Happy Earth Day friends, hope you are all having a wonderful day appreciating this amazing planet we call home! We wanted to take a minute to talk about a decision we made when Tee See Tee was just a sparkle in my eye...to make a Michigan "Slow Fashion" Brand that helps the world, one t-shirt at a time!
Big claim I know. Not saying we are Captain Planet and harnessing the power of earth, wind, fire, water, and heart. But Slow Fashion is a way to slow down the amount of damage that the apparel industry can cause.
Let's talk about the 92 Million Ton Gorilla in the room. That is how much waste Fast Fashion produces every year. What is Fast Fashion, you ask? Well, it is what I typically refer to as "throwaway tees." These are the poorly made, one-off t-shirts that you may be given at an event, or you may be buying for 3-for-$12 at a ragged tourist shop. These shirts are made to be worn once, and then disposed of. Worst case scenario, they shrink and fall apart after 1 or 2 wash cycles, and best case scenario, they look and feel like you are wearing a garbage bag(ironically, since 99.99% end up in the garbage within 1 year).
But how is Tee See Tee different? Odds are, if you own a Tee See Tee, you already know the answer, but in case you don't, here you go:
1. Our blank apparel is produced in factories like Bella + Canvas and Allmade, who practice ethical and fair employment, while using sustainable operating practices to reduce the amount of electricity and water needed to produce a t-shirt or hoodie. Check out these links for more information on them:
Bella + Canvas: https://www.bellacanvas.com/eco_friendly
AllMade: https://allmade.com/
2. Speaking of production, the apparel made in these factories are made using recycled and natural fabrics. This means less waste, while maintaining that incredibly soft and luxurious feel you get from every Tee See Tee!
3. That soft t-shirt you get from us, well, it is also incredibly durable, and pre-shrunk, meaning when you buy a shirt from us, you are not just buying a t-shirt, you are buying YOUR NEW FAVORITE T-SHIRT. Our goal is for this t-shirt to be in your closet or dresser for the next 10-20 years, keeping it out of the landfill.
Sure, we could adapt a strategy that encourages you to buy tons of our shirts, and sell you something that doesn't last for a lot less money, but that is not what we set out to do. We want you to wear the same few Tee See Tee t-shirts over and over for years....just make sure you wash them from time to time!
Happy Earth Day everyone, try to do something to keep our planet safe, because for now, it is the only one we have!