American Apparel Women's Slim Fit Organic Tee in "Sustainable Tree"
When I first came up with the idea to create Bloom Evolution, I decided to only print my designs on apparel manufactured by companies who had strong environmental and social ethics. At first I stuck to only organic or recycled pieces, but then opened up my offerings to any company that expressing that they are aware of the need to “green” clothing manufacturing and are taking strides to do so, even if they aren’t 100% there yet.
I go through a printing and fulfillment company called Spreadshirt. So, I must choose from the variety of apparel they offer. On of the main reasons I chose Spreadshirt over its main competitors was because of the assortment of brands appealing to my needs. In the next few days I will highlight a different brand used in my shop.
American Apparel: This company has a lot of controversy surrounding it’s provocative advertising, but what I find incredibly solid about the company is it’s investment in domestic manufacturing, social ethics, and environmental policies.
The company’s downtown LA location is the largest garment factory in the U.S. Everything is kept local, providing employment to 5,000 people in LA alone. If you’ve checked out any of your labels lately, it might be hard to come by a piece of clothing made in the U.S.A. Most manufacturing is outsourced overseas. AA has over 260 stores worldwide, offering clothing made in America to the masses.
American Apparel also fights for the rights and fair treatment of its workers with the “Legalize LA” and “Legalize Gay” campaigns. They also pay their garment workers more than any other manufacturer and provide outstanding benefits.
Environmentally speaking, AA practices a number of sustainable efforts, including recycling excess fabric and materials, using solar panels to contribute to energy needs, a free bike lending program and a subsidized public transportation option for employees. They also donate excess material to Trash for Teaching (TFF). American Apparel notes,
TFT educates over 100 LA schools about resource management at the manufacturing level. Students make crafts from excess materials, while learning why reuse is the first step to sustainable practice.
The company also boasts a large organic cotton assortment.
At American Apparel we try to do everything possible to minimize our ecological footprint. By creating organic products, our business minimizes its impact on the environment, while maintaining the same comfort and style American Apparel is known for. Our Organic Collection is a selection of our most popular styles made from 100% USDA Certified Organic and pesticide-free cotton.
While not everything they make is organic, AA incorporates cotton from the Cleaner Cotton Campaign into their regular line. American Apparel explains on its website,
The Cleaner Cotton Campaign, led by the Sustainable Cotton Project, was created to offer farmers profitable strategies for reducing chemical use in cotton cultivation. The program also avoids the use of genetically modified seeds. In 2007, the California Environmental Protection Agency reported that 2,000 acres of Cleaner Cotton were grown, preventing 7,000 pounds of chemicals from infiltrating our environment.
Read more about the campaign here.
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