By Adila Cokar, The Good Tee founder

Have you ever wondered why t-shirt prices range from $5 to over $100?

The average price for a t-shirt is about $15 or $20, but the cost to produce this t-shirt ranges from $2 to $5. So how is anyone getting paid fairly? According to Thr3efold, cotton farmers are being paid as little as $512 per year.

Paying a fair price for your clothing is a good step in ensuring that you're buying an ethically-made product. We at The Good Tee believe that all humans, near and far, deserve to be paid fairly. We often say that “Clothing is made by people, not machines.”

How did The Good Tee come About?

Adila Cokar, the founder of The Good Tee, started the brand in 2020 when she was confronted with the fact that there have been more than 270,000 suicides among cotton farmers in India since 1995 (while she was product sourcing there). With unforeseen weather and pesticides, it is difficult for these farmers to cover their costs, let alone create a profit for them to survive. So, Adila decided to be the change in the fashion industry by using her 15+ years of business and fashion experience and building a company that compensates these farmers fairly and brings awareness to the world about unethical fashion manufacturing. 

Our Clothes are Fairly Priced

While our prices may seem higher than your typical fast-fashion brand, consider that our clothes are made with the environment and human lives in mind. We’re here to share why purchasing with purpose will have a positive impact.

Our clothing and accessories are made of fair trade certified organic cotton, all ringspun by the hands of our factory workers in India. For every Fair Trade Certified product sold, we pay a premium directly back to the cotton farmers and workers who make our clothes.

We have a Transparent Supply Chain

We control the entire supply chain and manufacture our fabric from all stages, from purchasing the yarn to spinning, knitting, dyeing, and washing.  

The Good Tee Gives Gack

We source and manufacture our products from a Fair Trade clothing factory called Assisi Garments in South India. Assisi Garments, run by Franciscan Nuns, does more than just create sustainable products. This garment factory invests in the community by providing opportunities for underprivileged women and disabled people. They also support their community by assisting in multiple social projects, including an old age home and an orphanage.

To learn more about Assisi Garments, check out this video.

Our Tees are Premium Quality

Our cotton is ringspun and mid-weight. This means our fabric is top-quality, super soft, and will allow an endless amount of washes and wears without any tearing and holes within your shirt.

Despite its indestructible nature, the shirt (including the tags) is also biodegradable, making it preferable for Mother Nature. Cotton is a natural fiber, as opposed to synthetic polyester (which is similar to wearing a plastic bag). So we can guaran-TEE that with our T-shirt, you will feel good, knowing you are making less of an impact on the planet. 

Unlike other brands that sell clothes way above the cost price just for profit, we pay our workers fairly. Our products are Fair Trade Certified and B-Corporation Certified, which means our manufacturing process is approved to be ethical and sustainable. We go out of our way to provide a safe and healthy working environment for every worker involved in the production process and ensure that our products will not harm the planet. Because all our products are fair trade cotton certified, we pay a quarterly premium through the fair trade association to help support out farmers.

Sew, What is The Good Tee Trying to Achieve?

The Good Tee is on a mission to humanize the fashion industry and be a positive example of responsibly-made fashion basics. Made from fair trade organic cotton and certified eco-friendly dyes, our t-shirts are fully traceable from farm to warehouse. We celebrate all the good humans in the supply chain that make our products, so you can understand the positive impact you make. The Good Tee ensures a fully transparent supply chain, ethical working conditions, and sustainability in manufacturing our products by being fully involved in the process from seed to shelf. When you wear The Good Tee, you'll look great while helping to ensure and celebrate the freedom and dignity of the makers.

With all that is said, we at The Good Tee believe that one day, organizations such as Fair Trade and B-Corporation will no longer need to certify businesses—because that's how common ethicality and sustainability will be! It will no longer be special for a company to source its products ethically. With better labor laws  implemented for farmers and workers within supplying countries, we believe that suicide rates among cotton farmers will be lessened to zero. 

Protect and support these farmers from unethical practices and shop at The Good Tee today!

When you support The Good Tee, you support our complete supply chain, including the forgotten farmers.