Size-Inclusive Graphic Tees for a Great Cause: Universal Standard x Planned Parenthood
I don't do a lot for Mother's Day on this blog because I know not everyone has a child, and a lot of people have complicated relationships with the women who raised them. But this collaboration between Universal Standard x Planned Parenthood is not only really cool looking, but I love their take on motherhood.
A mother doesn’t have to mean someone who physically birthed or parented a child, nor do mothers have to strictly identify as women. The term mother can refer to nurturing community leaders, involved mentors, and much more. Planned Parenthood and Universal Standard believe that all mothers deserve to be celebrated and that's why they teamed up for a Mother’s Day t-shirt campaign titled “Ever Mothers,” which celebrates every iteration of motherhood.
Regarding this Mother's Day campaign, Universal Standard said, “We’re going beyond honoring biological mothers, but also mothers-to-be, someday mothers, and mothers to their community, because we think that mothering is an extraordinary action and representation of love that everyone can participate in.”
Universal Standard invited documentary photographer Stephanie Mei-Ling to capture an inclusive group of mothers and family modeling the capsule collection of three graphic t-shirts available in US's range of 00-40 (these shirts are sizes 4XS-4XL; I am wearing XS).
Woman artists Amber Vittoria, Marylou Faure (the red and pink design I am wearing), and Melissa Koby (the design featuring multiple people that I am wearing) were asked to create works that represented motherhood to them. 100% of the profits (which is about $10 per t-shirt) will be donated to Planned Parenthood.
This isn't the first time that Universal Standard has partnered with and supported Planned Parenthood. In 2019, Universal Standard had a sample sale and donated 50% of the profits to the healthcare organization.
In the words of Universal Standard, “Whether it’s a soon-to-be mom getting prenatal care, someone looking for help with family planning, or a mom taking her teenager for a check-up, Planned Parenthood is a safe haven where individuals have autonomy over their health and reproductive decisions, whenever, however, wherever, if ever they choose to be mothers.”
The t-shirts are the quality you'd expect from Universal Standard; I think they're essentially the Tee Rex but silkscreened. Beautiful drape, nice length and width of sleeves, scooped hem that looks great tucked in our left out, and opaque.
All three of the shirts available in this capsule t-shirt collection between Universal Standard and Planned Parenthood are available at this link. And click here to donate directly to Planned Parenthood.
You may also like 5 easy DIY no-sew ways to modify a t-shirt for a more feminine fit
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Thanks! Ordered. And sent to all my girlfriends. I wish we weren’t going to need it … but I suspect some pro-choice marches are in our future, given the current makeup of the Supreme Court. This will perfect rally and march t-shirt.
Thank you! Sent one to my law school roommate for Mother’s Day!
>>100% of the profits (which is about $10 per t-shirt) will be donated to Planned Parenthood.
This jumped out at me. A $58 tee only generates $10 profit? This must be why so many clothing companies have gone bankrupt over the past decade. I’d love to see a post that dissects the true cost of an item, b/c for the life of me, I can’t see that it cost US $48 to make this tee.
Donating to PP today! Thank you, Alison!
If you think how they source Peruvian cotton from a quality production facility, the shirt is cut to fit different fit models for sizes 00-40, they paid the artists for their work, they need the shirts created, silkscreened, packaged, shipped out with free shipping and returns, the cost to work with Happy Returns, the thousands per year to run a website, the staff that work for the company, hiring the photographer and her staff and possibly renting the studio for the shoot… there is so much behind the scenes to get a t-shirt made. Yes, the best way is to donate directly to an organization than to buy something that gives back.
What I am impressed with is that a standard Tee Rex is $50 and this shirt is only $8 more yet $10 is going to PP. Makes me think there isn’t a ridiculous markup on Universal Standard.
I think of these companies that sell $15 t-shirts. Where are those t-shirts made, how is the cotton sourced, where are they silkscreened? What in the heck are they doing to get the costs so low? Sure some retailers have so many sales everything costs less because it’s in bulk, but if a t-shirt is $15, it’s hard to not think there is some shady and unethical stuff going down for that low price.
Also, the US tees are really high quality. A $10 tee looks like one!
So true, I have a white Tee Rex that is two years old. I have never before had a white tee shirt last that long and still look crisp and fresh!
I think it depends on how profit is being defined. If you are talking about the difference between what US paid for the shirt, and i, as a customer pay to US, yes, the “profit” is more than $10. But if you are talking about the all in costs in US, ie all the other things that Alison lists, than a $10 profit feels, well, pretty good.