American Apparel

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.

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

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

• Blank apparel wholesale
• Wholesale clothing manufacturer
• Bulk t-shirts supplier
• Screen printing apparel
• Decorator apparel wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Live NationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Live 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 ActivewearflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary 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 ActivewearcoreOthersAmerican 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/americanapparel
• Facebookfacebook.com/AmericanApparel

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Apparel