Immediately following the news that Donald Trump won a second presidential term, the fashion industry began contemplating what it would mean for business. The major question from both brands and consumers is whether or not clothing is about to get more expensive. And while we don’t know the answer for sure, based on the policy promises Trump ran on, there is a solid chance that apparel, shoes, and accessories could get pricier under his second go at the presidency.
According to CNBC, “Trump has said he would impose a 10% or 20% tariff on all imports across the board.” For goods made in China, that rate could go up as high as 60% and 100%. Tariffs will impact everyone involved in the supply chain, but the financial burden (those percentages above) will be on the brands that import goods like clothing. This is particularly of interest to people in fashion because nearly 98% of apparel is made outside of the United States. And even the pieces assembled in the U.S. often have some piece of the supply chain outside of the country – most notably in Asia.
Brands will likely offset that cost by either raising prices for customers or cutting even more corners on labor and quality. There’s also a scenario where fast fashion brands exploit the de minimis loophole that luxury or smaller brands aren't able to. SHEIN and Temu have done this already, circumventing some federal scrutiny and import duties on their products because the loophole allows packages with less than $800 value to enter the United States. While the Biden administration sought to close this gap through Executive Authority in September 2024, it’s not clear if it could be rolled back when Trump takes office.
The gut reaction to the news that we may only have a few months left with fashion at current prices seems to be to buy what you can as quickly as possible. For some brands, it's a convenient marketing message that has already made its way into email campaigns urging customers to buy now. But this isn’t the time to start panic buying or doing even more clothing hauls — especially when we’re talking about trendy pieces that will go out of style or, worse, break down after a few years and end up in the trash anyway. (We’re also about to deal with a potentially worsening climate crisis under his admin, to which fossil fuel-based cheap fashion will almost certainly contribute).
There are other options, though. Secondhand shopping within the U.S. won’t be subject to the same pricing hikes, and while some have speculated that demand will cause a rise in prices, there will still be options like peer-to-peer selling on apps like Depop, Thredup, or Vestiaire Collective. Considering that the average American buys nearly 53 items a year, there is plenty for us to recirculate. Plus, not every clothing acquisition needs to cost money, and clothing swaps are a great way to refresh your wardrobe without spending any money. It can be a way to tap into your community, keep things local, and spend time with friends and family. Now, there are entire social media groups dedicated to spending no money on clothing via exchanges.
There is also an opportunity to shop more locally and for brands to consider restructuring their supply chain closer to their operations. "Producing things locally is one of the most bipartisan topics,” unspun co-founder and CEO Kevin Martin tells Teen Vogue. The brand created a circular weaving system called Vega that reduces waste and hopes to be a game changer for domestic manufacturing. “It supports local businesses, creates jobs, and results in a drastic reduction in logistics costs and emissions."
Tariffs, if they happen as Donald Trump says, will almost certainly have a major impact on how U.S. consumers shop. But in the response, perhaps we can rethink an already broken and overproduced system. Shopping locally, encouraging brands to make smaller, mending, and supporting our community can be an act of resistance to a structure that is hurting the planet and the people that work within it — higher tariffs or not.
