**The Rising Popularity of Comfort Colors: A Key Driver Behind Gildan’s Success**
*By Danielle DeVries | CNBC*
When looking through Wyatt Cannon’s T-shirt collection, one label stands out: Comfort Colors. Growing up, Cannon often found Comfort Colors apparel when searching for souvenirs during family trips. In college, he persuaded his a cappella group to screen print on the company’s blank shirts. Even when making tie-dye T-shirts for himself, Cannon chooses Comfort Colors products.
“I’ve loved this brand my whole life,” said Cannon, 24, who estimates that around half of his shirts are Comfort Colors. “This kind of material and texture and vibe of T-shirt should just be more of the standard.”
Cannon is part of a loyal and growing base of consumers driving demand for this half-century-old, Gildan-owned shirt brand. Comfort Colors’ surging success in recent years helps explain Gildan’s stock performance and has prompted plans to expand into new product categories.
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### A Fast-Growing Brand Within Gildan
Gildan, which acquired Comfort Colors in 2015 for around $100 million, has kept specific sales data confidential. However, company executives describe Comfort Colors as one of Gildan’s leading and fastest-growing brands, especially within its apparel portfolio that also includes American Apparel and Gildan-branded items.
“Comfort Colors is probably the fastest-growing fashion brand,” said Glenn Chamandy, Gildan’s co-founder and CEO, during a recent analyst call. “When you walk into a souvenir store today, you’ll see Comfort Colors on every single one of those tables where you used to see fashion brands before.”
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### The Brand’s Unique Appeal
Comfort Colors is known for its 100% U.S.-sourced cotton shirts and its signature “pigment pure” dyeing system, which creates a faded look using less energy and water than similar processes. This sustainable approach appeals to consumers, especially Gen Z shoppers who prioritize comfort, vintage style, and environmental consciousness.
The brand’s popularity exploded in 2024, with approximately 40% year-over-year growth, fueling a 6% increase in Gildan’s activewear sales over the same period. Chamandy noted that Comfort Colors continues to “knock it out of the box,” driving a 12% rise in the activewear category in Q2.
Looking ahead, Comfort Colors plans to expand into hats, bags, and women-specific clothing in 2026 to mark its 50th anniversary, according to Howard Upchurch, Gildan’s marketing and merchandise chief.
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### Strong Consumer Loyalty and Growing Awareness
Despite its ownership by Gildan, consumers like Cannon distinguish Comfort Colors as more “homey,” describing it as “crunchy” and “granola,” in contrast to Gildan, which he views as “peak consumption capitalism.” One notable feature that adds to Comfort Colors’ appeal is its unique tag woven into the fabric.
The brand has developed a very loyal customer base, particularly among younger shoppers. Relative search volume for Comfort Colors in the U.S. hit all-time highs on Google in 2024, signaling increased consumer awareness, while search interest for Gildan has declined since its 2023 peak.
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### Popularity Across Social Groups and Merchandise Stands
Comfort Colors T-shirts are a staple in social organizations, musical acts, and local businesses:
– Musical artists such as Maggie Rogers and Mumford & Sons use Comfort Colors for tour merchandise.
– Brands like Coors Light and Star Trek, as well as local bars and eateries, sell Comfort Colors apparel.
– The Gotham Football Club women’s soccer team offers official spirit wear shirts from the brand.
– Facebook groups and Reddit forums dedicated to fraternities and sororities frequently recommend Comfort Colors for screen printing, with one Reddit user describing it as their “go-to” brand.
Chelsea Green, founder of The Yard Milkshake Bar, notes Comfort Colors is the “most popular type of merchandise” at her establishments—especially among younger customers who use the shirts as sleepwear or beach coverups. Though the T-shirts can sometimes be pricier and occasionally subject to supply shortages (notably during the Covid-19 pandemic), the quality and variety of colors have made these challenges worthwhile.
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### Strategic Advantages for Gildan
Comfort Colors’ focus on wholesale bulk sales over direct-to-consumer channels differentiates it from competitors like Nike. According to University of Delaware apparel industry expert Sheng Lu, Gildan benefits from Comfort Colors’ sourcing in the Western Hemisphere—a region less affected by tariffs than Asia.
Since T-shirts are wardrobe staples, they tend to maintain stable demand even when consumer sentiment falters. This stability, combined with its vintage style and sustainable production methods, positions Comfort Colors “in a very good spot,” Lu said.
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As Comfort Colors approaches its 50th anniversary, the brand’s blend of comfort, sustainability, and distinctive aesthetics continues to resonate with consumers, fueling its rise within Gildan’s expanding portfolio and solidifying its place in the basics apparel market.
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*Gildan is expected to report earnings later this month. Over the past five years, the Canadian-based company’s U.S.-listed shares have surged more than 175%, nearly doubling the S&P 500’s return over the same period.*
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/19/comfort-colors-gildan-shirt-gen-z.html
