Designer T Shirts - I Don't Get It

[David Weaver]

When I was in high school, I remember those goofy shirts that changed color depending on how hot you were. I don't remember how much they cost, there's no way I was going to get one.

I just heard an ad on the radio for designer tshirts, so I looked online and I see t-shirts for $75-$130. I see a lot of them downtown where I work, obviously not by the people working, because they're not wearing tshirts. They're on the people who seem least able to afford something like that.

What am I missing? I'm not poor by any means, but I'm thinking I should hire a college design student, have them make some shirts that look like tattoos, and price them at $300, because that'd be a good way to find the dumbest of the customers who are the most easily parted with their money.

I hope those tshirts are made in the US or at least somewhere in the western world where they will last a long time.

Guess this is my friday (not quite so) old fart moment.

[Dave Gaul]

I hope those tshirts are made in the US or at least somewhere in the western world where they will last a long time.



They don't have to last that long... they will be "old" to the people who buy them as soon as new ones come out!

[John Coloccia]

I believe those were Hypercolor shirts. I dated someone in college that was into those.

[David Weaver]

Yes, "Genera Hypercolor".

There were a couple not-so-well-off kids (2 or 3) in my school who managed to get them and they wore them out fast - wore them 3 or 4 times a week - same shirt. Being from a rural area, most kids' parents weren't going to spring for a shirt that would be equivalent to $50 now, and most kids who had jobs weren't about to spend 12 hours of after tax dollars on one shirt.

I remember the pumps, too. I had a pair of the pumps when I was 13. I should be ashamed to admit that, but I got them after they were out for a year and found them on sale for about $25 more than "regular" shoes (my dad made me pay the difference). Mad TV did a spoof of shoes about then with a pair called "cranks" that had a big crank on the side of them.

I understand the appeal of goofy nonsensical trends to kids - kids don't pay bills, buy food or plan for retirement. When it's adults, though, I wonder which gears are missing in their brains.

Not the same gears apparently that cause us to make furniture for more than it costs to buy it :eek::D

[John Mark Lane]

I have a number of clients in the apparel industries, and I can tell you, there's almost nothing in the clothing world that is made in the US any more. Can you spell China. :)

[David Weaver]

That's what I was assuming, it was almost a snarky comment to say "i hope they're made in the USA".

Given the rarified air that you have to be in to make a $130 tshirt (and sell it), I guess i was hoping a little bit at least that there would be some pride in origin of a quality good.

Of course, saying that reminds me of all of the tin can buyer beware things we made here before they went overseas. I know you can probably get quality goods out of china if you're willing to specify what you want and pay the price to get it.

[Craig D Peltier]

I own several Armani Exchange V Neck T shirts. I wear them because they feel great on, very soft and very thin for hot weather. Although there not $50 , there maybe 20 but thats still pricey for a T.
I dont get the Ed Hardy stuff though , it has way to much going on with it and in big letters his name brand. Talk about free publicity, like walking banners. The guy is worth like a billion bucks from that.
It reminded me of Tommy Hilfiger when it first came out, i didnt buy any of that cause of the huge logos across it. No subtlety.

[Craig D Peltier]

When I was in high school, I remember those goofy shirts that changed color depending on how hot you were. I don't remember how much they cost, there's no way I was going to get one.

I just heard an ad on the radio for designer tshirts, so I looked online and I see t-shirts for $75-$130. I see a lot of them downtown where I work, obviously not by the people working, because they're not wearing tshirts. They're on the people who seem least able to afford something like that.

What am I missing? I'm not poor by any means, but I'm thinking I should hire a college design student, have them make some shirts that look like tattoos, and price them at $300, because that'd be a good way to find the dumbest of the customers who are the most easily parted with their money.

I hope those tshirts are made in the US or at least somewhere in the western world where they will last a long time.

Guess this is my friday (not quite so) old fart moment.

Dave watched this show that Joan Rivers host now called something like " How did you get so rich" This guy was worth 50 mil from selling Billy Bob Teeth and now he has hats with mullets and baby binkys with something on it. 50 mil from online retail for friking bad hygeine teeth.Unreal.

[Jim Koepke]

Kids feel a lot of pressure to "fit in" with the "in crowd."

It is a shame that they think if they wear the right tee shirt or right pants, it is going to make them cool and everyone will like them. Some people never learn the lessons and that is why there is so much materialism and "keeping up with the Joneses."

Kids want to have "the look."

I like what Dolly Parton said, "you have no idea how much it costs to look so cheap."

jim

[Jim Rimmer]

There's a t shirt company in Los Angeles. They only hire documented workers, pay a living wage, and are nice to the workers. They've been featured on a couple of news programs. I think you have to find them in a boutique and I can't remember the name. Something like American Clothing or something along that line. Senior Moment:confused:

[Zach England]

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2009/04/13/124-hating-people-who-wear-ed-hardy/

[David Weaver]

I'm surprised that's listed on their site (haven't been to it in a while) as something "white people hate". Most of the people I see wearing ed hardy stuff are white, and I never even heard about it until the guy from pawn stars mentioned getting the old man to wear ed hardy jeans if he could beat him on a bet.

I figured they had something to do with tattoos and then just got expensive because they learned that there is a segment of the population who has no concept of money.

[Horton Brasses]

There is an inappropriate for SMC joke about why people wear Ed Hardy shirts-something like they exist so you can spot certain types at 100 yards.

American Apparel is made in the USA (if you can call California the USA:-), and there is other clothing made in the USA as well. Ibex wool clothing is made in VT. Some New Balance shoes are made in the US as well.

[Zach England]

I'm surprised that's listed on their site (haven't been to it in a while) as something "white people hate". Most of the people I see wearing ed hardy stuff are white, and I never even heard about it until the guy from pawn stars mentioned getting the old man to wear ed hardy jeans if he could beat him on a bet.

I figured they had something to do with tattoos and then just got expensive because they learned that there is a segment of the population who has no concept of money.


That site should be "stuff yuppies like".


I actually like most of the stuff it mentions, but I probably qualify as a yuppie in most respects. I did not know what "Ed Hardy" was until I read it there.

[Bryan Morgan]

When I was in high school, I remember those goofy shirts that changed color depending on how hot you were. I don't remember how much they cost, there's no way I was going to get one.

I just heard an ad on the radio for designer tshirts, so I looked online and I see t-shirts for $75-$130. I see a lot of them downtown where I work, obviously not by the people working, because they're not wearing tshirts. They're on the people who seem least able to afford something like that.

What am I missing? I'm not poor by any means, but I'm thinking I should hire a college design student, have them make some shirts that look like tattoos, and price them at $300, because that'd be a good way to find the dumbest of the customers who are the most easily parted with their money.

I hope those tshirts are made in the US or at least somewhere in the western world where they will last a long time.

Guess this is my friday (not quite so) old fart moment.


Awesome marketing. Same $5 shirt as everyone else except it has some pretentious logo on it. They actually convinced people that they are somehow "cooler" or "better" than other people by wearing clothing with their company logos on it. People want this so much, apparently, they are willing to pay extra for it.

Sorry, if I am wearing your company logo and effectively advertising for you, you are paying me.

[Chris Damm]

It just shows that P T Barnum was right!

[Pat Germain]

Our country has a very large segment of people who are young, idle and loaded. This is the crowd that people like Lindsay Lohan hang out with. (Strangely, even she can't keep up with these people because, sometimes, even she has to work.) Every day these young royals get up some time in the late afternoon, have an expensive meal, talk on an expensive phone, put on expensive clothes then get into an expensive car and drive to expensive clubs where they party all night.

If you can come up with a product these people like, you can make a fortune. They have money to burn and will burn it on whatever they think is cool. It doesn't matter what working people think. But if working people want to spend their hard-earned dough on such nonsense, manufacturers are happy to take it.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

[...]t-shirts for $75-$130. [..] on the people who seem least able to afford something like that.
What am I missing?

Well have you looked at the prices of jerseys branded by a vocational ball team?

I was going to get a AZ Diamondback jersey just to show my support in their time of need and when I logged to their site and saw the cost I decided I could show support some other way.

[Belinda Barfield]

When I was growing up everything I wore came from Sears. Small rural town, Sears catalog, one week for delivery. As I got older I decided I wanted to be different (bet that comes as a surprise:rolleyes:) so I refused to wear anything "brand name" or with a logo. I still refuse to wear anything with a logo with the the exception of Levi's jeans and some shoes. That's a fit/comfort issue though. I just never got the whole thing of wearing something because it was expensive and was free advertising for a company. Oops, I have to take part of that back. I do have a Piglet t-shirt that a friend got for me at Disney. I never wear it, but it is hanging in the closet.

[Dan Hintz]

Our country has a very large segment of people who are young, idle and have not yet exhausted their credit.
Fixed that there for ya, Pat... :)

[Pat Germain]

Fixed that there for ya, Pat... :)

Good point, Dan. But I don't think they can do that anymore.

Seriously, most people would be dumbfounded to know how many "rich kids" there are running around the country. I grew up in Southern California and saw some of it first hand. I've travelled a lot around the US and have seen many young people with more money than they know what to do with. You can see some of them on reality shows like "Jersey Shore".

Oh, these young people didn't earn the money. They inherit it. They have trust funds. They have expense accounts. They have large investments which pay dividends. Since their not Hollywood celebrities, they can do pretty much what they want and nobody bothers them.

So, when we see products and services which are obviously overpriced and a bit stupid, there's no need to wonder who would pay for it. It's not us.

[Belinda Barfield]

Oh, these young people didn't earn the money. They inherit it. They have trust funds. They have expense accounts. They have large investments which pay dividends. Since their not Hollywood celebrities, they can do pretty much what they want and nobody bothers them.

I know a young man here in Savannah who is the heir to a local empire. He is his grandfather's favorite. I won't say he is worthless, but I will say I wouldn't depend on him in a crisis. He has put more money up his nose than a lot of us will ever see. He's living on his trust fund and taking the occasional odd job just for fun. When he finally inherits his portion of the estate it will amount to somewhere around 25 million. I hope he lives long enough to enjoy it. It just seems like such as waste as this kid was a really talented designer and just basically decided when he hit 25 that he didn't give a rat's patootie.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I refused to wear anything "brand name" or with a logo. I still refuse to wear anything with a logo with the the exception of Levi's jeans and some shoes.

Exactly~!!
I think it is the height of some unpleasant term I won't use here, to pay good money to turn oneself into an autoperambulant advertising campaign for some "for profit" enterprise. Who really thinks that associating oneself with a company by wearing brand swag says anything at all about the individual?

Now if it's as to some de-mining project in some benighted place on earth forgotten by an unkind god, or to feed the children somewhere or to provide housing for homeless mothers and their children -- well I might make an exception.

[Pat Germain]

Exactly~!!
I think it is the height of some unpleasant term I won't use here, to pay good money to turn oneself into an autoperambulant advertising campaign for some "for profit" enterprise. Who really thinks that associating oneself with a company by wearing brand swag says anything at all about the individual?

Now if it's as to some de-mining project in some benighted place on earth forgotten by an unkind god, or to feed the children somewhere or to provide housing for homeless mothers and their children -- well I might make an exception.

I agree when it comes to clothing. But I must admit, I would really enjoy driving a car with big "Ford", "Shelby" and "Mustang" badges on it.

[Belinda Barfield]

Darn, here I go eating my words again. I do wear my American Cancer Society Relay for Life T-shirts.

[David Weaver]

Well have you looked at the prices of jerseys branded by a vocational ball team?


Hockey jerseys are the same way. I haven't seen anyone in an authentic baseball jersey here because the team is terrible (I'm sure if I looked when I drive by the stadium before a game, I'd see one, they're just not as popular as they'd be in yankee stadium).

However, everyone and their brother seems to have one or two or three penguins jerseys. I remember being in jr high (this is a long time ago now) and being shocked that a buddy of mine paid $100 for a devils jersey. Gotta think an official jersey costs more than that now, and the "true fans" have all of the different colors plus all of the specialty jerseys that they have when they decide not to wear their regular ones (which I would guess is just a way to sell more jerseys to fans).

I've never bought one.

(I see from a quick google that the magic of overseas manufacturing has kept the increase in price "down to" $50 over the original $100, or $150.)

[Pat Germain]

Darn, here I go eating my words again. I do wear my American Cancer Society Relay for Life T-shirts.

Well, I think everyone would agree you get a MAJOR pass for those shirts, Belinda. After all, pretty much everyone knows someone affected by cancer.

[Belinda Barfield]

Well, I think everyone would agree you get a MAJOR pass for those shirts, Belinda. After all, pretty much everyone knows someone affected by cancer.

Sadly, this is true Pat.

I have the shirts and a few team captain hats, a couple of coffee mugs, an insulated lunch bag, and a few other things I'm sure. I could definitely be a walking ad for ACS.