About 15 years ago I used to do it IT at a clothing company. Most of the items for Europe are made in China and/or the Indian Sub-Continent. I image that Mexico and China (possibly South America) are the manufacturing countries of choice for the US.
A business suit delivered to the shop door in the UK cost about ?25-?30. That included design, manufacturing, shipping, taxes, our profit and the manufacturer's profit etc. The same suit would retail for about ?150-?175 in the shop. Yes, you read that right.
When you see a clothing sale which offers 75% off, the shop is still making money! So don't blame the manufacturer, they're making a very small amount on each item.
As to Motorcycle gear. I don't have definitive figures but, I would imagine that a standard mesh jacket will cost about ?15-?20 to make and ship to the shop door.
A Gore-Tex jacket will cost more because of the Licence fee that Goretex requires and the fact that the material is probably woven in the US or Europe (rather than Bangladesh or South or Central America) making it much more expensive.
A 'Stitch will always cost much, much more (but maybe 50% less than retail) because it is manufactured in the US, so the labour cost is very high. Also they offer an excellent service and someone - you - has to pay for that.
I refuse point blank to buy any item of clothing unless it is in a sale with at least 50% off because I know the shop is still making a good profit at that price. Having said that, next time I'm in the US I'll probably buy a 'Stitch as I don't feel they're making an excessive profit on their clothing.