SHOP 
Thank you for so much feedback on the t-shirts! I wasn’t going to do a response post, but the issues around sizing for womens shirts came up so much I think I need to address it now before anyone gets their hopes up.
The reason you never see plus sizes from the lines that screen print blank shirts (as opposed to manufacturing their own) is that the wholesale companies just don’t make them. I’ve looked through the details of the womens shirts from every brand I can find that has local distribution and there are no true plus sizes. Unfortunately in the quantities I will be printing I cannot have blank shirts made to order, or exert any leverage on a manufacturer to extend their sizing.
I was pleased with the cut of the womens shirts I used last time, which are shaped for ladies but not a skimpy babydoll. I think they should satisfy the people who were asking for a slightly more relaxed fit, and they have a nice range of colours and are certified sweatshop-free, but they only go up to an XXL/18. That is better than most brands, but it’s still not a plus size in my book.
I haven’t quite given up yet! I will be calling around screen printers to see if any of them have secret-squirrel trade access to something I haven’t been able to find myself, but I think I’ve already investigated most of the options. I know it sucks. I’m thoroughly plus sized myself and I’m well aware that larger sizes of mens shirts just don’t cut it.
Maybe, maybe, if I end up selling a lot of shirts eventually I could look at having some plus size blanks made. I know there’s a strong market!
For now, I promise I will bring you the best option there is.
i know! it’s a pain. i have found them here in the states, but i don’t know if you have access to the same companies over there. anvil, hanes and l.a. T sportswear carry them here. good luck. for my sake i hope you find some, but even if you don’t i am sure your shirts will sell like hotcakes!
Posted by ren on June 27th, 2009
Local distributors are definitely an issue – shirts are too expensive to ship down here in the quantities I’m working with, so I have to find a brand that someone else is importing in bulk.
Just to make it tricker, I’ve found a few brands offer a 3X but only in very limited colours, which I’m not satisfied by. (Anvil seems to be like that.)
It’s so frustrating. I’m still hoping the screen printers can help me out, they’ll definitely know what is available here. Fingers crossed!
Posted by Annette / Nut and Bee on June 27th, 2009
Perhaps you can sell transfers as well so that people can iron them on to their own shirts? I don’t know how realistic this is for your business model, though.
Posted by luneray on June 27th, 2009
Theoretically it’s a fine idea, and I even ran a few tests a while ago, but sadly transfers can’t deliver the quality I require. Even the ‘professional’ ones don’t measure up, at least in combination with a home iron. Also they only really work on white shirts – I know you can get dark shirt transfers too, but the results are even worse.
Plus, I just know the occasional person would have trouble during application and get mad at me about it, and I’d rather avoid that :/
Posted by Annette / Nut and Bee on June 27th, 2009
Thank you for all your effort on this, Annette! It’s so great to see someone who listens so avidly to her customers/fans. :)
Posted by Bec on June 27th, 2009
It sounds like you are having enough trouble finding the perfect shirts even without judging them based on their ecologicalness…
But would it be possible to sell some shirts made with orgainc cotton, or bamboo, or hemp…or something else ecological?
Thanks for listening to all our picky little suggestions and comments!! :-)
Posted by Risa on June 28th, 2009
@Risa The ecological options are currently much narrower in terms of size range AND colour range, and they aren’t suitable for what I will be doing. I will keep checking, and if in future they become available in a better range of sizes and colours I will absolutely make the switch.
Posted by Annette / Nut and Bee on June 28th, 2009