Once Upon a Time: America’s Textile Heartbeat
There was a time when the spinning mills and weaving mills of the East Coast were alive with sound—humming as they turned raw fiber into yarns and bolts of cloth. Our clothes, linens, and home goods were made here in America. We set our tables with tablecloths woven in those mills. We tucked into bed at night with sheets spun and sewn there. It was part of daily life, woven into the fabric of community.
The Ripple That Became a Wave
With progress comes change, and sometimes change carries ripples no one expects:
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The first drop: In the 1970s, companies began offshoring production to lower labor costs.
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The ripple grows: In 1995, the World Trade Organization reshaped the rules that once kept American textile production secure.
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The wave crashes: By 2005, the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing removed quotas that had limited imports.
Factories closed. Jobs disappeared. An entire generation of skilled craftsmen and women were suddenly without work. Fast, imported fashion became the norm. The mills went silent. Communities lost their heartbeat. Empty brick buildings on the East Coast still stand as reminders of what once was, and what was lost.
The Thread of Resilience
Not everything disappeared. The Berry Amendment of 1941 kept a lifeline in place, requiring the Department of Defense to buy 100% U.S.-made apparel, textiles, and footwear. Because of that, a few family mills survived—including the very knitting and weaving mills that now make Caprine’s mohair socks and throws.
That thread of resilience is why our products can exist today.
When you slip on a pair of our socks or wrap up in one of our throws, you’re connecting to that story. You’re choosing family, preservation, and the survival of craft, skill, and history.
The True Price of Fast Fashion
Fast fashion rose on the back of offshoring. Factories overseas churned out cheap goods at breakneck speed. Imported goods became cheaper, and we bought more than we needed. Excessive hours, low pay, and environmental costs became the norm for workers in overseas manufacturing. The true price of convenience was often hidden from view.
Caprine: A Different Kind of Story
Caprine is the opposite of all that. We don’t chase cheap labor or fast volume. We believe in care, craftsmanship, and responsibility.
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Our Angora goats graze under the Idaho sun on green pastures.
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Their mohair is shorn by hand, then spun and knit in family-run U.S. mills.
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The finest fibers become socks and throws you’ll wear for years.
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The sturdier fibers are woven into rugs.
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The rest enriches our garden, returning to the earth. Nothing is wasted.
This is what’s missing in today’s textile industry: transparency, sustainability, and connection. Your socks and throws aren’t faceless, mass-produced items. They’re tied to land stewardship, to family, and to you.
Every Purchase Is a Vote
Every purchase you make with Caprine reconnects people, jobs, and production. You create the demand that keeps U.S. mills alive. You help prove that ethical, domestic supply chains aren’t just possible. They’re necessary.
For thirty years, America’s textile industry has been a shadow of what it once was. Mills were shuttered. Equipment fell into disrepair. Generations of skill and knowledge were nearly lost. Empty buildings and silent machines were reminders of what had been, and what was at stake.
A Movement Is Growing
But there is hope. A growing movement is bringing textile and apparel production back to the U.S. People want slow fashion made from natural fibers, with a smaller shipping footprint, ethical working conditions, and real care behind every stitch.
That is exactly what Caprine already does—from our Angora goats grazing under the Idaho sun, to hand-shearing, to spinning and weaving in family-run U.S. mills.
Even Washington has taken notice. The proposed bipartisan FABRIC Act would revitalize the domestic garment industry by improving working conditions, investing in U.S. manufacturers, and providing grants for equipment, safety improvements, and workforce training. It’s a sign that change is not just possible—it’s already beginning.
The Challenge: Will We Choose It?
The challenge now is simple: will people buy it? Will they choose to value American-made enough to support it?
Every time you choose Caprine socks or throws, you cast a vote that shouts YES! You’re proving there’s a customer for ethical, U.S.-made products. Slow fashion is already happening. Natural fibers are taking center stage. The textile industry is waking from its slumber.
And together, we’re the little engine that could. Small, but mighty, each choice adds momentum.
Let’s keep the mills humming.
With love,
Angela