Many Americans who rely on work clothes to protect themselves on the job also want to be able to rely on them being made in the USA. We did extensive research to find work clothes made here, including the ever-popular made-in-the-USA work pants. See the list below and our tips on material sourcing and labeling. During our research, we also noted companies that don’t make their work apparel in the USA. Let’s begin.
Complete List of Work Clothing Brands Made in the USA
1620 is committed to American workwear manufacturing and has some of the most durable clothing on the market. Their proprietary fabrics last up to 10x longer than cotton, and they have everything from USA made work pants to hoodies and more in their inventory.
Runabout Goods has a lot of durable, rugged apparel fit for any job. Their Brander jacket is one of their most popular items and reminiscent of classic denim workwear. They also make USA-made work pants, duck canvas jackets, t-shirts, and a wide variety of other goods.
Ginew USA is a Native American owned and operated family business that has a wide selection of workwear, no matter if you need a jacket, flannel shirt, or pants. A lot of their designs are Native-inspired too, so they certainly stand out.
While not a traditional work clothing company, grown&sewn has some great workwear options. Their work shirts are very thick and durable, and they are stylish enough to wear out around town, too. Their Union American-made work pants are also a great option.
Brand name: Gamine Workwear
Headquarters: Tiverton, RI
States manufacturing in: IL, MA, NH, RI, TN, TX,
Gamine Workwear is a women’s work clothing brand that has a ton of great options for everything from pants to jackets, sweaters, tops, and other accessories. They are super focused on small batch manufacturing and sustainability, although they do use a few imported materials.
Benchmark FR makes apparel for electrical line workers, oilfield and refinery workers, welders, machine operators, and anyone else whose job involves exposure to arc flash and flash fire. Options include jackets, shirts, pants, and coveralls. The California-based company tries to source most of its materials domestically, but some must be sourced from other countries. One thing that sets Benchmark FR apart is each garment has a trackable serial number, so quality issues can be identified and fixed at any step in the production process.
When you think of Pella, the first thing that comes to mind is probably windows. But Pella Products also has a Pella Vet division that makes veterinary apparel. Their polyester-cotton blend unlined overalls are shrink-proof and don’t need to be ironed. They also have adjustable suspenders and lots of functional pockets.
Round House, founded in 1903 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, was named after “round house” railway repair stations. Today the company is still focused on American-made work clothes, including carpenter overalls designed by real-life carpenters. These overalls can’t be beat for functionality. Round House also makes USA-made work pants and shop aprons.
Origin is based in Maine, and their clothes are really tough. Check out their jeans and jackets for some of their most popular items. Everything they make is built to last and withstand the most grueling work environments.
L.C. King makes overalls, work pants, restaurant and shop aprons, and more at their facility in Bristol, Tennessee. The company, which has been in the same family for more than a century, remains committed to making rugged, functional, and comfortable apparel. Many items are triple-stitched for extra durability.
Red Ants Pants specializes in women’s workwear, but also has options for men. Everything is made at their Seattle, Washington facility. Red Ants Pants, as you might guess from the name, makes lots of pants. They can be purchased in either straight or curvy fit. Some of them even have reinforced fabric on the knees and seat for extra durability. The woman-owned company also makes shorts, shirts, hoodies, and accessories.
Atlas 46, located near St. Louis, Missouri, makes quality nylon clothing, tactical gear for military and law enforcement, and some apparel such as vests, aprons, and pants for laborers. Atlas 46 uses a 301 Lock-stitch on almost all of its clothing. This stitch, done with a single needle, is used to attach different panels of fabric together. Even if a single stitch is broken, it will not unravel the entire length of the seam. This is just one example of the company’s commitment to top-level craftsmanship.
Red Clouds Collective makes its work apparel at its factory in Portland, Oregon. All the materials are sourced from right here in the USA. A lot of their garments are made from waxed canvas on the outside for durability and water resistance, and a wool lining on the inside for warmth and comfort. Red Clouds Collective products include U.S.-made pants, overalls, work aprons, tool rolls, jackets, and shirts.
Signature Innovation Group is a cut-and-sew operation in California that makes some high-quality workwear. They source fabrics domestically and internationally (unfortunately), but everything is stitched and assembled at their workshop. They even double stitch all their fabrics!
Mike’s YouTube Video on American Made Workwear
How to Find Work Clothes Made in the USA
We want you to know not only which brands are made in the USA, but also empower you to do your own research so you can find out on your own where products you are shopping for were manufactured. Here’s how to tell if the work clothes you are considering were made here, based on the materials, labeling, and more.
Materials
You will need to know about the fabrics work clothes are made from to determine if a particular item is genuinely made in the USA. Learning where these materials typically originate will help you in your search for USA-made work pants and other on-the-job apparel.
Cotton
A lot of work apparel is made from cotton because of its durability. China is the global leader in cotton production, followed by India. Around half of the cotton in the world comes from these two countries. But the good news is the United States, which is in third place, is also a major player in this industry.
It’s also pretty easy to determine if the cotton in the particular garment comes from the USA. Just look for phrases like “U.S. grown cotton.”
Polyester
Although many work garments are made from 100% cotton, others are a cotton-polyester blend.
China is the world’s leading polyester producer, but the United States isn’t far behind. If fact, the U.S. ranks third globally in polyester production, thanks to the Eastman Chemical Company and William Barnet & Son. These two companies are among the world’s largest polyester manufacturers.
Wool
Some work clothes have wool linings to add an extra layer of warmth for those whose jobs take them outside during cold weather.
Although Australia is the global leader in wool production, the United States makes about 17% of all the wool in the world. It’s by no means impossible to find garments made with U.S.-produced wool, although it may take a little extra time to discover them.
What Does “Made in the USA” Mean?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) protects the use of the phrase “made in the USA” when advertising products. According to the FTC, “made in the USA” means “all of virtually all” of a product must be made in the United States. It’s not enough that the product is manufactured here. In addition, the raw materials must be sourced domestically.
To learn more, read our “made in the USA” labeling guide.
Labeling
The next step in finding made-in-the-USA work clothes is to check the label. The Textile Fiber Products Identification Act helps consumers identify where products are made. It requires companies to be honest about which fibers were used in textile products and in what country those fibers were sourced.
In addition, Title 19 Chapter 4 Section 1304 of the US code requires a product’s country of origin to be stated on the label or the packaging.
This means when you are shopping for US-made workwear, you need to search for the “made in the USA” label. However, you should carefully examine the label closely to ensure that exact language is used. Companies will sometimes slightly alter the wording to mislead consumers. Look out for the words “manufactured” and “designed,” which could indicate only a part of the manufacturing process took place here. Other phrases manufacturers use to confuse shoppers are “made in America” or “made in the USA with imported materials.”
Another word of caution: Even though the “made in the USA” label is protected, products don’t have to go through a pre-approval process to receive it. This means companies are responsible for policing themselves, and they don’t always do a good job of that. If you discover improper usage of the “made in the USA” label, we strongly encourage you to report it.
Other Tips
Here are some final tips for finding American-made work clothes.
First, don’t assume a garment is made in the USA just because it has the American flag on it. Unlike the “made in the USA” label, usage of the Stars and Stripes is not protected. Therefore, proceed with caution.
Second, if you are shopping online rather than in a store, as so many people are doing now, check the company’s “About Us” page as well as the pages for individual products. If a brand’s products are truly made in the USA, they are likely to shout it from the rooftops to attract shoppers who are looking specifically for something American-made. However, companies are not required to be transparent online about the country of origin. If you can’t find anything on a brand’s website indicating where its products come from, you should assume they weren’t made in the US.
Finally, if you are still in doubt about where a particular garment was made, go the old-fashioned route and give the company a call. Hopefully, a customer service representative will be able to provide an answer.
Work Clothing Brands Not Made in the USA
Here are some well-known workwear brands that are made overseas. We will add to this list as we find more.
- Filson – The Mackinaw wool they use for their work clothes is milled from Pendleton, which is based in the United States. However, not all of that wool is sourced here. Some of it comes from New Zealand and Canada.
- Carhartt – This company still makes some products in the United States, but unfortunately that doesn’t include work garments. Carhartt has manufacturing facilities in China, Mexico, and other foreign countries.
- Topps by Pinnacle USA – Their work clothes are made from 100% US materials. However, they are assembled in the Dominican Republic.
- Berne – Their work clothes are made in Bangladesh.
- Dickies – This company’s workwear is manufactured in a number of international locations, including Mexico, Honduras, China, and Cambodia.
- Duluth Trading Co. – Although a few of their non-clothing products are American-made, we didn’t find any work clothes made here. They have factories in Indonesia, Vietnam, and France.
- BRUNT – None of their workwear is made in the USA. They are manufacturing in China, Vietnam, India, and other countries.
