I haven’t ordered a shirt in ages. Back in 2008ish for a span of like 2 years, I ordered a buttload of shirts and most of them have lasted this long. I still have some of the originals. BUT. Time passes. Crap ages. Crap happens.
Things are clearly very different around here. Can any of the primordial Shirt wooters who have stuck around tell me what style to order to get the same quality as the American Apparel made shirts from old timey times? If I was as rich now as I’d planned to be back in 2007 or whenever, I’d just order some samples and suck it up if they were crappy cotton-poly blends that end up pilling (peeling? Sp?). Or even if they were crap quality cotton, as so many of today’s clothes are and shaped like a potato sack–I would love to know I’m getting the same fitted AA style from before the weirdness was outed over the AA CEO and the factory closed, or what have you.
If I can have it, I want cotton Ts that last for ten years, like my black zebra turning into feathers shirt. Or my The Binge shirt with Cookie Monster passed out from a hard night of overdrinking milk and cookies. You know? I’m on the prowl and need some decent Ts that I won’t regret spending money on. That’s what Shirt Woot used to be to me. Things happened. My loyalty faded. But, maybe this is still the shirt oasis I had grown to love, nay, adore. Was I wrong to fade away and vanish? That was a result of having two babies and moving cross-country, as much as it was my waning fanaticism over the big buy-out (which was a win for some, a loss for others…perhaps?).
Anyway. Advice needed. If you read this far, thank you, I adore you. Now tell me what you know, if you’d be so kind. <3
And if this is moderated and not the place to post, I apologize. I can’t really see a designated Shirt Woot section for posting except this artist’s central.
I don’t think there is an available style that is the same as AA. Also, they are all digital prints now, so that’ll be different too. Nothing is the same. Everything changes. Death comes to all.
I go Classic Fit but mostly because I’m a bigger guy (2XL) and never get anything that’s fitted. I think these fit close to the AA but are not the same. I think I actually like these better. Have not figured out the durability yet. I’m not in T-Shirts as much as I used to be, stupid office job.
Like @bsmith1 said though, these are all digital prints now. I haven’t had any issues with it but, again, I’m not wearing t-shirts as much as before.
OK. That explains some things. About 4 years ago I ordered a Men’s small and it was ok. The fit wasn’t too bad. But the design (Exercise! Some motivation required) is now fading and peeling off. Meanwhile, my Shrodinger’s Cat psychedelic design is fresh as a spring chicken. All the old designs are.
You’re right that things change! But they don’t get better. I’d love to find T shirts that are well made and keep their colors, their shape. That was what shirt woot was for me. Down with fast fashion and cheap answers for the masses! lol
Mtn3pitt, thanks for your response! I know your pain. Office jobs RUIN T-shirt fun.
I didn’t know that about the digital prints, but it certainly explains some things. I know it’s possible because I have proof, that the old designs can last forever. So, I do wish the designs weren’t digital. My old shirts are still going strong. I should post photos here.
They definitely don’t make the like they used to. I have significantly slowed down on my purchases as well. When it was “Buy it now or it goes away forever” I bought often. Now? Most everything is in the catalog (with some exceptions, of course) so there’s less urgency to buy.
I’ve got some early ones that still look pristine. Just need to get back down to an XL and I can wear them again without having to stretch them out and feel like my gut is hanging out…
That was true for me as well–forced scarcity was a major impetus to buy! I also thought I was getting a collector’s item, so that factored into it as well. I was incredibly sad when I ruined my first round of TJost’s, the Binge, but then pumped when I could repurchase it, but then sad that it wasn’t the same quality and, dang, now everyone can have one.
Somedays I fantasize about making my own t-shirt business that’s pristine quality. Only the best. There’s a market for it, I think. But my plate is too full at the moment and I keep hoping I’ll stumble on someone else’s foray and benefit from it.
I think they could even make a branch of Shirt Woot that’s the old style. Charge $40 a shirt, and then retire the designs after a year into the catalog and the lower quality stuff. And just be open about it. There would be people like me that would by the better quality. shrug
I think they (Woot) have talked about some of those ideas but when it comes down to business, they have to make a buck. There are a few of us who would be into that (probably more than a few) but I don’t think it’s enough for them to be able to convince Bezos to go for it. shrugs What do I know? Just sell me some t-shirts.
Personally, I think to NOT do it is actually missing the current trends in clothing. As more bad press comes out about fast fashion and the toll it’s taking on the environment, the buying trends will move away from crappy products that fall apart fast though they cost less. Eco-friendly (even if it’s not perfectly eco-friendly), will be the new model. IMO. And that’s all it is. At least I see that Woot isn’t selling cotton-poly blends. They’re the worst. haha!
Hello @grotepas, I’m on the Shirt team over here at Woot and I’m hoping I can help with some of your questions.
We currently use Bella Canvas for our fitted shirts and Port & Company for our classic. The Bella would be closest in fit to the AA shirts, but they are going to be a little lighter weight fabric…which also makes them really scrummy and soft. The classic fit shirts are probably most comparable in fabric. They are both premium brands so in terms of shirt quality, you will be safe. General consensus on the fitted shirts though is to size up. They are pretty fitted - I’d recommend taking a look at our size charts for true fit because they may have changed from previous suppliers.
As for digital printing, it tests to last longer than screen prints. Two of our team members can attest to owning shirts from as far back as 2016 and the print quality has held up through many washes - we wear t-shirts to work EVERY DAY! Well not me. Sometimes I wear cute dresses. Or a fancy romper. Or a blouse…wherever the mood takes me.
We are also always improving the quality of the printing through inks, printers and quality controls so we do only get better! In fact we have some sweet new inks that print whiter whites and more vibrant colors than ever before (making that up, I don’t actually know if it’s the brightest ever but it sounds good) so now is the time to buy. I can’t explain the science behind it because I’m no scientist.
Thanks for the info. I’ll try them out. For the record, I have a newer shirt from 2016 or so and it’s not holding up as well as the shirts from the 2009 era. But maybe that was a one-off.
Like I said, I’ll try out a couple. I appreciate your response. That helps!
Cool, let us know if you have any other questions.
We switched over to Bella in 2017 and Port in 2018, so if it’s the actual shirt from '16 that’s not holding up, hopefully you’ll see a quality improvement in your next order. If it’s the printing, hopefully it’s a one-off.
Also, thank you for your money. I can continue to be paid to provide semi-helpful (possibly made-up) answers right here. You’re also buying an artist a sandwich. Albeit, not a fancy sandwich. Just like a peanut butter and jelly.
Cool! Yeah, it was the printing. I can send you a photo if it helps. The shirt itself is mostly fine. I bought a few in the past five or six years. Nothing like I bought back in the primitive times when they were one time gigs only. One shirt hasn’t held up as impressively as the black one. Anyway, thanks. I wasn’t looking to complain, really, just get some insight on a landscape that has changed drastically since I was active in the community.
I have to work to pay for my drug shirt habit, y’know!
Yeah, a lot has changed in the past 11 years here. Not that this is a complete timeline, but here are some key points with regards to the printing and blanks:
2007 to February 2012: All shirts are printed on American Apparel blanks. These were fully made in the USA and characterized by tags proclaiming that they shouldn’t be used as pants.
February 2012 to August 2014: The majority of shirts are printed on custom made blanks sourced from Anvil. Though the tags still have the disclaimer, these are characterized by their oversized necklines and women’s shirts that got mistaken for men’s.
August 2014 to February 2018: No more custom tags for new shipments; the standard blanks are (mutant) Anvils. These are characterized by the tiny armpit pinching sleeves, a tight neckline, and the penchant to shrink like 10% after a wash.
July 2015: Option for AA blanks (at a premium) added back in.
July 2016: Pretty much all printing, including dailies, moved to DTG (direct to garment).
March 2017: Supplies of AA have dried up since they went bankrupt. Premium option moved to Bella + Canvas.
March 2018: No more Anvil. Complaints on the shirt.woot forums finally drop.
At least for the men/unisex shirts, of the two current shirt types offered, the sleeve and collar fit of the classic (Port and Company) is close to that of AA; the body is a bit looser, the fabric slightly heavier, and subjectively, a tad bit less soft. The fitted option is similar in the body, but the sleeves are tapered a slight bit more, the neckline a bit looser, and the fabric a bit thinner but softer. Neither are bad options.
This is one aspect that has shifted the sales away from the dailies. If a shirt is available at any time, I don’t need to buy it now before it “gets away”.
Several years back in the reckoning days, there was a short run of “shirt.woot classics”, which were screen printed and did sell at a higher price. As I recall, the demand wasn’t there.
Designs on heathered colors, sweatshirts, and hoodies are printed on cotton-poly blends.
Alas, I have several shirts that did not fare so well and didn’t even make it past its first wash. I just hope support can understand why it takes me years before a shirt enters wear rotation.
If it was an Anvil blank, I’m surprised!
You mean back when a daily can clear 2,000 sales and still not make it past a week in the reckoning because it was so competitive?
(I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that the old reckoning threads are offline now …)
Narfcake! I remember you. I wasn’t a mover and a shaker like you back in the day, but I haven’t forgotten a name like yours. <3
I remember a lot of whining about RamyB back in the day lol. I actually never bought any of his/her shirts, but I ran into a booth for Ramy’s shirts at the SLC comic con, like the first run. Totally recognized Ramy’s style and everything. It was wicked!
My favorite designers are still my favorites. Patrickspens, Walmazan, SpiritGreen. Some others.
I’ll post more later, but I wanted to thank you for the amazing timeline and response. It was good to hear from a veteran standard bearer like you! <3 I love it that RamyB did something cool with their business.
<3
