Philadelphia still has clothing manufacturers, but very few, and the two contract shops most useful to a new brand are about 60 miles north in Allentown. Philadelphia County had 27 private apparel manufacturing sites and 329 jobs in 2025. In 2014 it had 38 sites and 562 jobs, so employment fell by about 41% in eleven years (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW). That works out at about 12 people per site, which describes small shops and studios far more often than production floors.
So this is not a list of ten Philadelphia factories. It is a short list of seven makers in and around the city, each checked on its own website, plus the training and sampling resources that help a local brand. You will also see why the search results for this term mislead, which well-known names no longer belong on a list, and where a US-made run can go when the city cannot carry it.
Heads up: We're OneAim, a group of documented United States clothing factories. The companies below are independent businesses listed from their own websites, not members of our group. OneAim's role is separate: we place your production with a documented factory in our group built for your product.
Key Takeaways
- The local base is small. Philadelphia County apparel manufacturing fell from 562 jobs in 2014 to 329 in 2025, and from 38 sites to 27 (BLS QCEW).
- We list seven makers, and only two are general contract shops. Monalisa Fashions and Sarah Lynn Sportswear, both in Allentown, say they cut and sew for other brands. The five others are specialists or make their own product.
- Inside the city, expect specialists. Team apparel, protective gear, hats and samples. Boathouse Sports publishes team minimums of 6 or 12 pieces.
- One often-cited name appears to have closed. Grant BLVD's own website now carries a founder's letter that describes its Philadelphia production in the past tense.
- The nearest large base is New York County, with 3,912 jobs, about 12 times Philadelphia County's total. New Jersey adds 3,001 across the state.
Try it free: Estimate what your garment costs to make in the USA in about 60 seconds with our garment cost calculator. No signup.
Does Philadelphia still have clothing factories?
Yes, but far fewer than search results imply. The county reported 27 private apparel manufacturing sites and 329 jobs in 2025, with average annual pay of $46,033 (BLS QCEW). For scale, Pennsylvania reported 147 sites and 3,186 jobs, and the whole United States reported 6,194 sites and 78,794 jobs. Philadelphia County holds about 10% of Pennsylvania's apparel manufacturing jobs and about 0.4% of the national total.
A note on reading that data. QCEW classifies each workplace by its main activity, and a site can be a one-room studio as easily as a plant. The count tells you the scale of the local base. It does not tell you which of those 27 sites would take your order, which is why the rest of this guide relies on what companies publish themselves.
How far has Philadelphia's apparel base fallen?
By about 41% since 2014, with one sharp break. Jobs went from 562 in 2014 to 449 in 2019, dropped to 362 in 2020, recovered slightly to 380 in 2022, and reached 329 in 2025. Sites moved from 38 to 27, with a brief rise to 35 in 2021 and 2022 before falling again.
Philadelphia is not an outlier here. US apparel manufacturing went from 139,457 jobs in 2014 to 78,794 in 2025, a fall of about 44%, so the city has tracked the national decline closely. Average pay moved the other way, from $28,899 in 2014 to $46,033 in 2025. BLS does not explain why, and a small base moves easily when a single employer opens or closes, so we would not read too much into it. The county's pay remains below the state average of $52,956 and the national average of $59,722.
The longer history explains why the name still attracts searches. Philadelphia had over sixty thousand textile workers at nearly one thousand firms by 1882, and by 1909 the value of its textile output exceeded that of any city in the world, according to the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. Most of those factories closed or moved out in the later twentieth century. The reputation lasted longer than the sewing floors did.
Citation capsule: Philadelphia County had 27 apparel manufacturing establishments and 329 apparel manufacturing jobs in 2025, down from 38 establishments and 562 jobs in 2014, a decline in employment of about 41% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, NAICS 315). At about 12 workers per establishment, the typical site is a small shop rather than a production plant.
Why is the search result for this term so misleading?
Because the phrase brings in enquiries, and a list costs very little to publish. We read two of the pages that come up for it. One "top 10" list for Philadelphia sits on the website of a garment factory in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A "best 7" list comes from a sourcing company that shows a Chinese phone number at the top of the page, and its own table runs well past seven names.
The names on such lists do not always hold up either. Both pages list a Custom Sewn Products. The only live company website we could find under that name, Custom Sewn Products, is a contract sewing business that gives its address as Amsterdam, New York. There may be another business with that name in Philadelphia, but we could not find a website for one.
So here is the rule we used, and you can use it too. A place on a list is not evidence that a factory exists. A live company website with a street address and a plain statement of what the company makes is a starting point. Local press helps. A visit to the floor settles it.
How did we choose these manufacturers?
We required a live company website that says, in the company's own words, what it makes and where. We read those sites on 6 November 2026. Directory listings and search snippets did not count on their own, because a listing is not proof that a sewing floor exists. Several names that appear on Philadelphia lists were left out for that reason: their websites did not load, or the site gave no address we could tie to the region.
None of this is an audit. Every capacity claim, date and customer statement below is the company's own unless we say otherwise, so treat each profile as a starting point and confirm capacity directly before you commit.
Who actually makes clothing in and around Philadelphia?
Seven businesses, and they are not alike. Two Allentown shops are the only general contract manufacturers here. Three companies make specialist product inside Philadelphia, one is a small sampling and couture atelier in the city, and one is a knit mill that makes only its owner's product. Read each caveat before you get in touch.
Monalisa Fashions (Allentown, PA)
Monalisa Fashions is the clearest answer for a brand that needs a cut-and-sew shop within driving distance of Philadelphia. The family-owned company says it was founded as a sewing subcontractor in 1984, and that it now offers development, marker printing, cutting, sewing, finishing, shipping and warehousing under one roof at 650 E Green Street. It works with both knits and wovens, on products from T-shirts, tank tops and dresses to activewear, layette and medical garments.
Its FAQ is unusually specific. It says services run from one-off samples to more than 10,000 units per style, with no fixed minimum stated, and that sample orders take 1 to 2 weeks and production orders 4 to 6 weeks once all materials are in. Clients generally supply their own fabric. Monalisa calls itself primarily a CMT (cut, make and trim) contractor and says full-package production is rare, so plan on bringing your fabric and trims, and ask early about patterns: it says some pattern work is done in-house and some goes to outside pattern makers it recommends.
Sarah Lynn Sportswear (Allentown, PA)
Sarah Lynn Sportswear describes itself as a full-service contractor of ladies', men's and children's apparel since 1980, at 715 N. Fourth Street. Its services include contract sewing, garment design, pattern making, grading, marker making, packaging and shipping, along with repairs and alterations on garments made elsewhere. It lists tops, bottoms and dresses, and names fabrics from stretch and fleece to velvet and linen, along with a long equipment list.
The site publishes no minimum or lead time. Some of it looks dated: one retailer it lists as approving it, Mervyn's, stopped trading years ago. Phone the plant and ask about current capacity before you plan around it.
Boathouse Sports (Philadelphia, PA)
Boathouse Sports is the clearest example of custom apparel still sewn in the city. Its FAQ says all of its custom products are handmade at its factory in Philadelphia, and its customization page describes them as cut, sewn and crafted in the USA. The range covers team uniforms, jackets, running apparel and rowing unisuits.
Its help pages set team orders at 6 pieces for outerwear and unisuits and 12 for other items. Its FAQ gives a lead time of 6 to 8 weeks from order to shipment, though another page mentions 4 weeks, so ask which applies to your order. Boathouse sells custom gear under its own name. We did not find an offer to make private label product for other clothing brands, so ask before you assume that it would.
Ricochet Manufacturing (Philadelphia, PA)
Ricochet makes protective clothing rather than fashion. Its website places it at 4700 Wissahickon Avenue and cites more than 25 years of producing gear for the military, industrial chemical workers and emergency first responders. It describes an ISO 9001:2015 certified US facility and calls itself the sole turnout gear provider for the US Air Force. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on that Air Force work in 2023.
Ricochet sells its own product line through dealers, and we saw no contract offer for outside apparel brands. It is on this list because it shows what has survived in the city: technical work with strict specifications, where a nearby factory has a clear role. If you make workwear or technical gear, the company may be worth a call. If you make T-shirts, it will not be.
American Hats (Philadelphia, PA)
American Hats runs a hat factory of over 17,000 square feet at 2251 Fraley Street, which it says is one of the last remaining hat factories in the USA. Its site traces the business back to S&S Hat Company, dating from 1923, and describes sewing, blocking and trimming done with specialized machinery and vintage hat blocks.
The site says it sells to large wholesalers, small businesses and retail customers, lists a phone line for wholesale and bulk orders, and sells untrimmed hats for designers to finish. It publishes no minimum. It offers a practical way in for a small label, as long as your product is a dressy hat. For caps and other headwear, see our hat and cap manufacturers guide.
Buck Mason Knitting Mills (Mohnton, PA)
Buck Mason, a California clothing brand, bought a closing T-shirt factory in Mohnton, Berks County, and brought its team back to work. The company says the knitting mill and sewing factory is a small-batch operation with 20 garment workers averaging 18 years of experience, and that its Made in USA tees are sewn there. Its site dates the mill to 1867, and the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance calls it 116 years old, so treat the exact age with care.
The mill makes Buck Mason's own product, and the site offers no outside production. Treat it as evidence that a Pennsylvania knit mill can be restarted, not as a supplier.
Philadelphia Sewing Company (Roxborough, Philadelphia, PA)
Philadelphia Sewing Company describes itself as an atelier specializing in custom couture, bridal alterations, timeless designs and sample making, at 6106 Ridge Avenue. It welcomes consultations. Its copyright line still reads 2020, although the site also mentions a collection coming in 2026, so check its current availability by phone or email.
This is a possible first stop when you need a real sample from a sketch. It does not claim to run production, and it publishes no prices or minimums.
| Company | Location | What it makes | Work for other brands? | Published minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monalisa Fashions | Allentown, PA | Knits and wovens: tees, dresses, activewear, medical | Yes, primarily CMT | None stated; one-offs to 10,000+ per style |
| Sarah Lynn Sportswear | Allentown, PA | Tops, bottoms, dresses, repairs | Yes, contract sewing | None found |
| Boathouse Sports | Philadelphia, PA | Custom team apparel and outerwear | Custom team orders; private label not stated | 6 or 12 pieces, team orders |
| Ricochet Manufacturing | Philadelphia, PA | Firefighter and first-responder protective gear | Not offered on its site | None found |
| American Hats | Philadelphia, PA | Dress hats, untrimmed hats for designers | Wholesale and bulk orders | None found |
| Buck Mason Knitting Mills | Mohnton, PA | Knit T-shirts and basics | No, own brand | Not applicable |
| Philadelphia Sewing Company | Philadelphia, PA | Samples, couture, bridal alterations | Sample making; no production stated | None found |
Source: company websites, read 6 November 2026. All details are self-reported. Confirm terms and capacity directly.
Which well-known names should you leave off your list?
Two names come up often in older articles about Philadelphia and Pennsylvania manufacturing. Neither is a current option, and the reasons are on their own websites.
Grant BLVD. This West Philadelphia womenswear brand was a real local manufacturer, and older press rightly praised it. Its website now shows only a letter from its founder. The letter says that the company was founded in 2017, describes eight years of design, grading and production exclusively in Philadelphia in the past tense, and ends by saying that a new chapter is beginning. We read that as the end of production, although the site does not use the word closed.
Bills Khakis. The Reading-area khaki maker is often cited as proof of Pennsylvania manufacturing. Its contact page now lists an address in Beacon Falls, Connecticut, and local station WFMZ reported that the brand was sold to an investment firm in 2015. California Apparel News later reported its full acquisition by Connecticut-based NEJ. We could not confirm that it still makes anything in Pennsylvania.
Local designers have run into this problem for years. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in 2014 that few local facilities would take small orders and that skilled sewers, cutters and patternmakers were scarce. The article described designers sewing their own orders or going to Manhattan's Garment District, and a Kensington sewing facility that had just closed. That reporting is over a decade old, but the federal numbers since then give no sign that the shortage has eased.
Where in Pennsylvania is the real apparel production?
North and west of the city, at least by the federal count. Northampton County, in the Lehigh Valley, reported 551 apparel manufacturing jobs in 2025. Montgomery County reported 523. Together they hold about a third of the state's total, and each employs more people in this industry than Philadelphia County does.
Three cautions before you plan a road trip. First, the data tells you where jobs are, not who those employers are or whether they accept outside brands. The two contract shops above are in Allentown, in Lehigh County, which reports only 117 jobs. We could not confirm a general contract factory in Northampton or Montgomery County from a company website, so we have not named one. Second, averages can mislead: Montgomery County's average apparel pay of $74,769 is far above the state figure, which may reflect the kind of jobs at a few employers rather than sewing wages. Third, Berks County, home of the Buck Mason mill, has its job count suppressed entirely because so few employers report there.
Still, the map changes how a Philadelphia brand should search. Limit yourself to the city and you are choosing from 27 sites. Widen the search to the region and to the neighboring states, and the numbers look quite different.
What does exist in Philadelphia that is genuinely useful?
Plenty, as long as you stop asking for a factory. The city is stronger at the work before a production run than at the run itself, and that early work is what a young brand needs most. These resources will not sew your order, but they can get you to a sample and a spec that a factory can quote.
- Made Institute. A Philadelphia fashion school operating since 2012, with locations in Rittenhouse and West Philadelphia. It offers sewing and patternmaking courses, a fashion certificate program, a fashion business accelerator and studio memberships.
- Cut and Sew PHL. A modern quilt shop and sewing studio in Mt. Airy with sewing classes and studio and equipment rentals. It is useful for learning construction and making a rough prototype. It is not a manufacturer.
- Philadelphia Fashion Incubator. A year-long designer residency running from July through June, with workshops that include sourcing and production. Applicants must already have a business that is between 6 months and 5 years old. The site lists a deadline of 20 May 2027 for a 1 July 2027 start.
- Thomas Jefferson University and Drexel University. Both run fashion design degree programs in the city, which makes them worth knowing when you need to hire design or technical help.
- Fabric Row. The historic stretch of fabric and notions shops on South 4th Street, described in this Seamwork guide. It is handy for sampling fabric, though production yardage usually comes from a mill or a converter.
Printing and embroidery on blank garments are a separate trade from cut and sew. If your product is a blank tee with your graphic on it, you may not need a sewing factory at all. Our guide to making clothes to sell covers that choice.
How can you check a Philadelphia factory yourself?
Run this check on any name you find, including the ones on this page. It takes less than an hour, and it will remove most of the weak leads before you send a tech pack.
- Find the street address on the company's own site. Then look it up on a map. A factory needs a building, and a name with no address deserves extra questions.
- Check the state record. The Pennsylvania Department of State business search shows whether an entity is registered. Registration proves that a business exists, not that it sews.
- Read how it describes its work. A company that says it takes contract work or makes for other brands is different from one that sells its own line and says nothing about outside orders.
- Ask which fabrics and machines it runs. Knit and woven production need different setups. A jersey shop and a tailored jacket shop are rarely interchangeable.
- Ask for its minimum, its sampling cost and its current lead time. Get them in writing, by style and by color.
- Ask to see the floor, in person or on a video call. Any factory that wants your order should be able to arrange one or the other.
- Ask who actually does the sewing. Some businesses subcontract. That can be fine, but you need to know, especially if you plan a Made in USA label.
That last point has legal weight. The FTC's Made in USA standard requires that a product be "all or virtually all" made in the United States, which covers final assembly, significant processing and nearly all components. A US sewing address does not settle that question if the fabric or other significant inputs come from abroad. Our factory vetting template goes deeper.
Where should a Philadelphia brand actually produce?
Sample close to home, then choose a production base by product and quantity. Philadelphia is well placed for this because the Allentown shops are nearby and the largest apparel base on the East Coast is within road distance. Manhattan is under 100 road miles away, and northern New Jersey is closer still.
- Allentown. Start here for cut and sew if your product suits Monalisa Fashions or Sarah Lynn Sportswear. It is about 60 miles from the city, close enough for fittings and floor visits.
- New York. New York County reported 407 sites and 3,912 jobs in 2025, with New York State at 7,182 jobs. Start with our New York clothing manufacturers guide, especially for fashion and development work.
- New Jersey. The state reported 148 sites and 3,001 jobs, led by Essex County at 782 and Hudson County at 630. See our New Jersey guide.
- Los Angeles. The county reported 1,288 sites and 18,842 jobs, about 57 times Philadelphia County's total and nearly a quarter of the national figure. It is far away, but it has the deepest base in the country. See our Los Angeles guide.
- North Carolina. The state reported 188 sites and 3,850 jobs. Look there when your product is knit-heavy, and use our USA apparel manufacturers guide for the national picture.
Before any of those conversations, get the basics ready. A real sample and a complete tech pack will improve every quote you receive, and our sample rounds playbook shows what to expect. If you are still working out the order of steps, start with how to get clothes manufactured. Decide early, on evidence, whether local production is possible for your product. It costs far less than finding out months later.
How does OneAim fit in?
We place production, and we do not pretend a factory exists where it does not. OneAim is a group of 80+ documented clothing manufacturers in the United States. When a Philadelphia brand comes to us, we take the tech pack, the target price and the quantity. Then we place the production with the factory in our group built for that product. We charge flat fees, with no markup on your unit price.
None of the companies above is in our group, and we earn nothing if you contact them. They are here because they are what we could confirm. If one of them suits your product, go to them directly.
Skip weeks of cold outreach: Browse our factory directory for $49, or get in contact and we'll place your production with the domestic factory built for it, usually within 24 hours. Flat fee, no markups.
Frequently Asked Questions About Clothing Manufacturers in Philadelphia
Are there any clothing manufacturers in Philadelphia?
Yes, a few, but far fewer than search results suggest. BLS counted 27 private apparel manufacturing sites and 329 jobs in Philadelphia County in 2025, about 12 people per site. The makers we could confirm on their own websites include Boathouse Sports (team apparel), Ricochet (protective gear) and American Hats (hats). Each one is a specialist. For general cut and sew, the closest contract shops we confirmed are in Allentown.
Is there a contract cut-and-sew factory near Philadelphia?
Yes. Monalisa Fashions and Sarah Lynn Sportswear are both in Allentown, about 60 miles north of the city, and both say on their websites that they cut and sew for other brands. Monalisa says it can handle anything from one-off samples to more than 10,000 units per style. Confirm capacity and pricing with each one directly.
Who makes custom team apparel in Philadelphia?
Boathouse Sports says its custom products are handmade at its factory in Philadelphia. Its help pages list team minimums of 6 for outerwear and unisuits and 12 for other items, and its FAQ gives a lead time of 6 to 8 weeks from order to shipment. Those are the company's own published terms, so confirm them when you order.
Can I get a clothing sample made in Philadelphia?
Yes. Philadelphia Sewing Company in Roxborough lists sample making alongside custom couture and bridal alterations, with consultations available. If you would rather sew the sample yourself, Made Institute offers patternmaking and sewing courses plus studio memberships, and Cut and Sew PHL in Mt. Airy offers classes and studio and equipment rentals.
Why do so many websites list top 10 clothing manufacturers in Philadelphia?
Because people search for that phrase and it brings in enquiries. One such list we read sits on the website of a garment factory in Vietnam, and another comes from a sourcing company with a Chinese phone number. A place on a list proves nothing. Look for a live company website with a street address and a clear statement of what the company makes.
Where in Pennsylvania is apparel actually manufactured?
Mostly outside Philadelphia. In 2025, Northampton County reported 551 apparel manufacturing jobs and Montgomery County 523, against 329 in Philadelphia County. Lancaster County reported 248. Pennsylvania as a whole reported 147 sites and 3,186 jobs, at average annual pay of $52,956.
Is Grant BLVD still making clothes in Philadelphia?
It does not appear so. Grant BLVD's website now shows a letter from its founder that describes eight years of design, grading and production in Philadelphia in the past tense and says a new chapter is beginning. There are no signs of a current production offer on the site, so we do not list it as an option.
Where should a Philadelphia brand produce a US-made run?
Start with the Allentown contract shops if your product suits them, then look at the larger US apparel bases. New York County reported 3,912 apparel manufacturing jobs in 2025, New Jersey reported 3,001 and Los Angeles County reported 18,842. Choose by product and quantity, not distance alone, and confirm capacity directly before you commit to a factory.
We're a group of 80+ documented clothing manufacturers in the United States. Tell us your product, volume, and timeline. We'll place your production with the factory in our group built for it, usually within 24 hours. You produce directly with the factory. Flat fees, no markups, no pitch.
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Sources
- BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Philadelphia County (area 42101), annual files 2014 to 2025, private ownership, NAICS 315: jobs, establishments, average annual pay.
- BLS QCEW, NAICS 315 by area, 2025 and earlier years: national, state and county figures. Percentages and per-site averages are our calculations.
- Monalisa Fashions: about, FAQ, services and contact pages, read 6 November 2026. Self-reported.
- Sarah Lynn Sportswear, home page, read 6 November 2026. Self-reported.
- Boathouse Sports: custom apparel, customization and help pages, read 6 November 2026 through a search index copy because the site blocks automated readers. Minimums and lead times self-reported.
- Ricochet Gear, home page, read 6 November 2026. Self-reported.
- Philadelphia Inquirer, Ricochet Manufacturing and Air Force turnout gear, April 2023.
- American Hats: factory, about, production and contact pages, read 6 November 2026. Self-reported.
- Buck Mason Knitting Mills and Made in America, read 6 November 2026. Self-reported.
- Greater Reading Chamber Alliance, Buck Mason reopens historic Mohnton Knitting Mills.
- Philadelphia Sewing Company, read 6 November 2026. Self-reported.
- Grant BLVD, home page letter, read 6 November 2026.
- Bills Khakis, contact page, read 6 November 2026, and WFMZ, Berks County men's clothing designer sold to investment firm, 2015, and California Apparel News, 2017.
- Custom Sewn Products, Amsterdam, New York, read 6 November 2026.
- Made Institute, Cut and Sew PHL and Philadelphia Fashion Incubator, read 6 November 2026.
- Thomas Jefferson University, BS in Fashion Design and Drexel University, Fashion Design.
- Philadelphia Inquirer, Designers aplenty but local manufacturing options are few, 10 February 2014.
- Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia, Textile Manufacturing and Textile Workers.
- Seamwork, A Seamworker's Guide to Philadelphia, 31 October 2020.
- FTC, Complying with the Made in USA Standard.
- Pennsylvania Department of State, business search.
Every maker and resource named above appears in this source list, apart from Fabric Row, which is a street rather than a company. Minimums, dates, customer statements and capacity claims are the companies' own published statements, labeled as such in the text, and we did not independently audit them. No company in this article is a OneAim group member, and none paid to appear. Reviewed and updated 6 November 2026 by Will Godax.
