American Apparel was the brand that made domestically produced clothing cool again.
When trade policy and cheap overseas labor drove most of the United States’ apparel industry offshore in the 1980s and ’90s, low prices made it easier for consumers to accept the labels that showed the origins of their garments: Hong Kong, China and, more recently, Bangladesh and India.
In the early aughts, Los Angeles-based American Apparel seemed to have it all, offering a heavy dose of sex appeal on top of its domestic production and palatable prices. The company still exists today, though it’s no longer under the reins of its notorious founder, Dov Charney; Canadian company Gildan Activewear, Inc. acquired the company in early 2017.
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