Dear Threadless

So Threadless is having a $5 sale this week, and it got me thinking. They sure to sell a lot of shirts! I had never really considered where this particular company got its shirts made or where the materials come from, and considering the volume they produce, their methods and materials must have a huge impact! The Threadless site says that their shirts are sweatshop-free, so I was just looking for a bit more info about that. Since Dave’s and my googling didn’t really go anywhere, I decided to just ask for myself! Here’s the email I sent them:

Hey There!

My husband and I are huge Threadless fans, and I had a couple of questions for you. We try really hard to purchase items that are good for the planet and good for its people. I read that you pay your designers quite well and wanted to say I think that’s amazing. Indie designers are so undervalued, it’s refreshing to see a company treating them right!

Right, so on to my questions!

1. Can you tell me about the factory(ies?) where your shirts are made and who makes them?
2. Can you tell me about where your cotton comes from? I’m concerned about the impacts of conventional cotton on both farmers and the land they work. Where do you source your cotton from, and how is it grown?

Thank you so much! I look forward to hearing back!

Take care,
Becky

They wrote me back the same day that I emailed (Monday), and I was really impressed with how transparent the email was. Check it:

Hi Becky!

Thanks for the positive feedback!

We print on 2 tee types: Threadless Custom and American Apparel, both are 100% cotton. All AA tees are made in the USA.

Some of our Threadless Custom items are made in the US and some are made overseas . All Hoodies, Long Sleeve shirts, Kids & Baby items are all made in the US. Most of the short sleeve tees are made in Bangladesh.

The shirts made overseas are manufactured in an updated facility built in 1996. This facility is not a sweatshop. We understand that overseas manufacturing can bring up some concerns about factory conditions, but we have confirmed the labor conditions are 100% up to US standards. The manufacturing plant we are using is also a part of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (http://bgmea.com.bd/) and a member of the Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production Group (http://www.wrapapparel.org).

All tees are printed in Chicago.

We are unsure of the origin of the cotton, but we’ll send you an update if we are able to find out more information. Sorry for the trouble!

Have a wonderful day!

Carlie
Threadless Customer Service
Thank you for shopping at Threadless.com!

I have a lot of respect for anyone who will come clean and tell me that they just don’t know the answer. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for an update about the cotton they use. Of course, I’ll update if/when they get back to me!

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