3 Great Eco-Conscious Custom T-Shirt Brands.
Nowadays, we’re all aware of environmental issues. In truth, it’s fair to say such concerns affect virtually every area of life. That is, altering priorities and behaviour – how we do things, where we shop and what we buy. Naturally, our industry, printing and embroidery, is also changing in response to such concerns. That’s one of the reason why, for Fifth Column, ethical t shirt printing became a key part of our outlook and the way we operate. Because creating eco-conscious custom t-shirts is increasingly important. And there’s no better place to start than choosing a great blank surface to decorate – plain clothing designed for customisation.
To that end, we’ve picked a selection of tees from three of the best eco-aware custom brands out there. These are shirts intended for printing and personalisation and manufactured from materials which are kinder to the environment. Plus, accredited by reputable organisations for not only the authenticity of the fabrics but the supply chain behind them. Well worth a look if you’re already engaged in an eco-conscious approach or simply considering taking steps in that direction.
Stanley Stella Sparker
Let’s start our look at eco-conscious custom t-shirts with a heavyweight. Specifically, the Stanley Stella Sparker tee (code STTM559), which boasts a weight of 220 G/M² in its organic cotton. Other than that, this shirt is unisex and comes in a very good range of sizes and colours.
Stanley Stella Rocker
Our second product is another unisex gem, the Stanley Stella Rocker (code STTU758). Again, made from ring-spun combed organic cotton although this time a light to mid-weight option at 150 G/M². Similar to our first choice, there are lots of scintillating colours and a massive size range in the Rocker tee.
Stella Collider
Now, here we have a rather stylish ladies shirt. Namely, the Stella Collider (code STTW089). With its rolled sleeve, Dolman neck, and rounded bottom hem, this one has a distinctive charm. As you might expect, organic cotton fabric. Plus sizes from XS to XXL and an interesting colour palette.
Stanley Stella Shifts Dry
We simply had to include a long sleeve tee. After all, they’re a super choice for the right screen printing project. And this Stanley Stella Shifts Dry (code STTM558) is a particularly nice example. Not least because of the dry hand feeling and unisex styling which is brilliant for certain sorts of custom branding.
Getting Eco-Conscious with Stanley Stella Shirts.
Not surprisingly, we’ve kicked off with Stanley Stella. To explain, they are quite rightly recognised as one of the most sustainable clothing brands in the world. And that’s a general ranking not just the plain clothing sector. Their charter outlines a commitment to methods of business which include the responsible treatment of people and the planet. By the way, they offer a huge range of merchandise and many more t-shirts than the four we’ve featured above. In truth, we could have chosen any of them in terms of eco-friendlier apparel.
Continental COR19
Our second brand in this piece on eco-conscious custom t-shirts begins with another oversized garment. No surprise that the Continental Clothing COR19 shirt is still sitting squarely in organic cotton country. And it’s also another heavyweight number that’s available in some lovely shades.
Continental COR26
This next Continental item is once again an over sized style. However, the Continental Clothing COR26 is a women’s t-shirt as opposed to the unisex nature of the previous item. In other ways, it’s somewhat similar with the slightly heavier 5.5oz / 185g organic cotton jersey and attractive colour card.
Earth Positive EP01
An interesting aspect of Continental Clothing is the stable of sustainable brand names which fall under the their umbrella. One of which is evidenced here with their fabulous Earth Positive EP01 t-shirt. This is a classic jersey tee that’s unisex and light to middle weight and comes in oodles of cool colours. All organic cotton.
Salvage SA01
To further illustrate Continental’s variety of sustainable brands we have this Salvage SA01 tee. Whereas Earth Positive focuses on organic cotton, Salvage puts the emphasis clearly on recycled fabric content. In this instance, it’s a combination of recycled pre-consumer cotton recycled post-consumer polyester.
Customising Continental Eco-Conscious Tees.
As alluded to with the garments above, Continental Clothing is the signature brand but this company encompasses several different divisions. As well as Earth Positive and Salvage, there is also another called Fair Share. The latter relates to a scheme which ensures a fair living wage for garment workers in their Indian factory. All of these labels are independently accredited and dedicated to an ethical, eco aware form of commercial activity. As with the others appearing in this article, high quality is part of their appeal. And that’s important because clothing has to last to make sense of sustainability.
Neutral Tiger Cotton
Okay, let’s start our snapshot of Neutral (Neutral® Certified Responsibility™) with their Neutral Tiger Cotton (code T61001) tee. This shirt is one of a number of garments that are part of their initiative to not only promote organic farming techniques but also support the restoration of tiger habitats in India.
Neutral Kids.
As with all of the brands featured, Neutral have eco-conscious custom tees for children as well as adults. For example, this Neutral Kids (code O30001) shirt which is made from organic Fairtrade cotton. There are lots of adaptable colours such as the white and dusty mint shown above.
Neutral Recycled Cotton
This Neutral Recycled Cotton t-shirt (code C61001) is crafted from factory production cotton waste and recycled polyester. It’s part of Neutral’s Recycled Cotton Collection. And, we thought, representative of the effort that some suppliers are putting into making plain merchandise more sustainable.
Neutral Performance
Alright, let’s round off with more recycled blank merch from Neutral. In this instance, the Neutral long sleeved performance t-shirt (code R61050). A range of shirts differing from the previous one in that it’s made entirely from recycled polyester. Plus, it’s more targeted at the custom branded active wear market.
Neutral Eco-Conscious Custom T-Shirts.
Our third eco-conscious brand, Neutral® Certified Responsibility™, are yet another with irrefutable credentials when it comes to sustainability. And they have a wealth of certifications, independently defined and monitored, to prove it. Think GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), Fairtrade, SA8000 Standard (social certification) and many more besides. Put quality into that mix and you have a rather attractive combination for printing and embroidery. As with the others, the merchandise highlighted here is only a sample of what’s available from this supplier.
Well, that’s about it for now. Above, we’ve given a flavour of three manufacturers who excel in quality base products. But whatever plain shirt you choose, your custom clothing and t-shirt printing at Fifth Column is guaranteed to be good. We’re talking high quality clothes screen printing and premium embroidery. With a reputation for fairness in all areas of our business.