Made in America: American Apparel
August 11th, 2005
My new favorite online shopping spot: American Apparel. Noted for its vertically integrated manufacturing infrastructure, American Apparel, whose headquarters lies in the depths of Los Angeles, boasts quality goods where consumers can shop without the sweat shop stigma.
That’s right: in addition to prodividing “sustainable edition” t’s made with 100% USDA Certified Organic Cotton, all clothes are made in the states by workers with ACTUAL wages. The CEO Dov Charney was (among other things…) the winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year award.
I just bought a henley t, 2 regular t’s, a v-neck t, and a tyvek jacket. Check it out: their clothes are sleek, colorful, and brandless…something I’ve been craving for quite a while.
Popularity: 6% [?]
August 11th, 2005 at 2:02 pm
I’ve always been a fan of AA’s clothing, and was excited to find out they’re opening a store in my state soon. However, I was recently horrified to learn the company’s owner is a total misogynistic creep. There have been many media accounts, but here’s a good summary
August 12th, 2005 at 2:57 pm
Beth,
Have you noticed how all the media accounts use the same quotes and annecdotes. I don’t know. I think I’ll wait until after the trial before I stop buying AA.
Here’s a summary of the media mimickery:
http://mediamythmashing.blogspot.com/
August 13th, 2005 at 8:44 am
Ya, I recently learned about this. I’m waiting to see what happens to the company – I’m assuming it can continue without him…
September 15th, 2005 at 12:22 pm
I tried on one of those tyvek jackets and loved it. Although the white is screaming to have something on it. If a screenprinter out there can begin spicing these up, I’ll be first in line.
A hood would be nice as well.
November 30th, 2005 at 4:42 pm
hey about clothes made out of this tyvek material… is it only outer wear… or are their shirts and pants made out of it too??
January 6th, 2006 at 11:12 am
I’ve bought some AA tops and they’re nice. But, for the price, I prefer similar products from A.S.Tees in South Carolina. Check out http://www.stillmadeinusa.com if you’re looking for more US-made stuff made by people with decent wages and benefits!
January 13th, 2006 at 12:43 pm
I’m a designer and I’ve been buying American apparel for over 2 years and their quality has gone from acceptable to poor. The fabric quality has changed three times since I have been buying, Each time becoming worse. The constructiion of the basic t shirts and the classic girl t shirts sometimes have side seams and sometimes don’t, and the neck band has gone through at least one change. The sewing is poor, and I can no longer use them in my work because of these problems. Even my teenage sons say no more mom! And you know what? There are a lot of tshirts out there that are not made in sweatshops. I think this was a marketing coup. I don’t know about anybody else but I am really sick of seeing their product photography.
January 13th, 2006 at 12:54 pm
ps i’ve been making clothes out of tyvek for 11 years. If you want to take a look….www.conceptualclothing.com
October 16th, 2006 at 7:59 am
A wide selection of American-made Apparel and many other products can be found at http://www.zebulonUSA.com
December 22nd, 2006 at 11:26 pm
hello, good idea…
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