I guess figuring out the difference between a good T-shirt and a bad one seems pretty obvious for most people. “A T-shirt that doesn’t shrink a couple of sizes after I’ve put it in the washing machine.” -or- “Something that won’t crack and fade after only a month or two of wearing it.” Ever got angry because that overpriced $35.00 Prince or Tupac T-shirt you bought back in the day didn’t last? That’s because there are LOTS of T-shirt vendors out here; almost anybody can make a T-shirt now-a-days. But only a few choose to do it correctly - using something other than cheap, poorly constructed T-shirts with bad ink that rubs off between your finger and thumb. And this was done, quite simply, to save some money.
Identifying bad T-shirts really isn’t that hard. Most informed shoppers can usually tell the difference. And those that may not be able to tell must trust the person or company they buy from, and hope that their stuff is quality.
Since I make and sell T-shirts for a living, I thought I would go into a little more detail about common T-shirt concerns:
A T-shirt that doesn’t shrink. There’s no such thing. All T-shirts will shrink, at least a little. But good T’s won’t shrink so bad that you can’t wear them anymore. Quality T-shirts keep their size.
Cheap T-shirts. The brand and style of T-shirt usually determines quality. I won’t get into the boring details of which brands are better, ounces per square yard variables, ring spun vs. non-ring spun cotton, 50% cotton / 50% polyester vs. 100% cotton, cut and finish differences, etc. *yawn* That is stuff those of us who make the T-shirts figure out and take into consideration when we choose T-shirts for our designs. The only thing that counts is whether or not you - the customer - will like them. If you are unhappy with our T-shirt, you won’t come back - at least not to us. Suffice it to say, we try to get the best T’s we can for our designs. We don’t like to wear the cheap stuff ourselves. Why sell it to our customers?
A T-shirt that keeps it’s image. How long the printed image will last is determined by 1) the quality of the print, and 2) how well the T-shirt is cared for after it’s purchased. The print quality is determined by the quality of the ink, and the curing process. Good silk screen printers will use inks that are additive free, and have been cured (a heat process) thoroughly.
Silk Screen vs. Heat Transfer. This is an ongoing debate. Heat transferred images used to be those poor quality, shiny looking, iron-on transfer-like T-shirts. (I used to find these T’s at the local mall, in those little kiosks in the middle of the walkway. The same place they sold those coffee mugs with your picture on them.) But technology has improved the heat-transfer process greatly. Now there are heat-transfer T-shirts that last as long as silk screened images. We’ve chosen to stick with silk-screened images. The industry has largely stuck to this format anyway. The images look better when they are silk-screened (personal preference) and most everyone - manufactures and customers alike - agree. At least the ones I’ve spoken to. There is more flexibility in image manipulation and design, and the technology for silk-screening has been established for a long, long time.
The message is key. (Prepare yourself for a little shameless self promotion.) Urban Profile is a collective of Black T-shirt designers. We care about what we choose to put on our T-shirts; we care about the message. Not everyone will agree with us (the message), and that’s OK. Agree or not, we will always try to keep our messages responsible, thoughtful, and truthful. Our T-shirts will be just as relevant 10 years from now as they are today. “I’m Rick James, Bitch!” was funny when it first appeared. I’m not so sure that is still true now.
Please let us know your thoughts. Have we left something out? Leave a comment.
