Where Is Gildan Made?

Gildan is an apparel company that is found around the globe. In fact, they are one of the world’s largest clothing producers. Their most popular items include activewear, underwear, and socks. You may not recognize the name Gildan, but chances are you will of some of their partner brands like Silks, Peds, and American Apparel.

Though the company began less than 40 years ago, today Gildan employs over 50,000 people in 30+ locations. These locations include twelve different countries around the world. 

It’s clear from the company’s historical endeavors that sustainability and fair trade are important to them. From seeking early accreditation to owning their own facilities, Gildan has aimed to provide goods in a responsible way. In 2020, The Wall Street Journal named them one of the world’s most sustainably managed companies.

Among their sustainability efforts includes the acquisition of US-based yarn-spinnieries. Though this tells us that some raw materials are sourced from America, it isn’t revealing for overall manufacturing. 

Let’s look a bit deeper to find out more about Gildan.

Verdict: Is Gildan Made in the USA?

No, Gildan is not made in the USA…at least not start to finish. The company employs manufacturing hubs out of North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Bangladesh. The only function of their US based hub is as a yarn spinnery.

Link: https://gildancorp.com/media/uploads/sustainability_reports/b2020_esg_report_final_en.pdf

Though born in Canada and moved to the USA, Gildan outsources their manufacturing to overseas facilities. The first of this offshore move was in 1997 when Gildan began using a sewing plant out of Honduras.

Along with their production locations in Honduras, they also own operations in the Dominican Republic, North Carolina, Nicaragua, Bangladesh, and more.

The company has a series of t-shirts that are made with 100% US Cotton. Gildan sources most of their cotton from the US. According to their own data, they are responsible for consuming over 1/3rd of the cotton that’s grown in America.

However, the production line doesn’t stop and end with cotton growing. We took a look at their most recent (2020) Environment, Social, & Governance Report. You can see their general supply chain detailed below.

Though much of the raw material begins in the US, manufacturing is completed abroad. It’s interesting that the products that Gildan makes would then be designated “made overseas with US materials” when what you typically see is “made in the US with imported materials.” 

We also reached out to their customer service email team. Here is the response we received, verifying the information we found above:

We have to say, Gildan’s transparency is appreciated. Their published ESG Report is easy to access and made available to anyone looking for it. Below is our research on some good American made alternatives. 

Popular American Made Gildan Products

  • None that we could find

Popular Gildan Products Not Made in the USA

  • Gildan 18500 Adult Hooded Sweatshirt
  • Gildan 64000 Adult T-shirt
  • Gildan 18600 Adult Full Zip Hooded Sweatshirt

American Made Alternatives

More Investigations


About The Author

Mike

Mike

Mike leads research on the team, writes, and manages the YouTube channel. He’s been buying products made in the USA for as long as he can remember. It’s in his blood, growing up working in American manufacturing.