Wonder

The power of possibility
These are the thinkers and dreamers. They’re able to identify untapped potential, but they usually aren’t really sure how to unlock it. Similarly, a wonderer can bring up possible problems and challenges but tends to lack follow-through on what to do about them. This type of work genius has a strong vision for the future that other types can support and motivate through their talents.

Invention

Every problem has a solution
Driven by creativity, inventors are passionate about problem-solving. They love to challenge themselves, explore new concepts and ideas, and collaborate with their colleagues. When a problem presents itself, an inventor dives into correcting it with passion and determination.

Discernment

Always trust your gut
Discernment-driven geniuses are all about intuition. They’re skilled at filling gaps in data through their own experience and expertise. They tend to be incredibly observant, and they are particularly capable in unfamiliar situations. Their insights help them identify the best course of action at any given time.

Galvanization

Inspiration and motivation
A galvanizer has an innate understanding of what makes people tick. They know how to bring people together, energizing their colleagues in the process. A galvanizer is a natural-born leader and frequently the driving force behind new projects and initiatives.

Enablement

The right person in the right place makes all the difference
“Enabler” is term that is sometimes used in a negative context (typically in health care settings). But in Working Genius, enablers are all about collaboration and helping teammates get things done. Most importantly, an enabler is usually able to recognize the talents of their colleagues. While galvanizers understand how to get people on board with a project, it’s the enablers who make sure everyone involved is doing what they’re good at – and that anyone who needs help receives it.

Tenacity

Keep going. Don’t stop until the finish line
You may have noticed that the other types of genius on this list share a significant weakness, if only through omission: Follow through. Without a tenacious genius, the team may have issues actually finishing any of the projects it starts. These geniuses are masters of the to-do list and are skilled at keeping other people focused on a project until it’s completed, even amidst waning interest.

Figuring Out Which Working Genius You Represent

Genius work starts with smarter planning, which means placing the right person in the best role for them.The simplest way to figure out where you and your colleagues fall in the above framework is to register for the paid assessment on Lencioni’s website. Although it isn’t free to take, it also isn’t particularly expensive at only $25. If you’d still rather not shell out for the Working Genius assessment, there’s another way – introspection.
Per Lencioni, most people are strong in at least two areas of genius, competent in two and weak in two. So, with that in mind, take a step back and think about the six types of working genius and your work style. Some questions you might ask yourself include:

• How do I approach new problems and challenges?
• Am I a people person?
• Do I tend to rely more on intuition or on hard data?
• How often do I tend to follow a project through to completion?
• Do I frequently catch myself daydreaming?
• Does helping people give me a sense of fulfillment or accomplishment?
• Would my friends or colleagues describe me as an empathic person?

The answers you provide to these questions can help you figure out which type of genius you are.

The post Know Your Talent — What Type of Working Genius Do You Embody? appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

The T-shirt got its humble beginnings in 1913 when the U.S. Navy issued crewneck tees to be worn under uniforms. In the decades since, tees became more stylish with prints and slogans. They got political in the 1940s when New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey’s campaign designed ones with the phrase “Dew it with Dewey” printed on them when he ran for president. Even Hollywood contributed to the T-shirt’s popularity when Marlon Brando sported one in the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire.

Create Your Own Iconic T-shirt Today with BlueCotton

While it’s impossible to decide which is the greatest T-shirt of all time – and trust us, we’ve tried – we were able to come to some agreement on about 20 that stood out to us in one way or another. From tees made for landmark moments in history to the world’s most expensive shirt, each one of these garments has earned its place on this list.

The following list is a stroll down memory lane through popular movies, rock ‘n’ roll, cultural movements, social statements, funky fads and so much more. We hope you enjoy and share this with your friends as a fun piece of T-shirt trivia. Keep reading to learn about awesome graphic vintage tees and expensive shirt brands you never knew about before!

Superlative Luxury T-Shirt

Where else can we begin this list but with a T-shirt that has a sticker price of $400,000? Superlative Luxury shirt designs were introduced in 2012 in London, and Superlative is now one of the world’s most renowned luxury shirt brands. Depending on who you ask, Superlative also makes the most expensive T-shirt in the world. This shirt is plain black with a spherical pattern that has 16 certified diamonds on it.

Led Zeppelin 1979 Backstage Pass T-Shirt

When you return to the stage after a four-year break and everyone in the world wants a backstage pass, what do you do? Well, if you’re rock legends Led Zeppelin, you create a limited number of T-shirts printed to act as passes, both to keep people from counterfeiting passes, as well as to make your guests feel extra special. And, for the lucky concertgoers who kept their shirt for all these years, they now sell for more than $10,000, making them the rarest and most sought-after Led Zeppelin T-shirts in the world. This is a prime example of vintage band T-shirts.

J$ “King of NY” T-Shirt

This shirt makes the list due to its rarity. Initially produced as a collaboration with filmmaker Joe Chan, no two seasons of the King of NY collection are alike, as they used different printing processes and color schemes every time.

Rolling Stones “Lick” T-Shirt

No list is complete without the iconic Rolling Stones “Lick” shirt. The story goes that after several failed attempts by the Stones’ record label to provide them with a logo that was to their liking, Mick Jagger took things into his own hands. The band logo was eventually designed by John Pasche, an art student at the Royal College of Art in London at the time, and was introduced to the public in 1970.

UNICEF Cargo Flight T-Shirt

UNICEF began selling T-shirts as a way to create awareness and raise money for their programs, which provide food, clothes, shelter and more to people in need around the world. The prices on most of their tees range from $18 to $1,000. However, one particular shirt-which is just a simple white shirt with a green printed plane dropping supplies-recently sold for almost $300,000.

UNICEF 1996 Olympics T-Shirt

As we mentioned above, UNICEF’s shirts have done an amazing job raising money for many of their causes. Similarly, these T-shirts from the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta raised nearly $1 million in total, with the highest bid generated on the final day of auction reaching $42,000.

Apple Invisible Man “Think” T-Shirt

Talk about a blast from the past! Most of the iPhone generation won’t remember that when this T-shirt first came out, Apple was the underdog in the tech world. This tee is not only a reminder of the days when Apple was nothing more than a small startup, but it’s also a highly sought-after collector’s item.

John Lennon Home T-Shirt

The Home T-shirts have been world-famous ever since John Lennon took a photo wearing one. They were designed by Finn of FINN studios and made for the owner of the restaurant called Home. While you can find replica shirts in a number of places, John Lennon’s original shirt was auctioned off for $16,400. That price tag makes it one of the most expensive vintage tees ever.

Run-D.M.C. “My Adidas” T-Shirt

The rise of hip-hop in the ’80s and subsequent rise of a new clothing style was most evident with this Run-D.M.C. Adidas T-shirt. Before Adidas started making new versions of this classic, originals from Run-D.M.C.’s tour were fetching upwards of $13,000.

John Lennon 1971 War Is Over T-Shirt

Many people are familiar with Happy Xmas (War Is Over), arguably one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time, which was originally performed by John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band in 1971. What you may not be familiar with is that they designed a series of T-shirts bearing the song’s lyrics “War is over! If you want it!” to promote the single. There aren’t many still left, and in 2007, a surviving shirt sold at Christie’s in New York for $1,875.

Vote for Pedro T-Shirt

This is in reference to the 2004 cult classic movie Napoleon Dynamite. The Vote for Pedro T-shirt has remained popular over the past 10-plus years, even though it’s a relatively simple design. This is a great example of the impact visuals can have on the public.

Rolling Stones 1973 Goats Head Soup Tour Crew Shirt

Only 50 of these embroidered shirts, created for the crew members of the Rolling Stones’ 1973 tour, were ever made, and it is believed that only a few still exist. Created by Ritva and Mike Ross, one of these rare vintage T-shirts recently sold at Christie’s in New York for $4,250.

D.A.R.E. T-Shirt

A staple for any kid who grew up in the late ’80s or early ’90s, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Association (D.A.R.E.) used these free T-shirts as a way to promote their program, which aimed to prevent teenagers from using drugs or engaging in gang activity and violence. Today, with an international presence in over 52 countries around the world, D.A.R.E. tees are still commonly seen.

1969 Woodstock T-Shirt

While most music festivals today have dozens of merchandise stands set up, when half a million people descended on Max Yasgur’s farm in New York in August 1969, that wasn’t one of the things they found. In fact, not a single piece of merchandise was created by the organizers of Woodstock. The only Woodstock shirts available were made by people who set up roadside stalls. This makes Woodstock T-shirts legendarily rare shirts for collectors and history buffs. The above tee is one example, and it fetched $1,188 at Christie’s in 2007.

Kanye West’s “Hip-Hop Shirt”

We love the traditional white T-shirt, but rarely do you see one that retails for $120. Enter Kanye West’s fashion collaboration with French clothing store A.P.C., which aimed to create a line of “luxurious clothing for the young and beautiful.” One such piece is this shirt, titled the “Hip-Hop Shirt.” Not only did it retail for $120, but it actually sold out!

1977 The Runaways Tour T-Shirt

The all-girl rock band The Runaways found themselves at the heart of the emerging punk scene on both sides of the Atlantic, and they embarked on a world tour in 1977. Their European “School Days” tour included 24 shows from October to December of that year, and the T-shirts that survived from that tour are now valued at up to $7,500 each.

Nike “Just Do It” T-Shirts

The slogan was coined in 1988 at an advertising agency meeting. Dan Wieden, founder of the Wieden+Kennedy agency, credits the inspiration for his “Just Do It” Nike slogan to Gary Gilmore’s last words before execution. While not the happiest of thoughts, this slogan and the millions of T-shirts that it is written on have become a staple of the 21st century.

1982 Metallica Metal Up Yours Shirt

The original 1982 Metallica shirt is the second tee Metallica created for sale. It is one of the most sought-after metal shirts in the world, and one of the hardest to find. Most of these never made it out of the ’80s. The ones that did have become collector’s items, as evident by Kim Kardashian spending over $2,000 for one.

Ready To Design Your Own Iconic T-Shirt?

Your podcast audience is growing. Your YouTube channel is exploding. You’re well on your way to being a TikTok influencer. You’re practically a social media icon. We promise you, your fans want merch, and they want it now! BlueCotton makes it so quick and easy to design your own custom T-shirts, there’s no reason to procrastinate any longer.

Use our online T-shirt designer to create your unique, iconic look. If you already have a design, it’s easy to upload it using the T-shirt designer. If you don’t, check out our design ideas for inspiration. When it comes to the shirts themselves, you’ll want to pick from well-known brands that your fanbase knows and trusts, like Gildan, Comfort Colors and Next Level. At BlueCotton, all production on your custom T-shirts will be done in-house by our U.S.-based team, and your custom shirts will be delivered to you quickly. If you have an urgent deadline, we also offer Super Rush or Shirts in a Day options.

Who knows? The one-of-a-kind tees you design could someday be among the expensive shirts available at a New York auction!

The post The 18 Most Infamous, Expensive, & Iconic T-Shirts Of All Time appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

What better way to commemorate that friendship than with a pair of awesome, custom-made sweaters or shirts? Best friend hoodies and T-shirts make great gifts.

We’ve compiled a few of the best friendship-styled sweater designs we’ve seen online here to get you started. Have a look and see if any of the examples below inspire you. Matching best friend hoodies are popular, and basically anything that goes on a hoodie can go on a tee. If you see something that gets the creative juices flowing, why not step into our Design Studio and create something of your own? Take a look at our selection of custom t-shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts and create your own designs.

BBF

via Etsy

Blondes and brunettes will love these clever best friend sweatshirts.

Watch Me

via Etsy

Best Friends

via Wanelo

Warmer than the BFF heart necklaces that inspired the look, these sweatshirts for friends will give them the best of both.

Cats Are My Best Friends

via Teespring

A slightly different take on the best friend theme.

The Mean One

via SwaGirls

Part one of the trifecta.

The Annoying One

via SwaGirls

Part two.

The Cute One

via SwaGirls

Who’s the lucky one who gets to wear this one?

She’s My BFF

via Etsy

Rock and Rule

via Wanelo

The jpeg is strong with this one, but the friendship is stronger.

Fried Bacon

via WeHeartIt

Every Tall Needs A Small

via WeHeartIt

My BFF Is A Dinosaur

via SilkFred

Another alternative take on the theme.

Cake and Ice Cream

via WeHeartIt

Mustard And Hot Dog

via CafePress

Couldn’t Handle Us As Sisters

via Amazon

BBFs…Again

via Etsy

Another take on the blonde and brunette best friends shtick.

BFF, with Flowers

via CafePress

“I swear I’m only wearing it ironically.”

Wok and Roll

via Etsy

Me and You

via SwaGirls

Matching Knitted Sweaters

via The Wooden Soldier

Cookie and Coffee

via RedBubble

Eggs and Bacon

via Wanelo

I’ve seen these two together somewhere before…

I Like My Best Friend

via Society 6

The must-get BFF hoodies for dog owners.

Most Awesome Best Friend

via CafePress

If you buy an extra one of these matching hoodies for friends yourself, it still counts.

Up To No Good

via CustomizedGirl

Naughty and Nice

via AliExpress

Sisters

via CustomizedGirl

You’ve Met Thing 1 and Thing 2, I assume?

via Etsy

Troublemakers

via Etsy

Best Friend Stick Figures

via CafePress

The youthful art style is great as a besties hoodie for childhood friends.

Unbiological Sisters

via eBay

Just remember to stand on the right side when you take pictures with your bestie hoodie set.

Peanut Butter and Jelly

via CafePress

swa

Nutella and Bread

via SwaGirls

Cheese to my Macaroni

via Amazon

Cat Dog

via SwaGirls

Who Needs A Boyfriend?

via SwaGirls

Ask for a hooded style, and you’ve got cute matching hoodies for three best friends who are single (and definitely do not want to mingle). Or four, or five…

Naughty and Nice Take Two

via Etsy

Too Lazy To Find New Friends

via RedBubble

When you want three best friends’ hoodies that are super-honest, this is the design for you. Luckily, there’s no need to order more.

Sis.ter

via WhereToGet

If you can’t read it, it says:

“sis.ter: (sis.ter) n. 1. A best friend for life. 2. Player of dress up. 3. Teller of stories in the dark. 4. Keeper of secrets.”

“Patrick and Spongebob”

via SwaGirls

Friends Forever, Boys Whatever

via eBay

I Am BFF

via Rad

Like a Fat Kid Loves Cake

via Skreened

Disney BFFs

via Etsy

At midnight showings or theme park trips, these bestie sweatshirts will fit right in.

Keep Calm And Love BBF

via Wanelo

Going meta.

Milk and Cookies

via CafePress

Chillaxin With My Peeps

via CafePress

The Awkward Stir Crazy One

via Skreened

Oddly specific? Wait ’til you see its counterpart.

The Pessimistic Not Always Sober One

via Skreened

Things

via Etsy

She Is My Best Friend

via Etsy

Red and Green

via Yo Yo Melody

BFF Owls

via CafePress

Queen and Princess

via AliExpress

Because Everyone Else Sucks!

via Etsy

Friendship isn’t just for friendly people.

Coke and Cherry Coke

via AliExpress

Every Brunette Needs A Blonde (?)

via Etsy

The tone of these shirts changes a bit depending on whether you assume the brunette or the blonde bought them…

Crazy Friends

via Etsy

The Family You Choose

via CafePress

I Adopted My Best Friend

via CafePress

Friends 04 Ever

via Etsy

No Way She Woke Up Like That

via Etsy

Serena/Blair

via Fresh-Tops

FRIEND

via Society 6

Like Cookies and Milk

via SwaGirls

Friendship Levels

via CafePress

Warning: going from this sweater to the next one might give you whiplash.

God Gave Me You

via CafePress

Told ya.

Mild and Wild

via Etsy

Friend To All Cats

via CafePress

Better not get on his bad side.

Friend To All Dogs

via CafePress

That includes wolves too, doesn’t it?

I Love My Best Friend

via CafePress

Got Your Back!

Via RedBubble

Brunettes and Blondes, at it Again

via Etsy

Tweedles

via Etsy

Oldies but Goodies

via SwaGirls

Best Friends

via Etsy

Never Let You Sink

via Etsy

Cheesy Besties

via Customized Girl

Burger and Fries

via Amazon

BFF Sisters

via Amazon

Olaf and Sven

via Wanelo

Partners In Crime (Cuffs)

via Etsy

Three Best Friends

via Wanelo

The perfect three matching best friend hoodies for Disney fans or just for fun.

Why Aren’t We Comedians?

via Redbubble

Freak and Weirdo

via Etsy

A Girl’s Real Best Friend

via Redbubble

Partners in Crime

via Etsy

Minions

via Wanelo

Mustache Friends

via Polyvore

Big Spoon/Little Spoon

via Etsy

Forever Alone Together

via Etsy

Player 1 & 2

via Etsy

Sista From Anotha Mista

via Wanelo

Short One & Tall One

via WhereToGet

Batman & Robin

via eBay

No fighting over who gets to be Batman.

Hakuna Matata

via Customized Girl

Zombie Apocalypse Partners

via Spreadshirt

You’ve got your crew together for the end of the world, and now you’ve got great hoodies for three best friends or more.

Yin and Yang

via Etsy

To Infinity and Beyond

via Pinterest

Inspired? Why not design your own?

The post 99 Best Friend Shirts, Hoodies, and Sweaters appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

If you’re thinking of designing your own shirts in our design studio and are looking for some inspiration, take a look at some of the funniest shirts out there made by some of our favorite designers. We’ve collected funny shirt sayings for guys, gals, dads, moms, couples and many others. Plus, there are fun shirts that anyone can wear and appreciate – after all, humor is a universal language. Get some matching funny shirts made for yourself and your family, club or friend group so you can all spread the fun.

Looking for funny sayings about men so you can design shirts for your group of girlfriends? Trying to come up with a good joke about music, fishing or wine that you can feature on shirts for a club? Maybe you want to give some expectant moms you know a much-needed laugh break. These creative and comical graphic T-shirts offer plenty of ideas. Take a look through our gallery and see what might inspire you.

Great Graphic Tees

For Everybody

Cartridge of Time by Naolito (Nacho Diaz)

If you’re a child of the 90s, then you can relate.

Pat and Silent Bob by Ideas Con Patatas

They’ve got something that’ll turn your frowns upside down – imagination!

I’d Tap That by IceCreamTees

Who wouldn’t?

Alien: Peanut Inside by IdeasConPatatas

It’s exactly like I remember it in the movie!

Link’s Purest Blue Stuff by IdeasConPatatas

Sorry, Walt. Link’s the one who knocks now.

Guys Only

With Great Beard Comes Great Responsibility by Swagfresher

Never underestimate the power of a well-trimmed beard.

Wing Man by Swagfresher

For The Ladies

Relationship Status: Nutella by Swagfresher

To be fair, Nutella does make a pretty compelling case for a relationship.

Bite Me by nanlawson

Straight to the point. Something to be said for that.

(Psst. This one’s not actually even a shirt, but we liked the design so much we had to include it in our list.)

Couples Clothing

Pumpkins by Maternity Tees

The father might want to consider having a word with Jack Skellington…

Princess And Scruffy Lookin’ by EmpireGuys

When we asked EmpireGuys about the inspiration behind the shirt, they said “All of our t-shirt designs were created/imagined by our family and our lifelong love of the Star Wars universe. We were all sitting watching the the Empire Strikes Back, and when Princess Leia told Han Solo he was a Scruffy Lookin Nerf Herder, my wife looked at me and said ‘You have to make that shirt.’”

New Fathers

Caution! Dad at Work! by MassAppeals

He could start crying at any moment.

Dad, King Of The Remote Control by MassAppeals

His wife just lets him think he is.

Expectant Moms

New Fishing Buddy by PinkInkArt

It’s just as well. He was getting pretty sick of Larry.

Mummy To Be by Vice Voices

Just keep it under wraps, am I right guys? Guys? “Under wraps.” Guys?

Entertaining Sayings & Slogans

Laughs For Everyone

Of Course I’m Right. I’m Bob by Mcgags

Bob knows the importance of always believing in yourself.

The Problem With Quotes On The Internet by I Am Tee

Honest Abe’s a pretty wise guy.

Sarcasm by Epicdelusion

The Best Thing About Being A Narcissist by UncensoredShirts

Another shirt for the Bobs in our lives.

Side-Splitting Slogans

Your Planet Sucks by Flunklife

For people who are out of this world.

Boring is Best by Stay Home Club

Excitement kills. Haven’t you ever seen an action movie?

Some Crappy Band by Futbolkuz

I think I’ve heard of them. Didn’t they write “some awful song?”

Ask Me About My Cat/Ask Me About My Dog by Stay Home Club

Which one fits you?

Jokes for Guys

I’m Still In Beta by IceCreamTees

Testers wanted…?

I Wish I Was Felicia by SubatomicTees

Whiskey Is My Spirit Animal by threadedtees

When we mentioned this blog post, threadedtees said “Thank you so much for including my design in your article. I think this is such a fun shirt for whiskey lovers out there. It always gets a good laugh.” We certainly did.

Jokes for Gals

Saving Myself For A Time Lord by StyleURShirt

It’s anyone’s guess when he’ll show up, though.

Fun Size by VinylWorks4u

Happy, Quirky Couples

Under Your Spell by StatementTshirts

Sorceress then?

We Are Hoping It’s A Dinosaur by Tshirts University

By the time they’re a toddler, you won’t know the difference.

For The Fearless Father

I have two daughters by Josh Jenkins

For those men who’ve gazed into the abyss, and had the abyss gaze back.

For A Groovy Mom

Me and Mini Me by TeeStyles

Will the child be evil and want to take over the world, though? I have it on good authority that that’s important.

Jokes and Puns

General-Purpose Comedy

Never Trust an Atom by Ginger Virga

And the electrons they hang out with are always so negative.

Bacteria Is The Only Culture Some People Have by Ginger Virga

But they DO have plenty of it.

Chocolate Rabbits by 9dollartshirts

That bites…

Guess Who? by RadioMode

Jerry? Is that you?

Gramma Phone by Philip Tseng

The Element of Surprise by ScorpioPegasus

The prankster’s element.

For Guys At The Gym

I Belong Behind Bars by KTeesDesigns

It’s criminal that more people don’t work out.

For Wine Connoisseurs

Wine Improves with Age by BikkiD

For The Couple That Drinks Together And Stays Together

Drunk 1 and Drunk 2 by icustomfit

Once they were fired by The Cat In The Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2 went down a pretty dark road.

Jokes For The Beleaguered Dad

Eating for Two, Drinking for Three by Luis Gabriel Homocianu

Somebody’s gotta take a few shorts for the team, right?

Game Over by Mass Appeals

That’s it. Roll credits. We’re done.

Jibs For The Jokester Mom

He Did It by StoykoTs

Look What Daddy Did! by Anabellstar

His parents must be so proud.

Design Funny Shirts at BlueCotton

Ready to design your own shirt? Check out our design studio or take a look at all our products and print your designs on any of them with low order minimums. Once you’ve decided on the perfect look and saying, we will produce your funny T-shirts right here in the U.S. using apparel from top brands. If you need help, talk to a real person Monday-Friday using phone, email and live chat.

The post 45 Funny Shirt Designs & Sayings For Men And Women appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

But the sheer destructive power of this particular storm was. More than 70 people were killed. Entire communities were left without basic amenities.

Even now, more than a month after the storm, many survivors are, per The Courier Journal, temporarily living in motorhomes and trailers. 

It should go without saying that the victims of this catastrophe still need all the help they can get. And rather heartwarmingly, they have been receiving plenty of aid. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still contribute, as well. 

Donate Blood

In addition to the deaths caused by the storm, it also left many Kentuckians injured and in need of hospitalization. The Red Cross began a blood drive in the days immediately following the tornado, in an effort, with governor Andy Beshear noting that blood was needed for many tornado-struck areas, reports WLKY.  Given that, per Lex 18, there is still an ongoing nationwide blood shortage, donations are still desperately needed.

According to the American Red Cross, blood donations are down 10% across the United States. Reportedly, it’s the worst decline seen in more than a decade. This is, the organization continued, likely due at least in part to the pandemic—yet winter weather combined with the tornado has further exacerbated the issue in Kentucky. 

Donate Essentials

In a heartwarming display of holiday spirit, toy drives and other donation centers received overwhelming support. Fox 17 even reports that one center in Hopkins County received so many donations that it actually ran out of space.  Still, if you can find a nonprofit or facility nearby that provides aid to the tornado victims, you can still send physical donations such as:

• Non-perishable food
• Clothing
• Toiletries
• Non-prescription medical supplies

Find Nonprofits to Support

Countless local and national nonprofits have been devoting time and effort to helping tornado victims. We’ve already mentioned The Red Cross. Another nonprofit of particular note is the Stuff the Bus Foundation. Its donation drive raised more than $170,000 for tornado relief, reports WBKO. 

The Lexington Herald has published a list of nonprofits to which you can donate. These include Kroger, The Kentucky Agriculture Relief Fund, The KSR Tornado Relief Fund, The Community Foundation of West Kentucky’s Disaster Relief Fund, CARE’s Tornado Emergency Fund, and the Basic Needs and Persistence Fund, hosted by the University of Kentucky. 

Volunteer Your Time

When the storm struck Bowling Green, it brought down the entire power grid. Even those buildings that were not directly hit were without electricity. During that time, volunteers showed up at people’s houses to help clear downed trees, local high schools were opened to feed and house the storm’s victims, and buses provided transportation. 

The above examples are indicative of a simple truth — sometimes, in the wake of a crisis, the best contribution you can make is your time and effort.  It doesn’t even need to be anything complicated, either. You could even help out a nonprofit by contributing some of your own unique expertise, such as graphic design or marketing. 

Participate in a Fundraiser

Last but not least, we’ll wrap things up with something we ourselves have done — fundraising. Since the storm, we’ve released two shirts, Bowling Green Love and Kentucky Forever, with proceeds for both going to tornado victims.  Our contribution, however, represents only a small part of the efforts people have been making to help. 

In the weeks immediately following the storm, several local restaurants partnered to donate $40,000 worth of gift cards to survivors.  Bowling Green also collected nearly $30,000 from the nearby town of Mayfield, which also received significant damage from the same storm. Finally, Auctions such as the Kentucky Bourbon Benefit, which ended on December 21, raised over $3 million in relief, reports Fox Business.

The December tornado that struck Kentucky was a tragedy. But it wasn’t a tragedy that survivors had to face alone. Already, they’ve received a great deal of help from governments, nonprofits, the private sector, and private citizens alike.  

And now, you know how to join their ranks.

The post Here’s How to Help The Victims of Kentucky’s Devastating December Tornado appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

We know, for instance, that uniforms tend to promote a sense of community and collaboration between the people wearing them. We also know that where athletic teams are concerned, they play a crucial role in helping athletes recognize one another while on the field. As noted by a piece published on the education website OpenLearn, there’s even evidence to suggest that uniform color and design may play a role in both victory and defeat.

But how can you put together a winning outfit for your sports team in 2022? And more importantly, once you’ve figured out a design, where can you go to get your uniforms printed? We can help with both. 

Figuring Out Your Design

The first, most important piece of advice we’ll give you is to make sure your team is involved in the uniform design process. After all, they’re the ones who are going to be wearing these outfits when they compete. It’s only fair that you give them the opportunity to provide feedback on style, color, materials, and design.

Plus, if you aren’t particularly familiar with the different types of performance fabrics and uniform styles, there’s a good chance at least one person on your team can help in that regard. 

You also need to understand that appearance isn’t everything. Comfort is equally important when designing a team uniform, if not more so. For instance, a 2020 study by the University of Toronto found that tight, revealing clothing can have an adverse effect on workout performance. 

Granted, the people on your team aren’t terribly likely to have any issues with body image. But if they’re in any way uncomfortable during a game? You can rest assured that this will impact their performance. 

So, what exactly are you trying to hash out aside from appearance when you sit down with your team? 

• Team name. Assuming you haven’t already figured out what to call your team, this is essential and will provide a foundation for every other aspect of your uniform design.

• Colors. What colors best define your team? Complexity is a bad call here. Stick to one or two bright colors so that your athletes can more readily identify each other. 

• Logo. Your logo’s colors and appearance should accurately reflect both the team name and what that name means to your athletes. Be careful not to make it too complex. Avoid overly complex linework. 

• Material. You’ll want to consider the weather in which your team will typically play or whether they’ll be indoors/outdoors. Consider also the level of physical exertion, as this may require a more breathable or moisture-wicking fabric.  Basically, think long and hard about the demands of your sport, and that should help you make the right choice. 

Choosing Your Apparel Type

Once you’re finished brainstorming the basics of your uniform, your next step is to choose your apparel type. Typically, you’ll want to stick to athletic shirts for jerseys and comfortable, loose-fitting shorts for the lower body. It’s all about using clothing designed for your use case. 

You would not, for instance, wear a sweatshirt to the beach, nor would you don a swimsuit to go skiing. By that same vein, t-shirts and other apparel that aren’t designed to be used in athletics are generally a poor choice for sports uniforms. 

The Design Studio

Here’s where BlueCotton comes in. Our award-winning design studio equips you with a powerful tool that you can use to customize every element of your team’s uniform. You can even apply a custom name and number to each individual piece of apparel once you’ve finished putting together your base design. 

Then, once you’re done designing, all that’s left is to submit your order. We’ll get your uniforms printed, shipped, and in your hands as quickly as possible. We can even print and ship your order as a rush job if it’s particularly urgent — say, for instance, your team is playing in a game this week. 

The post Looking for Custom Team Apparel in 2022? We Can Help appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

It isn’t difficult to see why, either. Donning custom fashion can provide us with a powerful confidence boost, allowing us to show the world what makes us unique. It can also provide us with a means of showing our support for a worthy cause such as a nonprofit. 

Beyond that, as Forbes Magazine notes, we’ve grown used to extensive personalization in every other arena of our lives. Everything is curated, from our search results to our Netflix queue. Why not personalize our clothes, too?

It wouldn’t do to settle for low-quality, budget-brand apparel as a foundation for that personal touch, though. That’s exactly why BlueCotton works with a wide selection of trusted brands for clothing and accessories. We’ll walk you through how to find one that’s a perfect fit for you. 

Step One: Selecting  Your Apparel

We want to make sure that our customers have plenty of choices, which is why we offer an incredibly diverse selection of brands, including: 

• Hanes
• Gildan
• Fruit of the Loom
• American Apparel
• Canvas
• Sport-Tek
• Port & Company
• Under Armor
• Carhartt
• Eddie Bauer 
• The North Face
• Champion
• Bella+Canvas
• Independent Trading Company

Our clothing, which ranges from t-shirts to sweats to outerwear, is available in a wide variety of different colors, sizes, and styles. We offer more than clothing, too. Within our shop, you’ll find custom backpacks, duffel bags, tote bags, face masks, hats, and more.  

Choose whichever fit you feel will be the most comfortable, select your color and size, and then make sure you’ve selected the right material. In most cases, this will primarily be a matter of comfort. However, if you’re planning to do custom embroidery, you’ll want to take a few extra things into consideration. 

Step Two: Brainstorming Your Design

Once you’ve figured out what sort of clothing or accessory you want to customize, it’s time to figure out how to make it speak uniquely to you. 

 If you’re unfamiliar with graphic design, don’t worry. It’s not terribly difficult to gain a passing understanding of the basics, which you can read about briefly here.  We’ve also published a more comprehensive guide to graphic design as it applies to apparel. 

You may not be able to sell any commissions with that knowledge, but you’ll at least know how to put together a decent-looking graphic.

Of course, even knowing the basics of graphic design, you still need to find inspiration for a design. Maybe you planned ahead, and you’ve already got an idea buzzing around in your head. If not, here are a few things you can do to seek out your creative spark: 

• Think about your favorite media and the types of visuals commonly associated with that. 
• Ask friends and family for their opinion. 
• Have a look through a site like Etsy, and see what custom designs are listed there.
• Spend some time on Deviantart or Tumblr to see if you can find anything you like. One warning, though: don’t use someone’s art without their permission.  

Step Three: The BlueCotton Design Studio

Now for the fun part. You’ve planned out your design and found a base. It’s time to open our award-winning Design Studio and get to work. Here are a few brief guidelines, and you can click here for an overview of what that process might look like for a T-shirt: 

• If you haven’t already selected your shirt, you can customize everything from type to size to style and color before getting started. 
• When you’ve finalized your shirt, you can apply custom text via the sidebar on the left. 
• The sidebar also allows you to customize the font, color, size, and effects.
• You can also add clipart, upload custom art, or create custom shapes. 
• There are also a ton of decorative elements you can apply, such as a distressed effect. 
• If you want to create multiple shirts, you can add custom names and numbers to each. 

Step Four: Finalizing Your Order

Once you’ve finished creating your design, there’s only one thing left to do. Finalize your order, make your purchase, and then we’ll get to work printing it for you.  We’ll make it our priority to get you your purchase as fast as possible — and you can start showing off your unique personality that much sooner. 

The post Personalizing Branded Apparel with BlueCotton: A Step-By-Step Guide appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

According to analyst Global Workplace Analytics, at least 25-30% of the entire US workforce will continue to work from home one or more days a week after the pandemic. McKinsey takes things a step further, predicting large-scale disruption that may require as many as 1 in 16 workers to find a new occupation by 2030. And according to Accenture, 63% of high-growth companies have adopted a hybrid work model, which 83% of workers prefer. 

In other words, the cat is out of the bag for both organizations and employees as the benefits of telecommuting are concerned, and there is no going back. People who work from home tend to be more productive, especially if they’re given flexible hours. Businesses, meanwhile, can save considerable capital on office space and equipment.

And that’s only the tip of the iceberg as far as the benefits of remote work are concerned.  Not that this shift wasn’t inevitable anyway. Although COVID-19 was itself an unprecedented global crisis, the trends it inspired were nothing new. 

Distributed work is no exception. According to job board Flex jobs, there was a 159% increase in remote work from 2005-2019. In Gallup’s 2017 State of the American Workplace report, 51% of employees indicated they would switch jobs for a more flexible, remote schedule. 

So, where are we going with this? 

Simply put, it’s your responsibility as a leader to ensure that your remote employees are just as engaged as in-office staff. Prior to the pandemic, perhaps this was something that could be put off. However, in a future defined by hybrid work, you need to support your remote teams.

Here’s some advice to help you accomplish that. 

Take a Genuine Interest

One of the most significant drawbacks of working remotely is that, for many, it’s an isolating experience. It’s within your power to make it at least a little less lonely, however. Take a genuine interest in the lives and hobbies of your employees.

Reach out to them every now and then to see how they’re doing. Let them know they can schedule touch base meetings if need be, and encourage friendships between remote staff outside regular office hours. They might not all be working in the same building, but that doesn’t mean they can’t feel like they’re part of the same team. 

Equip Them With The Proper Resources

The right tools make all the difference in the world. 

That’s especially true in distributed work, where your employees won’t likely have access to the same equipment they would in an office setting. You need to make sure this doesn’t impede their ability to do their jobs. 

Ask them what they need, and make it happen. Maybe it’s subsidies to help them pay for better Internet, a better virtual meeting platform, or a remote access solution. Whatever it is, it’s your responsibility to provide it to them. 

Look Into Remote Team Building (But Don’t Overdo It)

Team building. 

Chances are pretty good that most people who read those words immediately thought of frustrating, mandatory outings with coworkers. Of human resources initiatives that attempt to force friendships between employees. Of disconnected efforts to promote synergy and encourage collaboration.

That doesn’t need to be how your team-building efforts look, though. They could be virtual, inexpensive, entertaining, and most importantly of all, optional. Believe it or not, a hybrid setting gives you an enormous amount of freedom in that regard, with possibilities that include:

• Virtual board game nights. 
• Scheduled video game sessions. 
• Zoom movie nights. 
• Digital dinner and drinks. 

Promote a Sense of Unity 

Helping everyone feel like they’re part of the same team means encouraging an environment of collaboration, not competition. And it goes beyond touching base every now and then. Custom apparel, for instance, could go a long way in that regard.

And let’s be honest, who doesn’t like getting free stuff? 

Blue Cotton can help with that, too. We offer shirts, sweats, and more from many leading brands and the capacity for completely custom bulk orders. Better yet, our Design Studio makes it easier than ever to put together a custom design that really helps your team shine.  

The post Distributed Engagement: How to Support Your Remote Teams in a Way That Matters appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

Your logo is among the most important cornerstones of your brand’s identity. In most cases, it’s the first thing your audience will see—the first impression your business will make upon them. You want to do everything in your power to ensure that impression lasts. 

With that in mind, here’s how you can create a memorable logo for your business. 

Start With “Why”

First thing’s first, you need to answer a few questions. 

• • Why do you feel you need a logo? It may fly in the face of everything you’ve been taught about branding, but not every business needs a logo. For instance, a company that operates entirely online and doesn’t sell any physical products would be better served focusing on the aesthetics of its website first. 
  • What does your business do? Are you an apparel company? A software developer? A boutique store? 

• Where will your logo appear? This may include packaging, documentation, your website, and so on. How you plan to use your logo will play a considerable role in how your final design looks. 

Know Your Brand

Your logo is, at its core, a reflection of your brand’s identity. Its purpose is to visually communicate what makes your brand unique—to show prospective customers who you are and give them some idea of what you do. It follows, then, that you cannot design an effective logo if you don’t know your own brand. 

But what’s in a brand, exactly? 

• Core values
• Personality and language, including your brand’s voice on social media
• Your unique selling points and competitive differentiators
• Slogans and taglines

Consider Your Audience

Although not a direct part of your branding, understanding your business’s target audience and niche is crucial. You need to know what resonates with the people to whom you’re selling. Moreover, you need to understand what they value and why. 

Look Everywhere for Inspiration

Maybe you already have some ideas in mind for your logo. Maybe not. If you’re lucky enough to have some creative inspiration already pushing you forward, you can probably skip this step.

Otherwise, let’s talk brainstorming. Often, the best way to come up with new ideas is to look at what other people are doing. To take established creations and think about how you can put your own unique spin on them. 

As such, you can look for ideas in any or all of the following places:

• Brainstorming sessions with colleagues
• Free logo designs
• Competitor branding
• Logos from other industries or niches
• Artwork

Let Your Style Shine 

Next, come up with a broad concept of how you want your logo to look. Do you want a retro-styled feel that plays on nostalgia, or is modern and minimalist a better fit for your brand? Should your logo look more intricate, or do you want it to be as simple as possible? 

Learn Some Graphic Design

Even if you don’t plan to design your own logo, we’d still recommend that you endeavor to understand a few fundamentals of the discipline. That includes general best practices as well as more specific principles such as linework, shapes, color, typography, and spacing. The most important graphic design advice of all, however? 

Always get a second opinion. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Work With a Designer

You may be tempted to think you can design your logo on your own. Maybe you’re right—perhaps you’re either a design professional yourself or simply a talented hobbyist. Either way, it’s essential to understand that professionally-designed logos will always perform better than a logo made by someone with minimal expertise. 

The best practices we discussed in the previous step? Professional designers live and breathe them. They are, by and large, the best way to bring your logo ideas to life. 

Characteristics of a Good Logo

Once you’ve put your logo together, you have one final question to answer—is it good enough? To know the answer, you must know what characteristics make a logo memorable. These include:

• Simplicity
• Versatility
• Distinctiveness
• Timelessness
• Originality
• Brand-aligned
• Appealing to your target market

As you may have surmised, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel in order to create a memorable logo. Some of the best logos in the world are arrestingly simple—Nike’s iconic checkmark, for instance. The best advice we can give you is to focus on creating something that’s uniquely yours. 

And once you have an idea in mind, our award-winning design studio can help you make it a reality.

The post How to Create a Memorable Logo for Your Business appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

The problem, of course, is that different people have different notions of what constitutes ‘comfortable.’ A reasonable temperature for one person might be near to freezing for another. 

We’ve all had that one coworker who always seems to be freezing. The person who, no matter how high you turn up the office thermostat, still manages to shiver. Now that we’ve hit the winter months, it’s going to get even worse for them.

Why not show them you’re thinking of them? Whether you’re purchasing something for an office gift exchange or getting a gift for a friend, here are nine holiday gift ideas to help beat the cold this season. 

Something to Warm the Feet

Most of us have been there at least once.  You get out of bed on a cold winter morning, and the moment your feet touch the floor, everything goes blank. It’s freezing. 

As anyone who struggles with lower temperatures will tell you, it’s always the feet that seem to get cold first. And it’s always the feet that are the last to warm up. That’s why our first gift recommendation is something to help with that—a nice set of slippers, perhaps, or maybe a few pairs of extra-warm, extra-comfortable socks. 

A Heated Blanket or Quilt

A blanket or quilt is a great way to battle the cold when you’re working from home. A heated blanket or quilt is even better. Depending on which model you get, they can keep the user toasty enough that even if you turned off the heat, they’d still be fine. 

Just make sure you explain the risks commonly associated with electric blankets, such as how overuse could cause a fire. 

Gloves

Have you ever tried to type when your hands are cold? It doesn’t work so well. Fortunately, there’s a solution—and it doesn’t involve going to war over the thermostat.

There are now plenty of businesses that are selling gloves specifically made for use indoors. Fingerless gloves allow you to retain a bit of manual dexterity while keeping your hands warm. Extra-thin carbon fiber gloves let you still use a touchscreen while wearing them. And if you really want to go overboard, you can even grab yourself a pair of USB-rechargeable heated gloves. 

 Some Massage Gadgets

How’s your posture? 

If you’re like most people, you just shifted uncomfortably in your chair in an effort to correct yourself. Don’t let it get to you. As reported by The New York Post, 80% of Americans experience back problems as a result of poor posture at some point in their lifetime. 

The only gift that really helps with that long-term is coupons for a chiropractor or massage therapist. In the short-term, though? There’s plenty of heated massage gadgets you can give someone—a neck massager, for example. 

They might not be able to erase the effects of poor posture completely, but they can help prevent the problem from getting too much worse. 

A Nice Hat 

It’s relatively common knowledge that we lose more heat through our head than through any other part of our body. It’s one of the reasons it’s so important to keep yourself covered when you go outside. It’s also why a hat could be the perfect gift for your chilly co-worker.

After all, who doesn’t like hats? 

A New Mug (And Stuff to Go With It)

Tea and coffee are how many of us get through the day—which is what makes a brand new coffee mug such a great gift. If you want to take things a step further, you can also grab a warmer and something the recipient can drink. 

A Custom Hoodie

Last but certainly not least, here’s one for those of you that know the recipient very, very well—a custom sweatshirt created in BlueCotton’s award-winning design studio. You can customize it however you see fit and have it at your door just in time for the holidays—the perfect way to show you really care. 

The post Beat the Cold of the Office With These Great Holiday Gifts appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.