No Longer Made in the USA

By Alexandra Cochran
Blog Content Contributor

The brand most notable for its selling point of being manufactured in the USA will soon no longer exist. American Apparel produced simple designs and properly crafted clothing that was created notably in the United States and promoted with integrity as “sweat shop” free.

While trying to keep the face of their brand fresh, AA is most notable for using models from various cultures in their advertisements while also casting most from open calls promoted on social media. In an interview with The Guardian, previous CEO, Paula Schneider, expressed that “it’s a sexy brand, and we will continue to be sexy.” As she claims to be a feminist, she stands behind the brand because of the power it gives women, and she wants to keep that environment. But with great fortune comes shame. More than several female employees have complained of sexual harassment that resulted in a termination for the former CEO, Dov Charney, who then sued the company for slander. Thankfully, his expectations of winning the lawsuit will not be filled because of how critical and detailed the allegations were against him.

Although supporting stores like Forever21 means more money left in your pocket, they also get away with duping the styles for a much cheaper price. The competition becomes too high to compete, and thus the high amount of consumers leaves brands like AA out to dry. While trying to find a buyer to purchase a total of 110 stores worldwide, 2,400 employees from their headquarters in Los Angeles, California, have already been laid off while their site is running a “40% off everything” sale regardless of the retailer’s fate.

Besides the negative drama attached to the brand, we’ll miss their efforts and dedication to help Americans. They were known for their loud voice and full support with gay rights and immigration reform. They also were the first company that stepped up to work with an immigrant group named the New Americans Opportunity Fund, where they reached out to the Obama administration to offer their help.

With American Apparel closing, we aren’t left with many mass produced American manufactured clothing brands. But there are, of course, a few to name that either are 100% manufactured in the USA or partially.

• Reformation: Los Angeles, California
• Outdoor Voices: New York, New York
• Red Wing Heritage: Red Wing, Minnesota
• Topo Designs: Denver, Colorado
• L.L Bean: Freeport, Maine

Featured image by Alexandra Cochran.