# Amer. Apparel doesn't care if you remove their tag?



## Summer Suzette (Feb 15, 2008)

I've been reading where people suggest removing the American Apparel label and replacing it with you own. American Apparel doesn't care if you do this? I'm surprised that they would allow this, but I'm new to this whole thing, so any info. would be appreciated.


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## sunnydayz (Jun 22, 2007)

You can remove the label as long as the shirt still has a care tag with all of the required info such as country of orgin, what it is made of and care instructions. There are alot of people who relabel. If you use the search function here you will find alot of info on relabeling  hope this helps.


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## Summer Suzette (Feb 15, 2008)

I'm just confused because isn't that like taking the shirt and claiming it is your own, like you made it or something?


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## sunnydayz (Jun 22, 2007)

American apparel is made for garment decorators, they sell them wholesale so they can be used by garment decorators. They are a blank supplier. with blanks you are able to relabel. It is totally legal to relabel american apparel shirts with your own label.


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## Summer Suzette (Feb 15, 2008)

Okay...thanks for the info. I just want to make sure I don't do anything I'm not supposed to in my new business. The only thing they told me when I got an account with them is just that I can't resell blank AA shirts. I think I will put my own label in my shirts, but still advertise that I use AA shirts because their name is associated with high quality. This forum is great for newbies like me!


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## NationsClothing (Jan 10, 2008)

Summer Suzette said:


> think I will put my own label in my shirts, but still advertise that I use AA shirts because their name is associated with high quality. This forum is great for newbies like me!


Why do that when you are building a brand? People who buy will not ask what wholesale chain did you buy it from. I wouldnt tell anyone that you are relabeling them.


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## Comin'OutSwingin (Oct 28, 2005)

It depends on the brand really. Johnny Cupcakes proudly tells that he uses AA, and he relabels them.

It hasn't hurt him. $3 million last year!


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## TORACHI (Mar 25, 2008)

First post for me. Lots of good info for re-labeling.This is a great forum


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Summer Suzette said:


> I'm just confused because isn't that like taking the shirt and claiming it is your own, like you made it or something?


It is your own because you bought it. 

You would assume companies like Nike, Reebok, etc. would make their own shirts and I am sure they do. But you would be surprised at the number of major companies who buy their shirts from the same suppliers we use and slap their label on it.


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## pedrorodrigues (Sep 29, 2011)

Im setting up an wholesale account and in the contract they dont allow you to remove the AA labels. For me this point has no sense, why we wanna buy AA if we cant remove the labels?

They told me only if i speak to the custom department, and they have 600 pieces minimum.... a little bit too much.

Any one with this problem?


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

pedrorodrigues said:


> Im setting up an wholesale account and in the contract they dont allow you to remove the AA labels. For me this point has no sense, why we wanna buy AA if we cant remove the labels?
> 
> They told me only if i speak to the custom department, and they have 600 pieces minimum.... a little bit too much.
> 
> Any one with this problem?


Can you cut and paste the verbiage here? I would love to see how they word it. 

Most of us buy AA through wholesale warehouses, not through AA directly, and there is no such wording from them.


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## pedrorodrigues (Sep 29, 2011)

Here's what it says on contract on the 5 point (this is a general contract so there isn't any problem post here what it says)

I'm from Europe btw i dont know if this change anything.

5. "The buyer undertakes to neither cover nor alter, remove or add to the trademarks applied to the contractual products or the packing or enclosed with the contractual products and/or other distinctive features"

This is what the EU Wholesale contract says, i reply to AA asking if the 5. point means that i can't remove the original AA labels and replace them for my own labels, they reply me say that is exactly what 5. point says, i can add my own labels but they labels must remain. If i'm looking for tagless tshirts i must contact the custom order department and the minimums are 600 pieces per style.

So i'm stuck here and i dont know what to do, i dont want the AA labels on my tshirts (even if some people think this might help my business) and i dont want to disrespect the contract and ask to my personal seamstress to rip off the AA labels.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

I would first ask AA if that can be taken out of the contract. Let them know it's a deal breaker. 

Otherwise, have you looked into whether wholesalers, who probably don't have wording like this, carry AA?


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## dazzabling (Sep 21, 2011)

If I am not mistaken AA has a relabeling department where they do this for you. I will have to check the site but I thought they did.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

dazzabling said:


> If I am not mistaken AA has a relabeling department where they do this for you. I will have to check the site but I thought they did.



That's the 600 minimum piece department he mentioned.


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## dazzabling (Sep 21, 2011)

That's what I thought..I knew they did it.


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## pedrorodrigues (Sep 29, 2011)

Yeah i probably do that, i'm gonna search some AA wholesalers, but again, this 5. point has no sense in my opinion.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

pedrorodrigues said:


> Yeah i probably do that, i'm gonna search some AA wholesalers, but again, this 5. point has no sense in my opinion.


Was there a heading to this section? That clause sounds odd because I don't think AA cares if you relabel when you are decorating their garments.

I wonder if they are talking about relabeling and trying to sell them as blanks?


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## pedrorodrigues (Sep 29, 2011)

they ask me for an examples of my tshirts designs and webdesign specially to know if i'm not selling their clothes as a blank but that was previously. When they saw the examples then they hook me up with the contract.

This is only about remove AA labels
odd indeed


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## kimura-mma (Jul 26, 2008)

I thought the same thing as Rodney. If you were re-selling as blanks, I could see why they would require their labels not to be removed. But if you are decorating the garment, it shouldn't be a problem to remove their labels and add your own custom label. Maybe contact them again and ask that specific question.


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## pedrorodrigues (Sep 29, 2011)

I've contact them, and the answer was "there is a specific department to tagless tshirts, and the minimuns per style are 600 pieces" lol

Maybe this only applies to european customers


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Rodney said:


> I wonder if they are talking about relabeling and trying to sell them as blanks?


That wouldn't be it. AA doesn't allow you to sell their tees blank; with or without their label. Makes sense as I suspect they're trying to protect their retail stores and $20 t-shirt prices. They have successfully gone to court and shut down sites selling blank AA's.


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