How its Made
Sustainability is woven into everything we do
At American Apparel, we believe that making clothing differently can improve lives while respecting the planet. We do that by controlling almost every step in our supply chain, from yarn spinning all the way to distribution. We call that vertical integration.
What is vertical integration?
Being vertically integrated means that we own and operate the factory that produce the majority of the products we sell. This direct control from raw materials to finished products, allows us to ensure that responsible and sustainable practices are deployed throughout the company.
Why it matters?
Having direct control on our supply chain gives us the ability to influence almost every aspect of the process. That means, minimizing our impact on the environment, offering our fair wages and benefits such as access to free onsite medical clinics, free transportation to and from work, subsidized meals, and access to financial aid programs.
Responsible Sourcing
On occasions, where we don’t have the right equipment or enough capacity, we use contractors and suppliers for certain tasks or certain products. When a decision is made to outsource, we apply a comprehensive selection process to assess the contractor’s ability to comply with our quality standards, our labour and environmental standards, and with our Code of Conduct.
We also proactively ensure that all our contractors, comply with international laws, including those of the Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) and the Fair Labor Association (FLA).
Who made my clothes?
At American Apparel, we don't want our clothes to come at the cost of people or our planet. That’s why we’re happy to support the #WhoMadeMyClothes campaign by Fashion Revolution. We hope that by answering this call-to-action, we help ignite a global conversation about supply chain transparency and start to inspire you to think differently about what you wear. Meet the people behind our clothes.