Whether you are working out, going to the golf course, or headed to a barbecue, having the right pair of shorts is essential. Fortunately, there are some manufacturers that still make shorts in the USA. We did the research to find all the American made shorts, which we listed below. We also included some material sourcing and made in the USA labeling tips and some well-known brands that we came across in our research that aren’t made here. Let’s get started.
Complete List of Shorts Brands Made in the USA
All American Clothing Co. has a small but high-quality selection of made in the USA shorts for men that includes gym shorts and cargo shorts. The cargo shorts have six pockets. The only option we found for women on their website is a pair of camouflage shorts.
American Giant carries a good selection of colors and styles of shorts for both men and women. They are manufactured in the USA, but in a few cases, the fabric was imported. Be sure to click on “details” in the product descriptions to check. Use our exclusive discount code AAR for 20% off.
American Trench is a retailer that works with a lot of great small manufacturers around the country. They have several options for shorts in their online store that come from a variety of partners.
Check out 1620 if you need a durable pair of work shorts that you can rough up a bit. Their utility shorts and cargo work shorts are some of the toughest on the market.
Todd Shelton manufactures its clothes out of its New Jersey facility; however, it uses imported materials from Portugal and England to create its products. If you are OK with that, they have some shorts available to order on their website. You can even get them custom-fit!
Hackwith Design House has a small selection of women’s shorts that are very fashionable. So, if you’re looking for something you can wear for a casual date or day on the town, definitely check out Hackwith Design House.
The Ranger shorts from grown&sewn are some of my favorites – rugged yet stylish, and available in some great colors. Also check out the other clothing from this company – everything is made from American cotton.
Brand name: Gamine Workwear
Headquarters: Tiverton, RI
States manufacturing in: IL, MA, NH, RI, TN, TX,
Gamine Workwear is an amazing women’s clothing brand that partners with lots of small batch manufacturers to make shorts and other apparel for women who work outside. Their shorts are very durable and comfortable and come in a few styles to choose from.
Los Angeles Apparel makes some great pairs of no-frills cotton shorts and other casual and activewear for men and women. These are your pretty basic styles, but are a staple in any closet.
Hertling has some nice men’s cotton stretch shorts in a variety of colors. There’s also a big discount on them when you buy them out of season. However, although these shorts are manufactured here, the cotton is imported from Italy.
This Massachusetts company is laser-focused on creating quality, made in the USA sportswear. Goodwear doesn’t offer a whole lot of variety as far as shorts are concerned, but they are built to last while still being much less expensive than other shorts on our list. Their shorts have a definite ‘80s vibe. If that’s what you are into, you’re all set!
Red Ants Pants produces American made work pants for women. They’ve got a great pair of comfy cotton canvas duck work shorts with extra pockets on their website with extra pockets. They are perfect for raking leaves, tending the garden, or just relaxing. At the time I wrote this article, these shorts were out of stock. If you have your heart set on them, keep checking their website to see if they have become available.
This Bristol, Tennessee company specializes in made in the USA workwear. Their products stand out because of their thickness and durability. Most items are triple stitched and meant to last a lifetime. Their selection of shorts is very small, but their website is worth a look if you want a sturdy pair.
This Georgia company primarily makes pants, but a shorts style called Tybee is available to order on their website. These lightweight, cotton twill shorts come in six different colors. At 8.5 inches in length, they are great for the beach, the golf course, and beyond.
Bills Khakis makes shorts as well as pants. They come in straight or classic fit in a variety of colors. They are all 7.5 inches long and fully alterable. They must be very popular because some varieties are almost sold out. Note: Although Bills Khakis designs, cuts, sews, and manufactures its clothing from its Connecticut facility in the US, they use imported fabric to create its designs.
Boathouse makes both men’s and women’s athletic and fitness shorts. A few of them are double-layered, something you don’t find everywhere. This Philadelphia company’s shorts are affordably priced, especially when they are on sale.
Loup has a nice selection of women’s shorts made in New York City. They also have rompers in both chic and casual styles and even some short overalls for gardening and other outdoor chores. Sizing ranges from XX small to 4X. Their shorts, like all their clothes, are designed to fit curvy women because they have a defined waist and plenty of room in the hips.
Save Khaki United is headquartered in New York City and manufactures its clothes in California. In addition to khaki pants, they make all kinds of tops and bottoms – including shorts. However, a lot of their clothes are made from imported fabric. We couldn’t find any shorts on their website that are 100% made in the USA.
Triple Aught Design makes tactical cargo pants – and shorts – for men and women that are built for the roughest outdoor adventures, whether on land or sea. The website gives you the option to filter selections by these two options: Made in USA and Cut and Sewn in USA. It seems likely this distinction was made to differentiate items 100% made in the USA from those manufactured here with imported fabrics. We did find two made in USA styles of men’s shorts by using the filter.
Devium USA doesn’t have a ton of shorts available, but what they do have is pretty high quality. Their Sojourn Shorts are in stock right now (they produce everything in small batches, so available styles change frequently).
If you’re looking for a good pair of tactical shorts for hiking, work, or just something super durable, definitely give Kitanica a look. They have a few great pairs made in the USA. Not everything in their store is made here, though.
Montauk Tackle Company is a performance apparel brand based in New York that makes a lot of great moisture-wicking apparel, including a line of shorts for men and women. Everything is designed for a “coastal lifestyle” and has UPF protection built in.
How to Find Shorts Made in the USA
Finding the country of origin for a pair of shorts can be trying, especially when you’re shopping online and can’t examine the label. Therefore, we’ve some methods for finding U.S. made shorts. For all our advice on shopping for products made here, see our made in the USA labeling explainer guide.
Materials
If you’re looking for made in the USA shorts, you should search specifically for those made from materials sourced from here. With so much clothing manufacturing occurring elsewhere nowadays, finding shorts 100% sourced in the United States may be difficult. If you can’t manage it, you can still try to find something that is at least primarily sourced in the USA.
Cotton
If you want a pair of American made shorts, something that’s 100% cotton is probably your best bet. The United States is the third-largest cotton producer globally, after India and China.
Rayon
Rayon, a semi-synthetic fiber often used as a substitute for cotton, is largely produced in India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and China. Some of it still comes from the United Kingdom. It doesn’t seem like there’s very much, if any, rayon made in the USA. That’s why you should focus your search on 100% cotton shorts – and even then, you need to look at the tag or dig deep into the product description online.
Polyester
Synthetic polyester is often used in apparel, including shorts. It’s sometimes blended with other fibers, such as cotton. China, Taiwan, Korea, India, Japan, and Indonesia are the major manufacturers of polyester. Some production still takes place in the U.S., but it’s still unlikely you will find polyester or polyester blend shorts made here.
Linen
Linen is made from the fibers of the flax plant. China is the largest manufacturer of linen nowadays, but some of this material is still made in Ireland, Belgium, Italy, and the United States. However, you will probably be frustrated finding linen shorts made in the USA.
Labeling
The United States has a few laws in place to help consumers with labeling transparency issues. Title 19 Chapter 4 Section 1304 of the United States Code requires all products coming from outside the U.S. to be labeled as “imported,” with their country of origin on the item itself or its packaging. Also, according to the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act and Wool Products Labeling Act, most clothing and other textile products produced here must be labeled that way.
But “made in the USA” labeling regulations are murky. For a company to advertise a product as such, the Federal Trade Commission requires that it be “all or virtually all” made in the United States. The FTC also doesn’t require companies to seek pre-approval for using “made in the USA” language in its marketing materials. In addition, the commission doesn’t have a good history of regulating abuse of its rules.
Many businesses try to fool shoppers into thinking a particular product is made here by using wording such as “assembled in the USA” or “manufactured in the USA,” which could mean most or even all of the materials for a product were sourced from overseas. It also could mean not even all of the production was done in the United States. Another misleading tactic companies sometimes use is affixing a “made in America” label, which could indicate the product was made in Mexico or Canada.
Consumers also should be skeptical about the American flag being used on a label. The United States doesn’t have laws protecting the usage of its flag on labels. This means seeing the Stars and Stripes on a label doesn’t necessarily indicate the item was made here.
Many consumers who purchase shorts like to do so in-store so they can try them on. In addition to making sure the shorts fit well before leaving the store, so they don’t have to return them later, it allows shoppers to check the tag to determine their country of origin. On the other hand, if your city or town doesn’t have stores that carry made in the USA shorts and you have to search online, determining if what you are buying was made here or overseas can be frustrating. When in doubt, contact the company by phone or email, or start an online chat with them.
Shorts Not Made in the USA
Here are some notable brands that make shorts that are not made in the USA. While not exhaustive (that list would be forever long), our research focused on American-born brands that are often associated with American culture, but aren’t made here.
- Brooks Brothers: Except for a few shirts, none of their clothing is Made in the USA.
- Bonobos: All of their clothes are made overseas except for their neckties.
- Dickies: They have a small selection of shorts, but like the rest of their clothes, they are manufactured outside the United States.
- J Crew: All their clothing is made overseas, including shorts.
- L.L. Bean: They make a few clothing items here, but shorts are not among them.
- Levi’s: All their clothing, including shorts, is made overseas.
- Nike: Only 6.4% of Nike’s factories are in the United States, so the odds that the shorts you buy from them are Made in the USA are very slim.
- Patagonia: Their shorts are made overseas in countries such as Nicaragua, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka.
- Wrangler: Nearly all their clothing is manufactured outside the U.S.
