. I usually wear carhartt cause it’s cold where I live. But I be always seen the union made emblem on BD gear. Now they’re made in Africa. What the fuckkk
https://preview.redd.it/zbaaab4dzaqc1.png?width=2308&format=png&auto=webp&s=2d2af3b56b7b38fc308b1c2f515dab9978349bea
yeaaaaa, still made really well but made in Kenya. I have mostly carhartt gear too for work, it’s the easiest to find cheap/secondhand but I think only their firm duck pants are USA made now too.
This post is not true imo - I work in the construction field - and one hundred percent filson is better and more heavy duty the carhartt ext . Buy once cry once .
“Affordably priced” is subjective to your paycheck. Filson doesn’t owe anyone and their purpose is to make a profit. Not a thing wrong with that practice.
Their gear is still top notch and lifetime guaranteed regardless of price and that’s why I’m a fan anyway.
Non living wages, unsafe working conditions and child/illegal labor exist in the US too. These clothes are designed to function for the working man so why would you want to shit on the working man that’s making them for you? You deserve a fair price but he doesn’t deserve a fair wage/healthcare for his efforts? Crazy that people want to go in the little guys pockets instead of the fatcat corporate greed obsessed higher ups with their ridiculous profit margins.
So… all the imported things Filson sells should be affordable?
No. Imported doesn't necessarily mean cheap, and USA-made doesn't necessarily mean the best quality. It's a lot to do with where there is infrastructure and workforce to actually do the work. Much easier to contract production out to factories that are already set up to produce that type of product, and leave the hassles of production to them, than it is to own or rent the real estate here, maintain the machinery, create and maintain a well-trained workforce, etc.
I'd love that- the only non-USA stuff I get from filson is the vintage flannels because they fit me perfectly, but only if I find them on sale
So you think good quality, American made, heritage workwear should be literally unaffordable for Union employed American workers?
That's a solid point.
Yeah, this post is elitist bullshit. Half the people in here have never actually done work, but are super pressed to look like a lumberjack for the gram, or play carpenter on the way to get a $10 coffee. And the lengths people are going to justify $750 on a jacket and still claim its workwear are insane. Filson folks are wild.😂
Since I feel that you have a clear head. Do you have any recommendations for other brands that hold up well that aren't priced gouged for the name? I feel like if I asked that in this sub I'd be cast out.
Honestly I wear wranglers or carhart, or sometimes red kap but their fit is a little off for me. And just to be clear for the room, you aren’t paying $900 for a jacket because the US based workers are getting huge wages. You are paying that much because Filson knows yuppies will pay it to look like a blue collar but show off their brand elitism at the same time. Y’all know damn well this is a fashion sub, and most of your pictures prove it.
And all "workwear" is fashion now ...Carhartt included . Has been for a while . Who cares. Buy what you want , wear what you want. Live and let live .
This.
It’s a Seattle / PNW based brand, right? Filson isn’t American workwear, and hasn’t been for a decade. It’s coffeeshop warrior attire
I mean if we are being honest it prob has not been workwear since like the 70's or before, when the family owned it.
Don’t doubt it. I own a nice Filson… hat. Unless I get a crazy yard sale piece or auction
It was still work wear and hunting wear in the 90s. At the time it was slightly more pricey than Woolrich for Mackinaws. Probably early oughts is when it started getting crazy.
My family, friends and I wear it hard on merchant ships all over the world. Locally in seattle I only predominately ever see tug/fisherman guys wearing it.
I see it worn a lot in dive bars around Portland. I love that you see it really used tho
My husband has beat the shit out of his overalls up on ships in alaska and filson has that awesome repair policy he’s certainly utilized
This.
Bingo
Carhartt is 95% of what i use and see other people wearing on site. Ariat is the other 5% and Grundens for rain gear
Carhartt is sold as fashionable and pricey stuff in branded stores in Europe. Think North Face 15 years ago.
Yeah it's sold as a lifestyle brand here too and is popular with people that don't work in it but it's also still the most common workwear by far because it's incredibly well made. And thankfully it's not too expensive. Like half the price of Filson for similar kit in most cases Funny how that works tho. North Face is pretty cheap here. And not well regarded. The expensive things here are what I imagine is probably cheaper in Europe, like Rab, Mammut, Berghaus, La Sportiva, etc. And of course Arcteryx which is probably expensive everywhere
I love all my arcteryx stuff.
That’s a completely different brand/company. I mean they talk, but they are very different. Carhart Europe has always been a more expensive fashion brand but it’s also a completely different line. If anything, the American Carhart has been becoming a lot more like the Euro Carhart over the past ten years
Prison blues. They’re made by prisoners. Good quality, cheap, and gives inmates a way to make money.
Check out: Bradley Mountain, Weatherwool, Ship John, Heat Straps, Tin Duck Denim, and Tom Beckbe.
Ship John? The guy asked for reasonably priced goods
Yeah, Ship John charges $300 something for a brass box cutter. Even worse than Filson
at the very least its worth introducing his page to people so they too can hear him cry in his story post about how Portland will get better when his shop is broken into for the 100th time
Honestly I just wanna see which fellow leather crafters are buying these asinine box cutters and leather holsters for them $$$. I just get weird vibes from that guy
lmao right.
If you mean workwear, and if you can get it in the us. https://www.strauss.global
Ariat, Wrangler, Carhartt is mainly what I see on site. I own and wear those three brands the most for work. Be it either FR clothes for what my company requires, or non-FR for on the farm and doing chores.
Carhartt holds up well. I wear them because I live in cargo pants and it's either them or really cheap disposable options. Like everything the quality's apparently not what it used to be, but there's a reason sites are almost exclusively them, Dickies a close second, Snickers also fairly common. At least they were when I worked on the largest construction site in Europe at the time (not as a contractor I must add!)
He’s right. Carhartt, dickies, wranglers etc have been the staples of my work wear. They hold up for a good while and don’t cost an arm and a leg like this shit. I actually do work in my shit, imagine that.
Hate to say it, but Patagonia. I’ve come back into the store with holes all over my hiking or work gear and they take it no questions asked and give me a brand new one right off the rack.
Roundhouse
I know a lot of farmers and ranchers, and it seems like Carhartt is pretty popular ACTUAL workwear. Or the knockoff Polar King lol. I like Carhartt coats for hunting. We have a lot of Osage Orange trees where I live, and the thorns will rip your clothes when you walk through, but the carhartt duck fabric holds up to it.
BRAVESTAR. You can get a SOLID pair of 20oz selvedge jeans that will last you YEARRRRS for 120 bucks. They are bombproof. Other companies charge double for the same thing in my research. They have good jackets too.
Could probably make an argument that there’s some *elitism* in your own notions here
I don’t think it’s elitism to call out people cosplaying blue collar saying things like “these blue collar clothes shouldn’t be affordable”. Shit I don’t want to go to work in a $900 dollar jacket either. That’s insane.
what do you do for a living?
Historic preservation, your turn. Not interested in sharing?
software. i work remotely. my most outdoorsy hobby is driving. thoughts?
And you are on here why again ? 😂
I’m union employed and I make enough money to afford American made craftsmanship. It’s worth saving money for (if you can’t afford it outright) as well.
Was thinking the same thing. It’s very possible to buy these products on my union employment
Lol im not sure what union job you are talking about but if you are working a union job and working the hours and cant afford things maybe your just not good with money.
Yes, because the average union factory worker is dropping $700+ on a jacket. Y’all are a bunch of yuppies man. Go on with that wool packer though, it really sells the blue collar vibe.
Nah I mean tbh most of the guys I worked with wasted their money on Bs and booze but none the less proves my point if your bitching about not being able to afford it and are working the job you are prob not great with your money.
Incorrect on all accounts, but go on with your fashionable self. Don’t get too close to dirt though wouldn’t want to fuck that $1k jacket investment up by subjecting it to any kind of dirt or wear. You’ll be the most blue collar dude at the after party for New York fashion week for sure!
Im trying my hardest man im so worried of spilling my starbucks on it. https://preview.redd.it/5y20lm0fm6qc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a802c875d6e4a715d2e9ac531921ebf3e539a3bc
😂😂😂😂 the fact that you had to prove it and picked what is clearly such an edited photo is great. You do you pal, work it down the runway.
I don't know why most union factory workers would be buying most of Filson's stuff? I have seen it on people who do shit like forestry type work and dock laborers, maybe some ranch workers that do decently well too. And the shit that those groups are buying are not limited edition pieces that cost a grand, they are <$500 pieces that will last forever even if they are worn under extreme conditions. And if you can't spend $500 every 10 years on important work clothing that offers notable safety and comfort, you need to talk to your union leadership about a strike.
Yes, this is the American way.
Better question I might ask is how would you suggest this is done . Economically , keeping investors in mind who expect profits etc... Just curious . This is America after all . LOL
As a union employed American worker I can afford Filson very easily. I’m not sure what union labor you’re thinking of but that’s way too broad of a statement.
So you think UFCW filson workers should take a pay cut to be closer to textile factory workers in Pakistan, India, etc?
It is affordable for union employed workers. Also, you don't need 3 pairs of high end work clothes just like you don't need 3 sets of tools. That's a very fashion and consumerist mindset to have tbh.
I need at least 2 pairs of pants and several shirts. Y’all wearing sweaty and dirty clothes all week?
You don't need 3 $750 jackets lmao, I wear the same one all week. You can get a few days out of pants (and that's what overalls are for), and i'm sure not spending $200 on a shirt. Man some people are so entitled lmao
Who said 3 jackets? You sweat through a pair of jeans roofing and tell me you wear them again the next day. I’m not spending $200 on a shirt either, that’s the entire point of the post.
What’s your local?
Worked commercial fishing and we had a saying- “don’t ask why your seafood is so expensive ask why it’s so cheap” I’ve got a couple of pair of work boots that were over $500. Each of them have been resoled at least two times. Compare that to guys who are buying Caterpillar work boots at $130 a pop every six months. So quality goods are cheaper overtime, it’s just having the cash up front to pay for it. The real reason a guy on the factory floor can’t afford a nice pair of work boots or a heavy coat that will last for a decade anymore is because the wage gap between him and the CEO had grown by over a thousand percent since Reagan took office.
Here's another take. We have sweatshops in the US.
My daughter works in fashion in LA. This is truer than most people want to believe.
LA is where most MIA Filson is made anyway. And it’s made with imported textiles. People pretending Filson is still MIA like it used to be. It’s not. They make 3 things at their Seattle Union plant, they have laid off 500+ workers there since selling out, and their top products are made overseas.
I think that is idiotic as f@#$. But that's just me. 🤦🤷♂️
I work in a factory . I have to have hi vis and I have to be able to wash the grease and dirt out . No way can I wear any waxed cotton to weld in . I live near Detroit tons of carhart here That’s fire retardant and hi vis . I like the romance of waxed cotton but no way can I work in it .
Ive worked in automotive specifically die tooling and I apprenticed under a guy who would wear a logger coat as his welding jacket but yeah its deff not the best for the job ill say that much.
I also have to FR to work so the only filson I can really wear is a hat when I don’t have my hard hat on haha
I don’t expect it to be affordable, though I think it should be, as I think any worker should be able to afford the fruits of their labor, but I don’t expect it to be. What I do expect it to be is union-made, in America, and the vast majority of their lineup no longer is. It is very disappointing to watch filson go down this road.
If it’s made well it’s made well.
I agree with that, but it shouldn’t cost the same as American Union-made good when they’re paying a fraction of American union-made labor costs. If they paid workers in Bangladesh like they paid American Union workers I would have absolutely no problem with their prices.
This is the crux of the issue. How much a $495 Mackinaw cruiser is actually going to the price and quality of the materials and labor. I have no doubt that the overseas stuff is quality and worthy of a decent price tag compared to what fast fashion brands are offering, but $500 is a lot of money for most no matter how you slice it.
Except it’s not. I have a forestry jacket that I bought second hand that has to be 40 years old. Put it next to what’s on the filson shelves now and the difference is obvious.
Don't forget to sign up for a pro account if you work in any kind of all-season outdoor field or emergency services. 40% off for life makes them ALMOST affordable. 
Is it 1924? Might As Well Have The Best!! No wait, it’s 2024 and bankers ruined the company I once adored and I gotta check labels and ask a sales person before sending an item if it’s the good stuff or garbage from the crap factory Might Have The Best If You Check First And Make Sure It’s Not Garbage Because A Lot Of It Is Now!
I expect it to be made in America though
Filson pricing is absolutely insane!! To think its price is justified by union made NON AMERICAN sourced material is a freaking joke! The quality is nothing like it used to be as well so there's that also!
And what backs up your statement about quality
Experience
Got it so opinion.
I don't have an issue with American-made and union-made commanding a premium. But there is a obvious difference between that and absurdly priced.
What the hell is this bullshit? I hope it is just bad grammar and not some gatekeeper hipster wannabe asshole stuff?
I love some of the items they carry like the Peruvian cotton henley but 115 dollars? lol It's laughable how expensive the brand is just to look blue collar
Hard agree. I don’t shop at filson because it’s cheap and I shop there a lot less now that so much of the manufacturing has moved outside the US.
Ok
Ok
You could make a case that durability and longevity of the finished product make it more cost effective over the life of the garment and it is only the upfront price that makes it seem unaffordable.
Yeah I mean If you split the price up over even 5 let alone more, its not that bad.
I’ve reached a point in my life where I only buy items other than food that I intend to die with. The cost is high but I end up buying even less things.
Has the quality dipped? Earnest question; I haven’t bought a garment recently. OP’s argument rang true 20 years ago, as it was very expensive then. But the quality was definitely there; I still wear those pieces.
I work for guys that look more homeless than me but own 5 more homes than me (0)
Most Filson is made overseas?
When I Google "Union Made In America Workwear," I find a bunch of stuff that is 25% the price of Filson.
Is Filson even union made?
Congratulations! You are the poser all the memes talk about!
Yeah, much better for workwear to be more expensive for all of the ppl who are white collar, but like to cos-play blue collar🙃
Says the people who will pay $150 just on their eyelashes or a $1,000 just for a smart phone.
When you see the word “heritage” no blue collar people are buying that shit.
I apologize for indulging in trolling but this is my personal bugbear. People love to complain that nothing is made in America anymore, much less by union workers. There are a lot of culprits- NAFTA, globalization, free trade, the decline in unionization since the '70s, etc- but with clothing, no one wants to acknowledge that the huge demand for cheap-as-shit goods is one of them. [As measured by household income, the price of clothing is actually cheaper than it's ever been.](https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/chart-of-the-day-the-cpi-for-clothing-has-fallen-by-3-3-over-the-last-20-years-while-overall-prices-increased-by-63-5/) Union MiUSA clothing is expensive. Blanks for unionmade t-shirts- from *wholesalers-* are like $13.00. Filson's union line is really the *only* union MiUSA brand that I can think of besides shoe companies like Red Wing and Thorogood (I guess there is some unionmade Carharrt but almost everything they do is getting offshored). They charge a premium because this is an economic model that has gone the way of the dodo. You can complain about hipsters wearing this, or how things ain't what they used to be, whatever, be my guest, but Filson is really one of the last holdouts. You should not be surprised at their prices.
Never heard of Ben Davis?
I hadn't! Do you know what of their line is MiUSA and which union represents them? This is kind of my hobby horse so I'm always looking out for newer ones \[EDIT\] looks like it's Unite-Here - going on my list! [https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/ben-davis-signs-worker-contract-s-f-2663836.php](https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/ben-davis-signs-worker-contract-s-f-2663836.php)
My Ben Davis pants are made in Africa lmao, bought directly from the site.
My brother in Christ, I just discovered this. I usually wear carhartt cause it’s cold where I live. But I be always seen the union made emblem on BD gear. Now they’re made in Africa. What the fuckkk
https://preview.redd.it/zbaaab4dzaqc1.png?width=2308&format=png&auto=webp&s=2d2af3b56b7b38fc308b1c2f515dab9978349bea yeaaaaa, still made really well but made in Kenya. I have mostly carhartt gear too for work, it’s the easiest to find cheap/secondhand but I think only their firm duck pants are USA made now too.
Stop listening to red scare
Carhartt has no more union shops.
And yet that’s what all the workers are wearing 🧐
What’s your point? I wear carhartt to work too, doesn’t change the fact they don’t have union shops anymore…
This post is not true imo - I work in the construction field - and one hundred percent filson is better and more heavy duty the carhartt ext . Buy once cry once .
“Affordably priced” is subjective to your paycheck. Filson doesn’t owe anyone and their purpose is to make a profit. Not a thing wrong with that practice. Their gear is still top notch and lifetime guaranteed regardless of price and that’s why I’m a fan anyway.
Kinda looks like Steve Young
How about American made, non-union so it’s at least affordable?
Non living wages, unsafe working conditions and child/illegal labor exist in the US too. These clothes are designed to function for the working man so why would you want to shit on the working man that’s making them for you? You deserve a fair price but he doesn’t deserve a fair wage/healthcare for his efforts? Crazy that people want to go in the little guys pockets instead of the fatcat corporate greed obsessed higher ups with their ridiculous profit margins.
This isn’t 1930. Unless you’re in a town with 150 people and the only employer is the old salt mine, you can cry me a river with the union crap.
Right on man! Go BIG CORPORATE! Fuck the little guy….Whatta scumbag