American Giant
Rated: Fair
Price: $$
Location: USA
Quick verdict
American Giant is best for consumers who prioritise domestic manufacturing and exceptional durability in heavyweight basics. The brand's fully verified 100% US supply chain. From cotton farming in North Carolina to cut-and-sew in Los Angeles. Is its standout credential, alongside the legendary hoodie dubbed "the greatest hoodie ever made" by Slate. However, the brand holds zero sustainability certifications, publishes no environmental data, has a BBB F rating for unanswered complaints, and makes its sustainability case entirely through durability and domestic production rather than third-party verification.
Key info
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California, USA
- Founded
- 2011
- Product categories
- Menswear, Womenswear, Basics
- Price range
- $$
- Key certifications
- No sustainability certifications of any kind. No GOTS, OEKO-TEX, Fair Trade, Climate Neutral, BCI, or B Corp. 100% Made in USA.
American Giant sustainability rating
Our ratings are based on a scale from 1 (We Avoid) to 5 (Excellent). How we rate
Rating breakdown
100% American-grown cotton, but conventional (not organic). Some Tencel used. No GOTS, OEKO-TEX, BCI, or any material certifications. No aggregate material data published.
Fully domestic US supply chain with named partners (Latros Farms NC, Parkdale Mills SC, Eagle Sportswear NC, LA production). US labour law provides baseline protections. However, production in North Carolina partly chosen for anti-union "right to work" status and low labour rates—a tension with ethical positioning. No published Code of Conduct.
No carbon footprint, no climate targets, no environmental data published. No sustainability page on the website. No circularity programs. The entire environmental argument rests on durability (buy less, buy better) and reduced transportation from domestic production.
Supply chain is well-documented by multiple media sources (not the brand itself), with every step from cotton farm to final sew named and located. However, no sustainability report, no brand-published data, and the most recent third-party review is nearly four years old.
Classic Full Zip Hoodie at $168 is premium but justified by heavyweight construction and US manufacturing. Walmart partnership (T-shirts at $12.98) broadens accessibility. Trustpilot 4/5 from 1,406 reviews validates quality. BBB F rating for unanswered complaints is a concern.
What they do well
- Verified 100% US supply chain: Every step documented: cotton farming (Latros Farms, NC), yarn spinning (Parkdale Mills, SC), fabric knitting (Clover, SC), dyeing (Carolina Cotton Works, SC), and cut-and-sew (Eagle Sportswear, NC; production centralized in LA).
- Exceptional product durability: Slate called it "the greatest hoodie ever made"; the article generated 20 orders per second. Products built to last years, inherently supporting a buy-less approach. Trustpilot 4/5 from 1,406 reviews overwhelmingly praising quality.
- Walmart partnership broadens accessibility: T-shirts at $12.98 in 1,700 Walmart stores make American-made basics available at mass-market prices for the first time, challenging the assumption that US manufacturing means premium-only pricing.
- Extensive media validation: Fast Company "50 Most Innovative Companies", GQ "Best Stuff of the Year", NPR "How I Built This", NYT, WSJ, Forbes ("The New Levi Strauss").
- Independent ownership with mission focus: Privately held; WeWork co-founder Miguel McKelvey acquired controlling stake in 2022 aiming to "revitalise American factories."
Room for improvement
- Zero sustainability certifications: No GOTS, OEKO-TEX, Fair Trade, Climate Neutral, BCI, bluesign, or B Corp. No sustainability page on the website. No published carbon footprint, climate targets, or environmental data of any kind.
- Anti-union state manufacturing and conventional cotton: North Carolina production partly chosen for "right to work" status and low labour rates. All cotton is conventional (not organic), with no plans to transition to certified sustainable fibres.
About American Giant
American Giant was incorporated in 2011 in San Francisco by Bayard Winthrop (CEO) and co-founder Kent Kendall (COO). The brand launched in February 2012 with a single product—a heavyweight hoodie made at a Brisbane, CA factory. A December 2012 Slate article dubbing it "the greatest hoodie ever made" went viral, generating 20 orders per second and a backlog that took nearly three years to clear.
The supply chain is fully domestic and extensively documented: cotton farming at Latros Farms in North Carolina, yarn spinning at Parkdale Mills in South Carolina, fabric knitting in Clover SC, dyeing at Carolina Cotton Works, and cut-and-sew at Eagle Sportswear in Middlesex NC with primary hoodie production now centralised in Los Angeles—in 2022, WeWork co-founder Miguel McKelvey acquired a $10 million controlling stake aiming to "revitalise American factories."
Despite strong product quality (Trustpilot 4/5 from 1,406 reviews), the brand holds zero sustainability certifications, publishes no environmental data, and has no sustainability page. The Walmart partnership (launched July 2024, T-shirts at $12.98 in 1,700 stores) represents a significant expansion into mass-market accessibility.
Product highlights
Classic Full Zip Hoodie
Heavyweight fleece hoodie with double-lined hood, custom hardware, reinforced elbow patches; 100% US-made
~$168
"The greatest hoodie ever made" (Slate); the product that launched the brand. Relaunched January 2026 with refinements.
Classic Pullover Sweatshirt
Heavyweight crewneck sweatshirt in American-grown cotton, US-manufactured
~$80–$128
Core offering extending the brand's heavyweight fleece expertise beyond hoodies
Walmart Essential T-Shirt
100% US-made basic tee available at 1,700 Walmart stores
~$12.98
Challenges the assumption that American-made means premium-only pricing; brings US manufacturing to mass-market consumers
American Giant Jeans
Denim jeans in American-grown cotton, manufactured domestically
~$100–$128
Expansion beyond fleece into denim while maintaining the fully domestic supply chain
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