A Different Kind of Shirt?
I’m always thinking of ways to improve FRIGHT-RAGS. The designs, the customer service, the entire experience…even the shirts we use. Since the beginning, we’ve used Gildan Ultra Cotton shirts for all off our designs. And while that is considered an “industry standard” t-shirt to print on, I’m wondering if we can’t do even better than that…It’s not that I don’t like Gildan, but lately I’ve been wearing other types of shirts because, well, they are just more comfortable. Sure, Gildans hold up pretty well, provide a good surface to print on, and are consistent throughout their sizes and overall quality. I wouldn’t use them if I thought they were crap… But they don’t feel like some of the other shirts I’ve been wearing lately. And although I’ve been toying with the idea of creating a more “premium line” of shirts (using high-end shirts, different printing techniques, etc), I’m still looking for ways to make our standard line even better. So, I’ve decided to start testing out some different brands of blank shirts to see if there is something else out there that fits my criteria better.
But what about you? What do you like in a shirt? I get lots of feedback from people saying they would love a more “form-fitted” shirt (like American Apparel). But then I get messages from people who say that if I ever switched to American Apparel, they’d never buy from the site again. Clearly there is some disparity among those who order our shirts. So while I wait for my new blanks to come in and try out, I thought I would ask for your opinion as to what we should do.
Vote below on what you think we should do about changing our t-shirts to a different brand. And, while you’re here, feel free to post your opinion as well!
PLEASE NOTE: This would only pertain to our regular shirts sizes S-3X. Although we are printing more 4X and 5X shirts, brands that offer them are limited, so we would still print on the same brands for those. As for girl shirts, we would still use the same for those as well.
********** UPDATE **********
I just got in the Alstyle shirt today and I have to say, I’m impressed. The fit is THE SAME as the Gildan shirts, but the fabric just feels better…higher quality… I may be doing some more tests, but i think this one would appeal to the most people.
Loading ...
Your shirts are the most well-designed and creatively-illustrated of any I’ve found yet on the net — switching to a softer, form-fitting style like an American Apparel seems like an obvious choice. The thick, boxy, scratchy black cotton horror t-shirts of yesterday? Old news, not to mention unflattering to my increasingly-thickening 40-year-old torso. You guys put so much care and work into doing your shirts right, and the fact that you ask your customers for this kind of input goes to show what a great company Fright Rags is. You guys rock.
One thing that I don’t like about the fit of the current shirts is their overall length. I think that they are too long. I’ve also noticed from the shirts that I have purchased, that although they are the same brand, if they were made in different locations the fit is also different. I have had one shirt fit pretty much ideally, while two others were a tighter fit. It turns out that they were a half inch less wide than the first one mentioned. It doesn’t sound like much of a difference, but believe me, it is.
As far as the poll is concerned, I do not really care if the shirts are softer or not, my concern is with the fit. I also do not like fitted tees at all. I think offering the form-fitting tees as an option for the vintage shirts would be alright, but if they were the only option, I wouldn’t buy lthem.
I love the shirts the way they are! I wear a 4 or 5x anyway so this doesn’t partain to me but I am a long time fan/customer and I agree with the guy above who said “IF IT AIN”T BROKE……”
Thanks Ben, You rock!!
PS: Wheres the Tarman shirt??
I’ve always been a fan of the “ringer” style, but what you’ve been doing is just fine.
American Apparel shirts are made in US, have great fits/sizes, and are soft forever!! I would buy much much more if you used AA shirts. My 2 cents…
I really like what you have now. I have 4 shirts from you guys and my brother has 2. Im ordering the They Live design right now. These shirts feel fine to me.
I love the shirts you currently use, but wouldn’t buy anything fromyou on American Apparel, since as a big man I find their shirts very small. I have a 3x AA shirt from shirt-woot, and it’s smaller than most 2xl shirts! I usually buy the 3x of your shirts as I like them a bit big (I normally wear a 2xl), but I don’t want to have to buy 4x shirts JUST because you switch to the form fitting American Apparel shirts, as those would be huge on me.
People keep saying…’if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, but it is broke for us slimmer people. I agree with the person who said the Gildans are fine for size L and up, but if there were a slimmer option for mediums (not skin tight, but just a regular fitted shirt…think 70′s or 80′s,ya know? Probably the kinda shirts that were in style when these movies came out!), then I’d be buying alot more shirts.
Great designs, though!
i agree and think american apparel shirts would be the best. the feel of them is great as is the fit. plus this way fright rags could offer some designs in v-neck which i love and dont see any horror shirts in this style yet
… and maybe keep printing the XXL and XXXL on the shirts you already use as it seems people who buy the larger sizes arent digging American Apparel, which I have heard before from friends who like me love the feel of the shirt, just not how small they run in larger sizes
If anything, make the shirts softer. But no change is needed/essential.
I think the shirts are great the way they are. They wash well, they’re comfortable and the fit very well. I’m not sure how you could improve them.
-Pat
My two cents…
American Apparel pros: super super soft, USA made
American Apparel cons: not as flattering on heavier bodies, more expensive
Gildan pros: sturdy print surface, thick (warmer at Halloween time)
Gildan cons: not so soft
AAs are certainly nice quality and comfy. But to me they almost seem aimed at different sort of fashion conscious crowd. Gildan seems like a easier, safer, standard choice for the general audience. I like my Gildan Fright Rags shirts so much that I’m switching back to Gildan for the shirts I’m selling this year (after a couple years trying AAs)
Please keep it the same. So many other sites shirts do not fit, and the fright rags ones fit perfectly. I doubt I would order any in a different style.
I’ve been loving the shirts I’ve bought from your site since back in the day with the Night Of The Living Dead shirt i got, and I love the way they fit. I’m sure other people who are a bit more on the uh…shall I say fluffy side like the shirts because those form fitting shirts are very VERY small, like Mike said. Maybe you could see if there would be a big enough market for smaller slim fit shirts on here and have it as an option?
Number one thing is the designs gotta be killer. After that, I’m down to wear some FRIGHT RAGS printed on American Apparel…
Come on, don’t go in for the trendy form-fitting cut…it’ll be out of style in a couple of years, and you’ll be S.O.L. with tons of overstock. As far as the idea of keeping the standard tees and just providing a second option, anything that will raise the prices is bad in my eyes…one of the best things about your shirts is the affordability! And I’ve never had a problem with the shirts you’re using right now anyways, so, like someone else on here said…if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
By the way, I know for a fact that my husband, who has twice as many of your shirts as I do, would stop buying from Frightrags if you switched to the softer, more form-fitting shirts. He hates the way they fit, and just would never spend the money on it because he knows he’d never wear it.
All I ask is that you keep the current size range. There is nothing I hate more than finding an awesome shirt, then dscovering it doesn’t come in your size!!!
Don’t forget about Tultex brand shirts. They are like AA just not as form fitting. I would buy tons of your shirts if they printed on either AA or Tultex. One more thing, make a Jaws design already!
I think the shirts you have already are nice, soft and comfy for me anyways. However, I would love the girls shirts to be fitted and longer, it sucks having shirts cut off at a wierd point on your body! Longer shirts just look nicer.
i say american apparel!!! feel great fit great !! thanks -d
p.s i would buy way more designs if on the AA shirts !
Thinner softer shirts wear out quicker.American apparel shirts get to thin when they wear out…I won’t buy them..The best thing to do is ,,Offer the option to people so nobody gets dissapointed.when people pick the shirt size, they can pick the type of T-shirt they want.
Ok, I don’t want to complicate this conversation, buuuuuttttt, I was shown the difference between a couple of different Gildan shirts, and there was only a .5 difference in weight, and it made a world of difference.
It still felt the same, it still “fit” the same, but it felt lighter. I loved it. I didn’t like it as much as the American Apparel type shirts, but it could definitely be a happy medium for all of us.
Id love Fright-Rags to offer more form fitted shirts!!!
one thing that i would like to see offered would be a work shirt style fright rag offered. Toxic Toons got em and they sale for around 35 bucks and I’ve already got two from them.
Don’t you guys realize that a comfy, loose fitting shirt gives you an edge when you’re being pursued by monsters, zombies, and aliens?!?
I concur with the other fine fellows who advocated the use of American Apparel. I actually didn’t purchase the new “They Live” shirt in an effort to not support companies that exploit their native workforce. Plus my pecs are taut, and the AA shirts fit like they were made for tiny women. Or perhaps if there were a company that provided sweatshop-free clothing. Either way seems like a good way to go.
I prefer softer, more breathable, tees- not necessarily “form-fitting” but the softer they are they do tend to fit that way. Over the past few years I typically find my favorite shirts called “vintage”. i was also always partial to “screen-stars tees”, and Jockeys. The Gildan shirts are nice, but they are pretty hot in the warmer months. Just a personal thing.
Form-fitting FTW!
Not all horror fans like wearing beefy-tees. ( -_-)
As one person said, I think I wont vote because none of the choices fit what I would like to vote for…that is: I would click on something like “same quality” but more form fitting. I too, think that the Gildan are, well, super quality, no doubts, but I feel the sleeves are too long…
Anyway, great work, still…no matter what you do man, I will still buy!!
But, thanx a bunch for asking us!
Ben—
As you know, I am an oversized guy. I wear a 5x, (and would get a 6 if you offered one to account for shrinkage — plus I like a bigger shirt) but of all the shirts I have purchased from you, my favorite one to war as far as the feel and fit of it was your Ltd. ed. Ultimate f13 shirt. I know you had to go with a different brand of shirt to do that kind of printing… What was that?
Hi!
First off, I have to say that Gildan are NOT consistent throughout their sizes. I wear small tees and some of the shirts fit really well while some others fit more like medium.s.. That said, I find that to be the same for all brands of t-shirts.
So it doens’t really matter what brand you use, I’ll buy them anyhow.
Buuut I guess that Fruit of the Loom and Jerzees usually seems to be a bit better, more form fitting!
The designs are the best on the market here at Fright-Rags. I’ve just been getting the hit & miss a bit with shirt quality though. The neck/collar stitching on my F13 special edition shirt started coming out after one wash & my Cujo shirt (one of my faves I own) has sleeve stitching coming apart now. I’m very meticulous with my shirts too. I even hang dry most of ‘em.
I agree with the AAA (Alstyle appearal & activwear). I have quite a few shirts printed on these & they outlast all the others.They retain there qualities after washing. They are slightly longer so you don’t end up looking like you’re wearing a half-shirt when you lift your arms. The neck stays tight & they are a little more slim-fitting without lbeing so tight they look like you borrowed it from your 12 year old sister.
The Gildan’s always seem too wide for me & they shrink up. I still have a creepshow “hold my breath” shirt that I hardly wear because it feels like i’m in a tent. Anvil shirts are hit & miss, some I have are perfect & others are horrible shrinkfests that I never wear again.
I hope my rant doesn’t sound like i’m an ass. I just really love the shirts here, but I’ve gotten very picky about ordering lately.
Thanks for the time
-Jon
Fright-Rags shirts are the only horror shirts I own that haven’t gone to total shreds after multiple wears and washes. Dobn’t change a thing, please!
However, if you have other ideas, I would be very interested in reading about them. FR certainly knows what they are doing!
Just so everyone is aware, I will not sacrifice quality. So even if I make a change, it won’t be for something inferior. I know the people that are posting about their love of Gildan is because they hold up. IF I make a change, it will be after rigorously testing the new tees by printing on them as well as washing the crap out of them.
That said, it seems as though most people don’t mind the general fit of the Gildan shirt. That’s one of the reasons why I left that as a choice but with the inclusion of a “softer” shirt. If you don’t mind the Gildan “fit” would you mind an almost identical shirt only a bit nicer to the touch?
Seems to me that’s where this debate is heading…
Go for the form fitted! I dug my t-shirt until i washed it and it just didnt fit the same… Go for American Apparel
I’d easily concede it’s true that for many customers they have no reason to request or even be interested in a complete switch over of shirts to a new style/brand/fit. I don’t think any one has seriously proposed this. At this point the poll would indicate a complete switchover is not going to solve anything. The problem is, if you’re trying to appease the people who’re requesting different types of shirts you can’t replace any style outright because you’ll end up aggravating the people who prefer the old style of shirt.
The shirts you do sell are good quality. I’ve never had a problem with them in that regard. The only criticism, and it’s more of a wish, that I’ve ever had is for you to stock multiple styles of shirt. Because of the wide variety of body shapes a single cut of shirt is not going to fit everyone correctly or more importantly to their preference. It’s due to both build and preference that I think as fright-rags grows you’ll find a widening audience of people who would be absolutely elated to have an option to purchase your shirts in at least one other kind of cut. I would seriously consider repurchasing designs I already own if you offered them in a softer more tight fitting cut!
Also if we’re throwing around brand names American Apparel is probably my first choice.
I think the success of instituting any kind of change will come with the introduction of more options, not a simple switch. It’s that point I’d stress above all else.
Hemp shirts last forever!
The shirts in my opinion are perfect. They keep color well and are a nice quality. I say don’t change them. And please don’t change the hoodies. They are the best i have ever worn. Awesome zippers.
i bought a “the thing” shirt and it was on an anvil shirt and i hate how it fits. its to short and thick. i have 3 gildan shirts they seem to realy hold up well. i think its good to keep gildan. but if you had the option for some more form fitting softer shirts i think for i would pay a little more for them.
PS: i love the new “they live” shirt but i am already sick of people asking me if i have bubble gum.
thanks
brianw
I think the quality of the shirts you have now is excellent. They look and feel great. My only complaint is that certaint designs I’ve bought have a bit of difference in sizes (such as the Zombie vs Shark And Fluffy designs are tighter fitting than others i bought in the same order) other than that I’m cool with keeping with what your doing.
I initially loved Fright-Rags shirts partially because of the way they fit. Now I love them because they’ve held up like beasts — no holes, hems intact, minimal to no fading.
KEEP THE FIT.
I don’t care if they’re softer, but in my experience, those trendy softer, fitted shirts are only flattering on slim/athletic people AND tend to get holes and unraveled hems easily. One reason why I own more Fright-Rags shirts than Threadless shirts.
I’d definitely prefer something softer and something more form-fitting as well. If I had to sacrifice one of those two qualities though, I’d sacrifice the form-fitting, if it means I could get a softer shirt. I love the Fright Rags tees but compared to some of the other shirts I wear, the softness just doesn’t compare. Go soft.
most fatty americans fit the gildan stuff. i, for one, prefer a fit that’s slimmer, more modern and lighter weight. american apparel, for instance.
wanna look like a dinner bell? keep wearing those fruit of the loom/gildans.
big shirts belong on rednecks. let’s go with the slimmer stuff, ben!
I dig da way they are now but i mostly buy 4x but can easily wear a 3x . I think if u switched I may buy a couple of form fitting type 3x jus for a change. I LOVE BEIN FAT. Jus keep dealin out those grusome screen prints that you do so well.
ok…well my 1st fright rags shirt i bought at a monster mania convention in nj…” ur so cool brewster”…at 1 st it was great but after 2 washes…the collar got all big and the bottom all big too…and considering i am top heavy with the boobs…i look crazee in it. now i sleep in it. recently i bought some other shirts..they actually shrunk a little…so not bad. if u put the option for a softer type of shirt i would definitely buy it …even if it was a little more expensive. the shirt doesnt have to be a second skin and shit…but i dont want to fit 8 people in it either. whatever u decide…i will still buy it dude.
As a big guy I say stick with what you got. I hate change and I know that if you switch I will be taking my business elsewhere. I’m sure a lot of others will agree and join in with me.
Keep it the same. I love my Fright-Rags just the way they are!