This Gildan-owned T-shirt brand is popping up everywhere

When looking at Wyatt Cannon’s t-shirt collection, there is a common theme: comfort color labels.

When Cannon was a child, she would often find comfort-colored apparel while looking for souvenirs for family vacations. In college, Cannon convinced his a cappella group to screen print on the company’s plain shirts. The 24-year-old made himself a tie-dye T-shirt from Comfort Colors.

“I’ve loved this brand my whole life,” said Cannon, who estimates that about half of his shirts are in comfort colors. “I wish T-shirts with this kind of material, texture, and atmosphere became more standard.”

Canon is part of a loyal and growing consumer base that has driven demand for half a century. GildanA shirt brand owned by. The label’s meteoric success in recent years helps explain the outperformance of Gildan’s stock price and has led to plans to expand into additional product categories.

Gildan is tight-lipped about the performance of specific brands and declined to share Comfort Colors sales data with CNBC. But Comfort Colors has grown in popularity, especially over the past year, and has become a major brand within Gildan, which also sells apparel under its namesake label and American Apparel, company executives said.

“Comfort Colors is probably the fastest growing fashion brand,” Gildan co-founder and CEO Glen Chamandy said on a conference call with analysts earlier this year. “If you walk into a souvenir shop today, you’ll see comfort colors on all the tables that used to have fashion brands.”

Gildan acquired Comfort Colors in 2015 for approximately $100 million in hopes of expanding within the basics category of the North American printed wear market, according to a press release announcing the deal. At the time, Gildan called the Vermont-based apparel maker “one of the most recognizable brands” in college bookstores and resorts.

Although the brand advertises that its shirts are 100% U.S.-grown cotton, Gildan says its “Pigment Pure” dyeing system creates the shirts’ “characteristic faded look” and uses less energy and water than other comparable processes.

The popularity of comfort colors will explode in 2024, with growth of about 40% compared to the previous year, company executives said at an earnings conference. This helped sales in Gildan’s broader activewear category increase by 6% over the same period.

Chamandi told analysts in late July that Comfort Colors was “out of the box again this year” and contributed to the activewear category’s 12% gain in the second quarter. Howard Upchurch, Gildan’s head of marketing and product, said in a statement to CNBC that the brand plans to expand into hats, bags and women’s clothing in 2026, when it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Gildan announced earlier this year that it would acquire Hanesbrands to further strengthen its core apparel business, and is expected to report financial results later this month.

Canada-based Gildan’s U.S.-listed shares have soared more than 175% over the past five years. This is almost double what is widely supported S&P500returned during the same period.

Although Gildan touts Comfort Colors as a success story at its big business, consumers don’t necessarily understand that.

Cannon considers Comfort Colors to be “crunchy” and “granola,” while Gildan said it feels like “the pinnacle of consumer capitalism.” The Connecticut-based marketing manager said Comfort Colors’ woven fabric’s unique tag is one of the qualities that makes the brand feel more “homey.”

above Etsythe printer sells comfort collar shirts in a variety of designs, and some even allow shoppers to upload their own designs. The brand has also received a boost from TikTok, where content creators can share videos of Comfort Color products and allow viewers to purchase them through the platform’s shopping feature.

This year, relative search volume for comfort colors in the U.S. surged to an all-time high on Google, highlighting the brand’s growing awareness among consumers. Meanwhile, search popularity for Gildan has declined since its peak in 2023.

Shen Lu, an associate professor at the University of Delaware whose research focuses on the apparel industry, said Comfort Colors has built a “very loyal” base of customers, especially among Gen Z customers.

These young shoppers value comfort and vintage flair, both of which are consistent with Comfort Colors’ products, Lu said. Comfort Colors’ focus on sustainability is also indicative of a customer base that is conscious of its environmental footprint.

“The brand is definitely in a very good position,” Lu said.

The rise of Comfort Colors is particularly interesting given the brand’s focus on mass sales rather than direct-to-consumer sales. nikesaid Lou. He explained that Comfort Colors primarily sells its products through intermediaries that can screen print, which allows the shirts to look more unique, another desirable quality for Gen Z shoppers.

Behind the scenes, Gildan is likely benefiting from Comfort Colors’ Western Hemisphere sourcing, Lu said. Countries in the region have been affected by President Donald Trump’s tariffs, but the tariffs are typically not much higher than those imposed in Asia, he said.

Shoppers tend to view T-shirts as essential items, so these items may show stability even as consumer sentiment declines, Lu said.

Additionally, across the country, comfort-colored shirts are becoming the attire for social groups and on merchandise stands at events. Music artists such as Maggie Rogers and Mumford & Sons have had their tour merchandise printed on comfort collar shirts. Brands ranging from Coors Light to Star Trek sell apparel, as well as local bars and eateries. The Gotham Football Club women’s soccer team has several official Comfort Color Spirit Wear shirts.

When Chelsea Green opened The Yard Milkshake Bar, she already knew about Comfort Colors after seeing the brand on her college campus. She said this is the most popular type of product at The Yard Milkshake Bar, especially among younger shoppers who are familiar with the brand and may use the shirt as a sleepwear or beach cover-up.

“I knew I already had T-shirts in comfort colors in my closet,” Green said. “I was like, ‘That’s what I want.’ I didn’t even look into it.”

Indeed, Green acknowledged that the shirts can be more expensive than some competitors’ shirts and were sometimes in short supply during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the color options and quality make overcoming these obstacles worth it, she said.

Social organizations such as Cannon University’s a cappella group have also taken note of Comfort Colors. Similarly, fraternity Sigma Chi and sorority Pi Beta Phi each sell dozens of comfort collar shirts in their online shops.

Focus on friendship reddit On a forum, a user asked what brand of t-shirt they use for screen printing. One respondent said comfort colors are their “go-to.” Some people told me I should use comfort colors, otherwise I’d run the risk of getting tar or feathers.