Knotty Boy committed to providing non-exploitative apparel for our logo-wear.

Hey, all you conscientious knotty-kidz out there – we hear some of you are wondering about our fairly traded and made clothing! Well, Knotty Boy is happy to report that our clothing is supplied to us by American Apparel.

“American who…? And aren't you guys Canadian??”

Here's the deal. American Apparel is the great little t-shirt company that did. For those of you who don't know its brand, AmAp is as famous for what it doesn't do as for what it does. The clothing industry in general is notorious for relying on shamefully cheap labor (often using children) and horrific working conditions in developing countries, to provide clothing to consumers in the rest of the world. The irony is that these workers could never even afford to buy the clothes they make with their own hands.

But American Apparel is doing things differently, by priding itself on its sweatshop-free production of clothing and the treatment of their workers. Fantastic!

American Apparel's workshop is in downtown Los Angeles where they produce their clothing in-house and actively participate in their local community. Workers receive a living wage and beyond, while also receiving health care and educational benefits, child care and involvement with the company far beyond what other clothing manufacturers offer their employees.

Environmental concerns are also part of American Apparel's mission and code of practice. They are committed to improving the impact of their industry on the environment and their workers. Recycling fabric scraps, using solar energy, and pesticide-free organic cottons are all a part of this mandate.

At Knotty Boy we are proud to have our logo on American Apparel t-shirts, knickers and tank tops. We look forward to including new items from them in the future since lots of you have been asking for other stuff like hoodies. We hope you love the soft fabrics and flattering fit of their pieces as much as we do, too.

If you would like more information about American Apparel, check out their excellent website at www.americanapparel.net .