RN Numbers and suit makers

[JamesSwim]

The RN number (the registered identification number) often found on a suit label tell you who made the suit. You can look up at:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/rn/index.shtml

In most cases, the company on the label made the suit - i.e. Tyr suit was made by Tyr (their RN is 77370), but I was surprised to see that a Nike suit was made by Jantzen (it's a polyester suit made about a decade ago)

I wonder if there are some companies that makes suits for many brands but does not put their own name on it? Especially for private brand labels or for stores like Kiefer.

[Byron]

Interesting but I'm not sure whether I am operating this website properly.
I put a few names into the Canada database for example but each time the answer was 0. I guess that is because the FTC only operates the system FOR BUSINESSES RESIDING IN THE US.
Considering the worldwide diversification of manufacturing facilities (in other words get it made where the local wage is appallingly low) I can't
see this being of much use.
What goes on in the rag trade is extremely complicated and many of the
high fashion brand names actually have their products made in the Far East.
At the same time as the legimate outsourcing factory is operating in a particular foreign country (eg China) others are busy in the same country producing
fake products. It is big business - a very well run operation by a gang of Algerians in London has recently been broken up and anonymous warehouses found stacked to the roof with clothing and accessories bearing upmarket brand labels which we all know well and sell at high prices.

[JamesSwim]

I put in a number from the label and get the maker's name.

For example, a suit label has both RN#88387 CA#00411

So you click on "RN Database - Search"
Select RN Type="RN"
Enter number in field "RN Number"
Click on "Find"

For Canadian number, click on "Search Canadian Database"
then you get sent to the Canadian Competition Bureau.
Click on "Search for a CA Identification Number"
Type the CA # in CA Identification Number:
and click Find.

I put in the RN # & CA # in each site and found out that it was ADIDAS AMERICA INC and Adidas Canada Limited. So this suit (which is made a while back in the US) was made by Adidas.

You're right that anyone can make fakes, but I was most interested in seeing if, for example, a suit was made by someone else. (like a Nike suit actually made by Jantzen)

It would be curious if different brands are actually made by same manufacturer.

[Torchwatch]

The growing trend in garment manufacture in the last few years is for brands to outsource manufacture.
A brand with a factory with spare capacity might manufacture for another brand, though usually the companies doing brand contacts are unknown and in the third world.
Jantzen used to be big, taking on work for Nike would keep them going until Nike subcontracted overseas.

Also manufacturing brands have been bought out by bigger multinational brands, eg Umbro in the UK was bought by Nike in the US and continue making football (soccer) kit.

In 1980, Jantzen was purchased by Blue Bell, and Blue Bell was acquired by Vanity Fair Corporation in 1986. This acquisition was a disaster for Jantzen and led to its demise. In 1995, the company dropped the production of menswear to concentrate on women's apparel, returning to its roots in swimsuits. In 2002, the Jantzen trademark was purchased by Perry Ellis International, Inc.[1] This included the licenses of Nike and Jag Swimwear.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jantzen

[PSDave]

This makes for interesting reading and its fun to find out that the Prada you just paid $250 for was actually made by a mass marketing suit maker. Whatever the case is, it doesn't help with the rash of counterfeits coming out of China and other Asian countries. If would be just part of the copy.

[Torchwatch]

Good stitching requires good, well maintained machines and skilled experienced machinists given the time to do a good job. If a garment is well designed, made from good fabrics and well stitched, it doesn't matter what the brand label is.

If you buy just on brand labels and price without checking quality you are liable to end up with fakes.

The best fake goods are made by the companies contracted to manufacture for the brands, they overrun production orders and sell the excess on the black market.

The grey market consists of branded goods destined for 3rd world countries, diverted to Europe and America. The brand owners don't want us to get them as they take a significantly lower profit.

[Byron]

Quite so - it is some years now since the last Speedo was made in Oz for
example and ownership of Speedo International is now with the Pentland Group of the UK (the Warnaco group having rights to Speedo USA).

Interesting old pic here from the 1956 Melbourne Olympics showing the Aussie team's 100m freestyle swim champion. His suit should bear the Speedo logo but it looks suspiciously like Jantzen to me, rather than the boomerang symbol. Any opinions ?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5e/Hendricks_1956.jpg