Thanks to Melanie at A Cluster of Parrots, who designed the logo! (Melanie's baby onesies with the bow ties? My *favorite* baby presents.)
Here's the deal:
- They're American Apparel tees (which means they come in AA sizes, see poll below)
- They're pink with brown ink. We'll do other colors later, I bet. Leave a comment if you have suggestions.
- The logo will be smallish (about palm-size) and centered on the front of the shirt, on the upper sternum, for fewer bustage-stretchage issues.
- They'll come right from Melanie, who is lovely to deal with. (As much as I love CafePress, I wanted the Dress A Day t-shirts to be crafty and hand-done and from a small, mom-run business … it just seemed appropriate. I may still use CafePress for tote bags and postcards and whatnot; tell me what you want in the comments!)
- Cost: $15, plus $4.60 priority mail shipping (in US). (International Shipping will be extra, depending on where you are and how fast you want your shirt.)
Please take our size poll so that I know what sizes to order! The poll will be up for a week or so; Monday I'll put it in the sidebar or something. Then I'll put up the link for ordering after we know what sizes people want.
http://www.majikwidget.com/mw/api/poll1/poll1.php?id=d961e9f236177d65d21100592edb0769
I know there's lots we haven't answered, like whether we'll do men's sizes, and when exactly you'll be able to order them, and so forth, so go ahead and leave comments and I'll try to answer them as best I can, although you should expect a lot of "I don't knows" and "Let me look into thats".
A Dress A Day 
Large or Extra-Large would be great for ladies like me…who are short yet have big ta-tas.
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It’s a lovely logo, and I can’t wait to see some items at CafePress.
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How ’bout making sure the t-shirts aren’t sweatshop produced?
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American Apparel t-shirts are made in L.A., by locals. NOT in sweat shops. Trust me, ladies and gentlemen, Erin is too smart to have chosen a politically-incorrect shop to produce her garments.
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I can’t wear the fine jersey tee, too long and boxy on me. If you add men’s shirts later, please think about adding the classic girl tee (I know, everyone else hates that one!) too! (hmm, looks like they dropped the “classic girl” name, but it’s shirt #4305)
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yay hooray! delurking to say i can’t wait to order one and wear it proudly!
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I don’t know that I’ve ever actually WORN an American Apparel item, but most XLs fit me fine. Sometimes, I can wear a large. I think this is a great idea, Erin! I’d love a t-shirt; I still mostly wear skirts, myself, but I’m a huge fan of the blog.
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I can’t wait. You must also do chocolate with pink lettering too. Lovely, and not so frilly cute. I love how ironic the shirt will be since you wouldn’t be wearing a pretty dress while wearing it.
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I have one problem with a Dress A Day t-shirt. Isn’t it inherently anti-dress? You can only wear it with shorts, a skirt, pants, or horrors of horrors, a pair of jeans. Better to have Dress A Day fabric that we can use to make you know what. Besides, that would be sooo much more interesting. Imagine walking down the street. You see a pretty dress. Look a little closer and what do you see? A Dress A Day motif! How cool or embarrassing would that be?Besides, there are too many t-shirts in the world already. I think we need to kill a few thousands.I say we shred a bunch in the name of saving the environment. Turn the remnants into rag rugs. What do you think?
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AA t-shirts are quite boxy, even the girls ones, but are also quite easy to take in around the middle if you’re curvier than they allow for. Buy what fits your bosoms and then take in the rest is what I do with the threadless t-shirts I buy. Not sure what to suggest for the readers who don’t sew, though…
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I’m actually the one who penned anon 11:47 a.m’s comments. I’ll probably still get the Dress A Day t-shirt and wear it often (providing that it fits my long torso properly and doesn’t expose my insy belly-button too often) because I rarely wear dresses.
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I love the idea. But… I’m allergic to pink. No seriously, if I wear anything pink it clashes horribly with my ruddy complexion and this is not a good look.However, I love the no doubt impractical suggestion for some DressADay fabric. That would be so cool. Especially if it was green (apple green, since I’m being specific) and a nice weight of cotton. But since it’s happening I hope everyone enjoys wearing their Ts. Cheers,AJPS Hope your cold is better Erin!
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I’ve tried voting in the poll, but it just sits there, so consider this my vote for XL. Sometimes the AA XL fits me . . .I wish I could like American Apparel.
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Can’t wait for the tees and thanks for using AA!I’m already looking for ways to turn it into a dress…
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Wow, how exciting!I think a pretty turquoise/Tiffany blue and brown (or white! Or both!) would be fab as well. You must be so thrilled! The logo is perfection.
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Since when is American Apparel politically correct? They’re anti-union, use porny ads, and the CEO runs a very sexualized workplace, bad enough that some of his female employees have sued him. Did you ever read the Jane interview he did where he thought it was perfectly appropriate to masturbate in front of the (female) interviewer? Do some Googling, you can start with the Wikipedia entry on AA.It’s too bad, the clothes are great quality and cute. But I avoid buying from them because they’re not as awesome to their workers as they like to pitch themselves and the CEO frankly creeps me out with how sexist he is.
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A Dress A Day merchandise! Woohoo! Whatever you finally decide on this, I will still love you. Of course there’s a “but” (or four!):- A t-shirt is not a dress (the postcard, or other stationery woud be awesome! Fridge magnets . .?)- Pink? Not for me, thanks. Red? Yes. Brown? Yes. Blue? Yes, yes, yes!- I live overseas and don’t know what American Apparel clothing is like.- The logo doesn’t have a dress on it, although it is related to sewing. I’d prefer photos of your own amazing one-off creations, especially that red-print Valentine dress (best ever!)You’re the boss – up to you.
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I actually agree that the AA founder is an asshole, and I read that Jane interview. I haven’t followed up on the lawsuits, though.However, despite that (and I also don’t like the soft-porn ads) I haven’t found another t-shirt manufacturer where the production workers (as opposed to the marketing/mgmt workers) are treated as well, with healthcare benefits and above-average wages. I’m happy to hear of suggestions!
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I’m laughing at the idea of A Dress A Day T-shirts in men’s sizes. I mean, why not? But it’s still kind of funny.
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I am totally in agreement with Annonymous who posted this morning that the t-shirt is the anti-dress. A while back, this blog had me ranting about my kids’ schools’ dress code…now this!! Is nothing sacred? I also really love her/his idea of using the logo on fabric, even if it may be idea whose time has not yet come…
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Dress A Day T-shirts, great idea! I was wondering when you’d do something like this!I’m not familiar with American Apparel sizing, or anything about them, for that matter. How big/small is a medium? And, what about sizes for all the young fans of Dress A Day? – I’m 14, and small for my age :)Thanks and great blog!
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I *am* working on Dress A Day fabric; it’s just taking FOREVER. Maybe later this summer.Postcards, stationery, check. Here’s the t-shirt sizing chart:http://www.americanapparel.net/sizing/default.asp?chart=womens.shirtsIf it makes people feel better, we can send a disclaimer with the shirts that they are to be worn with SKIRTS ONLY. đŸ™‚
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American Apparel was actually sold to a private equity firm in December. Same guy is still heading up the firm, however, and says that they are still committed to their employees, i.e. subsidized health care, English classes, etc. Probably worth checking back on the company in a couple of months to see what’s happening. Having said all that, I do like them for basics, especially since Gap seems to have moved beyond stocking the same t-shirt in a dozen colors.
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I love your site, but your t-shirts won’t fit me and there’s nothing to be done about it. I was a “perfect” 34B in my teens and 20s, and even though I have also put on some weight the boobs have grown to 36DDD. I can’t wear button shirts anymore. A t-shirt that goes around my chest would be enormous everywhere else. It’s almost enough to make me consider reduction surgery. Even though I know women pay thousands of dollars to have a rack like this. I’d as soon not. Life is funny that way. I may console myself with a tote instead. –L
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I also read an article in the New Yorker about the American Apparel guy in which his quotes revealed him to be repugnant. On the other hand, I like the sweatshop free aspect of the store. It’s complicated, which is irritating.I don’t know about the sizes. I’d guess M or L. Colors sound lovely to me.
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fantastic logo.
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Thanks for responding, above, Erin. I looked up some “no sweat” companies for you that were recommended by The Rough Guide To Shopping With A Conscience: justiceclothing.com and unionjeancompany.com – both only sell union-made and North American-made clothing, and both handle bulk orders. (That book has a piece on why they don’t recommend AA, also.) Hope that helps. I looked at the sites and the selection is not nearly as cute and colorful as AA of course; but they do both have women’s fitted t-shirts in pink. Hopefully in more realistic sizing than AA! (Seriously, a L is a size 8-10 to them? Ack.)
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Thanks — I’ll take a look. It may take me a while to get wholesale accounts there; I had to jump through hoops to get one with AA. Any chance you can send me an email backchannel, Anonymous 4:53, so I can be reassured you don’t work for either of those companies (or, if you do, that you can help me get a wholesale account)?
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My experience is that American Apparel runs VERY small. I wear a 2XL in their shirts; they claim it’s 16-18 (!) and in practice it fits more like a 12-14 in anybody else’s sizing. American Apparel thinks a small is “0-2” and a medium is 4-6.http://store.americanapparel.net/sizing.html
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I’ve also found AA runs small. I wear XS and S for most tops, but I find those to be way too tight in AA sizing. I get M from them.Surely some creative person here can figure out how to turn t-shirts into dresses. Sew a skirt on the bottom? Buy several and cut them up and re-sew?
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I’m also not an unalloyed fan of AA, so I’m glad to hear there are now some decent alternatives. AA does run awfully small, so I’d probably need a 2XL. I don’t wear most pinks, though, so I’d probably give this run a miss. Totes or buttons would be great, though, and probably something I would ‘use’ more.
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My experiecne with AA T-shirts is that they run very small. I bought an XL for someone who I thought would wear a large and I ended up giving it to someone who was somewhere in the S/M range.
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Oh my! Where to jump in?! I like the logo very much and I am as excited as any fan to have a chance to have dressaday keepsakes to use or wear. It sounds as though the shirts won’t fit me, though I adore anything pink. I will be thrilled when there is FABRIC!!This is too fun! and yes, you can sew skirts on to Tees, if you dare to wear that look…
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Hi. Your blog is great ! Are you interesting in a link exchange with my blog ?Marina
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I would love to see woven sew-in clothing labels. Imagine your favourite dress (or t-shirt, jeans, tote…) with Dress a Day label on a pocket or near the hem. Cute!
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I think the t-shirt with a slim pencil skirt could be very sexy!I voted med., but after reading the size issues, I would probably go w/ a large.Pink is not my favorite color, so I would prefer a brown shirt with the pink logo.I am trying to stay calm about the fabric, but I’m shaking with excitement!I would totally do a line of Dress-A-Day wristlets for you:http://www.beckyoh.com/list.html?style=pequenyo~Becky
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It’s a cute logo, but where’s the dress? I was expecting an Erin-style Duro or a 50’s retro style with big polka dots and pockets.
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Anonymous: By writing “politically correct,” I only meant that the shirts were made in LA. I agree with you on the other counts. In fact, I was a bit disappointed to see that AA shirts were used for the reasons you cite. I was trying to be supportive. Anonymous’ comments below:[Anonymous said…Since when is American Apparel politically correct? They’re anti-union, use porny ads, and the CEO runs a very sexualized workplace, bad enough that some of his female employees have sued him. Did you ever read the Jane interview he did where he thought it was perfectly appropriate to masturbate in front of the (female) interviewer? Do some Googling, you can start with the Wikipedia entry on AA. It’s too bad, the clothes are great quality and cute. But I avoid buying from them because they’re not as awesome to their workers as they like to pitch themselves and the CEO frankly creeps me out with how sexist he is.]
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Allow me to add: I appreciate what Erin’s trying to do with the shirts, and she’s up against it trying to find a decent company that isn’t up to all kinds of dodginess in their business dealings. I imagine it’s difficult to find any company without skeletons in it’s closet. That’s all for me!
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I’ll order one once they’re available in unisex. My back of neck to waist is 17 1/2″ and girl shirts are too short on me.
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AA clothes are insanely small. As much as I’d love to buy a Dress a Day shirt (though, I don’t know if the logo says it all … where is the dress? the daily-ness? the wordsmithiness? for a moment i thought the top of the dress form was supposed to be the nib of a fountain pen, and I liked that idea), everytime I try to wear one of the few AA products I’ve come by, I swear to myself I’ll never, ever get another. I’m 5’8″, I weigh 140 pounds, my bust is 36C, and I’m a 2XL? Call me a stuck in denial, call me a victim of vanity sizing if you must … but with the porny ads and everything, I have come to the conclusion that AA is part of the machine that encourages post-pubescent women to hate their bodies.
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We (my family)purchases from unionjean company almost exclusively for my dh’s wardrobe. Their clothes are very good quality although they do get backordered and it can take a couple of weeks for their order to arrive. They are very nice people to deal with, down to earth. My dh is diehard union and won’t wear a foreign made tshirt or pair of jeans. I want a 2xl in your current tshirt (I wear a L in other tshirts but previous posts have reported their small sizing). I like pink but am also looking forward to other colors like blue and brown and acqua or teal or even bottle green. I think once you break loose with the ordering, we should have a dressaday tshirtarama where we can turn our tshirts into dresses or just restyle them to fit our own personalities. We can flicker them or just put them on our own blogs (as I don’t know how to flicker yet, but I’ll learn just for this)
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Um…the logo looks like a bottle of Palmolive dish liquid. It’s the first thing I thought of when I saw it. And where’s the dress?
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A word of warning: I’ve bought women’s AA shirts from Threadless.com, and even though I am a 34B find that I must have an XL in order to not have it so tight as to be indecent on my 40 year old body.
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I’ve never worn AA, and no nothing about the company.I like the idea of having chocolate brown with pink lettering.For those looking to make a dress out of it, how about a dropped waist type of deal – now that wedge heals are back in style, it’s probably about time for the dropped waist to come back!As for tees? I wear most of mine as nightshirts.
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I wear T’s as nightshirts, too, and usually get XL but having read the comments, it looks like I need to go bigger. So change my vote from XL to humongous.My friend whose husband works for a sports team sent me some T-shirts size L. She probably figured I was a Medium, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her they were too small (so if she reads this… sorry).
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Can I suggest Erin that you put your web address under the logo, that way you’ll get more people interested in the actual blog.
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hello! this is my first comment here although i am a huge fan – sustained by the darth vader duro actually : Di would be delighted to have one of your tees – but i am a S american apparel (but if youd ont order any smalls, i will still buy a medium – tees are just totally wearable) i also happen to live in new zealand – i dont need priority shipping (ie economy!) so could you invesitgate some international shipping rates for those of us out in the pacific?
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I would buy a 2X if it were long enough. Due to a…um, when-is-the-baby-due tummy, high hip garments aren’t a flattering look. I need something that goes over. Tunic length looks best.
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Great logo!I wear the AA unisex small. I may have missed which style of tee is being ordered, but I do think a small now and again would be great for us flat-chested gals, or, maybe, for kids.
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