# American Giant: Bayard Winthrop

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2024-07-01
- Length: 1h 21m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-07-01-american-giant-bayard-winthrop

## Summary

Bayard Winthrop, founder of American Giant, explains how he built a 100% U.S.-made apparel brand by reverse-engineering a domestic supply chain for cotton, knitting, and dyeing, starting with a flagship hoodie. He details the operational crisis of a three-year order backlog following a viral Slate article and the strategic decision to acquire Eagle Sportswear to secure sewing capacity. Winthrop also discusses the complex seven-year journey to produce a yarn-dyed flannel shirt and his partnership with WeWork co-founder Miguel McKelvey to scale the business while maintaining ethical labor practices.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-07-01-american-giant-bayard-winthrop#t=0) Introduction: Bayard Winthrop and American Giant
- [4:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-07-01-american-giant-bayard-winthrop#t=285) Winthrop's Career Path from Wall Street to Physical Products
- [25:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-07-01-american-giant-bayard-winthrop#t=1522) Leaving Chrome and the Decision to Start American Giant
- [30:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-07-01-american-giant-bayard-winthrop#t=1858) Building the Domestic Supply Chain for the Hoodie
- [49:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-07-01-american-giant-bayard-winthrop#t=2989) The Viral Slate Article and the Three-Year Backlog
- [1:03:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-07-01-american-giant-bayard-winthrop#t=3799) Acquiring Eagle Sportswear to Secure Manufacturing
- [1:06:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-07-01-american-giant-bayard-winthrop#t=3971) The Seven-Year Journey to Make a Yarn-Dyed Flannel
- [1:11:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-07-01-american-giant-bayard-winthrop#t=4296) Partnership with Miguel McKelvey and Future of U.S. Manufacturing

## Topics

- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- American Giant (company)
- Atlas Snowshoe (company)
- Freeboard (company)
- Chrome (company)
- Carolina Cotton Works (company)
- Clover Knits (company)
- Parkdale Mills (company)
- Eagle Sportswear (company)
- Slate (company)
- Under Armour (company)
- WeWork (company)
- PepsiCo (company)
- Donaldson Lufkin and Jenrette (company)
- K2 Sports (company)
- WebChat (company)
- Farhad Manjoo (other)
- Miguel McKelvey (other)
- Paige Ashby (other)
- Philippe Manu (other)
- Don Kendall (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Hippy Feet is the coolest company you haven't heard about until now! Michael Mader, CEO](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2025-11-05-hippy-feet-is-the-coolest-company-you-havent-heard-about-until-now-michael-mader) (People of Packaging)
- [Quality, Resilience and Open-Mindedness: Winning the Long Game w/ Paul Lordan and John Lordan](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-02-18-quality-resilience-and-open-mindedness-winning-the-long-game-w-paul-lordan-and-j) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [89: Stretchy and Smudgy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2022-11-17-89-stretchy-and-smudgy) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [044: Turning customizable jackets into a multi-million dollar business, Elyse Daniels of Exodus Wear](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-03-14-044-turning-customizable-jackets-into-a-multi-million-dollar-business-elyse-dani) (Product Startup)
- [050: Creating environmentally-friendly athletic apparel,  Tim Christian of OORR](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-04-25-050-creating-environmentally-friendly-athletic-apparel-tim-christian-of-oorr) (Product Startup)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-07-01-american-giant-bayard-winthrop. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to How I Built This.