Je suis curieux ! Peux-tu nous parler des bases rapidement ?
Branded socks from a designer (CK example) requires specific content to be included, 30%cotton, 40% nylon, 25% spandex.......etc.. These companies then sell the license to a manufacture to allow them to produce these socks to sell to retailers, Sears, Walmart....The packaging is controlled by CK. They audit the socks and company. Hence the higher price. Chinese companies has almost no regulation, they churn out counterfeit stuff, put the cheapest yarn, bulk up the sock with polyester (really cheap, and it is almost like wearing a plastic bag since it doesn't breathe well)
Brands like Gold Toe, Happy Foot (Mcgregor used to own them), Darn Tough (Cabot Industries) created their own brand so they can be differentiated from the cheaper chinese stuff while using higher end fibers.
It's good to see that some textiles companies are starting to come back to the states.
I was in the sock industry for 12 years before China torpedoed it.
If you can, support the local businesses
http://www.duray.com/?lang=en they are in princeville
dristex.com They are in St-Hubert
http://www.secretlegwear.com/en/home-doris-hosiery-mills.aspx in Montreal