The fashion industry has always been very global, and it can sometimes be difficult to find great styles made in the USA. A good dress is no exception! We did the research to find the brands that are making dresses made in the USA. No matter the occasion, hopefully, this list of USA made dresses has something that will fit your needs and taste. Below are all of our findings. Happy shopping!
Complete List of Dress Brands Made in the USA
This Los Angeles-based company has a modern take on your “LBD” (little black dress). More formal dresses like these are created to work for so many different occasions; they are designed to be classic with a new edge.
They can be worn to weddings, fancy dinners, or the theater. They have black, white, and navy in their collection, with one pop of color in a red shade.
This company is woman-led and run, so they understand the needs of the modern woman eager for pieces that easily transition from day to night. They use luxe fabric and consider how their pieces will look on every body type.
JJwinks makes women’s clothes that are designed to be worn bra-free. They have some maxi dresses and other gowns that are great for everyday casual wear or a night out. Check out some of their other clothing, too – they have many cute options.
Hackwith Design House is a Minnesota-based fashion brand that has an awesome selection of dresses in several styles. They source some materials internationally, but everything is handmade in the USA.
Want a dress that covers your legs and feels like comfy loungewear? Enter the maxi dress.
Hard Tail Forever makes maxi dresses in a variety of patterns and styles. You could wear these to walk along the beach with your love or have a casual date night in the park.
The founding couple, inspired by their three daughters, promotes a message of empowering females. They started with an athletic line and branched out from there, eventually becoming an internationally known company but never straying from their California roots. All of their products are still manufactured here.
Winter Water Factory recently released a line of women’s dresses that are similar in style to their kid’s clothing line – simple, comfortable, and full of fun patterns.
Rite of Passage is a small-batch clothing manufacturer based in the mountains of North Carolina that produces stylish women’s clothing, including a great selection of dresses. Their cotton is domestically sourced, and they even have a sewing house you can visit and tour in Asheville.
Amma’s Umma is designed to take you through every season both of the year and life with minimal effort. They can be an instant outfit on their own or paired with sneakers or accessories to dress up or down. Many of their styles have pockets, and they also have long-sleeve dresses on offer. They make all of their dresses in the USA under fair trade principles.
You can also buy from Amma’s Umma knowing you’re making a difference, as they also give back to the community with their profits. Founder, Chelsea Dutta, is changing what it means to produce clothing- motivated by the fact that she found out many families need to put their children up for adoption or into orphanages not because they wanted to, but because they couldn’t afford to care for them.
With every color under the sun floating around in this bohemian collection, something is sure to catch your eye with Flynn Skye. There are sleeveless dresses made of lace, chiffon, organic cotton, and everything in between.
There are styles with cut-outs, ties, slits, and scoop necks. They put their brand personality into their garments through various fun patterns.
Flynn Skye is named after owner Amber’s daughter. She built her business out of her garage with no design experience and now has this line available to you to showcase her free-spirited style.
With bold, bright colors, these dresses are designed to make a splash at the office. Judy P dresses are best for business because of their traditional silhouettes. They are made to be flattering for any body type, and they offer a vast array of colors to choose from.
Judy P also runs a blog with style tips, there is a section to shop by specific style on the site, and a lookbook is provided seasonally.
Lazy Caturday offers short-sleeve and long-sleeve styles, including floral patterns, buttons, ties, color blocks, and more. Their mission was to provide fashion that was both comfortable and affordable. This family-owned business is often releasing new styles and aims to provide exciting and unique clothing and accessories to make its customers feel great.
LA Relaxed has a few great cotton dresses that they produce in small batches out of their Los Angeles factory. They prioritize organic cotton and all of their women’s clothes are responsibly designed and made.
Allison Izu is a Hawaii-based women’s clothing designer who makes tons of great garments in her local facility. Not all fabrics are US-sourced, but everything is assembled on the island of O’ahu, and she has tons of great dresses to choose from.
How To Find Dresses Made in the USA
If you’re doing your own research, here are some tips for finding and sourcing dresses that are made domestically.
What Does “Made in the USA” Mean?
Before we dive in, let’s start by defining what it means for a product to be “made in the USA.”
The “made in the USA” label is protected by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). For a product to earn this label, it must be “all or virtually all” made in the United States. In other words, pretty much 100% of the product’s manufacturing must take place domestically – this includes everything from the sourcing of the raw material to the packaging.
If you’d like to learn more about this, check out our helpful guide on how to find products made in the USA.
Materials
The first step to finding US-made products is to research the raw materials used and learn whether these materials can be sourced within the USA.
Cotton
As with most other clothing, cotton is the most widely used fabric in dresses. It is a breathable and comfortable fabric that works on many levels.
It may be no surprise to hear that China and India hold the crowns for being the world’s top cotton producers. However, the USA doesn’t rank too far behind. In fact, the cotton industry in the USA is growing year by year and is currently a 21-billion-dollar industry! Therefore, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find US-grown cotton, but it is worth double-checking the country of origin of this material. Companies looking to cut costs will more likely source their cotton from China or India, so if you’re after quality, US-made cotton dresses are the way to go.
Polyester
Polyester is a popular choice for dress material for many manufacturers as it is cheap, washable, and does not easily fade. More often than not, polyester is used as a blend alongside cotton.
While China is the world’s leading producer of this material, it is still possible to find US-made polyester. Although the polyester industry in the USA is by no means extensive, the US still produces around 1.4 million tons of polyester yearly – which is not an insignificant amount. In fact, two of the top ten polyester-producing companies are based in the USA.
Linen
Linen is a durable and breathable fabric that is a popular choice for dresses in the summer. It is a natural material that is 30% stronger than cotton.
This material is made from fiber extracted from the flax plant, mainly found on the European continent. So, most of the world’s linen comes from Europe. However, China still reigns as the top producer of this material. Conversely, the USA does not produce a significant amount of linen, so finding linen dresses made in the USA will be much more difficult.
So, instead, opt for hemp, a very similar natural material that is a growing industry in the USA.
Silk
Silk is the strongest natural fabric in the world and is also a beautiful material for a dress. It feels good and shimmers in the light, making it a popular material for more formal events.
Unfortunately, the USA is one of the biggest importers of silk and does not produce much silk within the country. Most of the silk you see in the USA comes from countries like China, India, and Uzbekistan. So, it’s definitely worth double-checking the country of origin when it comes to silk dresses.
Labeling
The next step to finding dresses made in the USA is labeling. Thankfully, a couple of pieces of legislation help us find US-made dresses more easily.
The first is the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act. This act states that textile products must be labeled with the following information:
- Standardized language for the fiber material used.
- What percentage of the material is used.
- The country of origin.
The second piece of legislation is Title 19 Chapter 4 Section 1304 of the US Code, which states that any products made abroad must be labeled accordingly with the country of origin.
These two laws, coupled with the fact that the “made in the USA” label is protected by the FTC, make it easier to find US-made products. However, it is not as simple as it seems. Unfortunately, the FTC doesn’t do the best job of protecting the usage of this label. This is mainly because there is no pre-approval process for the label.
Another thing to watch out for is that companies may often use tricky wording and phrases to confuse their customers into thinking their products are made in the USA when they are not. Labels like “designed in the USA,” “manufactured in the USA,” or “made in the USA with imported materials” are not the same as “made in the USA.” Each of these labels means that only a part of the manufacturing takes place domestically. Another popular label is “made in America,” where America can refer to either Mexico or Canada as well.
You should also watch out for the American flag sticker on labels. The usage of the American flag on labels is not regulated, so just because you see it on the product does not mean it is made in the USA.
Other Tips
Here are a few more tips to help you find American made dresses.
Company’s Official Website
In particular, check out the “About Us” or product page. “Made in the USA” is a huge selling point, so you’ll likely see this advertised on their website somewhere if this is the case. On the other hand, if the dress is made abroad, you may not find any information regarding the country of origin. This is because companies are not required to state the country of origin regarding online or promotional materials.
Check Social Media Handles
Social media is another excellent place to check where a company’s products are made. Companies often post about their products on their social media accounts. So, check Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok for any posts about their manufacturing processes and factories.
Call The Company
If you’re still unsure where a particular dress is made, simply call the company and ask. They should be able to answer your questions regarding the country of origin of their products.
Dresses Not Made in the USA
We found popular brands that are not making dresses in the USA when doing our research. Check out the list below – we’ll continue to update this as we come across more brands.
- Lulus – Have a “Made in the USA” range, but most dresses are listed as “imported.” We’re looking into where they’re imported from.
- Reformation – Made in China, USA, Turkey, Brazil, India, Mexico, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Vietnam.
- LoveShackFancy – Made in India.
- Zara – Made in Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Morocco, Bangladesh, and Armenia.
- Abercrombie and Fitch – Made in the Philippines.
- UNIQLO – Made in China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Turkey.
- Madewell – Primarily made abroad.
