Win a Girls Rock Shirt for a Rockin' Mama

A lot of you have heard me talk about how how supportive and influential my mom and grandma have been in my feminism, activism and specifically in Sticker Sisters. Some of you have even had the chance to see them in action at our yearly family reunion at the NOW conference.

In honor of Mother's Day, I want to hear about an amazing mama you know (or two or three).

Post in the comments about them and then on Mother's Day I'll pick a winner at random. The winner will receive a Girls Rock t-shirt for themselves or the mother of their choice. Please make sure there's some way I can identify or contact you in your comment.

Check out this rockin' family who got so many smiles and comments when they wore their Girls Rock shirts out all together.

Mama Cait explained that her older daughter "is shy so it's really a statement for her, which is very cool. It's good to see girl power things especially for young girls."

If you know a girl who needs a little encouragement or a rockin' mama, pick up an empowering shirt for them. Or better yet--get shirts for your whole crew!

Let's share stories and celebrate all the great mamas we know!

Finding Ethically Made Shirts Pt 2

When I first wrote about finding ethically made t-shirts in September 2006, I thought I'd find a good company or two and be done with it. Not exactly. This had turned into a constant quest as companies go out of business, quality declines and/or products are discontinued.

But I've continued my quest to only use ethically made shirts because as I said before:

"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?"

Anyway I wanted to share what I've learned and want you to understand what's behind the t-shirts you order from Sticker Sisters. I'm also pleased to announce that all our t-shirt are now being printed at a local woman-owned print shop!



Highly Recommended

Royal Apparel
This is where we are getting most of our shirts now. Everything is sweatshop free and made in the USA. Plus they have many organic options. And of course the shirts look and fit great and are made of super high quality, sturdy materials.

A.S. Tees
We are not getting any new t-shirts from A.S. Tees right now because of a change they made in the stitching and sizing of a particular shirt we were getting from them. Located in South Carolina. 100% U.S. made even down to the yarn.

Other Companies You Can Look Into

These are companies I haven't personally used, but seem decent.

Bare Apparel
They say all of their garments are 100% made in the USA.

Econscious
Products aren't made in the USA, but they claim to follow very high standards in the workplace and with the environment.

For more information about suppliers and all things t-shirt, check out the T-shirt Forums.

Reason #3051 to Boycott American Apparel

Not that you need another reason to steer clear of this sexist company.

If you're thinking, "What?! I thought American Apparel was this super cool sweatshop free company," please read my post on finding ethically made t-shirts.

A 2004 quote that American Apparel CEO Dov Charney made to The McGill Daily is getting a lot of attention on blogs today. He's quoted in the article saying:

"Women initiate most domestic violence, yet out of a thousand cases of domestic violence maybe one is involving a man. [And this] has made a victim culture out of women."

This is surfacing right now because there is an ad (which might be fake) floating around that incorporates the quote. I hope the ad is fake, but that doesn't make his very real quote any less appalling. As Womanist Musings writes:

"The list of facts debunking his bull*#@& is a mile long. There has been ample evidence of his hatred of women and the only question that remains is what we are going to do about it."

Well, I know what I'm doing about it. Sticker Sisters will remain committed to using blank shirts that are made by sweatshop free & sexism free companies (you won't find any American Apparel here!). I'll continue to steer clear of American Apparel shirts for my own wardrobe. And I'll keep writing and talking about my dislike for American Apparel and suggesting alternatives every chance I get.

**1/30/2009 Update**
American Apparel responds to Bitch Magazine's blog post. Doesn't change my feelings and I hope it won't change yours!

From Election to Holidays

Now that the election is over, I can finally come up for air! The day job took me to the Democratic National Convention, the Republican National Convention, and all around Southern California doing election-related coverage.

Ariel and her friend Tamika at the Conventions

It was all very exciting, but after the number of sexist comments I heard I’m even more passionate about Sticker Sisters and the work that still needs to be done.

Please consider donating money, time, or even some “Girls Can Do Anything” stickers or school supplies to an organization that does important work with girls. If you want to give people suggestions of organizations please post them in the comments.

And with the upcoming holidays, I hope you’ll give gifts with a message. At Sticker Sisters, of course, you can choose from dozens of stickers, t-shirts and other goodies with celebratory, encouraging messages for girls of all ages.

And the winner is...

Colleen!!!

A while back I asked people to post comments about the brave girls & women in their lives. Then I used a random number generator to pick someone to win a Brave Girl t-shirt.

Thank goodness I didn't have to choose someone to win because all the comments were amazing. Colleen has been enjoying her shirt for a few months now, but I thought I should let everyone know.

Here's what she wrote:

When I saw this come across my e-mail I tried to think of who I consider a brave girl/women. The only answer I became happy with was all of the girls in my life. Why do I need to pick one? All of my friends each have something unique to share and an beautiful personal story to tell. Lorrie is a survivor of breast cancer, Denise is an outspoken woman who would go to the ends of the earth to help someone, Natalie is called Nifty Natalie for a reason, she puts together rallies and organizes out community, Brenda has stopped a pimp and ho party from happening because she got someone to realize it was degrading to others, Cheryl has raised two children on her own and then turned around and adopted another child even though she was struggling. The point is yes, we owe each other some credit for being brave and wonderful so why do we only have a month for it? Everday we should recognize a brave girl/women in our life. Everyday we should make it a point to say thank you! In conclusion, THANK YOU for writing this blog and getting us to recognize someone brave/wonderful although you did have to put in the chance to win free gear for someone to write in! I suppose it is like the rice game. . .some may have done it if you had not put in the free gear but the added incentive never hurts in this society!

This giveaway thing was really fun. I loved reading about all the inspiring girls and women you know. Stay tuned--I'll do another one soon!

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

**Updated 1/28/2009**

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?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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…

Royal Apparel
**1/28/2009 UPDATE**
This is where we are getting most of our shirts now. Everything is sweatshop free and made in the USA. Plus they have many organic options. And of course the shirts look and fit great and are made of super high quality, sturdy materials.

A.S. Tees
**1/28/2009 UPDATE: We are not getting any new t-shirts from A.S. Tees right now. **
Located in South Carolina. 100% U.S. made even down to the yarn.


Apparel Agents
**1/28/2009 UPDATE: Apparel Agents is no longer in business**
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!