The Magee suit made in Donegal, whose price was once tailored to the average working man's wage, is the latest emblematic piece of Irish clothing to move production abroad.
Part of a widespread western European trend, the shutdown of its personal tailoring section with the loss of 60 jobs makes Magee one of the last volume clothing manufacturers in Ireland and the UK to outsource its manufacturing to countries such as Morocco, Portugal and Turkey.
"We are still endeavouring, like we always have, to give high quality and value for money, but the cost of manufacturing in Ireland relative to lower cost countries is now unsustainable," Lynn Temple, chairman of Magee, told The Irish Times yesterday. In the last three years clothing prices have fallen by 2.5 per cent and the reality for a customer is that a Magee suit made offshore with a €400 price tag would retail at €600-€700 if made in Ireland, he said.
"It's a sad day for Magee and for Donegal, and it's sad to be losing jobs in Ireland, but it's a fact of life."
The emigration of Magee's clothing manufacturing from Ireland will not, however, affect its shops or successful weaving division, which is at the top end of the global market where it can command high prices.
The l40-year-old company boasts high profile international clients such as Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Aquascutum, MaxMara, Tommy Hilfiger, Canali and others for its cloth.
Magee is one of the remaining handful of Irish companies weaving Donegal tweed in Donegal but, like the Aran sweater, it is about to earn the unusual status of being made abroad yet perceived as Irish.
"Magee is still the only authentic manufacturer of Donegal tweed, but we cannot patent the name because it is a geographical place," said Mr Temple.
Joan Millar, owner of one of the country's most successful knitting companies, once employed 250 hand and machine knitters in Ireland in the l980s making modern versions of the Aran sweater.
Since moving production to China, Ms Millar now concentrates solely on design and has won many major UK contracts. She can still offer Irish-made sweaters to her customers but at double the price.
