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What Happened to Threadless?

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Re: What Happened to Threadless?

#101

Post by radicalbyte »

bsder wrote: post #77
kawsper wrote: post #4

> Concerns about controlling quality make sense given that artists on Threadless’s forum complain that they’re unable to promote their work because the print quality has dropped to the point that designs flake off after a few washes. Reviewers say the sizing, feel, and weight of Threadless’s shirts is inconsistent and getting worse over time, with some customers reporting that shirts bought five to 10 years ago are s…

> some customers reporting that shirts bought five to 10 years ago are still holding up better than those purchased this year. This isn't just a Threadless problem. All T-shirts now seem to be made out of this thin stretchy garbage material--good if you are an Italian model, bad if you are a normal 40 year old. I'd kill for a supplier that actually still uses nice solid cotton material that drapes rather than stretch…

The premium t-shirt from teefury is good. It's high quality cotton and the fit is fine for a fast b*d like me :) The print doesn't last forever though, about a year for the big prints (same as Threadless was back when they didn't suck).

Re: What Happened to Threadless?

#102

Post by fizzychicken »

matthewn wrote: post #69
kawsper wrote: post #4

> Concerns about controlling quality make sense given that artists on Threadless’s forum complain that they’re unable to promote their work because the print quality has dropped to the point that designs flake off after a few washes. Reviewers say the sizing, feel, and weight of Threadless’s shirts is inconsistent and getting worse over time, with some customers reporting that shirts bought five to 10 years ago are s…

Same here. I have a couple of ancient (roughly ten years old) Threadless shirts that still look good, and I have a couple of recent ones (within the last two years) that never fit the same and have not held up. Since many (most?) designs that are on Threadless are also on Society6, and since Society6 shirts are still relatively high quality, I order from them now instead.

I too made a comment about the huge drop in quality, https://www.threadless.com/forum/post/1009183/disappointing_... I even pointed out how they put a sizing sticker directly on the shirt print which pulls the design off when removed. No shirt I bought in that order survived more than 2 machines washes.

Re: What Happened to Threadless?

#103

Post by brothercolor »

bsder wrote: post #77
kawsper wrote: post #4

> Concerns about controlling quality make sense given that artists on Threadless’s forum complain that they’re unable to promote their work because the print quality has dropped to the point that designs flake off after a few washes. Reviewers say the sizing, feel, and weight of Threadless’s shirts is inconsistent and getting worse over time, with some customers reporting that shirts bought five to 10 years ago are s…

> some customers reporting that shirts bought five to 10 years ago are still holding up better than those purchased this year. This isn't just a Threadless problem. All T-shirts now seem to be made out of this thin stretchy garbage material--good if you are an Italian model, bad if you are a normal 40 year old. I'd kill for a supplier that actually still uses nice solid cotton material that drapes rather than stretch…

Check out American Giant, all their stuff is amazing quality.

Re: What Happened to Threadless?

#104

Post by pbreit »

vram22 wrote: post #99

In 2006 I was a consultant (dev) on a dot-com product (being done in Ruby and Rails). The founder had plans to use Zazzle as one monetization approach, and IIRC, Cafepress too. I think t-shirts were one of their products (at least for Zazzle). Anyone know how those two are doing these days? On a side but related note: It might be interesting to read any stories about how some of the original dot-com companies are doi…

Yes! I would like actually to know what's going with CafePress and Zazzle.

CafePress IPO'd in 2012 ("PRSS") at around $19 and has been all downhill since to its current $1.76. CafePress started in San Mateo but is now apparently in Kentucky.

Zazzle seems to be healthy and active and 12 years later still run by its founders, the 3 Beaver brothers.

Re: What Happened to Threadless?

#105

Post by itronitron »

tedmiston wrote: post #47

Something else not mentioned in the article is that graphic tees have fallen in popularity in the past decade vs plain t-shirts. I'm just one data point but having purchased from Threadless a few times, I haven't bought one graphic tee in the past five years or more. The novelty of a graphic tee wears off quickly. I'd rather have a more expensive but high quality plain shirt I'll like for years to come.

once people run out of space for their tattoos they will have to go back to graphic t-shirts

Re: What Happened to Threadless?

#106

Post by spiznnx »

radicalbyte wrote: post #101
bsder wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> some customers reporting that shirts bought five to 10 years ago are still holding up better than those purchased this year. This isn't just a Threadless problem. All T-shirts now seem to be made out of this thin stretchy garbage material--good if you are an Italian model, bad if you are a normal 40 year old. I'd kill for a supplier that actually still uses nice solid cotton material that drapes rather than stretch…

The premium t-shirt from teefury is good. It's high quality cotton and the fit is fine for a fast b *d like me :) The print doesn't last forever though, about a year for the big prints (same as Threadless was back when they didn't suck).

>fast b*d

fat b∗∗∗∗∗d?

Re: What Happened to Threadless?

#107

Post by perseusprime11 »

mhb wrote: post #13
perseusprime11 wrote: post #10

Is there a good company to order printed t shirts?

I have had good results on several recent orders using CustomInk. You may also want to look locally. I came across a place that is local to me whose prices are competitive with CustomInk and it's nice to support the local business. Also no shipping. I'm sure they also do remote orders, so you can check them out too: http://eastcoastembroidery.com/

Thanks. I am looking for a company that can makes custom t shirts with company logos and stuff without compromising on the quality of fabrics

Re: What Happened to Threadless?

#108

Post by mikepurvis »

vec wrote: post #93
mikepurvis wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I totally agree, but I bet it changed because the Old Way is worse from the perspective of Threadless . Specifically, each contest needs to result in a shirt that they can sell more and more of in order to maintain growth. That pushes you toward a bland, inoffensive, mass-market design. They think they can ultimately maximize profits by doing the etsy/cafepress model, where it's loads of vendors on the ground doing t…

Yeah, but why did Threadless possibly need to "maintain growth"? They had a sustainable small business model. They could have consciously leveled off when they hit their natural equilibrium and remained a profitable niche vendor in perpetuity. Instead, it appears they threw out their existing succesful business model and a good chunk of their reputation trying to scale beyond their natural limits. What's wrong with b…

I completely agree with you, and there's nothing wrong with a successful cottage/lifestyle business. But it takes a certain maturity to see it that way, and they might have caught the startup bug and thought they could turn custom t-shirts into a billion dollar business... who knows?

Re: What Happened to Threadless?

#109

Post by dragonwriter »

aaronbrethorst wrote: post #78
misiogames wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

isn't that the way the "American dream" works?

The American Dream is a middle class lifestyle. Post-World War II America saw a vibrant middle class. Post 9-11/Great Recession America has replaced its vibrant middle class with the ‘gig economy’

The “vibrant middle class” has been in decline since the 1980s and was basically gone by 9/11. The "gig economy” didn't replace it, it maybe nibbled around the edges of the stable working class.
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