At least two-thirds of the clothing sold in the United States is manufactured in Asia, with China accounting for the most, followed by Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Cambodia. Mexico is another major source of what we wear, as are Turkey and Honduras. The reason is simple: access to large and cheap labor pools.
In all, Americans buy about 20 million items of clothing each year. How much of that is actually made in the U.S.? About 2%. Nonetheless, there are clothing brands out there for whom “made in the U.S.A.” is a point of pride. (Other industries feel the same way. These are the cars that are still made mostly in America.)
To find 24 clothing brands that are still made in America, 24/7 Tempo reviewed listings on sources including from Todd Shelton (itself a U.S.-made brand), Cheapism, Chasing Daisies, and Rather Be Shopping. We narrowed down the nearly 100 clothing brand names we collected according to their organic website traffic as reported by Ahrefs. The list is alphabetical, and is by no means comprehensive.
Of the 24 clothing brands on our list, 11 are in California, and seven are in Los Angeles alone. According to the Garment Workers Center data, Los Angeles has the largest concentration of garment industry workers in the U.S. About 2,000 manufacturers in Los Angeles employ more than 45,000 workers out of a total of 46,000 in California.
Last October, California passed the Garment Workers Protection Act, guaranteeing garment workers a minimum wage of $14 an hour. With some exceptions, the law eliminates the piece-rate system that tied compensation to a worker’s productivity. Another important aspect of the law is that fashion brands will be responsible for so-called wage-theft violations at California factories. Opponents of the measure fear it might drive out companies that were already struggling to survive in California. (Here are some iconic fashion brands that no longer exist.)
Other states represented by more than one brand are Pennsylvania (with three) and Tennessee, and New Jersey (with two each). Three companies on our list don’t just wear “American” on their sleeve, they include it in their name.
3sixteen
> Principal products: Men’s apparel, footwear, and accessories
> Headquarters: Los Angeles, California
> Brand statement or motto: “[A]ims to produce the highest quality clothing and accessories using premium materials and quality American manufacturing.”
All American Clothing Co.
> Principal products: Men’s and women’s apparel, footwear, and accessories
> Headquarters: Arcanum, Ohio
> Brand statement or motto: “American made. Crafted with pride.”
American Giant
> Principal products: Men’s and women’s sportswear and casual clothing
> Headquarters: San Francisco, California
> Brand statement or motto: “Discover American made essentials, activewear and accessories for men and women.”
American Trench
> Principal products: Men’s and women’s apparel, footwear, and accessories
> Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
> Brand statement or motto: “Made for everyday life. Made in the USA.”
Berrydog Bikinis
> Principal products: Women’s bikinis
> Headquarters: Bellevue, Washington
> Brand statement or motto: “[B]athing suits made in the U.S.A.”
Big Bud Press
> Principal products: Unisex apparel
> Headquarters: Los Angeles, California
> Brand statement or motto: “We pride ourselves on our ethical and local manufacturing practices.”
Bills Khakis
> Principal products: Men’s apparel
> Headquarters: Reading, Pennsylvania
> Brand statement or motto: “American Made Men’s Clothing”
Brave Star Selvage
> Principal products: Men’s denim
> Headquarters: El Segundo, California
> Brand statement or motto: “American Made Heritage Denim and Workwear”
Camber
> Principal products: Men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel
> Headquarters: Norristown, Pennsylvania
> Brand statement or motto: “All Camber products are manufactured in the USA and sold exclusively to the wholesale trade.”
Emerson Fry
> Principal products: Women’s apparel and footwear, children’s apparel
> Headquarters: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
> Brand statement or motto: “it is our great honor to make clothes for you in the USA!”
Freenote Cloth
> Principal products: Men’s apparel
> Headquarters: San Juan Capistrano, California
> Brand statement or motto: “Freenote creates quality menswear manufactured in the United States.”
Gustin
> Principal products: Men’s apparel
> Headquarters: San Francisco, California
> Brand statement or motto: “All of our pieces are American made except our heavyweight sweatshirts which are made in Canada. 95% of our products are made at our factories in California.”
Imogene + Willie
> Principal products: Men’s and women’s apparel and accessories
> Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
> Brand statement or motto: “we had a simple goal: to make all of our clothing in the USA.”
Karen Kane
> Principal products: Women’s apparel, accessories, and home goods
> Headquarters: Los Angeles, California
> Brand statement or motto: “Manufacturing plant in downtown Los Angeles.”
Lacausa
> Principal products: Women’s apparel
> Headquarters: Los Angeles, California
> Brand statement or motto: “Made in Los Angeles, California”
LC King
> Principal products: Men’s apparel and workwear
> Headquarters: Bristol, Tennessee
> Brand statement or motto: “Everything is 100% USA made including the components … except for our Wabash fabric items,” which are made in Bristol, but the fabric comes from Japan.
Los Angeles Apparel
> Principal products: Women’s, men’s, and kids’ apparel
> Headquarters: Los Angeles, California
> Brand statement or motto: “We believe in local manufacturing from both an efficiency and an ethical point of view.”
MATE the Label
> Principal products: Women’s apparel
> Headquarters: Los Angeles, California
> Brand statement or motto: “By committing to non-toxic, natural, and Organic materials, we hope to lead the clean fashion movement and affect change in the industry. “
Michael Stars
> Principal products: Women’s apparel
> Headquarters: Los Angeles, California
> Brand statement or motto: “We produce over 70% of our garments locally in LA to ensure quality production and fair wages, as well as a smaller carbon footprint.”
Origin Maine
> Principal products: Men’s clothing and jiu-jitsu, fitness, and hunting wear
> Headquarters: Farmington, Maine
> Brand statement or motto: “Made in America. Without Compromise.”
Pendleton
> Principal products: Women’s and men’s apparel, blanket and other home goods
> Headquarters: Portland, Oregon
> Brand statement or motto: “Pendleton owns and runs two of the few remaining woolen mills in the United States.”
Round House
> Principal products: Men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel and workwear
> Headquarters: Shawnee, Oklahoma
> Brand statement or motto: “Made in USA Workwear.”
Schott NYC
> Principal products: Men’s and women’s apparel and accessories
> Headquarters: Union, New Jersey
> Brand statement or motto: “Owned and run by the third and fourth generations of the Schott family who still manufacture most of their clothing in the United States.”
Todd Shelton
> Principal products: Men’s apparel
> Headquarters: East Rutherford, New Jersey
> Brand statement or motto: “Todd Shelton is manufactured exclusively in the United States.”