American Apparel
American Apparel is a US wholesale blank apparel brand supplying T-shirts, fleece, jackets, and pants to print shops, decorators, and corporate branding programs exclusively through authorized distributors (primarily S&S Activewear). The brand is wholly owned by Gildan Activewear Inc. (NYSE: GIL) and offers 124 colors and 200+ styles.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What American Apparel does
American Apparel is a wholesale blank apparel brand that supplies T-shirts, fleece, jackets, and pants to print shops, decorators, corporate branding programs, and live event merchandise operators across the United States. The company operates an exclusively B2B distribution model, selling through authorized distributors — primarily S&S Activewear with 14 US distribution centers — and does not sell direct-to-consumer on its wholesale site. The product portfolio spans Unisex, Women's, and Youth categories with 124 color options organized across Core Icons, Neutrals, Vintage Shades, Heathered Essentials, Statement Shades, and Other categories, and fabric technologies including ReFlex Fleece, French Terry, Baby Rib, Heavyweight Cotton, and Tri-Blend.
The underlying technology stack is a BigCommerce-powered B2B e-commerce platform with Google Analytics, VWO for A/B testing, Klaviyo for email automation, and advertising pixels across DoubleClick, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, and Outbrain. The Digital Asset Portal (dp.gildan.com) and the Product Locator App provide distributor and decorator enablement tools. The brand is wholly owned by Gildan Activewear SRL, a Barbados-domiciled subsidiary of Gildan Activewear Inc. (NYSE: GIL, Canada), following Gildan's 2017 acquisition of the American Apparel trademark and intellectual property. Strategic partnerships include Live Nation for event-based merchandise printing and the Comfort Colors sub-brand for adjacent wholesale blank apparel. The 2026 collection introduces 11 new styles and 10 new colors, including new boxy silhouettes (Oversized Boxy, Mid-Length Boxy, Crop Boxy, Fitted), signaling continued SKU expansion within the premium blank apparel category.
American Apparel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- American Apparel
- Legal name
- Gildan Activewear SRL
- Website
- https://americanapparel.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- American Apparel is a US wholesale blank apparel brand supplying T-shirts, fleece, jackets, and pants to print shops, decorators, and corporate branding programs exclusively through authorized distributors (primarily S&S Activewear). The brand is wholly owned by Gildan Activewear Inc. (NYSE: GIL) and offers 124 colors and 200+ styles.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
American Apparel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Blank Apparel
- NAICS
- Apparel Manufacturing (315), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Merchant Wholesalers (424350), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Merchant Wholesalers (42435)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Branded Merchandise & Promotional Apparel Wholesale (CRAOADAI)
Keywords
Where American Apparel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
American Apparel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wholesale Blank Apparel Sales: American Apparel generates revenue through the sale of blank apparel products (T-shirts, fleece, jackets, pants) exclusively to wholesale customers via authorized distributor network. Products are sold in bulk to print shops, decorators, and businesses for customization. Revenue is generated through one-time bulk transactions with no direct-to-consumer retail sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Wholesale bulk apparel pricing through authorized distributors |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
American Apparel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
American Apparel is a wholesale blank apparel brand that manufactures and distributes T-shirts, fleece, jackets, and pants in 124 colors and multiple fits across unisex, women's, and youth categories. Products are sold exclusively through authorized distributors (primarily S&S Activewear) to print shops, decorators, and businesses for customization via screen printing, embroidery, and other decoration techniques. The brand is owned by Gildan Activewear and operates a B2B-only distribution model with no direct-to-consumer retail sales for wholesale products.
Product overview
American Apparel Wholesale is a B2B blank apparel brand offering a comprehensive portfolio of T-shirts, fleece, jackets, and pants across Unisex, Women, and Youth categories. The product line is organized around key fabric technologies (ReFlex Fleece, French Terry, Baby Rib, Heavyweight Cotton, Tri-Blend) and fit silhouettes (Oversized Boxy, Mid-Length Boxy, Crop Boxy, Fitted, Relaxed). The 2026 collection introduces 11 new styles and 10 new colors, expanding the silhouette range with new boxy cuts. The brand is owned by Gildan Activewear and operates through a distributor network (S&S Activewear) and a Digital Asset Portal for marketing resources. A Product Locator App enables inventory searches, while a Live Nation partnership provides event-based merchandise opportunities. Products are marketed as premium blanks for screen printing and customization.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Comfort Colors: Brand referenced as a sub-brand/product line under the American Apparel wholesale website.
Products and services
- American Apparel Wholesale T-Shirts Core blank T-shirt products in fine jersey, heavyweight cotton, tri-blend, and baby rib fabrics across unisex, women's, and youth categories for customization by screen printers, decorators, and brand customers.
- American Apparel Wholesale Fleece Fleece apparel including crewneck sweatshirts, pullover hoodies, full zip hoodies, and sweatpants featuring ReFlex Fleece technology, sold wholesale to print shops and decorators for customization.
- American Apparel Wholesale Jackets Outerwear including French Terry bomber jackets and full zip jackets for men and women, sold wholesale for customization.
- American Apparel Wholesale Pants Bottoms including French Terry wide leg pants and fleece sweatpants for men and women, sold wholesale for customization.
- 100% US Cotton Collection Products manufactured with 100% US-grown cotton, emphasizing domestic sourcing, traceability, and quality for wholesale buyers seeking US-sourced blanks.
- Product Locator App Mobile application enabling wholesale buyers to locate product inventory, search by style, color, and size, and identify distributors carrying American Apparel products.
- Digital Asset Portal (DAP) Digital asset portal providing distributors and partners with access to product images, swatches, lifestyle photography, studio imagery, and marketing collateral for American Apparel products.
Quantifiable outcome
- 15% increase in average order value from omni-channel integration
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use American Apparel
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
American Apparel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
Feature3 records
American Apparel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Live NationcoreLive Nation partnership for merchandise printing and branded apparel programs at concert venues. Includes live printing events with artists like Magdalena Bay at Hollywood Forever. American Apparel supplies blank garments for merchandise production at live events, enabling on-site customization and merch printing for touring artists and festivals.
- S&S ActivewearflagshipPrimary authorized distributor for American Apparel wholesale products with 14 locations across the United States including California (Fresno), Florida (Orlando), Georgia (McDonough, Duluth), Illinois (Lockport, Bolingbrook), Kansas (Olathe, Edwardsville), Massachusetts (Middleboro), Nevada (Reno), Ohio (West Chester Township), Pennsylvania (Lewisberry, Reading), and Texas (Fort Worth, Irving). S&S Activewear handles all wholesale fulfillment and inventory management for American Apparel products.
- Gildan ActivewearcoreAmerican Apparel is wholly owned by Gildan Activewear SRL (Barbados). Gildan operates as the parent company providing corporate structure, manufacturing, and operational infrastructure. American Apparel brand operates as a wholesale division under the Gildan corporate umbrella with shared e-commerce technology (BigCommerce), analytics (Google Analytics), and marketing platforms.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
American Apparel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bella+Canvas: Direct competitor in the premium blank apparel wholesale category. Bella+Canvas sells blank tees, fleece, and accessories to decorators and print shops with a focus on retail-inspired fits and a comparable sustainability positioning — overlapping head-to-head with American Apparel's wholesale customer base.
- Next Level Apparel: Direct peer in blank apparel wholesale targeting screen printers, decorators, and merchandise producers. Comparable product breadth (tees, fleece, tanks) and distribution through apparel wholesalers, competing for the same decorator accounts.
- Comfort Colors: Sister Gildan-owned brand in garment-dyed blank apparel explicitly targeted at screen printers and decorators. Operates as a co-brand on the American Apparel wholesale site and competes for overlapping print-shop customers, making it the closest sub-portfolio peer.
- Jerzees: Basic apparel brand offering blank tees, sweatshirts, and fleece through wholesale and decorator channels. Targets the same screen-print and uniform markets as American Apparel at comparable price points.
- District Threads: Wholesale blank apparel brand focused on fashion-forward fits for the screen-print and decoration industry. Competes in overlapping segments (women's fits, premium blanks) with comparable decorator customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Gildan Activewear: Parent company and direct competitor via its core mass-market Gildan blanks brand. Operates globally with much larger scale in basic apparel manufacturing; American Apparel sits inside this broader Gildan portfolio alongside Comfort Colors and Gold Band.
- Hanesbrands: Mass-market apparel conglomerate (Champion, Hanes, ComfortWash) with significant presence in basic tees and fleece sold through wholesale and screen-print channels. Competes broadly for the same decorator and corporate apparel demand as American Apparel.
- Fruit of the Loom: Iconic basic apparel manufacturer and wholesaler with broad distribution into screen-print, uniform, and promotional apparel. Competes with American Apparel on classic cotton tees and fleece basics at scale.
- Champion: Established athletic-and-basics apparel brand offering blank and decorated apparel through wholesale. While broader than American Apparel, it overlaps materially in fleece, hoodies, and heavyweight cotton basics sold to decorators and corporate programs.
Emerging players
- Lane Seven: Growing wholesale blank apparel brand focusing on contemporary silhouettes and fashion-forward blanks for the print-on-demand market. An emerging alternative for decorators seeking trend-aligned fits — direct niche competition for American Apparel's 2026 silhouette push.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
American Apparel social profiles
Digital presenceAmerican Apparel compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
American Apparel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
American Apparel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
American Apparel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
American Apparel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about American Apparel
What does American Apparel do?
American Apparel is a wholesale blank apparel brand that manufactures and distributes T-shirts, fleece, jackets, and pants in 124 colors and multiple fits across unisex, women's, and youth categories. Products are sold exclusively through authorized distributors (primarily S&S Activewear) to print shops, decorators, and businesses for customization via screen printing, embroidery, and other decoration techniques. The brand is owned by Gildan Activewear and operates a B2B-only distribution model with no direct-to-consumer retail sales for wholesale products.
Is American Apparel a public or private company?
American Apparel is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was American Apparel founded?
American Apparel was founded in 1998. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is American Apparel based?
American Apparel is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does American Apparel make money?
One revenue line is on record: wholesale Blank Apparel Sales.
Who are American Apparel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bella+Canvas, Next Level Apparel, Comfort Colors, Jerzees and District Threads. Broad incumbents are Gildan Activewear, Hanesbrands, Fruit of the Loom and Champion. Lane Seven is listed as an emerging player.
Does American Apparel have an API?
No public API is recorded for American Apparel.
What industry is American Apparel in?
American Apparel's product category is Wholesale Blank Apparel. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOADAI, Branded Merchandise & Promotional Apparel Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 315 and its SIC code is 5130.