Locally Grown - Affordable Apparel Made in America

Fred Scott, founder of apparel brand Locally Grown Clothing Company, produces everything from t-shirts, to hats, to tote bags on American soil.  And here’s the kicker – they’re affordable, too. 

Locally Grown provides affordable clothing options like t-shirts  and tote bags
Image, courtesy of Fred Scott.

On my journey to buy American made goods, it has been exceedingly difficult to find affordable apparel made in the U.S.  The American-made clothing movement is largely based on luxury or boutique items that I’d only buy for special occasions. 

Fred Scott, founder of Locally
Grown Clothing Company
Image, courtesy of Fred Scott.

It was a relief to speak with Fred Scott of Locally Grown.  The Iowa-based clothing producer offers products like t-shirts at $32, sweatshirts at $38 and hats at $30.  The clothing is casual and subdued, not flashy or intricate like the pieces offered at New York City boutiques; they’re practical products that allow me to integrate American clothing into my everyday life. 

More importantly, Scott has developed relationships with producers around the country, and he knows the life cycle of his products from start to finish.  T-shirts, for example, begin at a factory in Los Angeles and are then shipped to Portland, Oregon.  The factory in Portland then sends the t-shirts to Des Moines, Iowa.  Finally, Locally Grown distributes the products to retailers around the country.  While Locally Grown doesn’t have a storefront, the company supplies to 250 retailers in 28 states.

This woven men's shirt was made in Pennsylvania
Image, courtesy of Fred Scott

Scott, who completed his MBA at the University of Denver, got the idea for the 3-year-old Locally Grown after realizing the importance of the local food movement.  “I’m originally from Iowa, and I saw the demise of small town rural America,” said the 41 year-old.  “I was introduced to a new consumer who will pay a premium for products made in the USA.

After making t-shirts for the University of Iowa football team and selling his products at menswear pop-up markets, Scott segued into opening his own business.  He says that making American goods was natural for him; he never considered taking production elsewhere.  While the local and American movements are intertwined, he says that it’s difficult to buy clothing made locally.  As such, consumers should focus on just buying made in the USA, not “Made in Chicago,” or “Made in New York.”  “It’s affordable to buy food locally,” said Scott.  “But right now, because the U.S. is dominated by overseas manufacturing, ‘Buy USA’ is about as local as you’re going to get.”

This cotton t-short was made in Los Angeles
and Portland
Image, courtesy of Fred Scott

I’ve noticed a major focus on food in the American-made movement, but clothing is often overlooked.  Finding someone like Scott who makes clothing in the U.S. that I actually want to buy is a big win for my quest to buy American goods.