A Real American Brand: 1791

1791 Supply & Co. 

Quality matters. This is true when it comes to cars, women, and especially, clothes. So when we find a brand that cares as much about quality and construction as we do we get pretty damn excited, to say the least.

We recently sat down with Tim DiDonato, the man behind 1791 Supply & Co., one of our favorite American made brands. Tim gave us the full rundown on his company, how he got to where he is today, and all the awesome things still to come from 1791.

From Bergdorf’s to Custom Tees

Tim was working in fashion long before 1791 became the kickass e-commerce  brand it is today. Working at Bergdorf Goodman in NYC as a brand ambassador, Tim was fortunate enough to see how lines became brands, and how brands later failed or succeeded, without having to do it on his own dime.

He watched what worked, what didn’t, what sold, and what customers wanted more of. We regularly see brands that jump into things too early with little to no idea of how the fashion industry works. Tim did the opposite. He sat back, he watched, he listened, and he took opportunities when they came.

While working side by side with Nick Wooster, Michael Bastian, and the many other household names you can find on any given day at Bergdorf’s can give you one hell of a leg up on your future competition, it doesn’t teach you how to design.

But Tim’s a hustler, and when you love what you do work isn’t really work. So Tim decided to volunteer his time on his days off to one of the denim designers that was in Bergdorf’s at the time. After doing this for a year he knew what he needed to put plans into action, and the idea of 1791 was born.

Graphic Tees

If you’re familiar with 1791, you know they now carry everything from perfectly cut denim to womenswear and tobacco scented cologne.

But while the idea may have had all these items in play, the initial launch was strictly graphic tees– something that is slowly being weeded out of their lines (but may be replaced by custom tees soon).

Some people will tell you that you can’t start a full line based solely on teeshirts on the Internet. Those people are clearly wrong.

Tim and 1791 sold every last one of their graphic tees when they launched, then reinvested their money into adding new pieces to the line.

But being a typical clothing brand wasn’t what 1791 was in the game for, and Tim’s vision was to make the best clothing, not just clothing that sold. So from day one 1791 implemented their plan to only do work in the US, where they trusted the factories and Tim could personally have a hand in making sure everything was done the way the brand wanted.

Four years later everything is still constructed stateside, and that won’t be changing anytime soon– over ever.

Moving Forward 

1791 now has full lines available for purchase, with more pieces being added regularly. They are working on new collaborations with staple American made brands, including some hats with Ebbets Field, and adding a more diverse selection to their already impressive arsenal.

We love what 1791 is offering now, they’ve already made lifelong customers out of us, and we can’t wait to see what Tim is coming up with in the years to come.

You can check out their entire men’s line here, and enjoy giving your closet a makeover with nothing but American made goods.