The Best Men's Clothing Brands Made in the USA Right Now

"We used to build shit in this country" was one of the greatest lines from The Wire, and a common sentiment regarding American production. Sure, the post-World War II apex of American manufacturing may be long over, but that doesn't mean it's completely gone. And furthermore, what is produced here is still of superb quality. Local production means oversight, quality control, and a more fairness in how a garments gets from the factory to your closet.

Americana's spotlight may have dimmed a little, but that heritage segment of style is still going strong. And what's even more exciting is that brands that are pushing the envelope in aesthetic, performance, and construction are realizing the positives of producing in the US, and inspiring others. It's not all about denim and hard-wearing goods, everyone from streetwear brands to sneaker companies are producing great stuff right in our backyard. This Independence Day, do something patriotic besides just eating hot dogs and shooting fireworks. Check out and support The Best Made in USA Brands Right Now.

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Produced in: Detroit, Mich.
Known for: Watches

Detroit is probably the last place you would expect the American watch industry to gain a foothold, but Shinola (yes, as in the thing you don't know shit from) has planted a flag in the Motor City. The company also creates bicycles and small leather goods, but it's their watches that are causing a stir. They're now available at Barney's, and their success could mean the beginnings of a watch industry that could alleviate the reliance America and the rest of the world has on the Swiss watch-making monopoly. By offering this trade skill and the jobs that come along with it to locals of Detroit, Shinola is doing much more than just producing great looking watches.

Produced in: Los Angeles, Calif.
Known for: 5-panel hats

Fairends is simply one of the best cap options out there; the fact that it's produced in and around L.A. is just an added bonus. After two short years, the brand is much more than just headwear; collaborations, special projects, and even a pop-up shop in Brooklyn have all been checked off the list. Other countries may be taking street wear in totally new and exciting directions, but America has the cap game on lock thanks to Fairends.

Produced in: Duluth, Minn.
Known for: Rugged bags and outdoor gear

A company doesn't survive for 130 years unless it's using proven techniques to churn out products that are guaranteed to outlive the owners. Duluth Pack's canvas and leather bags, packs, and outdoors goods and the processes to making them haven't changed much since they moved into their century-old factory. The goods being produced are of the same quality that helped settlers battle extreme Minnesota winters when your main source of warmth was crawling inside a slit-open mammal a la Luke Skywalker and the Tauntaun he spent a night in.

Produced in: New York, N.Y.
Known for: Merino T-shirts and the "Pivot" oxford shirt

Not only is Outlier produced in the heart of NYC, but it's one of the few brands that's pushing the envelope in terms of fabrics, construction techniques, and what, exactly, clothing is capable of. And as it continues to set the bar in terms of performance and futuristic, their aesthetic is starting to hit its stride, too. There was nothing wrong with reliable colorways that defined the brand before, but stepping out there is only going to increase America's presence in the future of style.

Produced in: Denver, Colo.
Known for: Colorful bags

Topo Designs began as a way to plug a gap in the market the founders could only personally fulfill with vintage French ski gear and Japanese mountain bags. What started with a single bag quickly spawned into a wide collection of dope accessories and apparel. Western American brands always conjure up notions of quality, but not necessarily the freshest look. Topo is definitely changing that old mindset, and doing it all from their home base just outside the Rockies.

Produced in: Fall River, Mass.
Known for: Hand-made shirts

At one point, Fall River, Mass. was the cotton textile center of the world. Fall River isn't as humming as it once was, but New England Shirt Co.'s factory is still going strong in a 200-year-old factory. Not only do they put out shirts that nod to the traditions and vibes of classic New England, but their amazing facilities also produce shirting for some of the best brands out there who are looking for a little Made in the USA cred.

Produced in: Seattle, Wash.
Known for: Hunting gear and bags

Filson started out supplying prospectors looking to strike it rich in the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 19th century. For the next 100 years or so, Filson provided clothing and other necessities to lumberjacks and hunters of the northwest, and continued to produce in Seattle. The label's name has become synonymous with gear that stands up to any thing nature or city life will throw its way, and is hands-down one of the flag bearers of American brands that come through with unfailing utility that's as reliable as our pick-up trucks.

Produced in: Bozeman, Mont.
Known for: Tough bags

The story of Kletterwerks is a long and twisted one that ends with awesome bags being made by complete devotees who are holed up in Montana. The brand was first created in 1975 in Bozeman, and catered to a small but passionate clientele of climbers and outdoorsmen. In the early '80s Kletterwerks was put on hold, but returned 35 years later from a group of dudes who were creating bags and gear for Navy SEALS. If it's good enough for the dudes who took down Bin Laden, then yes, it's good enough for the average consumer and sportsman.

Produced in: Ashland, Penn.
Known for: Shirts

Gitman Bros. started out in the 1930s, when a shirt contractor from Brooklyn got fed up with the city life (and union) and took his business out to Ashland, Pennsylvania. Several generations later, the Gitman factory is still going strong and creating some of the finest American-made shirts today. Like New England Shirts Co., Gitman also produces private label shirts for many companies out there who are looking for quality and durability that you can only find in a few pockets left in America.

Produced in: New York, N.Y.
Known for: Modern twists on classic American outerwear

The original Woolrich produced fabrics and outerwear for the hunters and of the eastern U.S. in the early 19th century. Woolrich Woolen Mills is the ongoing project that is born from the Woolrich tradition but is designed for dudes looking to fuse ruggedness with style. The label can boast of alums Daiki Suzuki and Mark McNairy, and continues to produce clothing that's on an advanced quality level singular to a bygone era, while looking dope enough to rock in almost any setting today.

Produced in: Middleborough, Mass.
Known for: The "Indy" boot

When Alden first set down its roots in the 19th century, New England was a shoe-making powerhouse. Now, Alden's one of the last standing simply because it hasn't stopped creating footwear that tops almost everything else out there. Plus, their famous "Indy" boot helped one of America's most awesome heroes kick Nazi ass.

Produced in: New York, N.Y.
Known for: Cropped suiting

If you're going to re-define the way men think of suits, you better keep production local to make sure everything runs smoothly. Your brand doesn't get counted among the greatest menswear labels of all time unless production and manufacturing is 100% on point, which is why Thom Browne keeps most of his creation process in the city he calls home.

Produced in: Union, N.J.
Known for: The "Perfecto" leather motorcycle jacket

The origins of Schott NYC are a perfect embodiment of the American Dream. Two brothers, the sons of a Russian immigrant, started making raincoats in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and selling them door-to-door. In 1928, Irving Schott designed the first motorcycle jacket, and the brand hasn't looked back since. Schott went on to produce bomber jackets for WWII pilots and the navy, and then started catering to America's new rock 'n roll generation. Ever since then, Schott and the American rebel image have gone hand-in-hand, and the gear is still manufactured in the tri-state area, about 20 minutes from where it all started a century ago.

Produced in: Los Angeles, Calif.
Know for: Laid-back prep and celebrity polaroid lookbooks

Designer Scott Sternberg had no formal fashoin training, but he credits the hustle he learned as a Hollywood agent as the key to getting Band of Outsiders off the ground back in 2004. The modern prep brand found an immediate audience with guys looking for clothes that fit great and were of the utmost quality without taking themselves too seriously. And while producing in the city he lives in allows Sternberg to stay on top of production and quality control, he also prefers that it insulates him from the intensity and ferocity of NYC. Win-win for a guy that just wants to make clothes and live his life without any unnecessary bullshit.

Produced in: New York, N.Y.
Known for: American-built quality with a Japanese cool-guy look

Engineered Garments sets the standard in aesthetic alone. Every season, the Daiki Suzuki-led brand steamrolls the competition and creates pieces that dudes would probably kill for, if it came to that. The gear is so stylish that the quality is often overlooked, which is a damn shame. The Engineered Garments HQ is literally an elevator ride from where the clothing is produced, and utilizes the knowledge and skill that NYC has harbored and fostered since the heydey of garment production. It hasn't been that long, but since 1999 it's become pretty clear that EG is the boss at producing clothing that's unceasing in both its timeless look and indestructible quality.