American Rag Cie
American Rag Cie is a privately held Los Angeles-based specialty apparel retailer founded in 1984, operating a flagship vintage and contemporary designer store on La Brea Avenue, a global Shopify e-commerce site, and a worldwide vintage wholesale division serving fashion consumers, Hollywood stylists, and boutique buyers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What American Rag Cie does
American Rag Cie is a privately held, multi-brand apparel and vintage fashion retailer founded in 1984 and headquartered at 150 S. La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles, California. The company operates a single flagship brick-and-mortar store paired with a massive on-site vintage warehouse, a Shopify-powered direct e-commerce storefront at americanrag.com serving customers globally, and a vintage wholesale division supplying retailers worldwide. Its product portfolio spans archival vintage clothing sourced for over 40 years from markets including Marseille, a curated 'World Denim Bar' featuring premium denim labels such as RRL, Naked & Famous, and Levi's, full men's and women's apparel collections from brands including Re/Done, Paige, Les Tien, Shinola, Malbon Golf, and Stoned Immaculate, sub-initiatives such as the Nothing New sustainable vintage collaboration and AR321 revival line, and a cross-merchandised Maison Midi Mediterranean home collection.
The business operates a transactional retail model with two principal revenue streams: direct-to-consumer retail sales (one-time transactions through both physical and digital channels) and vintage wholesale (transaction-fee style sales of sourced vintage inventory to other boutiques). Pricing spans accessible vintage pieces starting at $40 through museum-quality designer pieces priced in the hundreds to thousands of dollars, with contemporary apparel typically ranging from $85 to $500+. E-commerce purchases benefit from free US shipping over $150 and Shop Pay installments. The company does not operate proprietary technology, holds no patents, and has not raised external funding; ownership is attributed to founder Mark Werts as owner.
Customer segments include fashion-conscious individuals seeking curated vintage and contemporary designer pieces (primary), Hollywood stylists, celebrities, and entertainment industry professionals sourcing wardrobe for red carpet and productions, and wholesale vintage buyers operating boutiques. Marketing relies on Instagram, an email newsletter with a 10% first-order incentive, an editorial blog, in-store events branded as 'Let's Hang,' and earned media such as the company's inclusion in a January 2026 Fashion Network feature on Los Angeles' vintage scene. Within its 11-50 employee range, American Rag Cie functions as a small but institutionally entrenched specialty retailer with worldwide destination status and a 40+ year operating history.
American Rag Cie firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- American Rag Cie
- Legal name
- American Rag Cie
- Website
- https://americanrag.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- American Rag Cie is a privately held Los Angeles-based specialty apparel retailer founded in 1984, operating a flagship vintage and contemporary designer store on La Brea Avenue, a global Shopify e-commerce site, and a worldwide vintage wholesale division serving fashion consumers, Hollywood stylists, and boutique buyers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
American Rag Cie industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Curated Multi-Brand Fashion Retail
- NAICS
- Used Merchandise Retailers (459510), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Merchant Wholesalers (424350)
- SIC
- Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Denim & Casualwear Specialty Retail (CRAAABAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury Denim & Premium Casualwear (CRAAAFAK), Premium & Contemporary Apparel Brands (CRAAAAAB)
Keywords
Where American Rag Cie is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
American Rag Cie business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Sales (Brick-and-Mortar and E-commerce): One-time transaction-based retail sales of designer clothing, denim, footwear, and accessories through the company's flagship Los Angeles store and e-commerce platform at americanrag.com. Offers Shop Pay installments for customer convenience.
- Vintage Wholesale and Retail: For over 40 years, American Rag has sourced, sold, and collected archival quality vintage clothing from around the world through both retail and wholesale channels, operating a massive warehouse in addition to their retail store.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Accessible vintage and contemporary fashion |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
American Rag Cie product offering
Product offeringCore offering
American Rag Cie is a multi-brand fashion retailer that sells curated vintage clothing, premium denim, and contemporary designer apparel for men and women through its flagship Los Angeles store at 150 S. La Brea Avenue and the americanrag.com e-commerce site. It also operates a wholesale vintage division supplying other retailers and boutiques, and offers in-store styling appointments and community events under the 'Let's Hang' program.
Product overview
American Rag Cie is a multi-brand fashion retailer and vintage clothing institution established in 1984, operating from its flagship store at 150 La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. The company offers a curated portfolio of products organized into several interconnected categories: a core vintage clothing division sourcing archival quality pieces from around the world for over 40 years; a World Denim Bar featuring premium denim brands like RRL, Naked & Famous, and Levi's; comprehensive men's and women's apparel collections spanning jeans, shirts, tops, jackets, footwear, and accessories; and branded sub-initiatives including the Nothing New collaborative vintage revival program and AR321 revival line. The retailer also features a Mediterranean-inspired home collection (Maison Midi) and hosts in-store styling appointments and community events through its 'Let's Hang' program. The product architecture combines the company's own vintage expertise and branded items with a carefully curated selection of third-party designer brands including Malbon Golf, Stoned Immaculate, Shinola, Re/Done, and Pas de Mer.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Vintage Clothing Archival quality vintage clothing sourced from around the world for over 40 years, including museum-quality pieces from luxury houses such as Chanel, Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent, sold through retail and wholesale channels.
- World Denim Bar Curated denim assortment across multiple cuts and fits (skinny, slim, straight, baggy, relaxed) for men and women, featuring brands such as RRL, Naked & Famous, Levi's, Paige, Kato, Re/Done, and AMO.
- Men's Apparel Collection Designer clothing for men spanning jeans, shirts, t-shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets, pants, shorts, footwear, and accessories from brands including RRL, Naked & Famous, Levi's, Les Tien, Malbon Golf, Palmes, S.K. Manor Hill, Samuel Zelig, and Shinola.
- Women's Apparel Collection Designer clothing for women including jeans, tops, dresses, jumpsuits, sweaters, jackets, pants, shorts, skirts, footwear, and accessories from brands such as Re/Done, Paige, Les Tien, Hey Gang, Eat Dust, Rail Car Fine Goods, and Anna Beck.
- Nothing New Initiative An exclusive collaborative series with local creative talent reviving archival vintage pieces to offer one-of-a-kind sustainable fashion items.
- Made in LA Collection Curated selection of clothing and accessories manufactured in Los Angeles, featuring local brands including Monadic, Vintage Heavy, and Les Tien.
- RRL Shop-in-Shop Collection Dedicated in-store and online selection for Ralph Lauren's premium RRL line, featuring denim, work shirts, flannels, tees, chinos, sweaters, jackets, and sweatshirts inspired by early American West and 1900s workwear.
- Shinola Watches and Accessories Retail selection of Shinola watches built for tactile, analog timekeeping and understated elegance, designed and assembled in Detroit.
- Malbon Golf Apparel and Accessories Retail selection of Malbon Golf's lifestyle apparel and accessories tied to the brand's culture, creativity, and community-driven golf positioning.
- Maison Midi Home Collection Mediterranean-inspired home goods sourced from the Atlantic Coast of Portugal, Southern France, Northwest Africa, and the coastal resorts of Italy, Greece, and Turkey, merchandised through partner brand Maison Midi.
- Stoned Immaculate Apparel Retail selection of Stoned Immaculate apparel, a 70s-inspired Topanga Canyon brand crafted in small batches sustainably and ethically with attention to quality, detail, and fit.
- Re/Done Denim and Apparel Retail selection of Re/Done denim and apparel, a brand reimagining iconic American heritage through repurposed denim and responsible innovation.
- Pas de Mer Casual Apparel Retail selection of Pas de Mer casual apparel, positioned as here for a good time, not a long time.
- In-Store Styling Appointments Personal styling appointments offered at the flagship Los Angeles store at 150 La Brea Avenue to assist customers with selections across vintage, denim, and contemporary apparel.
- Vintage Wholesale Division Wholesale vintage clothing supply division selling archival-quality vintage apparel to other retailers and boutiques worldwide from the company's massive vintage warehouse.
Companies that use American Rag Cie
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
American Rag Cie technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
American Rag Cie partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Maison MidiminorHome lifestyle brand featured on American Rag's website as a cross-merchandising partner. Maison Midi travels the Mediterranean in search of rare and exclusive home items. Featured on the homepage inviting customers to 'Shop Home at Maison Midi' at their separate website maison-midi.com.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
American Rag Cie competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Crossroads Trading: Buy-sell-trade clothing retailer with multiple locations across California and the US. Comparable through its focus on secondhand and vintage apparel, though operating at a more accessible price tier than American Rag's premium positioning.
- What Goes Around Comes Around (WGACA): Luxury vintage and heritage apparel retailer with multiple locations and a strong e-commerce presence. Comparable to American Rag's vintage division through its focus on authenticated archival designer pieces and premium positioning.
- Buffalo Exchange: Nationwide resale clothing retailer with strong presence in vintage markets. Comparable to American Rag's vintage and resale category, though operating at higher volume and lower price points.
- Lily et Cie: Los Angeles-based vintage and antique couture retailer specializing in museum-quality designer pieces. Explicitly mentioned alongside American Rag as a destination for Hollywood stylists and celebrities, with a similar archival vintage curation model.
- Decades: Los Angeles vintage and contemporary luxury retailer known for celebrity clientele and curated high-end vintage. Directly comparable to American Rag's vintage business and celebrity styling relationships.
- The Way We Wore: LA-based vintage retailer curated by collector Doris Raymond, offering museum-quality designer vintage. Referenced in the same Fashion Network profile as American Rag, sharing the celebrity stylist and archival vintage customer base.
- Wasteland: California-based vintage and contemporary clothing retailer with multiple locations. Directly comparable to American Rag through its mix of curated vintage and contemporary designer brands serving fashion-conscious California consumers.
Broad incumbents
- Aritzia: Multi-brand contemporary fashion retailer with a strong retail and e-commerce footprint. Comparable to American Rag through its curated multi-brand assortment approach serving fashion-conscious consumers, though at significantly larger scale and broader price range.
- Todd Snyder: Premium menswear retailer offering curated designer and private-label collections. Comparable to American Rag's men's apparel curation through its multi-brand approach to premium contemporary menswear and denim.
- Buck Mason: Premium American casualwear brand with strong DTC and retail presence. Comparable to American Rag through its focus on premium denim, classic American menswear, and California lifestyle positioning, though it operates its own proprietary label rather than multi-brand retail.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
American Rag Cie social profiles
Digital presenceAmerican Rag Cie financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
American Rag Cie leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
American Rag Cie funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
American Rag Cie 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 Rag Cie
What does American Rag Cie do?
American Rag Cie is a multi-brand fashion retailer that sells curated vintage clothing, premium denim, and contemporary designer apparel for men and women through its flagship Los Angeles store at 150 S. La Brea Avenue and the americanrag.com e-commerce site. It also operates a wholesale vintage division supplying other retailers and boutiques, and offers in-store styling appointments and community events under the 'Let's Hang' program.
Is American Rag Cie a public or private company?
American Rag Cie is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was American Rag Cie founded?
American Rag Cie was founded in 1984. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is American Rag Cie based?
American Rag Cie is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does American Rag Cie make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retail Sales (Brick-and-Mortar and E-commerce) is the primary driver. The others are vintage Wholesale and Retail.
Who are American Rag Cie's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Crossroads Trading, What Goes Around Comes Around (WGACA), Buffalo Exchange, Lily et Cie, Decades, The Way We Wore and Wasteland. Broad incumbents are Aritzia, Todd Snyder and Buck Mason.
Does American Rag Cie have an API?
No public API is recorded for American Rag Cie.
What industry is American Rag Cie in?
American Rag Cie's product category is Curated Multi-Brand Fashion Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAABAN, Denim & Casualwear Specialty Retail, with a secondary code of CRAAAFAK, Luxury Denim & Premium Casualwear. Its NAICS code is 459510 and its SIC code is 5600.