Sailor Jerry X Bad Monday collaboration is now Live!

Congratulations to Sailor Jerry and Bad Monday.  Their collaboration Tees, sweats and hoodies have only recently launched and they are selling well.  

British brand Bad Monday teamed up with Sailor Jerry rum to design a capsule collection for this summer, which is inspired and designed with sketches reminiscent of a by-gone era with a twist of Bad Monday.  

Many of the sketches for the prints call to mind the work of an American tattoo artist Norman Keith Collins, who was known for his sailor-themed tattoos.

As for Bad Monday,  founded by Mark Avey and wife Alice, they have made their name by working with and evolving the “traditional” tattoo style on their Tees, featuring eye-catching, colourful and blocky designs, while their slogan “Inspired by Ink” leaves scope for adaptation in design genre leaving them plenty of room to evolve and expand as well.  The brand was started in their garage in leafy Hertfordshire, UK.  

All products can be found on Sailor Jerry's website.  Just make sure you are of the ripe old age.

We need to think outside the box when it comes to gifting fathers.

A cushion championing Dad for his special place in our hearts could be a good choice as a Father's Day gift.
"Reserved for Dad" cushion from British Heart Foundation.

According to a recent study commissioned by Photobox, more than half of dads (51 percent) complain Mother’s Day is a much bigger deal than Father’s Day in the UK, with a massive 78 percent claiming mums get much more of a fuss made of them on special occasions.

Would a Tie & Apron appeal to dads? Do we want them to work or to relax on Father's Day?
Andres Labi of Estonia, Designer/CEO of Tie & Apron was modelling one of his latest creations at Pulse London
in May 2018.  Content Editor Lucia Carpio was intrigued and tried on another of his creations.  BBQ on Father's Day?

So it comes as no surprise that the majority of fathers (54 percent) responded in the study say that they feel taken for granted by their children, with as many as one in three saying no fuss whatsoever is made for them for birthdays, Christmas or Father’s Day.

And when we do remember to give them gifts, the nation’s dads get some of the most undesirable gifts from their own children.  Items like novelty socks, Y-Fronts, cans of deodorant, hair dye and EVEN verruca cream have been named as some of the WORST presents British dads have ever received, along with book tokens, grass seeds, cans of WD-40 and bottles of shampoo, out of date vouchers, garden spades and football shirts for the wrong club.

Yoda Best Dad T-shirt from M&Co
should appeal to the family Star Wars No.1 fan.

One in three of the 2,000 dads polled, admitted that when they do receive presents, they are more often than not, deeply disappointed.

The study, revealed that the average British mum has £31 splashed out on her on Mother’s Day, while, if we do remember to buy dad a present, it is never worth more than £25, according to the poll.

And this is in spite of the fact modern dads spend countless hours ferrying their kids around, helping them with their homework, handing out pocket money and doing grocery shopping, according to the research.

However, despite the family favouritism, 41 percent of dads admitted mum probably deserves to receive more of a fuss and better gifts on their special day.   A further 70 percent of dads wouldn’t dream of telling their kids they didn’t like their gifts.

Rory Scott, spokesman for Photobox commented "We wanted to shine a light on the gifts that British families give and receive, and were shocked to see how many dads feel undervalued on Father’s Day, and the number of truly awful Father’s Day gifts that have been given to British dads. 

"While it’s clear that many believe mums should get the better presents on their big day, we at Photobox think that it is important to celebrate dads, and so taking the time to think about something they might really like, such as a personalised gift, is so worth it.  Let’s make dads feel special on 17th June.”

The WORST presents British dads have been given, according to a recent Photobox study:-
Verruca Cream
Y-Fronts
Novelty Socks
Shower Gel
Shampoo
A Torch
Gardening Gloves
A Beer Tankard
Book Token
Grass Seeds
Gift Voucher for a DIY Store
A Can of Deodorant
A Can of WD-40
Novelty Tie
Boxer Shorts
Football Shirt for the wrong club
Car Shampoo
A Garden Spade
A Carving Set
Hair Dye
Gym Memberships
Oven Gloves
A Chopping Board
Out of Date Vouchers
Cosmetic Surgery

RepAir is the first smart T-shirt that cleans the air around you.

A recent analysis by the BBC showed that nine out of 10 people in the world breathe in polluted air everyday, based on recent data released by the World Health Organization (WHO),  while the British Lung Foundation has also revealed that people in towns and cities across the UK are living with ‘dangerous levels’ of air pollution.

Thus it is remarkable to hear that a new technology incorporated into clothing can be utilised to combat air pollution.

Italian garment company Kloters has come up with its own smart T-shirt under the brand RepAir, which is described to be capable of cleaning air pollution using a unique technology.

According to Kloters, RepAir is a genderless cotton t-shirt entirely produced in Italy by trusted suppliers.  It utilizes “theBreath®”, a patented material, certified according to ISO, ANSI /AHAM AC – 1- 2002 standard, that captures pollutants including NOx, Sox, bacteria and unpleasant odours.

The RepAir t-shirts are available in black and white, are made in high-grade cotton with reinforced seams. Laboratory tests demonstrate that every T-shirt removes the pollution created in one year by two cars, says the company.

According to Kloters, “theBreath®” technology is based on a “three-layered system”, three active parts with different and complementary positions and roles.  It is the core of this technology, made of carbon mesh on a polyester substrate mixed with active nano-molecules, and its main function is to adsorb gassy pollutants, making the air cleaner and more breathable.   The activating nano-molecules block the impurities inside its fabric structure and prevent them from being released back into the environment.

The RepAir T-shirt features a micro-zip in which “theBreath®” is inserted in a zipped pocket and can be removed when the T-shirt is ready to be laundered.

Imagine if each of the 2 billion T-shirts sold in the world each year could clean the air around the persons wearing them, what positive impact it would have on our polluted world?

RepAir will be available on Kickstarter in May, while it will be sold in stores and on www.kloters.com starting from June.

HanesBrands and US National Park Foundation launch exclusive apparel range

The magnificent landscape of YellowStone Park, USA with the Rockies in the background.  Photo © Lucia Carpio 

The national parks and landmark destinations of America are well-known the world over for their great beauty and regal scale.

Awe-inspiring grizzly bears and wildlife are major attractions one
can spot in US National Parks. Photo © Lucia Carpio

Having visited many of them, I am pleased to learn HanesBrands - best known for everyday basic innerwear and activewear apparel – along with the US’s own National Park Foundation (NPF) @GoParks is launching an exclusive new collection of apparel celebrating the magnificence of America’s natural, cultural and historic treasures, just in time to celebrate the country’s National Park Week.



Look for the Hanes short-sleeve T-shirts, which feature Golden Gate, Rocky Mountain, Zion and Sequoia national parks, the “Pack it In, Pack it Out” message and, for the first time ever on product, a licensed logo from the National Park Service.   The logo, unveiled in 2014 as an expansion of the National Park Service brand family, complements the iconic Arrowhead that continues to serve as the official insignia of the National Park Service.

“Wear your love of parks on your sleeve with apparel that gives back to our national treasures in a huge way,” said National Park Foundation President Will Shafroth.

HanesBrands is the first National Park Foundation partner to launch product incorporating this licensed logo as part of the Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque movement to help raise awareness about America’s national parks.

The inaugural designs - first-of-its-kind apparel collection are initially available online at hanes.com/nationalparks.

The licensed collection is a component of a five-year partnership between HanesBrands and the National Park Foundation – the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service – that will generate US$4 million for NPF.

“As the official apparel of the National Park Foundation, HanesBrands is focused on greatly expanding the distribution of NPF-affiliated apparel, raising the profile of the foundation, increasing revenue for the foundation, and using our consumer-leading brands and significant graphic apparel capabilities to create beautiful clothing worthy of the grandeur of our national parks,” said John Marsh, group president of global activewear for HanesBrands.

HanesBrands also intends to market officially licensed T-shirts, fleece sweatshirts and bottoms, socks, hats and other innerwear and activewear clothing under its other leading brands, including Champion, Alternative and Gear for Sports.  Officially licensed apparel will be available in all consumer retail channels, including mass merchants, mid-tier and department stores, along with the Hanes online store and retailer selling websites.

Additionally, HanesBrands will be a preferred supplier of licensed NPF and NPS apparel for the official Find Your Park store.  Royalty income generated by HanesBrands will benefit the National Park Foundation’s Centennial Campaign for America’s National Parks.

Fashion retailer ‘fishes’ for an artist to design its new charity T-shirt

Here's one for nature lovers and talented artists.

Clothing brand Weird Fish is in search of a new artist to design its next limited edition T-shirt for The Royal Society for theProtection of Birds (rspb).

Weird Fish’s first artist T-shirt was created in 1993 and its quirky and bold T-shirt designs are sought after by many.  Now the company is offering artists the chance to create a new design with instant impact for the rspb, the UK’s largest nature conservation charity, working to secure a healthy environment for all wildlife.

Entrants need to submit at least three of the six design ideas created in the last competition, which are: The Redshank Redemption, Wuthering Kites, Raiders of the Lost Lark, Purple Crane, Jurassic Lark and Cranespotting.  

Designs for the competition must be submitted by midnight on Wednesday May 25. Weird Fish will then select the winning design to be made into the new rspb charity T-shirt, with the opportunity for the winner to join the team of Weird Fish artists, and create designs for future seasons. 

Weird Fish continues to support the rspb as its chosen charity. 

Entries can be submitted in JPEG, PNG or PDF and can be uploaded to Weird Fish’s Facebook, tweeted to @WeirdFishTweets, tagged on Instagram @Weirdfishltd or emailed directly to retail@weirdfish.co.uk with the subject line ‘Find an Artist Competition.’

John Stockton, managing director at Weird Fish, added: "Weird Fish makes clothes for people who enjoy nature and getting outdoors. Through partnering up with the rspb, we're able to make a difference to the green spaces and surrounding communities across the UK, which is something our customers care about, too. We are keen to extend the opportunity for new artists to join our team and bring some fresh ideas to our legendary artist T-shirt range."

The winning T-shirt will be produced from November 2016 and the chosen designer will receive £250 to spend online www.weirdfish.co.uk and may have the opportunity to join the Weird Fish team in a freelance artist position.

For details and Terms and Conditions of Weird Fish's 'Find An Artist Competition', click HERE.

Aldi launches Fairtrade certified cotton T-shirts this March

 Aldi’s range of Fairtrade Cotton T-Shirts will be available in stores
from 3rd March, as part of the Ladies and Men’s Spring Fashion range. 

Discount store chain Aldi is offering a new range of Fairtrade certified cotton T-shirts in stores across the UK from 3 March 2016, while announcing its continuous commitment to sustainable sourcing

The new cotton range builds on existing Fairtrade commitments made by Aldi in 2011 to convert a range of bananas, coffee, tea, flowers and chocolate to Fairtrade in a programme that quickly rolled out to other Fairtrade markets such as Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Aldi PA India factory.

Jonathan Neale, Joint Managing Director for Corporate Buying at Aldi, comments:
“We’re proud to offer clothing that supports the Fairtrade project, which brings life changing development to communities by improving working and living conditions, education and health care.”

The Fairtrade Cotton Briefing provides a detailed overview of the cotton industry and its challenges, and explores why Fairtrade is needed and what it can achieve.

Aldi Photo. Agrocel, India ©Peter Caton

Cotton is grown in more than 100 countries, and plays a major role in the economic and social welfare of developing and newly industrialised countries. However, despite supplying the raw commodity that the multi-billion-dollar global clothing and textile industries depend on, growing cotton is failing to provide millions of poor rural households in developing countries with a sustainable and profitable livelihood. With high levels of illiteracy and limited land holdings, many cotton farmers live below the poverty line and are dependent on the middle men or ginners who buy their cotton, often at prices below the cost of production.

By offering Fairtrade cotton products, businesses contribute to a more sustainable future for cotton farmers, their communities and the environment.  Members of Agrocel hope to invest their Fairtrade Premium from Fairtrade sales in funding higher education for farmers’ children, upskilling women in local craft businesses and building a water, pesticide and carbon footprint database of individual farmers and using technology to share with brands.

Fairtrade Standards provide a framework for cotton farmers to form democratic organisations or strengthen existing organisations. This enables farmers to increase their negotiating power in the marketplace, improve business systems, access new markets, develop long-term trading partnerships and implement sustainable farming practices. Fairtrade Minimum Prices contribute to financial stability, while Fairtrade Premium can be invested in improving cotton quality and productivity, climate change adaptation and improving community welfare.