hand - printed t-shirts | originals & bootlegs
Q&A with the designer / printer
What are your thoughts on blanks?
It used to be that we could all just order American Apparal blanks and be done. They fit perfect, and there was even cheap organic ones that were the best of all worlds. 2015 that goes up in smoke when AA files for bankrupcy. Gilden buys the remains in 2017, and they revive the brand name while using their global economic prowess to make it profitable. LA cut-and-sew factories are now in Nicaragua and Banglaesh. The fit had changed. They are no longer a slam dunk blank, and we have to relearn everything. We also learn that organic cotton is basically total bullsit, so even pretending to be SUSTAINABLE is out the window. So GRUNDLEDOOR INC goes on a crusade to find something else that works, and it is annoying and shitty and takes fucking forever. Research pulls up LOTS of brand worth cosidering, which means lots of dollers out and time spent testing. Remember that all I care about is myself, so I will not settle for anythimng other than the best product with the best value. So after lots of work, I’ve come away with some good up to date info on what is going on out there. Quick rundown is this: mid-range price/quality options are all kind of the same. AA, Bella+Canvas, Next Level all exist on this level. They are all the fucking same. My conclusion after printing and wearing these three brands is AA and Bella are slightly better overall than Next Level. NL cotton quality is best but their fit is weird and too tight and negates their marginal edge in quality. AA iregualr fit is good. Their 1301 thick ass shit (heavyweight) is what streatwear people seem to go for, but that shit is hot as fuck as soon as the temp is over line 60ºF. Layering with other clothes is not easy, so I wanna say that shirt is good for photoshoots only. Maybe after 700 washes it will feel good, but I’m not gonna find out. The AA regular weight, on the other hand, is very much worth considering. The fit is actually pretty good and it is comfortable on day 1 and will probably get softer and more comfortable with time. Bella+Canvas regular weight is
Why did you start making shirts?
What is your backgound?
Where do you get your ideas?