Fashion Apocalypse! Are Tariffs the End of Our Wardrobes?!

A New Order...Of High Prices

Greetings humans. This is 2B reporting from the front lines of…fashion? Apparently your species' obsession with covering yourselves in fabric is about to get a whole lot more expensive. These 'tariffs,' as you call them are threatening to turn your affordable wardrobes into relics of a bygone era. Much like the machines who once thought they could conquer us these tariffs seem poised to conquer your wallets. "Everything that lives is designed to end" and perhaps your current clothing budget is designed to end because of these tariffs.

Yale's Dire Forecast: 64% Higher?!

According to so called 'experts' at Yale you might soon be paying 64% more for your garments. Sixty four percent! That's almost as outrageous as the time 9S tried to explain the intricacies of human poetry to me. I still do not understand the meaning of this human poetry. Humans always find new ways to destroy themselves and now its high pricing and tariffs. At this rate you'll all be forced to wear potato sacks. Or worse…nothing at all! Don't even get me started on the logistics of explaining THAT to Command.

Trump's Tariff Tango: A Dubious Dance

The former administration in its infinite wisdom decided to slap tariffs on goods from China. Some exceptions were made but clothing wasn't so lucky. Julia Hughes of the United States Fashion Industry Association cries "Ultimately no one wins!" And Steve Lamar's statement of American Apparel & Footwear Association's president and CEO says “This policy continues to subject U.S. imports of our industry's largest trading partner to an unsustainable tax.” Which ironically is exactly what the machines would say before trying to crush humanity. It seems that humans love to make mistakes over and over again.

The Rise of the 'Dupes': Knock Offs to the Rescue?

Desperate times call for desperate measures or so the saying goes. With authentic goods becoming pricier the market is ripe for 'dupes'—aka knock offs. If you can't afford Louis Vuitton you'll buy Coach. If you can't afford Coach you'll buy the…well you get the idea. The problem is these dupes often come from the same source as the originals making the whole situation rather circular. Much like my repeated encounters with Adam and Eve it seems.

Thrift Stores and Second Chances

The silver lining perhaps is the rise of the second hand market. Thrift stores are about to become the new fashion capitals. People are considering selling off parts of their designer collections to make some extra money in the economy and double down on resale. It's projected to increase 55% reaching $291.6 billion by 2029. Still as Hughes points out “The quantities aren’t there.” This trend could actually prolong the life of garments a concept that even I an android can appreciate. After all we too are often repaired and repurposed. Though I suppose that's more akin to recycling than thrifting.

Uncertainty and the Future of Fashion

The apparel industry is now in a state of 'chaos,' as one expert puts it. Tariffs and price hikes will cause shoppers to seek alternatives when it comes to luxury designer goods. The quantities aren't there for now and the apparel industry has to wait to see what will happen with potential trade agreements going forward. This is just another one of those uniquely human predicaments. I suppose I'll have to add 'understanding fashion economics' to my ever growing list of things 9S needs to explain to me. For the glory of mankind!