Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing apparel and accessories (except apparel knitting mills, cut and sew apparel contractors, and cut and sew apparel manufacturing (except contractors)). Jobbers, who perform entrepreneurial functions involved in apparel accessories manufacture, including buying raw materials, designing and preparing samples, arranging for apparel accessories to be made from their materials, and marketing finished apparel accessories, are included. Examples of products made by these establishments are belts, caps, gloves (except medical, safety, sporting), hats, and neckties.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Manufacturing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and material handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing. Selected industries in the Manufacturing sector are comprised solely of establishments that process materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis. Beyond these dedicated contract manufacturing industries, establishments that process materials for other establishments are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed materials. The materials, substances, or components transformed by manufacturing establishments are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing establishments. The materials used may be purchased directly from producers, obtained through customary trade channels, or secured without recourse to the market by transferring the product from one establishment to another, under the same ownership. The new product of a manufacturing establishment may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished to become an input for an establishment engaged in further manufacturing. For example, the product of the alumina refinery is the input used in the primary production of aluminum; primary aluminum is the input to an aluminum wire drawing plant; and aluminum wire is the input for a fabricated wire product manufacturing establishment. The subsectors in the Manufacturing sector generally reflect distinct production processes related to material inputs, production equipment, and employee skills. In the machinery area, where assembling is a key activity, parts and accessories for manufactured products are classified in the industry of the finished manufactured item when they are made for separate sale. For example, an attachment for a piece of metalworking machinery would be classified with metalworking machinery. However, component inputs from other manufacturing establishments are classified based on the production function of the component manufacturer. For example, electronic components are classified in Subsector 334, Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing, and stampings are classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Manufacturing establishments often perform one or more activities that are classified outside the Manufacturing sector of NAICS. For instance, almost all manufacturing has some captive research and development or administrative operations, such as accounting, payroll, or management. These captive services are treated the same as captive manufacturing activities. When the services are provided by separate establishments, they are classified in the NAICS sector where such services are primary, not in manufacturing. The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. The establishments in the Manufacturing sector are engaged in the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NAICS: <table width=100%><tr><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Milk bottling and pasteurizing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Water bottling and processing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fresh fish packaging (oyster<br/> shucking, fish filleting);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Apparel jobbing (assigning<br/> materials to contract<br/> factories or shops for<br/> fabrication or other contract<br/> operations) as well as<br/> contracting on materials<br/> owned by others;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Printing and related activities;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ready-mix concrete production;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Leather converting;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Grinding lenses to<br/> prescription;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Wood preserving;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Lapidary work for the trade;</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Electroplating, plating, metal<br/> heat treating, and<br/> polishing for the trade;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fabricating signs and<br/> advertising displays;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Rebuilding or remanufacturing<br/> machinery (i.e., automotive<br/> parts);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Making manufactured homes<br/> (i.e., mobile homes) or<br/> prefabricated buildings,<br/> whether or not assembling/<br/> erecting at the customers'<br/> site;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ship repair and renovation;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Machine shops; and</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Tire retreading.</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td></tr></table> Conversely, there are activities that are sometimes considered manufacturing, but which for NAICS are classified in another sector (i.e., not classified as manufacturing). They include: 1. Logging, classified in Sector 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, is considered a harvesting operation; 2. Beneficiating ores and other minerals, classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, is considered part of the activity of mining; 3. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings, and fabricating at the construction site by contractors are classified in Sector 23, Construction; 4. Breaking bulk and reselling in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals; assembling and selling computers on a custom basis; sorting and reselling scrap; mixing and selling paints to customer order; and cutting metals to customer order for resale are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade; and 5. Publishing and the combined activity of publishing and printing, classified in Sector 51, Information, transform information into a product for which the value to the consumer lies in the information content, not in the format in which it is distributed (i.e., the book or software compact disc). |
| 315 | Apparel Manufacturing 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Apparel Manufacturing subsector group establishments with two distinct manufacturing processes: (1) cut and sew (i.e., purchasing fabric and cutting and sewing to make a garment) and (2) the manufacture of garments in establishments that first knit fabric and then cut and sew the fabric into a garment. The Apparel Manufacturing subsector includes a diverse range of establishments manufacturing full lines of ready-to-wear apparel and custom apparel: apparel contractors, performing cutting or sewing operations on materials owned by others; jobbers, performing entrepreneurial functions involved in apparel manufacturing; and tailors, manufacturing custom garments for individual clients. Knitting fabric, when done alone, is classified in the Textile Mills subsector, but when knitting is combined with the production of complete garments, the activity is classified in the Apparel Manufacturing subsector. |
| 3159 | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing 4-digit industry group | Industries in the Apparel Manufacturing subsector group establishments with two distinct manufacturing processes: (1) cut and sew (i.e., purchasing fabric and cutting and sewing to make a garment) and (2) the manufacture of garments in establishments that first knit fabric and then cut and sew the fabric into a garment. The Apparel Manufacturing subsector includes a diverse range of establishments manufacturing full lines of ready-to-wear apparel and custom apparel: apparel contractors, performing cutting or sewing operations on materials owned by others; jobbers, performing entrepreneurial functions involved in apparel manufacturing; and tailors, manufacturing custom garments for individual clients. Knitting fabric, when done alone, is classified in the Textile Mills subsector, but when knitting is combined with the production of complete garments, the activity is classified in the Apparel Manufacturing subsector. |
| 31599 | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 315990. |
| 315990 | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing apparel and accessories (except apparel knitting mills, cut and sew apparel contractors, and cut and sew apparel manufacturing (except contractors)). Jobbers, who perform entrepreneurial functions involved in apparel accessories manufacture, including buying raw materials, designing and preparing samples, arranging for apparel accessories to be made from their materials, and marketing finished apparel accessories, are included. Examples of products made by these establishments are belts, caps, gloves (except medical, safety, sporting), hats, and neckties. |
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Classification References
- 01Cutting and/or sewing materials owned by others for apparel and apparel accessories--are classified in Industry 315210, Cut and Sew Apparel Contractors;
- 02Manufacturing paper hats and caps--are classified in U.S. Industry 322299, All Other Converted Paper Product Manufacturing;
- 03Manufacturing plastics or rubber hats and caps (except bathing caps)--are classified in Subsector 326, Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing;
- 04Manufacturing athletic gloves, such as boxing gloves, baseball gloves, golf gloves, batting gloves, and racquetball gloves--are classified in Industry 339920, Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing;
- 05Manufacturing metal fabric, metal mesh, or rubber gloves--are classified in U.S. Industry 339113, Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing;
- 06Knitting apparel, mittens, gloves, hats, and caps or knitting fabric and manufacturing apparel, mittens, gloves, hats, and caps--are classified in Industry 315120, Apparel Knitting Mills; and
- 07Manufacturing cut and sew apparel from purchased fabric, including manufacturing fur and leather apparel--are classified in Industry 315250, Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (except Contractors).
Index Items
Apparel findings and trimmings cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Aprons, waterproof (e.g., plastics, rubberized fabric), rubberizing fabric and manufacturing aprons
Aprons, waterproof (including rubberized fabric, plastics), cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Arm bands, elastic, cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Ascots, men's and boys', cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Baseball caps cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Bathing caps, rubber, manufacturing
Belts, apparel (e.g., fabric, leather, vinyl), cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Belts, money, any material, cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Bibs and aprons, waterproof (e.g., plastics, rubber, similar materials), cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Bibs and aprons, waterproof (e.g., plastics, rubber, similar materials), rubberizing fabric and manufacturing bibs and aprons
Bow ties, men's and boys', cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Caps (except fur, leather) cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Caps (i.e., apparel accessory) cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except fur, leather, apparel contractors)
Caps, textiles, straw, fur-felt, and wool-felt, cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Chauffeurs' hats and caps cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Coat trimmings fabric cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Cummerbunds cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Dress and semidress gloves cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Dress trimmings cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Findings, suit and coat (e.g., coat fronts, pockets), cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Glove linings (except fur) manufacturing
Gloves and mittens (except athletic), leather, fabric, fur, or combinations, cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Gloves and mittens, woven or knit, cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors), manufacturing
Gloves, leather (except athletic, cut and sewn apparel contractors), manufacturing
Handkerchiefs (except paper) cut and sewn from purchased fabric
Harvest hats, straw, manufacturing
Hat bodies (e.g., fur-felt, straw, wool-felt) cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Hat findings cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Hat linings and trimmings cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Hats (except fur, knitting mill products, leather) cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Hats, cloth, cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Hats, fur-felt, straw, and wool-felt, cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Hats, trimmed, cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Headbands, women's and girls', cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Knit gloves cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Leather gloves or mittens (except athletic, cut and sewn apparel contractors) manufacturing
Linings, hat, men's, cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Millinery cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Millinery trimmings cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Mittens cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Mittens, leather (except apparel contractors), manufacturing
Mittens, woven or knit, cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Mufflers cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Neckties cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Neckwear cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Opera hats cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Panama hats cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Police caps and hats (except protective head gear) cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Scarves cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Straw hats manufacturing
Suit trimmings cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Suspenders cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Ties, men's and boys' hand sewn (except apparel contractors), manufacturing
Uniform hats and caps cut and sewn from purchased fabric (except apparel contractors)
Work gloves, leather (except apparel contractors), manufacturing
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External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 315990.
National Alliance for Manufacturing (NAM)
A US manufacturing trade association that tracks and supports apparel supply chains including accessories.
US Census Bureau QuickStats
Official government statistics on employment, revenue, and production volume for the NAICS 315990 industry.
The Fashion Group International
An industry leader in the fashion and textile supply chain dedicated to sustainable practices and innovation in accessories manufacturing.
