If you’re interested in “Made in the USA”, you already know we’ve lost the ability to produce the many things we once could.  Sweaters may be one such casualty.  American clothing makers have faced such troubled market conditions the past two decades; they’ve had no flexibility to invest in new machinery or facility upgrades.  The makers that remain are small and their machinery is non-modern.  But is it modern machinery that makes clothing meaningful?  Or is it the people and their traditions in craftsmanship?    

Last Spring (2009), we decided it was time to develop a wool sweater for the Todd Shelton brand.  We knew it would be one of the biggest manufacturing challenges we’d faced in America; the infrastructure (machinery and skill) had exited the country over 10 years ago.  Two shops in our area remained open (shells of what they once were), but they only produced cotton knits – not wool.  These shops had the experience, they’d made wool sweaters years ago, but the machinery and the market were different now.   

Could the non-modern machinery and the vintage construction that made American sweaters for generations compete with the quality of the modern machines in Asia?  The modern machines make a “fully-fashioned” sweater; the machines knit the entire sweater in one piece.  The shops we are loyal to make a “cut & sew” sweater; the body, sleeves and neck are cut individually from knitted fabric and sewn together. 

It’s been fully fashioned sweaters that have taken over the market.  Asia has the machinery. Fully fashioned sweaters are in stores from Target to Barneys – the construction is modern and clean; considered by buyers to be the most desirable.  Cut & sew (in contrast) was the method considered “old hat”, but it had two advantages:  stronger seams (think no holes under the arms) and the spirit of American heritage. 

Starting in Spring 2009 we worked on refining our knitting and “cut & sew” construction techniques, we were making progress weekly, with the hope of releasing our first sweater for Holiday 2009.  But we missed that release, we needed more time for development.  Nearly a year after the project started, we are meeting this Saturday (5/22/2010) to see our most advanced sample (being made this week).  This sample brings together one year of development. 

We plan on having good news to report.  The sample we receive Saturday will determine the future of this project.  If the news is not good, we do have a backup plan, unfortunately it would delay any release until Fall 2011.