• Company Name: Gildan Activewear Inc.
• Founded: 1984
• Headquarters: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Industry: Apparel Manufacturing
• Products: T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, polo shirts, tank tops, socks, underwear, activewear, and blank garments
• Markets: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and other international regions
• Employees: Approximately 75,000 worldwide
• Stock Listings: Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)2

Gildan traces its roots to Harley Inc., a children’s clothing company founded in Montreal in 1946 by Joseph Chamandy. In 1984, the company acquired a knitting mill and established Gildan Textiles Inc., marking the birth of the Gildan brand. The name “Gildan” was created by combining the names of two company sales representatives.

Initially focused on manufacturing fabrics, Gildan soon expanded into producing blank T-shirts for screen printing and promotional use. During the 1990s and 2000s, the company invested heavily in vertically integrated manufacturing facilities across Central America and the Caribbean, allowing it to control nearly every stage of production—from yarn spinning to knitting, dyeing, cutting, sewing, and distribution.

The company became publicly traded in 1998, enabling rapid international expansion. Over the following decades, Gildan entered Europe, Asia, and additional global markets while expanding its product portfolio through acquisitions.3

Gildan operates a vertically integrated manufacturing system, meaning it controls most stages of garment production rather than outsourcing them. This includes:

• Yarn spinning
• Fabric knitting
• Dyeing and finishing
• Cutting
• Sewing
• Distribution

This approach helps the company maintain quality control, reduce manufacturing costs, improve efficiency, and respond quickly to customer demand.4

Gildan manufactures a wide variety of apparel, including:

• Basic T-shirts
• Heavyweight and lightweight cotton shirts
• Hoodies
• Sweatshirts
• Crewnecks
• Long-sleeve shirts
• Tank tops
• Polo shirts
• Performance activewear
• Underwear
• Socks
• Fleece garments
• Children’s apparel

Many products are sold as blank garments designed for customization through screen printing, embroidery, direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, heat transfer, and other decoration methods.5

Popular Product Lines

Some of Gildan’s most recognized collections include:

• Ultra Cotton
• Heavy Cotton
• Softstyle
• Hammer
• DryBlend
• Performance
• DryBlend Fleece
• Premium Cotton

These product lines differ in fabric weight, softness, durability, fit, and intended use.6

Gildan manufactures products primarily in:

• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Dominican Republic
• Bangladesh
• United States

The company also operates yarn-spinning, textile, sewing, and distribution facilities across multiple countries. Its vertically integrated model reduces dependence on third-party manufacturers.7

Gildan has invested significantly in sustainability and environmental initiatives. The company’s programmes include:

• Water conservation
• Wastewater treatment systems
• Renewable energy projects
• Biomass energy facilities
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
• Sustainable sourcing of raw materials
• Ethical labour compliance programmes

Gildan also publishes annual Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reports outlining progress towards long-term sustainability goals.8

In addition to its flagship Gildan brand, the company owns or markets several well-known apparel brands, including:

• Gildan
• Comfort Colors
• American Apparel
• GOLDTOE
• Peds
• ALLPRO

According to the company, its portfolio also includes Hanes, Bali, Playtex, Maidenform, Bonds, and Champion (under a licensing arrangement for certain printwear markets) following recent business expansion.9

Gildan serves multiple industries, including:

• Screen printing businesses
• Promotional products companies
• Corporate apparel suppliers
• Sportswear distributors
• Fashion brands
• Online print-on-demand businesses
• Schools and universities
• Retail chains
• Wholesale distributors

Its blank garments are widely used for custom merchandise, event apparel, branded uniforms, and personalised clothing.10

Gildan is recognised for:

• Affordable pricing
• Reliable manufacturing quality
• Wide range of colours and sizes
• Consistent availability
• Durable fabrics suitable for printing
• Large-scale global production

Because of these qualities, Gildan has become one of the most commonly used blank apparel brands in the custom printing and promotional products industries.11

• 1984: Gildan founded as Gildan Textiles Inc.
• 1997: Opened its first offshore sewing plant in Honduras.
• 1998: Became a publicly traded company.
• 2001: Became the leading 100% cotton T-shirt brand in the U.S. printwear market.
• 2006: Expanded into retail apparel through hosiery acquisitions.
• 2012: Acquired Anvil Knitwear.
• 2015: Acquired Comfort Colors.
• 2017: Acquired the American Apparel brand.
• 2024: Celebrated its 40th anniversary.
• 2025: Announced the acquisition of HanesBrands, significantly expanding its global portfolio.12

Over four decades, Gildan has evolved from a small Canadian textile company into one of the world’s largest manufacturers of basic apparel. Its emphasis on vertical integration, large-scale production, and dependable blank garments has made it a leading supplier for the global custom-printing, promotional, and retail industries.13

1. Apparel Manufacturing Company | Gildan
2. FAQ | Gildan
3. How We Became a Leading Apparel Company | Gildan
4. 40th anniversary | Gildan
5. Canada’s Gildan Activewear is buying HanesBrands for $2.2 billion
6. sec.gov
7. sec.gov
8. sec.gov
9. sec.gov
10. Gildan official premium cotton usa gildan gildantshirt เสื้อยืดกิลเดน เสื้อยืดนำเข้า เสื้ออเมริกา เสื้อเนื้อดี เสื้อยืดคัดตอน100 cotton100%
11. มีประสบการณ์ 35ปี เราได้ร่วมกันสร้างบริษัทที่เราทุกคนภาคภูมิใจ เป็นที่รู้จักในด้านคุณภาพของผลิตภัณฑ์ของเราเช่นเดียวกับวิธีการผลิต
12. เรื่องราวของ เสื้อ Gildan เสื้อยืดนำเข้าจาก USA ไทม์ไลน์บริษัทในยุค 90
13. About us ● Gildan