Yet paying attention to the kind of tee you chose is another way to set this garment apart and bring your group together. The finest design won’t reach a big crowd if you have it on average apparel, after all. Give people a top that they’ll wear as soon as it’s out of the dryer to get your customization in front of as many eyes as possible. Look through our softest T-shirts at BlueCotton, giving everyone a new beloved tee for their stylish wardrobes.

1. Gildan Softstyle T-Shirts

This Gildan Chief Value Cotton tee has a polycotton fabric that offers breathability, comfort and durability all in one. A tear-away label is the finishing touch for this everyday tee that your group can count on for anything. Give your team a contemporary style and casual coziness when you customize this short-sleeve t-shirt. As one of the softest shirts for printing, the high stitch density also makes a smooth canvas for your artistic design or business logo.

2. Next Level Soft Cotton T-Shirts

This premium fitted short-sleeved tee is crafted with pure, combed cotton jersey for unbelievable softness. It even has a stunning 32 singles for a high-quality knitted fabric that’s just asking to be snuggled into on a cozy day. Most run-of-the-mill tees will have around 20 singles, but this ultra-soft shirt goes above and beyond. The ladies’ boyfriend tee version means the women at your gathering or in your crew will be just as comfortable as the people who prefer a classic fit.

3. Bella + Canvas Tri-Blend Tees

With rayon in this fabric blend, this Bella + Canvas tee is legendarily smooth against your skin. The semi-fitted cut and lightly heathered look are especially fashionable for youthful and forward-thinking groups or gatherings. Active teams will also appreciate the flexibility of the material, moving with them during workouts or team practice and weekend adventures. The long-lasting construction that endures wash after wash may be a surprise because it’s such a cozy shirt for kids and adults.

4. Tultex Fine Jersey T-Shirts

Available in youth and adult sizing, this unisex jersey tee by Tultex is ideal for groups of any age. Everyone can enjoy the luxury of ringspun cotton in this fabric. A variety of colors that are reactive-dyed to last meaning you can find the perfect shade for your design too, or choose several hues to give people a selection. The traditional silhouette and premium construction are made to win out against fleeting trends and stand up to everyday wear.

5. District DT104 Perfect Weight Tees

Living up to their brand-name title, these sturdy District T-shirts are highly reviewed for their top-notch quality. It’s lightweight for comfort and durable to keep this tee in your group’s closet for a long time. Gorgeous colors and screen printing will impress anyone who receives your customized garment, which will shine at any special occasion and help all organizations stand out in their own ways. The extra-soft cotton is also colorfast, so it stays as good as the day your team got it.

Discover Inspiration for Your Own Comfortable Shirts

Take a look at our Design Ideas to see a vast library of templates you can modify for your business, school organization, sports team, festival and so much more. Categories will help you navigate the galleries to find a style that would work best for your team. Build brand awareness for your company or raise funds for a charitable cause with screen-printed tees that are so silky soft, they create an amazing first impression for anyone who gets these shirts. Each one can be changed by adding your logo, personalization or clip art that fits your gathering or group.

For one-off or yearly events, you’ll find a ton of options to choose from. Celebrate a holiday party or promote your chapter during Rush Week. Sororities and fraternities alike can find eye-catching designs that work for recruitment or gifts to new members. Kick off the fun with seasonal artwork and themed styles for festivals too. There’s a reason our staff have put together so many options, and it’s so you can find exactly what you need and then make it your own. Creativity can transform any of these templates into something distinctive for your occasion or team.

Order Custom Cozy T-Shirts at BlueCotton

Personal customer service and premium printing are the center of what we do here. All stages of our production from design and embroidery to printing, shipping and packaging are taken care of in-house in the U.S. with our own team, unlike major competitors in the customization industry. Keeping our process in-house means we can ensure that each phase meets our quality standards – and yours too. It also lets us offer guarantees on our delivery and a convenient quoting tool for your planning and budgeting needs.

A real person from our staff will email you with an order confirmation and design proof when you buy your apparel. This allows you to review your printing order one last time, and you’ll have someone to ask questions at any point. Find out for yourself why our customers have sworn by us from their very first purchase.

The post Top Five Softest Shirts to Personalize for Printing appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

The Best Short-Sleeve Shirts

You can’t really find a bad short-sleeve tee, but our favorite is the Gildan heavy cotton T-shirt for the classic fit, durable fabric and a wide variety of sizing for kids and adults – even coming in . You can always count on this shirt to be just what you need for embroidery or screen printing.

When you want the best of everything, the checks off every box. A semi-fitted silhouette brings more fashion to the table with a blended material that delivers amazing comfort too. Find one with a for feminine flair.

Going for a creative look? Pick a Custom Colors pocket shirt and place your logo or artwork on the chest pocket for an iconic style that draws attention to your design.

Greatest Long-Sleeve T-Shirts

Ringspun cotton is a fantastic canvas for screen printing, which is why this stands out as an amazing choice for customization. The broad color selection with uncommon options is another big win for this T-shirt.

If you were thinking about that pocket shirt from before but didn’t want to give up the long sleeves, the CC4410 tee means you don’t have to decide. The same goes for the American Apparel fine jersey long-sleeve shirt. Carrying a selection from our top brands makes it easier than ever to give your group the best, no matter what garment you have in mind.

Top Tier Hoodies

Discover another piece of classic custom apparel for kids and adults with the Gildan blend pullover hoodie. It’s one of our top five products ever, and for good reason. The traditional cut and no-pill material make it a strong candidate for customization to showcase any team or special occasion.

For midweight hoodies, the Independent Trading Co. sweatshirt is a fantastic pick that can be customized on the front or back with printing or embroidery services.

Favorite Crewnecks

Groups of all ages deserve a customized crewneck sweatshirt that ties the community together or celebrates a meaningful event. Enter the Gildan 18000 crewneck, bringing great quality and value in one pill-resistant sweatshirt.

Enjoy a softer, midweight crewneck with the . Heathered colors add a chic selection for your organization or event.

Bestselling Performance Apparel

Mix feminine hoodies with moisture-wicking properties in the lightweight Sport-Tek Colorblock Hooded Pullover for women. The sporty look of stripes emphasizes that contoured silhouette that’s perfect for ladies’ athletic wardrobes. Keep that sweat-wicking comfort going with women’s V-neck PosiCharge tees.

For men and kids involved in fitness groups or sports teams, Sport-Tek also has Competitor tees that you can customize for them.

The post BlueCotton team’s most loved apparel items appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

Driven as much by stress as by the large-scale shift to distributed work over the course of the pandemic’s first year, people all over the world opted to ditch traditional office attire for more comfortable garb. As noted by The BBC, this wasn’t a particularly unprecedented shift—the world has been moving away from formal attire for some years now. 

Last year was simply the inflection point, with fashion companies experiencing a 90% drop in profits in the United States, according to The Business of Fashion. 

Even once we start returning to the office, it is unlikely we’ll see a return to old dress codes. More notably, remote work will remain a regular thing. With that in mind, we’d recommend adding custom sweats to your work from home wardrobe—because there’s a multitude of very good reasons to do so. 

Comfort

Traditional business attire isn’t exactly known for being comfortable. That in and of itself is going to make transitioning back to office formalwear an unenviable prospect. In a recent discussion thread on the Ask a Manager blog, community members wondered why making the transition was even necessary. 

|”It’s clear now that we are just as productive in sweatpants as we are in suits,” writes one user. “If anything, I’m probably MORE productive when I’m comfortable.” 

Warmth

We’ve all had to deal with a cold office before. A space that, no matter what we do, seems impossible to warm up. Given how it’s next to impossible to stay productive if you’re freezing, your best course of action is to bundle up.

This is precisely where sweats come in. Hoodies and sweatpants aren’t just comfortable. They’re also warm—making them the perfect option for working in a chilly office. 

Convenience 

Ask yourself which of these morning routines sounds more appealing to you. 

• You wake up early and stumble your way to the bathroom in a haze. After brushing your teeth and washing up, you stagger back to your bedroom, where your freshly-pressed suit awaits—the same suit you spent an hour ironing last night. After struggling your way into it, you set out on your morning commute. 
• You wake up a half hour before you have to work, feeling bright and refreshed. After brushing your teeth and washing your face, you grab a pair of sweatpants out of the drawer and a nice sweater out of the closet. You’ve still got time for a quick meal before your morning Zoom meeting. 

We can’t speak for everyone, but we know which option we’d choose. 

Fitness 

Have you ever attempted to work out in a three-piece suit? To say that it’s not a pleasant experience would be putting it lightly. Of course, it’s not like you can swap easily from office attire to workout attire at the gym—not without leaving your suit a crumpled mess, anyway. 

A good set of sweats renders this a moot point. You can go jogging immediately after work and toss your clothes in a locker without having to worry about ironing them later. As a result, they make staying healthy and in shape far easier—and these days, the value of that cannot be understated. 

Personal Style

You’ll note at the beginning of the piece that we mentioned personalizing your sweats. See, one of the biggest drawbacks of sweatpants is that despite all the comfort, warmth, and convenience they offer, they look kind of…boring? The thing is, they don’t have to. 

You can easily add a personal touch to your outfits through custom printing or embroidery, spicing up what might otherwise be boring apparel with a bit of flair and flash. 

Here’s where we come in. First, select a garment you like from our gallery of custom sweats. We’ve got sweatshirts, sweatpants, and hoodies from multiple trusted brands like Gildan and Hanes, all available in a wide variety of sizes, colors, and materials. Then, once you’ve chosen your clothing, you can use our award-winning design studio to bring your design to life. 

COVID-19 has forever changed how we dress. But that’s not a bad thing. In today’s workplace, we’re prioritizing our own comfort and well-being.

All we can do is hope this trend remains well after the pandemic is over. 

The post 5 Very Good Reasons to Add Custom Sweats to your Work from Home Wardrobe appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

In a recent piece, we examined the history of graphic shirts. We looked at their origin, creation, and evolution. Today, we’re going to take a deep dive into the present. Because it’s no secret that graphic tees have recently experienced a surge in popularity. 

Let’s explore why that happened. 

Comfort

Our relationship with fashion has changed. As reported by CNN, the fashion industry entered into crisis mode last year, with many business apparel retailers filing for bankruptcy. People simply didn’t care about fancy clothes or expensive outfits anymore. 

They want something functional. More importantly, they wanted something comfortable. Rather than having to struggle into a stiff, uncomfortable suit every day, we collectively decided that we’d rather just grab a shirt and a pair of sweats from our closet.

As many businesses seek to return to some degree of normalcy post-COVID, they’re even finding that employees are largely unwilling to go back to their former dress codes. 

Style

The best thing about graphic tees is that there really is something for everyone. They allow you to convey everything from your interests to your political beliefs. And if you’re willing to put in the effort to create a custom tee, they can even be a means of showcasing your unique personality—the core of what it means to be you. 

Community

Graphic tees can do more than showcase your thoughts, ideas, or beliefs. They can create a sense of community between like-minded people. By simply donning a shirt, you can show your support for a cause, demonstrate your appreciation of a celebrity, and open up conversations with like-minded people. 

To give an example, plenty of popular YouTubers maintain their own merch store where fans can purchase apparel decorated or embroidered with a whole range of inside jokes—which again fosters a sort of togetherness. 

Given how challenging and isolating the pandemic has been, one can hardly blame a person for seeking community wherever they can find it. A sense of belonging, feelings of acceptance, and the knowledge that there are people like us to support us; these are things we all sorely need right now.

 And graphic tees provide one possible means of discovering them. 

Memories of Better Days

Prior to COVID-19, many millennials felt a sense of nostalgia towards the 90s. They dreamed of better, simpler days. They longed for a time when they were still children and didn’t have to worry about things like taxes or climate change. 

With the pandemic, plenty of us would settle for just going back to 2019. Designers and artists have seized on that nostalgia. You can find a ton of graphic shirts online that convey everything from frustration with the pandemic to a desire to return to the before times. 

Versatility

The best thing about a T-shirt is that it can serve nearly whatever purpose you need it to. 

It can be part of your workout gear. It can be something you wear at work when you’re trying to keep things casual. It can be part of a pajama set or simply donned as loungewear.

There’s an excellent reason the base article has endured for over a century—they just work. 

Simplicity

Sometimes, you don’t want to spend several hours planning your wardrobe. Sometimes, you don’t want to worry about color matching or style. Sometimes, you just want to put on whatever you first pull out of your closet—you want to keep it simple. 

Self-care aside, there’s something to be said about doing this from a business perspective, too—plenty of successful leaders make a point of not putting any thought into what they wear on a day-to-day basis. Because as noted by Entrepreneur, putting small decisions out of your mind allows you to focus on important ones.  

Interested in creating your own graphic tee? Check out BlueCotton’s award-winning design studio!

The post 6 Reasons Graphic Tees Have Made a Comeback appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

Think about it. You may not remember how the employees at a particular spot were dressed after you leave, but you most certainly noticed while you were there. Perhaps more importantly, the right uniform can promote a sense of pride, collaboration, and solidarity in your staff.

So with all that in mind, let’s talk about a few tips around how your business can use custom-printed aprons. 

Start With the Right Style

Always remember that aprons are, first and foremost, meant to be practical. It’s crucial that you account for the needs and responsibilities of each employee before placing your order. Per B2B eCommerce retailer Web Restaurant Store, you’ll be choosing from the following: 

• Waist. Short length for more comfort when walking. Usually have pockets, and provide no upper body coverage. Intended for bussers, servers, and other front-of-house staff. 

• 4-way. Multiple interchangeable layers. Intended for kitchen staff. 

• Bistro. Extra-long waist aprons. For front-of-house staff.

• Bib. Traditionally-styled apron. Ideal for kitchen staff. 

• Tuxedo. Upscale bib aprons. A more elegant option for front-of-house staff.

• Cobbler. Full front and back coverage. For housekeepers, bakery staff, staff in school cafeterias, and some hospital staff.

• Dishwasher. Self-explanatory. Waterproof bib aprons for dishwashers. 

Comfort Comes First

It doesn’t matter how good your aprons look if they’re so uncomfortable that your employees are miserable wearing them. Make sure each apron is properly sized to the person wearing it, and don’t be afraid to put in extra for premium materials. Better to buy a slightly higher-end apron now than have to replace the same apron five times. 

Follow Basic Best Practices for Apparel Design

We’ve discussed best practices for custom t-shirt design in the past. The same general advice applies to your aprons. Pay attention to contrast and proximity, and don’t go overboard with embroidery or embroidery patches. Simple is the way to go here.  

Always Order Backups

If there’s one thing anyone who’s worked in a restaurant will tell you, it’s that their job gets downright hectic. From kitchen mishaps to spills and stains, there are plenty of ways an apron can wind up damaged, maybe even unusable. Therefore, it’s a good rule of thumb to keep at least one extra apron per employee in reserve. 

Let Employees Add Their Own Personal Touch

Last but not least, if you’re getting your aprons custom-printed anyway, why not let the people who’ll actually wear them participate in their design? Something as simple as letting someone get their name embroidered on their apron can make a huge difference in morale. Plus, if you order from BlueCotton, that level of personalization is as simple as hopping into our award-winning design studio.

Why not give it a try now? You might be surprised at what you’re able to come up with. 

The post 5 Tips on Using Custom Printed Aprons for Your Business appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

They’re comfortable, they’re easy to maintain, and even custom-printed shirts are completely affordable. 

With that said, it should come as no surprise that per analyst Verified Market Research, the global custom t-shirt printing market will reach a projected $16.25 billion by 2028. It’s not individual consumers driving that growth, either. It’s nonprofits, educational institutions, and businesses. 

Corporations have long understood how branded apparel can help them promote awareness and drive engagement. Until recently, however, that power was primarily out of the hands of smaller businesses with limited budgets. That’s no longer the case.

What Makes Custom T-shirts an Effective Marketing Tool? 

How many t-shirts do you own? 

If you’re like most people, you probably had a bit of trouble answering that question. You’ve likely also cycled through your entire wardrobe of shirts at least a few times over the course of the pandemic. 

You aren’t alone in that. People have overwhelmingly turned to business casual (or outright casual) dress while working from home. We expect that trend to continue into the new year — meaning it’s primetime for promotional shirts. 

In addition to being an excellent gift for employees, custom shirts are both cost-effective and long-lasting. If you manage to create a compelling enough design, people could end up wearing your shirts for a year or more. Promotions aside, t-shirts can also be a great way to create togetherness and drive company culture in the workplace.

Depending on how you approach them, they could end up being a revenue stream in their own right. 

Getting Started With T-shirt Marketing

First thing’s first, if you plan to get into branded apparel, you need some clever ideas. Sure, you could just slap your logo on a shirt and call it a day. But that’s boring. 

Instead, you should brainstorm. Collaborate with employees and colleagues to come up with some clever ideas for promotional apparel. And while you do, make sure to follow the general best practices for visual design. 

The most critical question you need to answer is what you want those shirts to communicate to the people who see them. How do you want your brand to be perceived? To what kind of people do you want your shirts to appeal? 

Once you’ve answered those questions, all that’s left is to design and print — and that’s where BlueCotton comes in. Via our award-winning design studio, you can easily make even the most complicated idea a reality. And once you do, we’ll ship your order as quickly as possible.

After that, the rest is up to you.

The post How to Use Custom T-shirts to Promote Your Small Business appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

~100-868: Textile Printing is Born

Although historians aren’t entirely clear on the specifics, what we do know is that the first technique for decorating textiles with dye — woodblock printing — can be traced back to China. The first known Chinese woodblock print, the Diamant-Sutra, is dated 868. There are also Japanese printing techniques from the 700s that were clearly influenced by Chinese prints. 

Woodblock printing was eventually introduced to Europe sometime in the 1100s. 

~960-1278: The Invention of Screen Printing

As with woodblock printing, screen printing originated in China during the Song Dynasty, though Japan was the first country to use it in a widespread fashion, applying stenciling techniques for more intricate designs. Screen printing made its way to Europe in the 18th century but was not terribly popular until much later. 

1700s: Industrial Textiles

The British textile industry was one of the greatest benefactors of the industrial revolution, something which played a significant role in the popularization of decorative clothing. Inventions such as the flying shuttle and steam power made it possible to produce more intricate fabrics on a larger scale than ever before. 

1898-1913: The First T-Shirts

T-shirt-like apparel such as tunics have surfaced multiple times throughout history. However, the eponymous garment we know today traces its origin directly back to The Union Suit — a one-piece undergarment popular in the late 19th/early 20th century. Factory workers, frustrated by the heat, took to cutting the sleeves of the union suit off and separating the top half from the bottom. 

The Cooper Underwear Company eventually began offering the tops as “bachelor undershirts.” 

1920: The Term “T-Shirt” is Coined

Although the inventor of the garment itself is lost to history, we do know the first recorded historical use of the phrase T-Shirt. Credit goes to Francis Scott Fitzgerald in his novel This Side of Paradise. 

1938: The National Serigraph Society

Recognizing the potential of screen printing beyond industrial use, a group of artists founded the National Serigraph Society in 1938 in an effort to provide differentiation. Founding members included Max Arthur Cohn and Anthony Velonis. 

1940s: A Military Matter

The first known graphic tees were used by the United States military. Soldiers were given shirts with their military branch/training program printed on the front; these shirts were used for both recruitment and promotion, and remained popular even after World War 2. 

In 1942, Life Magazine published a spread dedicated to military veterans, which prominently featured graphic tees. 

1950s: Much Ado About Marlon Brando

It was Marlon Brando who first truly brought the T-shirt into the public eye in A Streetcar Named Desire. James Dean further popularized the garment in Rebel Without a Cause (1955).

1959: New Ink, New Ideas

The invention of Plastisol in 1959 kicked off a revolution in screen printing, popularizing the technique and allowing more creative freedom and more complex graphics. 

1969: A New Method

If Plastisol was revolutionary, the dual rotary printing press was even more so. Invented by Michael Vasilantone in the 1960s, it was quicker and cleaner than any other printing method on the market. 

1960-1980: Cultural Rebellion

From the 1960s onward, graphic tees started to become popular in multiple spheres. They were a tool for counterculture movements, allowing protestors to wear their cause. They also became immensely popular as band merch, with memorable examples like the Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, The Beatles, and Pink Floyd still being worn today. 

1970-1990: Corporate Enters the Ring

Perhaps inspired by their popularity in the music scene, savvy brands began leveraging tee shirts as marketing tools, giving birth to the logo tee. The biggest proponents of this movement included Nike, Calvin Klein, Coca-Cola, and Adidas. 

1990-2000: Out of Vogue

Due to market saturation, graphic tees saw something of a decline in popularity in the 90s. During this period, they mostly saw use in political movements, nonprofits, and the music industry. 

2000s: Your Shirt, Your Opinion

The growth of the eCommerce sector created a surge in popularity for graphic tees, as printing companies like BlueCotton began offering print-on-demand service, complete with custom t-shirts. 

Today

As you can see above, clothing and culture have always been closely linked to one another — so much so that the former can often act as a touchstone for the latter. 

Who knows what the future might bring?

The post How Tees and T-shirt Printing Have Evolved Over the Years appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

Figuring out what to give staff as a gift can be immensely challenging. You need to make sure it’s something people will enjoy and actually use. More importantly, you need to account for the tax ramifications.

As noted by the Wagepoint blog, any gifts you give as an employer are subject to income tax. This is because gifts are generally seen as fringe benefits. The exception to this rule is gifts that qualify as de minimis, which means they’re too trivial to be taxed.

The following are considered de minimis gifts.  

• Birthday or holiday gifts with a “low market value.” 
• Occasional personal use of office equipment.
• Occasional special events, such as cocktail parties, tickets to a concert, etc. 
• Occasional food.
• Special circumstances such as illness, loss, or exceptionalism. 

As for what constitutes a low market value, that’s something of a gray area. The general rule is that you shouldn’t be spending more than $500 per employee per year. Cash rewards, as well, are a bad idea.

Why Give Employees a Holiday Gift at All? 

Your people are the lifeblood of your business. You need to make sure that they feel invested in your business. They should work hard not because they need to as part of their job, but because they want to help you succeed. 

Gift-giving on special occasions is an excellent way to make that happen. Not only do gifts allow you to show your appreciation to your people for making your business a success, but they also demonstrate that you care about them as more than a resource. Moreover, in the case of customized or personalized gifts, they can even help you gain a deeper understanding of your people. 

The Case for Embroidered Apparel 

Now that we’ve made a case for giving gifts as a general concept let’s discuss embroidered apparel specifically. What is it that makes an embroidered article of clothing a better option than other gifts? As it turns out, there are a few answers to that question. 

• Embroidered apparel is relatively inexpensive. As already mentioned, you’re limited in terms of how much you can spend on each employee every year. An embroidered shirt or hat isn’t likely to cost you more than $30 or $40 — meaning it’s easy to stay within your price limits while giving a more upscale gift.

• Embroidered apparel is simple to order. Generally speaking, the process of designing and ordering custom embroidery shouldn’t be complicated or overwhelming. 

• Embroidered apparel is easy to personalize. Whether you want to provide each employee with a custom t-shirt or allow them to design their own logos, custom embroidery presents an easy solution for any employer that’s struggling to come up with a personalized gift. 

• There are other options beyond embroidered apparel. Many businesses that offer custom embroidery do more than just apparel. They may also offer personalized products such as tote bags, hats, coffee mugs, and more. That means you have plenty of options if you — or an employee — decide that embroidery isn’t the right choice. 

It’s a season of generosity and gift-giving. As an employer, that means it’s the perfect time to thank your people. To show them that you appreciate all the hard work they’ve done in getting you where you are today. 

Personalized embroidery is an excellent way to achieve this. And that’s precisely where BlueCotton comes in. Working with us, all you need to do is choose a shirt, pick your color and size, then open our award-winning embroidery design studio. 

From there, it’s easy to customize your order in whatever way you see fit. You can even add multiple different types of shirts to the same order without too much of a price increase. That’s not even the best part.

The post What Makes Embroidered Apparel a Good Employee Holiday Gift Idea? appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

For many of us, dressing up is the best part of the month. And though many of us may not necessarily be able to attend any parties or go trick-or-treating this year, that doesn’t mean we can’t have a great time putting together a costume all the same.  Said costume need not be complicated or expensive, either. 

If you know what you’re doing, all you need to get started is a simple custom printed T-shirt. No, seriously. From providing an excellent base on which to build a compelling costume to offering an inexpensive and comfortable option for showing off your spooky spirit, a custom T-shirt can help you take your Halloween experience to an entirely new level.

Here are just six examples of that. 

Great for Last-Minute Outings

Stop us if this sounds familiar. You’ve been putting off cobbling together your costume. You simply aren’t sure what you want to do or who you want to be this year. Then, before you even realize it, the occasion is nearly upon you, and you still don’t have any plans for a costume. 

Don’t panic — all you really need is a T-shirt. Spend a quick few minutes figuring out something that suits your preferences and sense of style. From there, it’s simply a matter of getting it printed. 

Help You Stay in Character

Stop and think for a second about how many characters in popular culture wear a T-shirt of some kind. 

It’s a surprising number, isn’t it? 

You’ve got Napoleon Dynamite and Vote for Pedro. The Hitchhiker from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with his iconic mouse shirt. Scott Pilgrim’s Plumtree. 

You get the idea. The fact is that a T-shirt doesn’t just need to be the foundation for a costume. It can be the centerpiece of one. 

A Foundation for Very Cool Ideas

Of course, if you aren’t keen on obscure pop culture references, there are plenty of other things you can do with your Halloween shirt. Food Magazine The Kitchen, for instance, provides plenty of fun ideas that you can toss together with just a shirt and a quick visit to a craft store. And that’s really only a small sampling of what you can do with a shirt and a bit of creativity. 

Splash a gruesome design on your shirt, and you can play a zombie. Pair the iconic logo with a button-up, and you’re Superman. Some polka dots, and you can be anything from a ladybug to ice cream. 

The only real limit is your imagination.

An Inexpensive Option

Costumes may be the best thing about Halloween, but the shops that sell them? Not so much. A well-made ensemble is pricey at even the best of times.

But when they’re in high demand, costume costs have a nasty tendency to rise — it’s the same idea as stores upping the price of chocolate just prior to Valentine’s day. A custom T-shirt doesn’t suffer from this drawback. It costs the same no matter the time of year. 

Comfortable

Let’s be honest. A pretty big percentage of Halloween costumes aren’t really made for comfort. They might look cool, but they’re not the sort of thing you want to be clad in while wandering around a party. 

They can be hot. Itchy. Uncomfortable. Cumbersome.

You get the picture. Because T-shirts are designed, first and foremost, for comfort, a shirt-based costume can be just the thing for your office Halloween party. Or whatever other occasion you might use it for. 

You Don’t Always Need a Costume

Halloween is most fun when you get the chance to dress up. But that doesn’t mean you have to do so every year. Especially with how stressful 2021 has been, no one would blame you for wanting to take the year off. 

Whether you’re crafting your own costume or just want a cool shirt to wear on Halloween Eve, a personalized shirt can be a perfect choice — and with BlueCotton’s award-winning Design Studio, you can make one that’s perfect for you.

The post 6 Very Good Reasons to Get a Custom T-Shirt for Halloween appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

Even though it’s only been two years since the pandemic first began, for many, it feels more like a millennium has passed. Not surprisingly, this has had a rather significant influence on apparel, custom t-shirts included. With that in mind, we’ll go over three of the most prominent T-shirt design trends in 2021.

Gaming and Geeks are Officially Cool

Prior to the pandemic, geek culture was already undergoing something of a renaissance. Driven by properties like Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, scores of people began exploring hobbies and pastimes, which, to this point, were primarily held as the sole domain of basement-dwellers. And they made a surprising discovery.

Tabletop games were interesting. Video games were fun. Cartoons, anime, and comic books were entertaining.  Then COVID-19 happened. And people collectively experienced another realization. 

Gaming was a great way to pass the time during the pandemic. Better yet, by immersing oneself in a fictional world, one could forget, for at least a little while, about unfortunate news like an entire continent being on fire. Unsurprisingly, this shift towards gaming and geekiness has created a surge of interest in shirts that either pay homage to a particular fandom or espouse the virtues of being unapologetically nerdy. 

Some hallmarks of this design trend include:

• Pixelation
• Graphics and fonts styled after Japanese or Korean culture
• Images and logos that either directly or indirectly reference popular games or characters

Everyone’s Thinking About Better Days

It’s hard not to be at least a little nostalgic these days. And that brings us to another emerging design trend, driven as much by COVID-19 as by the fact that millennials are now fast approaching middle age.  As a result, T-shirt lines increasingly feature designs that hearken back to the edgy, over-the-top ‘coolness’ of the 90s. 

Alongside 90s-inspired shirts, we’re also seeing a lot of retrofuturism, naturalistic imagery, and neon colors. If that sounds like a bit of an eclectic set of design philosophies, that’s because it is. Nostalgia means different things to different people. After all — one person might be inspired by images that remind them of a 90s childhood, while another might love a shirt with a design pulled right out of The Jetsons. 

The Pandemic is On Everyone’s Mind

If it weren’t already obvious, everyone’s still thinking about COVID, especially if they live in a hotspot embroiled in a fourth wave. Graphics, logos, and text on T-shirts are increasingly reflecting this, with home office humor and references to things like masks, quarantine, and social distancing. Plenty of people are also increasingly sporting outfits with puns, dry humor, and sarcastic wit. 

Back to the Future

Embracing nerd-dom. Coping with the stressors of quarantine. Embracing the nostalgia of the old days, all while looking forward to a better future. 

These are the design trends that have defined 2021 and will continue to remain prominent as we move towards 2022. 

The post 3 of the Most Prominent T-Shirt Design Trends in 2021 appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.