The fashion industry is a competitive market, and retailers are only too aware that if they are able to produce a t-shirt that is cheaper than a similar one being sold next door, then they will sell more items. The problem is that the more cheaply an item is produced, the more likely that it is that it has been produced in a sweatshop in a developing country.

There are several campaigns underway to end exploitation and ensure that everyone involved in the production process is treated fairly and receives a living wage for the work that they do. However, there are some consumers who are still unaware of some of the issues.

There are some places that use child labour to produce clothes. They work in poor conditions and receive very little money. Some textiles are treated with chemicals, particularly during the dyeing process, and these are not good for the environment. There is also an increasing use of pesticides among cotton growers, who wish to ensure a good crop to earn the maximum amount of money.

There are some retailers who include ethical clothing amongst their collections, and consumers should look out for information on the labels that tells them that the item has been produced under a fair trade scheme, or that the dyes used are natural.

Creating your own t shirt to support England isn’t as hard as you think, to be fair it’s a relatively easy colour scheme, (red & white) so choosing what colour tops to use shouldn’t be too hard, you can make it as simple or as fancy as you like, a simple St Georges cross or just England across the chest, it just depends on what you want. Wants you have your design or designs sorted out you can then have your t shirt printed out, online specialists Splash Logo have a wide range of clothing available in many different sizes and styles, they also you a wide range of printing techniques to get you the finish you require and best of all they have a really quick turnaround so if you order now you will get it before England get knocked out!!

England Flag

Picture courtesy of MichalFoto

Using customised t-shirts for sports events or charity fundraisers is a great way to raise awareness and many online retailers offer discounts for buying in bulk, such as Splash Logo, who offer not only clothing that can be printed on but a wide range of other products. Customised clothing is also ideal if you’re looking for company work wear, it means you can also advertise your business on the clothing your staff wear, as well as having a regimented uniform that everyone adheres to.

Love Music Hate Racism was set up in 2002 in response to the rising levels of racism and the electoral successes for the British National Party (BNP). Through their use of the music scene LMHR has celebrated diversity and have involved people in anti-racist and anti-fascist activity.

LMHR has hosted many events which include large festivals, local gigs and club nights with many top performing artists. If you want to shoe your support for Love Music Hate Racism you can buy their t-shirts online in a range of bright colours.

Love Music Hate Racism t-shirts

A personalised t-shirt will give a lot of meaning to the recipient and also doing it yourself means you can add a personal touch, something you wouldn’t be able to buy in the shops. There are many online retailers that you can choose from to have your design printed such as Splash Logo who have a huge range of clothing and accessories to choose from in a wide range of styles and sizes, which means there is something for anyone, no matter what they prefer to wear.

Ringspun dresses

Bold prints are big this season and Ringspun’s designs are no exception with summer theme prints and the odd touch of sparkle their dresses like the ones below are great for a night out.

Ringspun dresses

Also stand out with the colour of this season, turquoise with the sleek slightly of shoulder dress below which has a punky peacock feather design.

Ringspun dress

Also their bright colourful tops are great to add a bit of life to plain linen trousers shorts or denim jeans.

Ringspun top

As much as some people love wearing black it’s not always practical for summer especially if we have a summer with glorious sunshine, but grey or slate offers a cool alternative to black but still with edginess. If you like the punk rock style faded printed t-shirts have a retro feeling and look great mixed with grey leggings or stone was jeans.

Slate

The slate ruffle dress and the grey batik empire dress below are a great way to glam up this edgy look for an evening.

Slate dresses

If you like the idea but haven’t found anything right for you from designers or the highstreet you can recreate this look yourself. All you need is a great old-fashioned black and white photo or retro postcards scanned and made into your chosen designed by using an online printing company such as Splash Logo. They have a wide range of different clothing styles available in many different sizes and colours they also use different printing techniques depending on what you want. The great thing about designing your own is that no one else will be wearing the same as you and you don’t need to be a fashion designer or artist to create your design just use images personal to you.

The good news is dresses aren’t! With summer coming up its a great time to shake up the wardrobe add some colour and some style! Funky bright t-shirts and polo shirts are great for a summer’s day worn with distressed jeans or board shorts. Lighter shoes are so opt for some pumps and if you’re on holiday a pair of plain flip flops.

Choose your style to make a statement and don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd!

Summer clothing

white vest

Many vest tops for sale at the moment feature some great designs, images and patterns, you can create your own designs on vest tops by using t shirt printing, this is something we have explore before with t-shirts however you can also apply the same to vests.

Looking at online printing companies you can find some that have a huge range of clothing that can have your designs printed on, like www.splashlogo.co.uk, which has a wide selection of vest tops in many colours and styles including strappy and racer back. So all you need to do is take inspiration from the trends out there and add a bit of creative flair and you can enjoy the sun in your own designs, safe in the knowledge no one else will be!

Summer scene

Picture courtesy of jurvetson