We are often asked why the pricing disparity between premium performance apparel and low cost commodity options. The best performance apparel comes from two regions – the United States and Italy. Low price apparel generally comes from China, Romania, India and Vietnam. Cost driven producers focus on reducing labor costs, using low cost materials of construction and compromised print quality. We use fabrics from around the world carefully selected based on performance. Cost is secondary. Low cost providers select locally produced fabrics where cost is the primary concern. In addition, these producers select trim – elastic, zippers, binding – with minimal regard for wear characteristics or feel. Lastly there is the printed image quality. Dull and low resolution printing is a sign of low quality inks and fast print speeds. It costs more to print high quality. Lastly there are labor costs. In the US, for example, a seamstress earns $10-$14 an hour. In China, Romania, India, Vietnam and other low cost regions wages run $0.50 – $1.00 an hour. We make our apparel here in the US. We control every aspect of the apparel production starting with raw materials and going all the way through to packaging and shipping to the customer. Costs a little more but you get a premium product.