The textile and apparel industries are fast-growing and provide employment for thousands of people. It is more accurate to tell millions of people all around the world. Companies use manufacturing fabrics in countries that are still developing to reduce the cost of production and labor. This helps those countries, their people, and the economy. Countries with a lower production cost and labor that helps the companies to be more productive are: China, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Pakistan. This list is not complete; there are other countries too, but the ones mentioned are the most used.
Gildan and Bella Canvas are leaders in the textile and apparel industries and use developing countries to manufacture their products. Gildan has fabrics in Honduras, the Caribbean, and Rio Nance, while Bella Canvas is mainly produced in Los Angeles using a hybrid system. This hybrid system utilizes American based workforce but also the help of partners.
Gildan, A Canadian Manufacturer That Supplies Athletic and Casual Clothes
Gildan was founded in 1984 by Glenn and Greg Chamandy in Montreal when they acquired a knitting mill to supply fabric to an already existing family business, Harley Inc.
Gildan became so popular for its 100% cotton blank shirts that could be printed on easily that the family closed Harley Inc and focused on Gildan Activewear.
In 2006 Gildan became a company that lowered the price per shirt below the Chinese manufacturers with its factories in countries such as Haiti and Honduras.
They have 6 types of shirts:
- Soft Style
- Dry Blend
- Ultra-Cotton
- Heavy Cotton
- Hammer
- Performance
All their clothes are preshrunk, so the risk of a shrunken item is low, but you should follow the washing instructions.
They have one of the largest pallets in the industry: 141 colors. Some of their color names are Safety Pink, Plumrose, Heather Heliconia, Garnet, Flo Blue, Antique Jade Dome, and Prairie Dust/Coyote Brown.
Their sizes start with an XS and go up to 5XL, but not for all their clothes since it depends on the model.
Over the years, Gildan has grown so much that they own other brands such as American Apparel, Comfort Color, secret, Silks, Gildan Hammer, Alstyle, and GoldToe.
They use eco-friendly and recycled materials.
Bella Canvas: A Company That Puts the Environment and The Planet First
Bella Canvas is an apparel company from Los Angeles that has made one of its priorities the protection of the Earth and environment when they manufacture their products. The company was founded in 1992 with the premise of giving women the clothes that would suit their shapes since distinctive styles suit a type of body more than another type. They started with the fact that women want clothes that are stylish, feminine, and fashionable. After establishing their women’s line, they began to make a men’s line and a children’s line too. This made them one of the sellers for big retailers.
They are one of the sponsors for the annual race of the Pat Tillman Foundation, which is a foundation for military service members, veterans, and their spouses, giving them scholarships, development opportunities, and mentors.
They are active on Facebook and Twitter; they even have a blog named “Beyond the Blank” where they post information such as fashion tips and printing techniques.
They have techniques that reduce the use of water, about 25 million gallons (about 94635250 L) per week, and a filtration system that recycles the water to use it again. They also recycle everything that cannot be turned into a shirt, and whatever cannot be recycled is used to make stuffing or baby bibs. An example of an item made of material that cannot be recycled is dog beds.
The Battle of The Apparel Industry: Gildan versus Bella Canvas: Which One Should You Choose?
Gildan is a company from Canada with 143 assorted colors and 119 styles; their palette is quite large, so the combinations and the styles you can create are numerous. Besides, you can personalize it with a logo or photo of your liking. You can say that they offer the largest color and style palette in the industry. Besides the types of fabric already mentioned, heavy cotton, ultra cotton, dry blend, and soft-spun, there are two more: Hammer and Performance. The Gildan products are manufactured for printing and decorating, so they include styles that are unisex, for women, for youth, and even for toddlers, so is an all-inclusive company.
While Gildan is from Canada, Bella Canvas is from Los Angeles, Unites States.
Bella Canvas uses the most recent sewing construction techniques and soft yarns for a comfortable and favorable fit. They have 30 colors for their hoodies, sweatshirts, and t-shirts. After looking at this information, it is obvious that Gildan has a wider range, but at the end of the day, you choose what is more comfortable for you.
The Gildan 5000 Heavy Cotton T-Shirt has 5.3 oz (about 150.25 g) 100% preshrunk cotton and is easy to print. It comes in sizes from S to 3XL, the number of colors available is 70, and the price is around 4 dollars.
The Bella Canvas 3001 is made with 4.2 oz (about 119.07 g). 100% airlume combed and ring-spun cotton; it is soft and a little stretchy. It is good for printing, comes in sizes from XS to 4XL, the number of colors they have is 65, and the price is around 5 dollars.
Looking at the information of the two presented models, you can see that Bella Canvas has a wider range of sizes while Gildan has a larger range of colors. If we are talking about fabric, Bella Canvas is better since it has a tighter knit, which is better for printing.
After considering your budget and needs, you will choose the one that you think will be more comfortable and suitable for you.