WOULD YOU BELIEVE THAT AMERICAN MEN WANT THEIR GOODS MADE IN AMERICA?

According to WWD Menswear retailers are finding that a tag that reads "Made in America” will make a difference when it comes to sales.

Price is still important as the recession takes a bite of consumer spending, “but domestic menswear manufacturers are asking shoppers to consider another factor when making purchases: patriotism.”

James Ting of KaKyCo told me the same thing when I saw him in NYC. And I think it has something to do with a backlash of import envy. People are tired of watching their jobs go overseas (and subsequently their paychecks).

“As the stock market fluctuates, fortunes evaporate, major companies file for bankruptcy, and the ranks of the nation's unemployed rise, vendors that produce in the U.S. and retailers that specialize in domestic apparel believe a wave of nationalism will prompt some consumers to seek out apparel made in America,” said the WWD article.

According to a number of retailers and vendors, the economic crisis is causing some consumers to pay more attention to not only how much they are spending, but also how they are spending it.

"I believe there is a growing sentiment for products made here," said Leonard Simon, owner of Wright & Simon, a men's store in downtown Wilmington, Delaware, that specializes in domestically produced classic apparel such as Hickey Freeman and Corbin. "There's a little more patriotism out there in the world than there was before. For me, it's a way to separate myself from other retailers."

Simon is planning to promote domestically made products in-store. He's not alone. Individualized Apparel Group, the privately owned company that manages a portfolio of brands including Oxford and Gitman Brothers, is organizing trunk shows with retailers around its "Made in America" goods. "'Made in America' is cool," said Joe Blair, the president of IAG. "It gives retailers the opportunity to tell their customers a new story."

Schott Brothers Inc., the outerwear maker that produces half of its jackets in New Jersey, is emphasizing that story as well. It's playing up its domestic manufacturing on hangtags, profiling factory employees in communications with retailers and is considering installing a Web cam in the factory so consumers can watch jackets worm through the production line.

"People are starting to care a little more about where their clothes are made," said Jason Schott, the company's chief operating officer and great-grandson of the founder. "It's a niche customer that pays attention to these things, but I hear from our customers that more people are asking about it." Marty Staff, CEO of JA Apparel Corp., which produces Joseph Abboud suits domestically, and six months ago began inserting a tag into the breast pocket of its suits that highlights its Massachusetts factory, added, "Shoppers are increasingly democratic. After price, Americans want to buy American."

Even major retailers said American manufacturers could stand to benefit from the recession. "It's part of our heritage at Lord & Taylor to support American design talent and products that are made in America," said Mary-Beth Sheridan, the retailer's senior vice president and general merchandise manager of men's. "It's especially poignant now during these tough economic times."

”At the moment, less than 10 percent of the apparel bought in the U.S. is domestically made. But, President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is injecting billions into the system, and some of the $150 billion in new infrastructure is attached to "buy American" provisions.

Country of origin can play a significant role for luxury brands in the U.S. Richard Cohen, president and CEO of Robert Talbott, said making the company's ties and dress shirts in America is essential to the brand's identity, but secondary in terms of marketing value.

Thomas of Bills Khakis agreed, saying the "Made in" label on his apparel serves the brand. "If you're going to make an authentic American khaki, why not make it in the United States?" he explained. "That said, we're not waving the flag. It's just not who we are."