More on American Apparel

In the previous post, I mention American Apparel, which sells clothing with no logos. A little digging finds a more detailed 2005 article on the company from Inc.com:

"So what is this American Apparel? A company of basics built upon a foundation of simple, plain-colored T-shirts. Tees were the first items Charney produced when he set up shop in 1997 and still account for the lion's share of the business--but the line is spreading like a rash. Today American Apparel makes socks, underwear, sweatshirts, jackets, dresses, tank tops, polo shirts, baby clothes, dog clothes, and, as of this summer, swimwear. The clothes have no logos, no ornamentation, not a single flourish or bauble; differentiation comes from an array of colors that now includes fluorescents and from slim and sexy cuts that attract young buyers and allow the simple cotton garments to serve as something larger--core elements of a fashionable wardrobe."

The Best Brand? No Brand.

Such is the title of a brief story in the June 30, 2008 issue of Newsweek. It reviews Rob Walker's new book Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are (Random House, 2008). The article mentions two particularly interesting companies and logos (of lack thereof). Back in 2003, Dunkin' Donuts paid people to wear temporary tattoos on their foreheads. On the other hand, American Apparel sells clothing with no logos. I'm with them, and will have to look into their offerings.