[lburton3]

I'M SORRY. I know this is not a good way to introduce myself to the boards, but I've been into designing t-shirts for a few months now (not very long, I know), and I've been looking around at different indie brands and "street fashion" websites, and most of what I've seen is completely ridiculous looking, and the prices are even more ridiculous.

It sure does seem like I'm hating on everybody/everything, and I KNOW that I need to just find my own niche and follow where it takes me (which is exactly what I'm doing), but I can't help looking at other people's stuff and just wonder to myself "Do people actually buy this crap?" Seriously, most of it looks like it has been designed by a 8-year-old kid or something... like this here for example:

This wouldn't be so bad if it cost $8.40 in the kids section of Wal-Mart, but $84.00 for this piece of "high fashion"?! You've gotta be kidding me. Where's the fashion? Where's the art? Where's the big message? Where's the "lifestyle of the moden day billionaires" as the company so desperately shoots for? I'm just not seeing any of it. Seriously, if somebody can explain this to me, please do.

And this just one example of what I'm talking about - I could go on for hours!

$82.00

$120.00

...etc etc etc.



AND THEY DON'T EVEN LOOK GOOD! SERIOUSLY - HOW DO THEY STAY IN BUSINESS!?!

 

[prometheus]

I saw a rich old ladies in Miami wear that first one back in the late 80's/early 90's.

 

[rainbrunn5]

good point, the first example really is extremely ugly. the fashion business is a strange one. sometimes you just can not explain why something sells so good, not saying that i assume this shirts sell well. let this first ugly **** appear in any music / tv related environment and boom, you can sell thousands of them. very strange, yet exciting business.

 

[maXmood]

garment quality probably???

 

[adfw76]

brand name , people will pay what they think its worth. Its like art , you say this is worth x amount of pounds and people say ok, it must be. If youve got 120 dollars to spend on a t that looks like that then you wont be worrying about money. If you havnt got it youll try and get it to keep up.

 

[upnya]

I agree, its just one of those things where you sell what people want to buy, not what you think they want to buy

 

[Solmu]

I think people buy stuff like this, they just don't wear it. They get it home and realise "What the hell was I thinking?", or they wear it a couple of times and stop when their friends (or worse still, potential hook-ups) ask why they're wearing such an ugly shirt.

Hard to be sure that's the case - but when was the last time you actually saw someone walking down the street wearing that ugly ****? Yet, when was the last time a fashion company selling that ugly **** went out of business?

Seems to me there's stuff in every fashion cycle that slowly sells... it just doesn't get worn (how many of us have bought something ugly, but never ended up wearing it? I'm raising my hand to that one).

Maybe they didn't even produce many units - it's just there to grab attention. You can bet it'll be the first thing on the sale rack come season's end.

 

[limey16]

Even ugly women find a husband, so beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

There's no accounting for taste, otherwise GM would never have sold a single Aztec !

Perhaps it's a good thing too, otherwise many of us would be out of business.

 

[adfw76]

Definately, if we didnt have bad stuff my stuff wouldnt look decent. It takes al sorts to...etc etc

 

[TeddyRocky]

Yes people do actually buy this stuff. It's a matter of personal taste. I bet you, your designs won't be adored by everyone either.

I read your other post hating on Affliction, and yeah its overdone, but is it overdone by them or other people influencing their own brands with their specific style? (One downfall for them is that I don't think they have prepared themselves as a diverse brand so when the trend has ended, they could fine themselves in trouble, but who is to say they won't launch another brand with another name?)

You also have to learn more about brand loyalty. If an Ed Hardy fan buys his clothing regularly, and his litterally prints poo, yes poo, people will still buy it!

So instead of knocking them so much, learn from them. They are very smart brands.

 

[lburton3]

Yes people do actually buy this stuff. It's a matter of personal taste. I bet you, your designs won't be adored by everyone either.

I read your other post hating on Affliction, and yeah its overdone, but is it overdone by them or other people influencing their own brands with their specific style? (One downfall for them is that I don't think they have prepared themselves as a diverse brand so when the trend has ended, they could fine themselves in trouble, but who is to say they won't launch another brand with another name?)

You also have to learn more about brand loyalty. If an Ed Hardy fan buys his clothing regularly, and his litterally prints poo, yes poo, people will still buy it!

So instead of knocking them so much, learn from them. They are very smart brands.

I understand brand loyalty.

I was not knocking the specific brands I mentioned (like Affliction), I'm just knocking the now-completely-overdone style as a whole, it the sense that it is no longer artistic or creative in any sense at all. This does not revert back to Affliction, because they are the innovators and trend-setters. They started from nothing and became everything.

I HAVE learned from them (as in the big brands, like Ed Hardy, Affliction, even the classics like Gap and Abercrombie), and this is what I've learned: You've got to stick with your gut instinct. You've got to produce what you believe in. Don't worry about what everyone else is designing, and what's selling. You've got to ignore the current "trends" and believe that yours will make it big. If it doesn't, keep trying. If you can see a market for your designs, do it. Never give up, no matter what everyone else is saying. Almost every big brand you've ever heard of has created their clothing empires from absolutely nothing.

What have YOU learned?

 

[Rodney]

Honestly, it seems pretty rude to make posts just to bash other companies.

Sure, it's great that you learned what not to do, but bashing other people's buying tastes and design tastes aren't really helpful just because they aren't inline with your own design ideals.

Everyone has different tastes and business goals.

If they don't work for you, great. But why make such mean spirited posts about it? It's not really productive and the people you're making fun of could be reading this thread.

This forum is about helping others, not making fun of others whose business ideals or design tastes you don't agree with.

 

[lburton3]

Honestly, it seems pretty rude to make posts just to bash other companies.

Sure, it's great that you learned what not to do, but bashing other people's buying tastes and design tastes aren't really helpful just because they aren't inline with your own design ideals.

Everyone has different tastes and business goals.

If they don't work for you, great. But why make such mean spirited posts about it? It's not really productive and the people you're making fun of could be reading this thread.

This forum is about helping others, not making fun of others whose business ideals or design tastes you don't agree with.

Rodney, I know I came off like I was bashing other brands and clothing styles (which I'm sure I was..), but my main intention to posting this thread was to see if anybody in these forums (who are obviously big t-shirt fans) had ever purchased any of the clothing similar to the things that I listed (for such absurd prices), and their thought process regarding the whole thing. I also just wanted to hear other people's opinions regarding the clothing styles - but I can see where I gave a negative vibe to the whole post.

Personally, I think the tees that I'm designing right now are a bit crazy and out there (mainly because I haven't really seen any other companies sporting similar designs), and I just wanted to see what people thought about the current "trends" before releasing my own designs. I'm sure there will be TONS of people who don't like my designs as well, but constructive criticism never hurt anybody. I guess it's kind of just a market analysis thing, still just trying to figure out who's buying what to determine my niche in the market.

I think I may have a problem with saying exactly what's on my mind, because I'm not afraid to say what I think.

I'll quit posting negative comments/threads, though. Sorry.

 

[adfw76]

I feel people have been a bit overly sensitive on this post. I agree the post should be about positivity and helping but, critisicsm is part of that. This is a discussion, if people cant voice an opinion then what kind off decent debate can you have, which is what he wanted- a debate. I agree although maybe a LITTLE harsh with your initial comments ,affliction are big enough and hard enough to take a bit of critisism. If i was from affllciton reading this id be like " so what ", look at my brand and how well we've done.Its great people are talking like this. If you get so big and continue to do the same thing then good on you, but they know better than anyone that it wont last for ever.As long as the celebrities wear the designs the everyman will buy them and that . is what sells tshirts on a mass scale. Celebrity and connections is what ed hardy and affliciton have been masters off. Throw in some decent design and hard work and there you have it. But in order to establish new trends to keep things moving a little bit of critisism is necessary, opinion is jast that, opinion.

 

[lburton3]

Thank you Andy! You understand what I was going for here, even though this thread was more targeted to the clothing brands without any style at all (like the pictures I posted), but seems to have transformed to a discussion of Affliction, which DOES have great style and celebrity backing (what I was trying to get across about Affliction is that the whole style is just wayyy overdone right now and copied by other smaller brands trying to piggyback off of the success of Affliction).

 

[TshirtGuru]

I understand brand loyalty.

I was not knocking the specific brands I mentioned (like Affliction), I'm just knocking the now-completely-overdone style as a whole, it the sense that it is no longer artistic or creative in any sense at all. This does not revert back to Affliction, because they are the innovators and trend-setters. They started from nothing and became everything.

I HAVE learned from them (as in the big brands, like Ed Hardy, Affliction, even the classics like Gap and Abercrombie), and this is what I've learned: You've got to stick with your gut instinct. You've got to produce what you believe in. Don't worry about what everyone else is designing, and what's selling. You've got to ignore the current "trends" and believe that yours will make it big. If it doesn't, keep trying. If you can see a market for your designs, do it. Never give up, no matter what everyone else is saying. Almost every big brand you've ever heard of has created their clothing empires from absolutely nothing.

What have YOU learned?

Do you know for a fact that Affliction IS the trend-setter? Who is to say they saw this style elsewhere and decided to bring it into their own brand?

And what you think you have learned may not hold so true when it comes to the real world. As you say, you are just starting out. If anything, you should be asking more questions then trying to school other forum members.

Anyhow, good luck to you. You sound like you know what you are doing. (sadly enough I hear customers like you all day long...and the sentence starts like this, "dear printer, i am starting a clothing line and for now I just want to print 24, but when this takes off hopefully we can start a long term relationship." and my initial thought, "oh crap, another clothing line that doesn't have a clue...."

 

[TshirtGuru]

Thank you Andy! You understand what I was going for here, even though this thread was more targeted to the clothing brands without any style at all (like the pictures I posted), but seems to have transformed to a discussion of Affliction, which DOES have great style and celebrity backing (what I was trying to get across about Affliction is that the whole style is just wayyy overdone right now and copied by other smaller brands trying to piggyback off of the success of Affliction).

Then do something about it!!!! You talk about other private lines not having any style, who are you to say? Are you representing all humans?

(and no, i don't wear affliction...)

You start to sound ignorant when you are bashing other lines when you have nothing to show...

 

[lburton3]

Do you know for a fact that Affliction IS the trend-setter? Who is to say they saw this style elsewhere and decided to bring it into their own brand?

And what you think you have learned may not hold so true when it comes to the real world. As you say, you are just starting out. If anything, you should be asking more questions then trying to school other forum members.

Anyhow, good luck to you. You sound like you know what you are doing. (sadly enough I hear customers like you all day long...and the sentence starts like this, "dear printer, i am starting a clothing line and for now I just want to print 24, but when this takes off hopefully we can start a long term relationship." and my initial thought, "oh crap, another clothing line that doesn't have a clue...."

I know for a fact that Affliction is the trend-setter because every single person who wants to get into that style of clothing refers to THEM as their main source of style and inspiration. Just looking on these forums, it's pretty evident. I didn't say that they were the FIRST to ever use these specific styles and designs, but they are definitely the most well-know (by far), and are the ones being followed my smaller wannabe t-shirt designers. As a matter of fact, they probably DID see the style elsewhere and brought it into their own brand, but in doing so, with their fantastic marketing and business sense, they did in fact set the trend... hence - trend-setters.

The reason I haven't asked so many questions is because I'm still doing research, and most of the questions that I would be asking have already been answered in these informative forums. I never tried to "school" forum members - I just stated my opinion regarding the style in this thread, and many of the members have agreed with me, as well as some that have disagreed. To each his own.

I sense the sarcasm, and I don't appreciate being targeted. I just started my opinion, and who are you to tell me that I'm wrong in believing what I believe? I already apologized for being somewhat harsh about the whole thing, and I made it clear that everything I've said is PERSONAL OPINION.

...and what makes you think I don't have a clue? What makes you think I went to a printer and said that to them? What makes you think that I won't be printing these shirts myself? What makes you think that I might not have been associated with another design firm in the past and accumulated experience in the industry before trying to start up something myself?

That's quite a bit of assumption, and I think it was uncalled for.

 

[lburton3]

Then do something about it!!!! You talk about other private lines not having any style, who are you to say? Are you representing all humans?

(and no, i don't wear affliction...)

You start to sound ignorant when you are bashing other lines when you have nothing to show...

What makes you think I'm not doing something about it? What makes you think I don't already have an entire line of designs ready to be printed? And how many times do I have to say these are all PERSONAL OPINIONS? I never mentioned anything about representing all humans.

Just because I have't shown anything doesn't mean I don't have anything to show. Thats just downright mean.

 

[TshirtGuru]

I have my opinions too. Didn't mean to make you upset, sheesh.

BTW: "Do people actually buy this crap?" Seriously, most of it looks like it has been designed by a 8-year-old kid or something... like this here for example:"

From your original post is "uncalled for." You shouldn't make assumptions that other peoples hard work is considered crap to everyone. To each his own.