All of my products at Otter Things™ are printed as soon as the customer orders them. Because of that, each product is printed especially for you when you order.
When I was developing my shop, I was thrilled to find a company for my printing needs. Printful, the company that prints my designs, uses multiple brands for apparel lines. In the past I chose American Apparel® for my designs because they were made in America, the quality of clothing was nice, and the material was soft and comfy.
Unfortunately, American Apparel® went bankrupt and their clothing was no longer available. This meant that I had to find another brand for my Otter Things™ line of clothing. I’ll admit that I panicked for a couple of hours.
After some deep breathing and a lot of research, I was able to select worthwhile alternatives for my store. There are specific things that I look for in my apparel brands: quality, cost, and availability.
Quality
When I buy a shirt or hoodie, I want the item to last. Poor quality, like loose stitchery, is a huge turnoff. I also like soft materials, like ring-spun combed cotton. They are more appealing against the skin.
Along with material and workmanship, the fit is another important factor of quality. The cut of a t-shirt can vary between brands and between styles of a single brand.
Cost
No one wants to pay $30 for a t-shirt. If the cost of the blank shirt is expensive, the cost of the final product will be expensive. I always try to find a reasonably priced brand.
Availability
When it comes to putting my designs on apparel, I prefer using more than black and white styles. Reds, blues, and greens make some of the designs pop, and give my customers a chance to vary their wardrobe.
After ordering samples of various t-shirts and hoodies, I finally narrowed it down to the companies that I will utilize for my apparel line.
My line of t-shirts will include Bell+Canvas® brand apparel. The shirts are 100% combed and ring-spun cotton and very soft. The unisex style fits both men and women like a well-loved classic.
The color selection is similar to American Apparel®, but the fit is nicer. The bottom hem falls a little lower for better coverage. I am also able to offer sizes up to 4XL. Let’s face it, not everyone is a size 2.
Hoodies will come from Gildan® and are also an improvement over my previous style. Plush feel without bulk, make the hoodies cozy. Also available up to 4XL, they come in a greater range of colors.
My newest product, baby onesies, will still be available. The Rabbit Skins® brand from LAT Apparel® is made of 100% combed ring-spun cotton. They also have reinforced three snap closures and lap shoulders for easy changing, because wee otter fans wriggle a lot.
So what does all of this mean for you, the customer? Well, my products are still available for purchase, they are softer, fit better, and best of all they are less expensive. My cost for using these new products has gone down so I am passing that cost right on to you. Hey, you deserve it.
I hope my new style of apparel will meet your approval. I do aim to please. I will continue to add more designs and colors as they become available. In the meantime, you otter be checking them out.
