This Gildan-owned T-shirt brand is popping up everywhere

When looking at Wyatt Cannon’s t-shirt collection, a common theme emerges: the Comfort Colors label.

Growing up, Cannon would often find Comfort Colors clothing while searching for souvenirs during family trips. While in college, Cannon convinced the a cappella group to screen print the company’s blank shirts. When the 24-year-old actor makes tie-dye t-shirts for himself, he does so with the Comfort Colors product.

“I’ve loved this brand my whole life,” said Cannon, who estimates about half of his shirts are Comfort Colors. “This type of material, texture and feel of the T-shirt should be more standard.”

Cannon is part of a loyal and growing consumer base that is driving demand for half-century-old products. gildanThe shirt brand he owns. The label’s ballooning success in recent years may help explain Gildan’s out-of-stock performance and has led to plans to expand into additional product categories.

Gildan has been tight-lipped about specific brand performance and declined to share sales data for Comfort Colors with CNBC. However, company executives said that Comfort Colors has risen especially in the last year and has become a leading brand within Gildan and American Apparel, which also sells clothing products under its own brand.

“Comfort Colors is probably the fastest-growing fashion brand,” Gildan co-founder and CEO Glenn Chamandy said on a call with analysts earlier this year. “When you walk into a gift store today, you’ll see Comfort Colors on every table where you’ve seen fashion brands before.”

Gildan acquired Comfort Colors in 2015 for approximately $100 million in hopes of expanding into the core category of the North American printed apparel market. Press release announces the agreement. At the time, Gildan called the Vermont-based clothing maker “one of the most recognized brands” in places like college bookstores and resorts.

The brand advertises its shirts as 100% cotton from the U.S. Gildan says its “purely pigmented” dyeing system creates the “signature faded look” of the shirts and requires less energy and water use than other similar processes.

Comfort Colors’ popularity is exploding with nearly 40% year-over-year growth in 2024, company executives said in earnings forecasts. This helped sales in Gildan’s broader activewear category rise 6% in the same period.

Comfort Colors was “a game changer again this year,” Chamandy told analysts in late July, helping the activewear category grow 12% in 2019. second quarter. Gildan’s marketing and product chief, Howard Upchurch, told CNBC that the brand plans to produce hats, bags and women’s clothing in 2026, which is its 50th anniversary.

Gildan, which announced earlier this year that it would acquire Hanesbrands as it builds its basic apparel business, is expected to report earnings later this month.

The US-listed shares of Gildan, a Canadian-based company, have increased by more than 175 percent in the last five years. That’s nearly twice as many as commonly followed S&P 500He made a comeback in the same period.

Although Gildan promoted Comfort Colors as a success story within its larger empire, consumers didn’t quite make that connection.

Cannon said he saw Comfort Colors as “crunchy” and “granola” while Gildan felt like “the pinnacle of consumer capitalism.” The Connecticut-based marketing manager said Comfort Colors’ unique woven fabric label is a quality that makes the brand feel more “homey.”

Open Etsyprinters sell Comfort Colors shirts with various designs Some even let shoppers upload their own. The brand also received support from TikTok, where creators come together. to share videos Comfort Colors products that viewers can purchase through the platform’s shopping feature.

In the US, Comfort Colors’ relative search volume hit an all-time high on Google this year, underscoring the brand’s growing awareness among consumers. On the other hand, Gildan’s search popularity started to decline after reaching its peak in 2023.

Comfort Colors has built a “very loyal” base, especially among Generation Z, according to Sheng Lu, an associate professor at the University of Delaware whose research focuses on the apparel industry.

Lu said these younger shoppers value comfort and vintage flair, both of which go well with Comfort Colors products. Comfort Colors’ emphasis on sustainability may also point to a customer base that is conscious of its environmental footprint.

“This brand is definitely in a very good place,” Lu said.

The rise of Comfort Colors is particularly interesting given that the brand, unlike other t-shirt manufacturers, focuses more on mass selling rather than selling directly to consumers. NikeLu said. He explained that the shirts look more unique because Comfort Colors sells products primarily through middlemen who can screen print on them, another desirable quality for Gen Z customers.

Behind the scenes, Lu said Gildan likely tapped into Comfort Colors’ resources in the Western Hemisphere. He said countries in this region are affected by President Donald Trump’s tariffs, but the taxes are generally lower than those imposed on Asia.

Because shoppers tend to view T-shirts as an essential product, these products can show stability even when consumer sentiment dips, Lu said.

In addition, throughout the country, Comfort Colors shirts are used in the clothing of social groups and are featured on product stands at events. Musical acts including Maggie Rogers and Mumford & Sons printed tour products In Comfort Colors shirts. Brands ranging from Coors Light with Star Trek sell it like you sell your clothes local bars and dining venues. women’s football team Gotham Football Club There are several official Comfort Colors spirit wear shirts.

When Chelsea Green opened The Yard Milkshake Bar, she already knew about Comfort Colors, having seen the brand on college campuses. He said this is the most popular type of merchandise for The Yard Milkshake Bar, especially among younger shoppers who recognize the brand and sometimes use the shirts as pajamas or beach cover-ups.

“I knew I already had Comfort Colors t-shirts in my closet,” Green said. “I said, ‘That’s what I want.’ I didn’t even research it.”

Of course, Green acknowledged that shirts can be more expensive than some competitors and that he has experienced supply shortages at times during the Covid-19 pandemic. But he said the color options and quality make overcoming those hurdles worthwhile.

Social organizations such as Cannon’s college a cappella group also turned to Comfort Colors. Similarly, fraternity Sigma Chi and sorority Pi Beta Phi each sell dozens of Comfort Colors shirts on their online stores.

brotherhood oriented reddit A user on the forum asked which t-shirt brands people use for screen printing. One attendee said Comfort Colors was “their go-to place.” Use Soothing Colors, “otherwise you run the risk of getting tarred and feathered,” another said.