Pull an American Apparel 1301 and a Los Angeles Apparel 1801GD off the same shelf in a print shop and you’ll see why people mix them up. It isn’t just the same heavyweight cotton. Interestingly the founder of both brands is the same too.
Similar heavyweight cotton, similar four-digit style codes, and a shared habit of calling the shirt by its number.
They’re separate companies, though, with different owners and different factories. So the Los Angeles Apparel vs American Apparel question comes down to who makes each shirt now and which blank belongs in your next order.
Is Los Angeles Apparel the same as American Apparel?
No. Los Angeles Apparel is a separate company that American Apparel founder Dov Charney started in 2016, after he was removed from American Apparel in 2014.
The family resemblance is real, and it has a mechanical explanation. About 90% of Los Angeles Apparel’s machinery was bought in American Apparel’s bankruptcy sale, so the new company was knitting and sewing on much of the same equipment. Gildan Activewear bought American Apparel’s brand rather than its operations, which, as Business of Fashion reported in 2017, left Charney free to hire laid-off workers.
Decorators that tested the first Los Angeles Apparel styles, called them “identical” to the American Apparel 2001 fine jersey tee they replaced. If you’ve ever wondered “is LA Apparel American Apparel?” because a new tee felt familiar, that shared equipment could be one reason why.
What happened to American Apparel?
American Apparel is still in business, but since 2017 it’s been a brand owned by Gildan Activewear, not the Los Angeles company it once was.
What happened to American Apparel fits into four dates:
- 2014: The board removes founder Dov Charney.
- October 2015: American Apparel files for Chapter 11. It emerges in February 2016 owned by its bondholders.
- 14 November 2016: American Apparel files for Chapter 11 a second time.
- January 2017: Gildan Activewear wins the bankruptcy auction with an $88 million cash bid.
That bid covered the brand plus some equipment and inventory. The original downtown Los Angeles factory was closed by the previous owners, and California Apparel News put the job losses at 3,500 workers. So anyone asking whether American Apparel is still in business gets a two-part answer: the label and the style numbers survived the auction, while the downtown operation that built them didn’t.
Who owns each brand today?
Gildan Activewear owns American Apparel, and has since the January 2017 auction. The brand Dov Charney started in 1989 now sits inside Gildan’s lineup of basics, which is why you’ll see “Gildan American Apparel” in some distributor catalogs.
Los Angeles Apparel was founded in 2016 by Charney, who runs it as CEO from a factory in South Central Los Angeles. That building is about four miles south of American Apparel’s old downtown headquarters. Los Angeles Apparel wholesale sales first ran through a single distributor, TSC Apparel. The company began selling in early 2017 with about 200 workers and employed about 1,500 by July 2022.
Where are the shirts made?
Since the Gildan purchase, most American Apparel tees have been made in Gildan’s factories in Honduras and Nicaragua, while Los Angeles Apparel knits, sews and dyes in South Central Los Angeles.
For Los Angeles Apparel, the supply chain is short enough to recite. The company says the cotton for the 1801GD is grown in the Carolinas and spun in South Carolina. It’s then knit, cut and sewn in South Central, with dyeing at local dye houses.
If a school district bid, a customer’s spec sheet or your own hang tag calls for a made-in-USA label, that difference settles the order. Buyers still ask whether American Apparel is made in the USA. Gildan kept a few styles in Los Angeles-area factories in 2017, so read the neck label on the exact style before you promise anything.
How do the tees compare? American Apparel 1301 vs Los Angeles Apparel 1801GD
Here’s how the American Apparel 1301 heavyweight cotton tee and the Los Angeles Apparel 1801GD line up on paper.
| Attribute | American Apparel 1301 | Los Angeles Apparel 1801GD |
| Fabric weight | 6 oz/yd² | 6.5 oz/yd² (220 g/m²) |
| Fiber | 100% cotton (heather colors are blends) | 100% USA cotton, 18/1 open-end yarn |
| Where made | Mostly Gildan factories in Central America | Knit, cut, sewn and dyed in Los Angeles |
| Dye method | Dyed before cutting (a separate 1301GD is garment dyed) | Garment dyed, sold as shrink-free |
| Fit | Relaxed unisex | Roomy, oversized unisex with a high ribbed collar |
| Sizes | S to 4XL | XS to 4XL |
Use the table to rule one out fast. If you need an XS or a US-made label, only the 1801GD qualifies.
Fabric and weight
Half an ounce separates them. Both are 100% cotton in solid colors, but the 1801GD is knit from 18/1 open-end yarn. To many the fabric might seem a little heavier and coarser than most current tees. Some like that hand and some don’t. The dense cotton keeps ink on the surface, so screen-printed edges stay sharp.
Fit and sizing
The 1801GD runs roomy, offering a generous fit with wider shoulders and longer sleeves. It can be true to size only if you like an oversized look. The 1301 is a relaxed unisex cut, and many users claim you have to size up for a looser fit.
Don’t trust the size letter across brands. Pull up the Los Angeles Apparel size chart and the American Apparel size chart, then compare chest width against a shirt you already own.
Dye and shrinkage
The 1801GD is garment dyed and enzyme washed, and sold as shrink-free. That’s the brand’s own claim, so wash-test a sample before a 300-piece run. The standard 1301 is dyed before cutting. If you want a washed look from American Apparel, the separate 1301GD is the garment-dyed version.
Which should you buy?
For buyers comparing costs across different blank T-shirt brands, exploring Gildan Activewear wholesale options can provide another useful benchmark for pricing, fabric quality, and printability before placing a bulk order.
If you’re starting a clothing brand and the hang tag has to say “Made in USA”, the Los Angeles Apparel 1801GD is the heavyweight blank to sample first. Screen printers can compare Los Angeles Apparel blanks in wholesale quantities before committing to a full run.
Frankly, if it’s the classic American Apparel feel you’re after, either brand can get you there. Order one of each, wash both twice, and wear them for a week before you decide.
The bottom line
American Apparel and Los Angeles Apparel share a founder and a heritage, but they’re different companies today. Gildan Activewear owns American Apparel and makes most of its tees in Central America, while Dov Charney’s Los Angeles Apparel knits, sews and dyes in South Central Los Angeles. Choose by label and weight first, then sample.
FAQ
Is Los Angeles Apparel the same as American Apparel?
No. Los Angeles Apparel is a separate company founded in 2016 by Dov Charney, who also founded American Apparel. American Apparel is now owned by Gildan Activewear.
Is American Apparel still in business?
American Apparel still sells blank tees, hoodies and other basics, operating as a brand owned by Gildan Activewear, which bought it at a bankruptcy auction in January 2017.
What happened to American Apparel?
American Apparel removed founder Dov Charney in 2014, filed for bankruptcy in 2015 and filed again in 2016. Gildan Activewear bought the brand at auction in 2017.
Who owns Los Angeles Apparel?
Dov Charney, the founder of American Apparel, founded Los Angeles Apparel in 2016 and runs it as CEO. The company is based in South Central Los Angeles.
Is American Apparel still made in the USA?
Mostly not. Since the Gildan purchase, most American Apparel tees have been made in Gildan’s factories in Honduras and Nicaragua. Check the label of the specific style if a made-in-USA claim matters to you.
Is Los Angeles Apparel made in the USA?
Yes. Los Angeles Apparel knits, cuts, sews and dyes its garments in Los Angeles, and the 1801GD tee uses 100% USA-grown cotton.
Does Los Angeles Apparel run big or small?
Los Angeles Apparel tees such as the 1801GD run roomy, with an oversized unisex cut. Buyers who want a closer fit often size down.
Which is heavier, the American Apparel 1301 or the Los Angeles Apparel 1801GD?
The Los Angeles Apparel 1801GD is slightly heavier at 6.5 oz per square yard. The American Apparel 1301 is 6 oz per square yard. Both are 100% cotton in solid colors.
Which is better for screen printing?
Both print well on 100% cotton. The American Apparel 1301 is usually the lower-cost choice for large runs, while the Los Angeles Apparel 1801GD suits brands that want a heavier, made-in-USA, garment-dyed blank.
