Like the pricing for many commodities, including gold and oil, the price for cotton is at record high levels. Real pricing for cotton has approached levels not seen since the U.S. Civil War. This is impacting pricing from farm to loom, from loom to wholesaler, from wholesaler to retailer, and from retailer to consumer. So if you are wondering why you are having particular difficulty finding cheap embroidered shirts, cheap embroidered caps, and cheap screen printed t-shirts, much of the blame falls on the weaker US dollar and the high price for cotton.
Note: Written in late 2011