Are Apparel Manufacturers in the USA the New Trend for 2021?

Made in USA clothing is on the rise, and it’s more than just a trend. With an increase in sustainably conscious buyers and undeniably good advantages to American-made clothing, we’re hoping it’s here to stay. But what’s the deal? It wasn’t always this way. In fact, 40 or so years ago, almost all American fashion outsourced to offshore labor. The low prices were hard to beat. Until now.

These days both established and emerging fashion designers see the truth: sustainable & ethical clothing is better, and you usually get what you pay for. 

There are so many more noticeable benefits to using apparel manufacturers, which help make any designer’s life easier. Here’s what you need to know about using American-made clothing companies.

High-Quality Garments & Designs

Garment manufacturers in the USA are a symbol of quality, which is crucial for designers in maintaining an excellent brand. Again, going back to price– even though USA manufacturers are typically more expensive, the payoff makes up for it with a greater hands-on experience. Designers, patternmakers, and sewists all work together to create a super cohesive collection that perfectly reflects your vision. 

Because there’s less of a language and culture barrier, communication comes easy, too. This is extremely important since any misunderstandings will show through in your end-result garments. Instead, you have a smooth, simple process from design to launch with less stress along the way. You can direct your focus to your zone of creative genius rather than devoting energy to fixing errors and double-checking results because of mistrust. The peace of mind alone is priceless!

To top it off, new and experienced designers are exposed to extra opportunities in the US. Since dozens of top-notch apparel brands base themselves out of America, it’s a terrific opportunity for collaboration, inspiration, and motivation. Hello, fashion success! 

Apparel Manufacturers are More Ethical and Sustainable

These days reducing our carbon footprint is essential to keeping our planet safe and healthy. And unfortunately, fast fashion has done nothing but pollute the air with toxic gases and dump material waste into waterways and landfills. The consequence? Destroying local wildlife and dramatically decreasing overall human wellness. Fortunately, sustainable clothing is making its way to the forefront, and the US is catching on! 

Typically, locally-made clothing means better for the environment because you can trace back the supply chain easily, whereas, with overseas manufacturers, the supply chain can get incredibly complicated. And according to Good On You, “Buying locally-made clothes has the bonus of increasing accountability.” Go right to the source!

What’s more, American businesses are held to stricter labor laws, which means purchasing USA clothing is associated with thorough ethical practices. For instance, Good On You also mentions, “Unfortunately, many brands, particularly fast fashion brands, have been found to select suppliers from countries with lower degrees of human wellbeing. When apparel manufacturing takes place in countries with low labor costs and where the awareness of environmental and human rights are often less developed, this commonly leads to exploitation.”

When choosing a manufacturer, be sure to look out for safe working conditions, appropriate pay & working hours, humane treatment, and the eradication of child labor. Of course, when you choose local, you can actually visit the factories and see the environment yourself, which makes it all the better. 

Read How to Create an Ethical & Sustainable Clothing Line for more detailed information. 

Apparel Manufacturers In The USA Are More Conscious Buyers

There’s a saying, “Change starts with you!” And it’s definitely true for moving the needle towards sustainable, ethical, and even economically sound fashion. American customers are becoming more aware of their fashion choices and their impact as consumers, which is why clothing companies made in the USA are seeing a spike of interest. 

And if you think about it, it’s a simple case of supply and demand. The more people move away from fast fashion, the less fast fashion can thrive. But as we push towards conscious-buying and locally-sourced clothing, boom! Suddenly, there’s a massive improvement towards fashion morality– exactly what we need. 

According to Industry Week, “A deeper dive into the study shows Americans believe that U.S.-made products are more reliable (84%), they want to keep manufacturing jobs at home (88%), to help the economy (87%) and to keep America strong in the global economy (84%). A recent Reshoring Initiative data report confirms that Made-in-USA is a strong impetus for bringing manufacturing back to the States and is fourth in the list of reasons cited for reshoring.”

As a designer, think about the types of buyers you’ll be attracting, too. If your brand values are around ethicality, going with an American clothing company could be extremely important to not only your business but, of course, your own personal principles, too. 

Small Batch Production And Apparel Manufacturers in the USA

Small batch production may seem counterintuitive. Wouldn’t you want to make as many sales as possible? Well, it depends on your goals and where you are in your business journey. For instance, your budget might not have room for a massive inventory if you’re a new designer. Instead, you may need to go for small batches at a time for the extra flexibility.

This can be virtually impossible when you use offshore manufacturers who solely stick to mass production. They’re also usually stringent when it comes to customization– there’s only so much you can work with! 

However, when you use local clothing manufacturers for small orders, you have many possibilities right at your fingertips. Plus, you can be way more involved in the production process, which means fewer errors and a speedy lead time. You have more control! 

Shorter Lead Times

Established brands– especially– must stay on top of the competition, which is where shorter lead times can make or break a launch. With e-commerce growing fierce, it’s much more difficult now to keep up with the demands of ever-changing consumer behavior. 

This is why fast design, production, and delivery are fundamental to success– all things that are hard to get when you use overseas manufacturers. From a lengthy supply chain process to border closures and intense delivery fees, it’s just not conducive if you’re looking for shorter lead times.

If you’re launching a seasonal collection, faster deadlines grow even more important because timing is literally everything! Plus, there’s the customer satisfaction aspect. These days, people are used to quick online shopping. It’s important to cater to the times with swift deliveries with as little delay as possible. After all, your buyers make your business!

When you use apparel manufacturers in the USA, shorter lead times are inevitable thanks to less shipping and a more hands-on experience.  

Choose the Right Apparel Manufacturers in the USA

Made in USA clothing can solve your quality, timing, sustainability, and flexibility problems. Here at TEG, these are all values we share as a clothing manufacturer based out of Los Angeles. Everyone from our patternmakers to project managers do their very best to produce high-quality results for each project. TEG’s in-house team can work with those small-batch needs, while our ethical sewing factories in Downtown LA provide large orders. 

Regardless of whether you’re new or established in the fashion industry, we’ve helped over 900 designers for over a decade with all of their collections. You can move forward with us in confidence, knowing we’re one of the leading apparel manufacturers in the US.

For all inquiries and questions, please call or fill out the below form, and we will respond within 1-2 business days. Thank you!