Margins Are the New Receipts—And a Lot of Brands Are Getting Exposed

Welcome to the great unmasking.

Tariffs roll in. Tantrums erupt. Factories speak up. Suddenly, the internet knows what our favorite brands have been sweeping under the rug for years.

That $1,200 jacket? Costs less to make than dinner for two at Applebee’s. That “limited-edition” sneaker drop? Made for about what you’d tip a decent bartender.

Cue the digital pitchforks:

“We’ve been robbed!” “Never again!” “Down with Fashion!”

But let’s slow the outrage machine for a beat or two. Tariffs have me thinking a lot about the real value of any business or product. You’re paying for the only thing that actually makes stuff matter: The Brand.

Not the materials. Not the manufacturing process. Not the supply chain gymnastics.

You’re paying for the story someone sweated over. The signal it sends when you walk into a room. The feeling it gives you when you open the box like it’s a goddamn treasure chest.

You think Vans is just selling shoes? They’re selling belonging. Creative expression. Confidence. Non-conformity. A little slice of mythology. I know, because I worked on that brand for several years. It’s just canvas and vulcanized rubber folks.

It’s why another factory that used to make kicks for the swoosh tried to go solo—and face planted. Because pumping out products without soul, strategy, or swagger? That’s not a brand. That’s a warehouse clearance sale waiting to happen.

Now here’s where things get interesting:

The brands designing and building closer to home? They’re not scrambling. They’re not hiding behind smoke and mirrors. They’re owning it.

No tariffs. No markups from seven middlemen with yachts. No BS.

Just clean, clear, intentional product—and a narrative that actually holds up under scrutiny.

That’s the future: Craft meets conviction. Transparency not as damage control, but as part of the value prop.

This isn’t just a pricing debate brought on by tariffs. It’s an identity crisis.

It’s the difference between a business and a brand. Between something you buy and something you believe in.

So let’s cut the crap:

Do you really want to know what it costs to make every item you wear?

Or do you want to feel something when you wear it?

Pick a side.