Day: November 5, 2025

The best-known American apparel names are brands, not factories that will sew your line. This page explains the difference between a brand, a brand-owned plant and a contract garment manufacturer in the U.S., how to read a brand’s own factory disclosure, and where to look for U.S. makers that take outside orders. No invented rankings or statistics.

Choose cotton, polyester or a blend because of how the garment must feel, care, keep its shape and be labelled — not because of unsourced durability percentages or a generic “eco” slogan. U.S. labels must use the correct generic fiber names (16 CFR Part 303). Shrinkage is something you measure with a named method, and recycled or environmental claims have to follow the FTC Green Guides.