American Giant has relaunched the hoodie that built the brand, Retail Brew reported on January 28, 2026. The company has sold more than 1 million of the original since 2012.
From 50 a month to 1 million
Founder Bayard Winthrop launched the 100% cotton hoodie in February 2012 for $79 after lining up USA cotton mills and factories. Early sales were as low as 50 a month. Then, in December 2012, a Slate headline called it “the greatest hoodie ever made,” and orders surged.
The brand later added USA-made flannel shirts, jeans and T-shirts, the products Winthrop had first found too hard to source domestically.
The new version
- It retails for $168.
- It is still 100% USA-grown cotton and is made entirely in the USA in what the brand calls a “tariff-free supply chain.”
- It keeps the two-layer hood and reinforced elbows but uses a new knitting, brushing and napping process to make it softer.
“That sweatshirt is almost like a child of mine.”
Bayard Winthrop, founder, American Giant, to Retail Brew
Why it matters for Made in USA
American Giant is one of the few apparel brands that can trace a product from USA cotton fields through USA mills and sewing. That full domestic supply chain is what lets it make an unqualified Made in USA claim and avoid import tariffs. Its decision to update the hoodie shows that USA-made products also have to keep up on comfort and fit.
FAQ
Is the American Giant hoodie made in the USA?
Yes. Retail Brew reports it is made entirely in the USA from USA-grown cotton.
How much does the new hoodie cost?
$168.
What changed in the redesign?
The fabric is softer and more flexible, while keeping the heavyweight cotton, two-layer hood and reinforced elbows.
Source & credit
Originally reported by Retail Brew (Andrew Adam Newman), January 28, 2026: USA-made and declared ‘the greatest hoodie ever,’ it sold a million. So why redesign it?