Qualities in a T-shirt (or Other Items of Clothing)?

[Esther]

What do you look for in a T-shirt (or other items of clothing)? Do you buy Organic? Fair Trade? What other qualities do you want/need when you purchase a T-shirt?

[Esther]

Here's a great survey from Maggie's Organics (who has created the official BioneersGear for us this year): http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2k0fcpvfy0i0vk6/start

EL

[Gingeroo]

i know this conversation started after they started discussing a fair trade certified tee-shirt, the first of it's kind.....

Here's the message they mailed me:

Greetings!
Maggie's is excited to be working on a line of Fair Labor certified Unisex Tee Shirts and we need your help to determine what qualities those tees should have!

As you may know, making a tee shirt takes a lot of work, and a lot of workers are involved: the farmers who grow the cotton, the ginners who clean it, the spinners of the yarn, the knitter of the fabric, and finally, the workers who cut the tee shirt pattern, sew it to together and pack and ship it.

Since we learned of this years ago, and started spending so much time with the workers that do these jobs, we have worked to develop a supply chain that remunerates workers fairly, that treats them with dignity, and that allows them independence. We have worked on a way to audit this process, to make sure that our supply chain stands up to the test. This fall, we are undergoing an independent 3rd party inspection and audit the workers in our production chain. We are also filming the entire process, in the hopes that we can fulfill our mission of connecting those who make our products to those who wear them. The result of this process, we hope, will be a tee shirt that is Fair Labor Certified, from the field to the finished product.

The tees will of course be made from 100% certified organic cotton. They may not be the least expensive organic tees on the market, but we believe that they will truly represent the best value, from both the environmental and social standpoints.

[Nina S]

I like/prefer organic, and look for good quality (fine) weave of cotton, as well as great design in the cut of the tee as well as what's printed on it. I like having the occasional 'message,' like that cute ingredients box we had a few years back, and wish for both attractive art, flattering cut, and a sense that it's well made and will last.

I love our logo, and think we haven't yet nearly optimized its use in clothing. And love our partnership with Maggie's, whose work is such a close ally/parallel in co-creating the world we wish to see.

I prefer both girlie-cuts, which are shorter, more fitted, and with scoop necks, and also like traditional boxy, longer tshirts...just use them differently. I'm elated at the prospect of our collaboration featuring a first-ever fair trade Tshirt, that's tremendously cooooll!

[Chuck Castleberry]

A repeat of last year's, only not white, and the women's color should also be men's color, and appropriate sizes!
Thanks,
Chuck