Feel it – Or:
Why I Now Treat T-Shirt Shopping Like I'm on a Detective Mission.
Used to be, shopping for clothes was simple. I liked it? Boom, in the bag. Now – ever since I started working in the textile printing industry – things have changed. I stand in stores, run my hands over the shirts, scrunch them up a bit, and mutter: “Mhm… feels like DTF. Lower tier. Probably won’t survive three washes.”
My daughter Frida (14, eternally cool, TikTok-verified) stands next to me, utterly mortified. “Mum, can you please stop stroking T-shirts?!”
No, I can’t. Because I know what’s going on.
Fast Fashion – the Fast Food of the Fashion World.
Looks good, is cheap, gives you a quick hit of joy – and causes a huge mess in the long run.
Here’s some fun facts that aren’t quite as stylish as Frida’s latest TikTok-approved pants:
100 billion clothing items are produced globally every year.
60% of those end up in the trash within a year.
And get this: Every second, a truckload of clothing is burned or sent to a landfill.
Over 60% of fashion is made from polyester – i.e., plastic that will be around to haunt us for the next 200 years.
Pretty fab, huh?
But hey – we can do something about it. And it’s simple: feel.
It might sound like some new-age mumbo-jumbo, but it’s actually pretty straightforward.
Because you can feel quality.
Yes, even when it comes to printing techniques.
Take DTF, for example – sounds like a new TikTok dance move, but it’s actually “Direct to Film.” Often, it’s cheaply made – thick, hard, plastic-y. Wearing that feels like having a lunchbox glued to your chest.
But! DTF can also be really good – when it’s done right. Then the print is soft, flexible, and long-lasting. It feels like your favorite tee, not a single-use plastic sticker.
The same goes for DTG – Direct to Garment. If it’s done properly, the print feels almost invisible. Like magic. Or the opposite of Fast Fashion.
So: Eyes wide open when shopping.
And to all you producers out there: If you’re using DTF, do it right. There are some amazing systems out there that show that new technologies can be high-quality & sustainable. Please, no more lazy stickers pressed onto thin polyester – that’s neither fun nor smart.
And what can we, as consumers, do?
Feel.
Think.
Ask Frida.
(Joke – Frida buys based on likes, not fiber quality.)
But seriously:
Feel the fabrics.
Look at the labels.
Ask yourself: Will I wear this in three months? Or is this the fashion equivalent of a plastic straw?
Frida’s starting to get it. The other day, she said: “This print feels kinda… cheap.” I almost cried tears of joy – it was like she’d just painted her first organic cotton dreamcatcher.
Bottom line:
Fast Fashion is like a Tinder date: quick, shallow, often disappointing.
But good clothes? They stick around. They feel right. They grow with us. They survive more than just the first spin cycle.
So:
Feel it. Laugh it off.
And make better choices – with style and a little humor.
Feel Before You Buy
Working in textile printing has turned me into a T-shirt detective. I now judge clothes by how they feel—because quality (and sustainability) is something you can literally touch. Fast fashion might look good, but it’s wasteful and often poorly made. So next time you shop: feel the fabric, check the print, and think long-term. Good clothes last. And yes, even my TikTok-loving daughter is starting to get it.
