In a world of fast fashion and global supply chains, one small sock company is championing American manufacturing in a way that's both nostalgic and refreshingly modern. The American Trench Retro Stripe sock immediately evokes a classic American aesthetic—the kind of calf-hugging cotton sport sock that became a cultural staple when basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made them cool in the 1970s. But these socks represent something far more significant than mere retro style.
Beyond the Label
What distinguishes an American Trench sock from the typical multipack varieties you might grab on Prime Day goes far beyond its jazzy color palette. The fundamental difference lies in four powerful words that can legally grace its label: "Made in USA."
"Earning the right to put that label on a piece of clothing isn't just a matter of choosing to make it in a factory in Maine or New Jersey instead of China or Honduras," explains Jacob Hurwitz, founder of the Philadelphia-based American Trench. In today's politically charged trade environment, with Trump-era tariffs, a Federal Trade Commission influenced by MAGA Republicans, and growing consumer demand for American-made products, this distinction has never been more meaningful or complex.
The Standard Behind the Stamp
According to the FTC, the agency responsible for consumer protection, a product may be advertised as "Made in USA" only if "all or virtually all" of the labor and materials in the product are domestic. While what constitutes "virtually all" varies by state (in California, for example, it's up to 10 percent of the final wholesale value), the requirement essentially means that every stage of production must happen on American soil using American materials.
Hurwitz traces the journey of his Retro Stripe socks with pride: "The cotton is grown in North and South Carolina, it gets ginned locally, and then it gets sent to a yarn spinner. Then the yarn is sent to the sock factory that knits the socks and dyes them. The entire product from start to finish is made in the USA."
The Hollowed-Out Supply Chain
While the United States maintains a relatively solid infrastructure for turning domestically grown cotton into socks, the same cannot be said for many other wardrobe items. Sixty years ago, most clothing purchased by Americans was made in America. Today, thanks to free trade deals, globalization, and apparel brands' relentless pursuit of lower labor costs, the majority is imported.
This shift has created a fashion landscape where Americans buy more clothing than ever before, pay less for it, and discard it at alarming rates. It has also decimated the once-thriving American textile industry. "The real issue for brands that want to create an entirely made in USA product, from yarn to end-state manufacturing, is that the supply chain has been hollowed out," Hurwitz explains. "There are just many things that you can't get here."
For small companies like American Trench, the challenges multiply. Many remaining American suppliers are scaled to serve much larger buyers, making it difficult for independent brands to source materials in the quantities they need.
Navigating the Legal Landscape
For most consumers, whether a piece of clothing was cut and sewn in America matters more than whether the fabric was also made domestically (with the possible exception of selvedge denim enthusiasts). For brands seeking to tout their American-made credentials, however, the distinction is crucial—and increasingly scrutinized.
Last year, the FTC issued $140,000 in refunds to customers of several New England-based brands that had falsely claimed their products were made in America. More recently, the commission sent warning letters to Amazon and Walmart regarding third-party sellers making false "Made in America" claims on their marketplaces.
Companies using imported materials in American-made products can stay within the law by qualifying their claims—disclosing that a suit is "Made in USA from Imported Materials," for instance. But as Shawn Collins, a California lawyer specializing in consumer litigation, notes, this approach lacks marketing appeal: "Made in USA From Imported Materials doesn't have quite the same ring to it."
The Political Dimension
Enforcement of "Made in USA" standards has become surprisingly political. "Most people completely ignore the law because, depending on which administration is in office, it may not be a priority. It's a very political statute," Collins explains. "Now we have a president who's using the office of the presidency to effectively encourage—and sometimes bully—Americans into buying American-made products. The FTC has been given a mandate to push its America-first agenda, and they're going to use this statute that's been there for a long time but hasn't really been utilized very much."
This heightened enforcement means brands must be vigilant not just on physical labels but across their digital presence. "People tend to focus on the label because that's typically where you see the Made in USA claim, but most people do their shopping online," Collins notes. "If your digital ads are not disclosing a truthful and accurate Made in USA label, you're technically in violation of the law."
The Path Forward
For American Trench and similar small brands committed to domestic manufacturing, navigating the FTC's complex labeling regulations is just one of many hurdles. The fractured supply chains and slimmer margins inherent in making clothes domestically present ongoing challenges.
Yet these companies persist, driven by a belief in the value of American craftsmanship and transparent production. In an era of disposable fashion and opaque global supply chains, they offer something increasingly rare: clothing with a story you can trace from field to foot, and a label that means exactly what it says.
As consumers become more conscious about where their products come from, the "Made in USA" label represents more than just a country of origin—it's a promise of quality, transparency, and support for American workers and industry. For American Trench, that promise is woven into every stitch of their distinctly American socks.