Fashion Stores
Shared
Shared got no love for years in Canada, but the super-soft tees have finally come home, with the local line opening a wee shop on Bathurst.
There, people can pick up tees, cardigans, and hoodies spun from Shared's prized Supima cotton, which is the highest grade available in the United States. It's shipped to Toronto, where it's knitted, dyed, washed, dried, cut, and sewn. "We want to really control the whole process," said co-owner Carlo Colacci.
But people weren't so hot on Toronto-made tees at first. "We've been wholesale for five years now. People didn't want local before, so we sold in New York, Los Angeles, and Japan. Canadian customers are kind-of conservative and followers," says Colacci.
But once the trend for local wares started, Colacci and his partner Joyce Lo thought it might be time for a TO try-out. After a pop-up shop next to The Drake was successful, the two stuffed their new permanent space with a half-and-half mix of men's and women's shirts.
Tees start at $38, tanks at $30, sweatshirts at $88, and cardigans at $85.
The palette will change with the seasons, although neutrals will always be on-hand. My favourites were the slouchy teal tank, and the white tees with that perfect worn-in feel (without the unsightly stains). It's practically Shared's trademark--according to Colacci, they want people to buy tees that feel like you've already worn it forever. Success? Yes.
I really dug the prints that the pair use on some of their tees: slogans include "Old Flames Are Dead Matches" and "Less Make-up, More Make-Out," and there was a lovely, spare math table gracing a few pieces. Shared hopes to start collaborating with local designers in the spring for some new designs. (Maybe you can pair 'em with the Ksubi jeans and Generic Surplus shoes also on sale here.)
But the best part? A full 50% of profits go toward charity. And when you buy something, you can write down your charity suggestion for where the cash should go.
Now that's sharing.
Photos by Eugen Sakhnenko.
Discussion
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Half of the profits go to a charity, so really the t-shirt is 19 bucks... which isn't bad at all.
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The profit is not 38 bucks.
The price is 38 bucks.
The profit is the mark up on whatever the shirt cost.
So no, 19 bucks do not go to charity.
And yes, 38 bucks for a t shirt is still a bit ludicrous, since there's no way on earth one of these fuzzy wuzzy t shirts cost more than 6 or 7 or 8 bucks to make.
Next time you see a $5 shirt, ask who is buying it and if they actually need clothing. I, have 3 biology degrees with an MBA. I've pretty much studied this most my academic lifetime, and I own companies that put stuff on the market. I've done nothing but ask myself these questions, and several you've never even thought about. Raising the cost of a tshirt to $40 isn't an option for a lot of people.
And tshirts don't necessarily have to be manufactured. Ever know how much second hand clothing is actually available? You know how many old tshirts are actually out there, not owned by individuals? You'd be amazed.
To me, $38 to support a local with 50% going to charity is great value on many levels. I would totally check out their shop and buy a tee. <br><br>
ps: Stanfields is great for wearing UNDER things.
See you at the pub, Jane!
Obviously you are a true "expert" and "business man".
Also if you don't like input, the Internet might not be for you.
Is everybody supposed to take your approach to things? This all started with someone making a comment that $38 was too much for a tshirt. I think that's a pretty valid approach considering we're in a recession, don't you think?
Also american apparel is now a worldwide brand who sells everywhere.
Its called economies of scale, 20 T-Shirts vs. 200 000 T-Shirts.
Do the math...
Some people buy it cause they like it irrelevant of cost.
Heed your own advice, no?
If a fancy t-shirt is your idea of being "cool and hip" the more power to you. Thankfully 99.9% of the population here see a bit more clearer on such things.
Clown.
Come on...even you're not that slow.
Seriously though, I think the discussion that has spawned is fantastic and there are a lot of good points being made. The debate about the potential motivations behind purchasing one of these items is especially interesting- whether it be motivated by a desire for genuinely higher quality garments or to show solidarity with Torontonian labourers and designers, or whether it would be a hollow gesture with either knowingly or ignorantly is motivated only by a desire to feel somehow superior. Interesting stuff you guys!
The questions about sustainability are interesting too. Having almost the entire process done in the city is exciting (and probably contributes to the price), although I'm curious about how much of an impact is had by shipping in the material from the US. Maybe the local cotton just isn't up to the company's standards. But hey, what do I know, right?
Personally, I'm very interested in this operation, and frankly I'll probably one day end up buying something here. Not necessarily for the supposed sustainability or the (perhaps gimmicky, or at least played up) charitable aspect. What interests me is something not really touched on in the discussion, that supporting Torontonian designers, labourers, and independent businesses is important to me. The debate could be never ending regarding whether or not the operation is genuinely sustainable or whether the customers are well-meaning or delusional, but hopefully we can all agree that earnest, local businesses and business owners deserve a bit of local support.