Feminist Review on Sticker Sisters

Our Brave Girl Adventure Pack got written up on Feminist Review!

Here's a snippet:

"The products have broad appeal, as girls of all ages need shoelaces and the occasional boo-boo cover. I appreciated that you could order multiple items and have gifts for all the girls on your list, from daughters, nieces and students, to friends, co-workers, and your mom. Bonus points for the t-shirt being one of the softest in my closet, with the added perk of a printed-on label, so there is no pesky tag to cut out. The product slogans come across as more positive than militant, yet still hit the point home that being female is better than just acceptable, it’s downright preferable."

You can read the full review here.

Gifts For Girls and Holiday Orders

I've been busy getting a new sticker printed and December seems to have snuck up on me. I hope those of you in the Midwest and New York are surviving the winter weather. I'm drinking some hot chocolate for you right now!

Anyway this sticker elf is ready to get your holiday orders out to all the brave, strong girls in your life.

To make your job as awesome aunt/mother/grandmother/friend even easier this year, we've got spiffy new gift boxes and can ship your order directly to the recipient. So go ahead and add wrapping and a personalized card to any order. Our new gift packaging is made of recycled materials so it’s easier on the environment too!



Have a great holiday season!

P.S. If you need gifts in time for Xmas, please place orders by December 19th.

Another T-Shirt to Hate

Part of what pushed me to start making t-shirts was because there are so many awful ones out there. Well here’s the latest from Wal-Mart that I hope will make you as angry as it made me.

The t-shirt reads: "Some call it stalking, I call it love."

The Charlotte News&Observer says:

Its message was a slap in the face to the woman who called me Thursday after seeing it in her local Wal-Mart.

"Some say it's stalking, I call it love."

For the past two years, this woman has been stalked until she feels like a prisoner in her own life. She has been spied upon, bullied and threatened with her life..."It's reprehensible," said the woman, whose story is well documented but who asked not to be identified for fear that her stalker might retaliate.

"People don't realize how serious stalking is," she said. "You constantly live in fear, look over your shoulder and suffer from psychological and physical symptoms due to the stress of the stalker."

She wondered aloud: What's next? "Some say it's rape, I call it hot sex"? Or: "Some call it domestic violence, I say I'm just teaching her a lesson"?

The N.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence has already sent a letter asking Wal-Mart to remove the t-shirts from stores.

The Charlotte News&Observer goes on to say:

The question now is how the world's largest retailer will respond. Tara Stewart, a spokeswoman for the company, forwarded me information about Wal-Mart partnering with the attorney general's office in South Carolina on a public education campaign to combat domestic violence.

"We work hard on this issue and do a great deal to bring awareness and help families in need," she wrote in an e-mail message.

And the T-shirts fit into that public education campaign how?

Want to let Wal-Mart know what you think?

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
702 S.W. 8th Street
Bentonville, AR 72716
1-800-WALMART
479-273-4000

Or email them.

“Chaste but Chic?” Gimme a break.

Have you been hearing about this so-called “modesty movement?” Of course I’m all for providing alternatives to Bratz style clothes (have you seen the latest Sticker Sisters t-shirts?), but this “modesty movement” makes me gag.

They’re trying to push a "chaste but chic" dress code on girls. Not surprising that this movement is connected to faith-based organizations and abstinence only advocates. But perhaps the scariest part is that the mother of the modesty movement, Wendy Shalit, is still trying to blame sexual harassment and rape on women’s "lack of modesty." And here I thought we were past that ridiculous idea that a women is "asking for it" if she wears a short skirt. Ugh.

Ann Ream (founder of Voices and Faces Project) says it well in the LA Times:

"Scratch the surface [of the modesty movement], and what's supposed to be good for girls reveals itself to be all about the boys: dressing in a way that doesn't over-excite them, demurring so that their manhood remains intact and holding tight to our sexuality until we find a husband who is worthy of that ultimate 'prize.'"

More
LA Times: "The false modesty movement"
Talk of the Nation: "Modern Girls and the Modesty Movement"

Making the Shirts

So we’ll skip over the part where I do a zillion versions of the designs. Let's get right to printing the shirts!










Here are some photos of the shirts being printed.


I found a couple of guys who live and print shirts in a loft downtown. After some late nights testing different colors and placements, they got to work churning out Girls Rock and Action not Glamour shirts.


We considered a million little details to make the shirts extra special. All the shirts are super soft and comfy to wear. None of the shirts have itchy tags—they all have silk screened labels. And if you look closely, some of the ink has a tiny sparkle to it!


These shirts have been a long time in the works, but they’re finally here and I hope you enjoy them!

Finding Ethically Made Shirts

That’s what I’ve been dealing with for the past few months. I’d been thinking about making shirts for a long time, but they always kind of scared me. There are so many styles and colors and sizes to consider! But I finally decided to take the plunge and it ended up being a ton of fun.

It was really important for me to find cool shirts that were made ethically. I hate really thick, boxy shirts. And I didn’t want to buy from a company in a distant country that barely pays its workers. Of course I couldn’t even consider American Apparel. How could I print “Girls Rock” on a t-shirt that was made by a sexist company?

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More about American Apparel:
American Apparel: Trading sweatshops for sexism
Clamor Magazine: American Apparel Exposed
One Angry Girl explains why you should girlcott American Apparel
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So I started my hunt. I was really excited by one company that sells union made shirts. But when I opened my package of samples they were thick, stiff, and didn’t fit right at all. And to top it off, one of them had a hole! I was starting to think I’d never find anything so I called up a friend who’s been active in Students Against Sweatshops and other anti-sweatshop organizations. One thing led to another and I finally found a couple of companies that seemed decent and had cool shirts. Of course I don’t know everything about these companies, but I’ll tell you what I do know…



A.S. Tees
This is where the baby and kids shirts come from. Located in South Carolina. 100% U.S. made even down to the yarn.



Apparel Agents
This is where most of the adult t-shirts come from. And I can vouch that they’re the softest shirts I’ve ever owned. They do everything from milling the fabric to sewing the shirts at their facility in Los Angeles, which I’ve been to. Former American Apparel workers started the company. I read somewhere that they left after American Apparel engaged in union busting tactics, but I don’t know the full story.

Alternative Apparel
This is where the blue, contrast stitch Action Not Glamour shirts come from.

Here’s what they have to say about their “No Sweat” policy:

"We require all manufacturing to comply with the applicable laws and regulations of the localities, states, and countries in which they operate. We visit each factory at least four times a year to monitor production and to insure the quality of life for our employees. We enforce total compliance with local labor laws that include child labor regulations as well as adequate living wages and the most current emergency equipment. Currently, we have manufacturing facilities in five different countries, including the United States. We provide not only employment, but also lifelong job skills to those who are lacking opportunity. We plan to continue to improve the lives of our employees globally and provide a positive and productive work environment."

Overheard and Seen at the NOW Conference

Here are a few pictures and stories from the NOW Conference...


One woman told me a story about trying to get her two-year-old daughter to eat her bread instead of just licking the butter off of it. The little girl responded, “My body, my choice.” All the woman could do was laugh and say, “You’re right.” Guess the little girl had been paying attention during those pro-choice rallies!

Another woman told a story about doing some activism at a Borders bookstore. She had gotten in trouble for stickering offensive magazines so she wrote messages on post-it notes and put those on sexist ads and articles. Since post-it notes are removable, she figured it wasn’t really vandalism. But the store could still have kicked her out for doing it. The employees discovered what she was up to and a female employee approached her. But all the employee did was give her a wink wink “warning.”

Spotted wearing brand new Sticker Sisters shirts!