Apparel brand Untuckit is experimenting with AI-powered robotics to address the economics of domestic manufacturing. Bjorn Bengtsson, chief product and supply chain officer at Untuckit, has partnered with California-based CreateMe on a T-shirt project that uses AI-enabled robots and adhesives instead of traditional stitching to assemble garments on-demand. The line is still in development, with retail sales details expected later in 2026.
Tariffs have forced apparel brands to reconsider their supply chains; while President Trump's tariff actions aimed to revive U.S. manufacturing, imports from Vietnam, Cambodia, India, and Madagascar have increased instead. Bengtsson noted that producing shirts domestically could cost as much as $195 compared to the current $79–$150 range, but automation may help reduce labor costs and make U.S. production economically viable. For commerce practitioners, this signals a broader industry trend: about 70% of organizations are already using more AI in supply chain operations, and three out of four executives cite AI as their top investment priority.
However, the technology remains limited; Bengtsson acknowledged that complex garments like collared woven shirts—Untuckit's core product—still require precision stitching that current robotic solutions cannot reliably achieve. Success will depend on whether AI-powered automation can scale to handle the full range of apparel designs while maintaining quality standards.