American Apparel relaunch online

After two bankruptcies and shutter of all stores, American Apparel’s last minute acquisition by Gildan Activewear, promised the US retailer would return to e-commerce.

Now relaunched, the American Apparel e-commerce site is the exclusive way for fans of the brand to shop. Playing on the ‘Made in America’ ethos, the website features dedicated ‘Made in USA’ and ‘The Archives’ sections which offer signature pieces such as The Easy Jean and Disco Pant, produced in America.

However, since Gildan only required the brand name; the design, production and distribution operations have been moved abroad, leaving a ‘Basics’ section which features cheaper, almost identical garments which are produced ‘globally’. With a combination of material sources, Gildan is able to judge the importance of the ‘Made in USA’ ethos - adding the tagline ‘Globally Sourced, Ethically Made, Sweatshop Free’.

As the importance of brand transparency continues to grow, Gildan has also added a section named ‘Sweatshop Free Stories’, which gives an insight into the new American Apparel factory in Honduras.

Photo courtesy of American Apparel website