Month: April 2020

First invented for the obvious reasons, warmth and protection, then morphing into a status symbol of 16^th century Europe.  At one point there were even sock police to ensure that citizens were wearing the appropriate hosiery.  We may need those folks at our house to make sure citizens are changing their hosiery more frequently. 😉

Socks, a daily necessity for most of us.  Yes we wear them everyday, but do we think about them and scour the internet for hours to find the perfect pair? Probably not.  Most of us go into the local box store pick up a six-pack of socks and go on our merry way. 

For those of us that do regular laundry socks may be your resident nemesis…2 went into the washing machine…. 1 came out of the dryer…annoying.  Almost all of us have an orphan sock collection, equally annoying.

Made in USA socks will be more expensive than their imported counterparts, however, closeouts are often several dollars cheaper and most companies will offer a discount to first time buyers.  “Buy more save more” promos are also common. Many companies offer a quality guarantee.  A good proportion have a charitable endeavor that is driven by the business they receive…”buy one give one” etc.

BEST FOR THE BUDGET CONSCIOUS individuals take a look at No Nonsense (yes the grocery store panty hose company)…cheaper than most imported socks, with a wide variety of everyday athletic and trouser socks, made in the USA hosiery as well.

Despite making up only 1% of the sock purchases in the USA there are at least 30 companies that manufacture their socks in America so we tried to categorize them for you to make it easier to navigate as you strive to buy Made in the USA!!

Athletic and Compression Socks

Company	Location	M/W/K	Website	Cost/pair	Manufacturing
Wigwam	Sheboygan, WI	M/W/K	https://www.wigwam.com	$7-$24	USA, ? yarn source, rare imported product active/lifestyle
Darn Tough	Northfield, VT	M/W/K	https://darntough.com	$14-$31	USA made of domestic and imported yarns, active/lifestyle
Smart-wool	Colorado	M/W/K	https://www.smartwool.com	$12-$36	USA made of imported yarn, active/lifestyle
Boldfoot	North Carolina	M/W	https://boldfoot.com	$13-$22	100% USA made dress, casual athletic and compression
Belega	Hickory, NC	M/W/K	https://balega-socks.implus.com	$6-$15	Ultralight and Hidden Contour athletic socks USA made, ? yarn source
Lily Trotters	North, Carolina	W	https://lilytrotters.com	$19-$40	Compression socks for athletics/work, 100% USA
Thorlos	Statesville, NC	M/W/K	https://www.thorlo.com	$10-$30	100% USA made Compression + Athletic socks
Swiftwick	Tennesee	M/W	https://swiftwick.com	$15-$35	USA made, domestic and imported yarns, athletic
Farm to Feet	North and South Carolina	M/W/K	https://www.farmtofeet.com	$12-$30	100% USA made, hiking socks
Fox River	Osage, Iowa	M/W/K	https://www.foxsox.com	$8-$26	Socks USA made, athletic socks, domestic and imported yarns
Sock Well	Chatanooga, TN	M/W	https://sockwellusa.com	$14-$27	100% USA-compression daily wear/athletic
Dahlgren	West Linn, Oregon	M/W/K	https://www.dahlgrenfootwear.com	$19-$40	USA made, ? yarn source Active/Compression
Defeet	Hildebran, NC		https://defeet.com	$13-$35	Made in USA-cycling socks
Wright-sock	Burlington, NC	M/W/K	https://www.wrightsock.com	$10-$24	100% Made in USA, athletic/active

Casual/Dress/Gag/Themed Socks

Company	Location	M/W/K	Website	Cost/pair	Manufacturing
Freaker	North Carolina	M/W	https://www.freakerusa.com	$16	100% USA made, Gag socks
Ballitello	Scarsdale, NY	M	https://www.balitello.com	$9	100% USA-dress/casual
zkano	Fort Payne, AL	M/W/K	https://zkano.com	$8-$20	100% USA-casual/active
RocknSocks		W	https://www.rocknsocks.com	$12-$24	100% USA-fashion/dress
Dapper	North Carolina	M	https://www.dapperclassics.com	$25	USA made-dress, ?  yarn source
Chrissy’s Kneehigh socks	Michigan	M/W/K	https://www.kneehighsocks.org	$8-$20	Funky/themed/dress sock.  Look for Made in USA seal, ? yarn source
Golden Touch		Uni-sex, baby	https://www.goldentouchnaturals.us	$16-$28	100% Made in USA, Alpaca casual socks
Maggie’s Organics	North Carolina, Massachu-settes	M/W	https://maggiesorganics.com	$8-23	Made in USA, imported yarns, casual and some athletic
Mitscoots	NC, PA, TX, ME, NJ, NY,CA	M/W/K	https://www.mitscoots.com	$6-$22	Made in USA, ? yarns, casual and some athletic
No Nonsense		M,W, K	https://www.nononsense.com	$6-$12 Mulit-packs	Made in USA with exception of Men’s dress, imported and domestic yarns, dress, casual and athletic
This Night	Conover, NC	M/W	https://www.this-night.com	$20-$22	Made is USA ?yarn source, casual
American Trench	PA and NC	M/W	https://www.americantrench.com	$12-$20	Made in USA, domestic and imported yarns, casual
Catherine Cole	?	W	https://www.catherinecole.com	$10-$12	Made in USA, ? yarn source, boot socks, dress, casual
Wheel House Socks	Morrisville, VT	M/ W/K	https://www.wheelhousedesigns.com	$12	100% Made in USA, casual
Solmate	Hickory, NC	M/W/K	https://solmatesocks.com	$15-$25	100% Made in USA, casual
Board-room Socks	North Carolina	M	https://boardroomsocks.com	$11-$18	USA made of domestic and imported yarns, dress socks

Slippers – magical bits of foot comfort that are useful multiple times per day.  Whether they act as a barrier between your tootsies and the cold floor as you try to ease yourself into your day or maybe they are well deserved relief for your tired feet after a long day at work.  Perhaps they allow you to continue the delusion that your floor is spotless without any leftover crumbs from meals past because if you can’t feel the crumbs squishing between your toes then they’re not there….

Whatever excuse/use you have for wearing slippers you will be delighted to know that there are several Made in USA brands!!

Slippers Made in the USA

Name	Location	Website	Price	Material	Notes
Shepard’s Flock	Bellow’s Falls, VT  M, W, K	http://shepherdsflock.com	$35-110	USA/im-ported shear-ling	No online ordering, must call or email, 6 week lag time
Quoddy	Maine M, W	https://www.quoddy.com	$179-199	100% USA
Sundance Leather	Colorado M, W, K	https://www.sundanceleather.com	$29-174	100% USA
Northstar Trading Co	Whidbey, Island, Washington M, W	https://sheepskingoods.com	$110-175	100% USA
Steger Mukluks and moccasins	Ely, Minnesota M, W	https://www.mukluks.com	$160-300		Website sells imported goods as well
Wassokeag	Dexter, Maine M, W	https://www.wassookeagmoccasins.com	$165-250	100% USA
Windwalkers	Bodega, CA M, W, K	https://www.windwalkers.net	$40-195	100% USA
Itasca Leathergood	Lake George, Minnesota M, W, K	https://www.itascamoccasin.com	$170-194	100% USA
Janska Mocksocks	Unclear M, W	http://www.amazon.com	$25-30+	N/A Materi-als	Designed and sewn in the USA
Footskins	Spring Grove, Minnesota,M, W, K	https://www.footwearbyfootskins.com	$52-126	100% USA
Variety of Craftsman	CT	http://www.etsy.com	$49+	N/A	Contact sellers through Etsy for details
Made For You	California	https://www.woolmade4u.com	$98-139
Stegman		https://www.stegmannusa.com	$125-135	USA and Europe	Upper, cork bed-Europe, sole from and made in USA

ATHLEISURE….not in the dictionary, however,  the word used to describe ultra comfortable clothes that you can wear to the gym/studio, go for a run in or sit at the coffee shop in (while you look like you’re doing important things on your Macbook Air after you have been to the studio) or just wear around the house. 

YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!! THE STRETCHY PANTS THAT YOU WISH YOU COULD WEAR TO THANKSGIVING DINNER….but your mother wouldn’t approve.

You don’t have to be in the fashion industry to know that this category of clothing has recently exploded across the USA and it’s not hard to understand why.  People want to be comfortable and it is generally still thought to be unacceptable to wear your pajamas out of the house for extended periods of time during the day.

Whether or not you are a serious athlete, yogi, college student, busy soccer mom etc., the good news is that there are many made in the USA brands of athleisure wear out there for you to choose from, strategically placed insignias included!!

Here are your made in the USA choices…Namaste…have a great run…enjoy your latte!

American Made Athleisure Ware

Company Name	Location	Men/Womens	Website	Cost (based on leggings)	Manufacturing
Onzie	Venice, CA	Women’s	https://www.onzie.com	$64-80	99% USA cut, dyed and sewn, unclear where fabric is sourced
Beyond Yoga	Los Angeles, CA	Women’s	http://www.beyondyoga.com	$95+	100% made in USA
Vimmia	Los Angeles, CA	W and M	https://www.vimmia.com	$97
Om Shanti	Miami, FL	Women’s	https://omshanticlothing.com	$29-70	100% dyed, cut, sewn in USA, fabric-Canada
Hard Tail Forever	Los Angeles, CA	Women’s	https://www.hardtailforever.com	$62-90	100% USA
Koral	Los Angeles, CA	Men and Women	https://koral.com	$80-135	Manufactured in USA imported fabric
Nux	Los Angeles, CA	Women	http://nuxactive.com	$88-115	Manufactured in USA, ? fabrics

If there is one article of clothing that captures the spirit of America it is the blue jean. “Born” on May 20, 1873 by Levi Strauss and his business partner, Jacob Davis, the initial rendition of the blue jean was conceptualized to provide the working man with a sturdy pair of pants that would not fall apart when put to work.  Surprisingly it was not so much the denim (it appears that denim was already in circulation) as the rivets that were placed at critical stress points that launched this American icon into a perpetually changing, casual, fashion statement. 

In fact it was a man by the name of Calvin Klein who developed a blue jean with a fancy design on the pocket that inspired one of our founding members to get a serious job at the age of 14 because in our house if you wanted anything other than your 3^rd cousin’s hand me downs or what the local department store could provide you were earning that money yourself. 

There are possibly hundreds of blue jean companies…there are also as many styles and colors that have circulated (and re-circulated-believe me the skinny jean has been here before, acid wash anyone?)…needless to say we could do an entire blog just on jeans.

The good news is that there are number of brands that are made in the USA over a wide distribution of price points.  

Buyer be aware with several of these companies the jeans are made in the US, however, often times the other articles of clothing (even clothes that look like jeans but don’t really have a lot of denim in them) are “imported“ which, I believe, is the term companies use when retail comes from less glamorous places (from a fashion standpoint) as opposed to Italy or France.  

Also, it can be unclear if the materials are made in the USA so as you browse please check the details, we will try to update and figure this out for you.  Most of the time, the companies are completely forth right with where their materials are sourced from, however, the phrase “manufacture in the USA of imported materials” is often used!!  We encourage our readers to email the companies themselves if they have questions about the origin of the materials they use.

A word about selvage denim a type of denim made on old looms, known for its superior knit and self-edge that will not unravel….the last American company to make this type of denim closed its doors in 2017 (Cone Mills White Oak).  Some of the companies listed below are having to source this type of denim from overseas…we have listed the source when we are able to figure it out.   Some companies appear to have some stock that enables them to continue to make 100% USA jeans it is unclear what they will do when this supply runs out. 

Jeans, Jeans, and More Jeans from the USA

Name	Men,  Women, kids	Location	Website	Price point	MATERIALS
Dearborn Denim	M and W	Chicago, IL	https://dearborndenim.us	$60-70	100% USA
Texas Jeans	M	Texas	http://www.texasjeans.com	$20-30	100% USA
Buddy’s Jeans	M	Mississippi	https://www.buddysjeans.com	$50	100% USA
Williamsburg Garment Co.	M and W	Brooklyn, NY	https://williamsburggarment.com	$149-400	100% USA
Bullet Blues	M and W	California	https://bulletbluesca.com	$170+	100% USA
Bluer Denim	M, W coming?	California	http://www.bluerdenim.com	$170+	100% USA
Gamine	W	Tiverton, RI	http://www.gamineworkwear.com	$150	100% USA
LC King	M and W (skirts)	Bristol, TN	https://lcking.com	$89-150	100% USA
Diamond Gusset Jean Co	M and W	Tenessesee	https://www.gusset.com	$70-135	USA some denim in Mexico
Todd Shelton	Men	East Rutherford, NJ	https://toddshelton.com	$275	Sewn in NJ, denim Japan
Bravestar Selvage	Men	Los Angeles, CA	https://bravestarselvage.com	$88-98	USA and Japan
Round House	Men, boys	Shawnee, OK	https://www.round-house.com	$50-80	100% USA
Left Field NY	Men	NYC, NY	https://leftfieldnyc.com	$120-300	USA
Freenote	Men	San Juan Capistrano, CA	https://freenotecloth.com	$250	USA Sewn, denim Japan

American Giant is an inspirational company and the “light bulb” moment that lead to the development of this blog.

If blatant plagiarism weren’t completely illegal we would have copied and pasted the entire “About Us” content of their website as the opening motivational piece to compel people to buy American.  The goals of the company, the process of their product development, the USA based resources that they use (materials and labor) and the genuine love of this country that seems to exude from the website and the interview spots that have appeared on TV are enough to make us buy everything JUST from American Giant.  Both men and women’s clothing are available and the product line keeps expanding.

THE DETAILS:  The price point is reasonable when compared to a lot of imported, “designer clothing”.  We understand that you can go to Walmart or Target and get a few if not several hoodies for $108, the current price tag of their iconic sweatshirt.  However, if you value quality over quantity (nobody needs 8 hoodies) and like classic, casual, clothing that will last a lifetime YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

For those of us that do not have the resources to spend $100+ on a sweatshirt. The company sells their 100% USA cotton T-shirts with bundled savings, provides a discount to veterans and has a first time buyer promotion.  The product line keeps expanding with pants, sweaters, and outerwear and on and on and on. We are convinced that you can supplement your wardrobe with a little something from American Giant to kick start your commitment to buying Made in the USA.

The purchase that started it all: The Classic Full Zip Hoodie-great, rugged, heavy weight sweatshirt great for yard work, standing on the sideline at your kid’s soccer game, walking across campus on a crisp fall day, sitting around the campfire as the nights get colder and the days get shorter. 

Under the guise of further research (someone has to do it) we have had the pleasure of participating in their T-shirt bundles (3-5 for a discounted price), have purchased the lower priced, French terry sweatshirt (a softer, lounge worthy sweatshirt) and a pair of their women’s cargo shorts from a couple of seasons ago (which have sadly been discontinued).  We have been pleased as punch with every product!

We are excited to see the expansion of what they have to offer especially for women-leggings, jeans, dresses etc. etc.

AND IF THAT RAVE DID NOT MAKE YOU FALL IN LOVE…MAYBE THE FACT THAT THIS COMPANY SHUT DOWN PRODUCTION OF THEIR CLOTHING LINE TO PRODUCE MEDICAL MASKS IN WHAT WILL LIKELY BE THE BIGGEST HEALTH CRISIS SINCE THE 1918 FLU WILL CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU SHOULD RETHINK THE EXPENSIVE IMPORTED DESIGNER SWEATSHIRT OR THE CHEAP DEPARTMENT STORE SWEAT AND BUY.…AMERICAN MADE

Future thoughts after this health crisis has ebbed…Kid’s product line please??