Wearing wool clothing has so many advantages it’s hard to know where to begin. Wool is 100% natural, so it’s gentle on sensitive skin. It has air pockets that keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It’s also lightweight yet strong. In addition, wool is water-resistant.
We did the research to find all the Amercian-made flannel shirts, which we listed below. We also included some material sourcing and made in the USA labeling tips and some well-known brands we found that aren’t made here. Let’s dig in!
Complete List of Wool Clothing Brands Made in the USA
Duckworth specializes in woolen clothing that’s 100% made in the USA. All the Merino wool for Duckworth shirts, jackets, and vests for men and women comes from Montana sheep. Not all of their apparel is 100% wool, but a lot of it is. The company’s website has tons of information on individual clothing items, including the fabrics used.
This Minnesota company is best known for its blankets, but it also makes classic twill women’s shawls made from 100% virgin wool sourced from right here in the USA. These shawls come in a variety of colors, so they fit in with any wardrobe.
Ramblers Way features organic wool clothing for men and women that are made in the USA. Most of their wool is sourced from U.S. ranchers, although they have a few clothing items made from imported wool (well-labeled on their website). Styles include shirts, blouses, tank tops, dresses, skirts, jackets, sweaters, vests, and sweatshirts. Prices vary a lot, but you can find deep discounts on a lot of their apparel, including the most expensive ones.
Mountain Meadow Wool buys wool from Wyoming ranchers at a fair price to create apparel as well as home décor. The company processes this soft and silky wool using environmentally friendly techniques, cleaners, oil, and 100% natural bio-degradable soaps. All the work is done at its family-operated mill in Buffalo, Wyoming. Mountain Meadow Wool’s clothing collection isn’t huge, but you can buy hoodies and sweaters from them.
WeatherWool, based in South Orange, New Jersey, gets all the wool for its apparel from U.S. ranchers, and the buttons and zippers are also made in the USA. You can’t beat that! Their clothing line includes vests, pants, and jackets. Their products are pricy, but they do have a page on their website where you can get used pieces, irregulars, and older versions of current designs.
This Tennessee-based company prides itself on having produced American-made clothing since 1880. Hardwick started out making tailored clothing for men but has since expanded to include women’s apparel. Although Hardwick makes plenty of wool sports coats, plants, and blazers, some of the material may be imported.
Hertling, which has been in business in New York City for almost a century, still handcrafts men’s trousers in Brooklyn. When we visited the company’s website, we found a lot of their wool dress trousers are made from imported fabric. However, the product descriptions for a few styles don’t mention anything about where the material comes from.
Johnson Woolen Mills is an establishment in wool clothing manufacturing, dating all the way back to 1842. They source most of their wool from US ranchers, but also use a few international suppliers for some raw materials.
Mike’s YouTube Video on American Made Wool Clothing
How to Find Wool Clothing Made in the USA
Finding what country clothing items come from can be a huge challenge, especially when you’re shopping online and can’t look at the tag. Here are some tips for finding U.S.-made wool clothing.
For all our advice on shopping for products that are 100% made here, read our handy made-in-the-USA labeling explainer guide.
Wool Varieties
There are lots of different kinds of wool, and some are more likely to come from U.S.-raised sheep than others.
The United States isn’t short on wool farmers, but we didn’t even make the Top Ten for wool manufacturing countries. China, which produces nearly 20% of the world’s wool, is the global leader, followed by Australia and New Zealand.
Merino
Merino wool is the most common variety. It’s a favorite because of its softness, making it ideal for apparel worn next to the skin.
The Merino sheep breed originated in France. Today most Merino sheep are raised in Australia, but the French variety, called Rambouillet, has adapted well to the American West. The Rambouillet is now the most common domestic sheep breed in the U.S.
Columbia
More than a century ago, Rambouilets were cross-bred with Lincoln sheep – a British breed that’s now rare — to create another popular variety of U.S.-grown sheep called Columbia, which produces high-quality wool. This breed is still going strong today in the United States.
Cashmere
Not all wool comes from sheep. Cashmere wool comes from a type of furry goat that originated in the Kashmir region of India. Cashmere wool, which is soft and fine, is considered a luxury item.
Today most cashmere production takes place in China. However, we were surprised to learn some cashmere-producing goats have been raised in the United States since the 1980s. The industry here is still in its infancy, so don’t count on finding a sweater or another clothing item made from cashmere sourced from the U.S. just yet.
Alpaca
This type of wool comes from alpacas. These animals are raised in South America, mainly in Peru. Some manufacturers make apparel from alpaca, but this doesn’t often happen because only the younger animals produce wool suitable for clothing.
Labeling
The federal government has some rules in place that help shoppers with country-of-origin labeling transparency. Title 19 Chapter 4 Section 1304 of the U.S. Code says all imported products must be labeled as such, with the country of origin to be placed on the product itself or its packaging. In addition, most apparel and other textile items made here must be labeled that way on the tag, according to the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act and Wool Products Labeling Act.
But the requirements for being able to label your products as “made in the USA” are confusing. The Federal Trade Commission says companies can only advertise their products as “made in the USA” if they are “all or virtually all” made here. However, the FTC doesn’t require manufacturers to seek pre-approval to use “made in the USA” language in marketing. What’s more, the commission doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to policing companies that abuse the use of that language.
That abuse can come in the form of jargon meant to mislead shoppers into thinking a product is made here when it isn’t. Some companies use working such as “assembled in the USA” or “manufactured in the USA” even though most or all of the materials come from other countries. In some cases, not all manufacturing took place in the United States either. Consumers also need to be cautious when companies use the “made in America” label, as that product may have been made in Canada or Mexico, which, like the U.S., are part of the North American continent.
Other Tips
In addition, shoppers shouldn’t assume the appearance of the American flag on a label or in advertising means the product was made in the USA because the federal government doesn’t protect the use of the Stars and Stripes.
Most shoppers prefer to buy clothes in person to ensure the right fit. As a bonus, this allows them to check labels and see where the apparel was made. However, with more and more brick-and-mortar stores going out of business, consumers increasingly rely on online shopping. Although some brands provide clear information on their websites about the country or origin of their products, that’s not always the case. If in doubt, we recommend contacting the manufacturer via email or phone, or chat with them online.
Wool Clothing Not Made in the USA
Here are some well-known brands of wool apparel not made here. We’ll keep updating the list as we find more of these brands.
- Bonobos – This menswear company has plenty of wool suits and pants, but none of them are made in the USA.
- Brooks Brothers – This brand’s wool clothing is made overseas.
- Calvin Klein – None of their wool clothing is made here.
- J. Crew – Like the rest of their apparel, none of their wool clothing is made in the USA.
- Jos. A. Bank – They have lots of wool apparel for men, including suits. However, their clothing is made overseas.
- L.L. Bean – This iconic American company still makes some home goods and boots here in the USA, but other products, such as wool apparel are imported.
