I think we all know that things like design, function, durability and price matter, depending on the product, to us when shopping in the MMA marketplace so to speak. But I'm curious if people on here would care or take into consideration other things.
Let me see if I can come up with a hypothetical:
A t-shirt you like the design of, have confidence in the quality (comfort, durability, etc) of but also was guaranteed to be made in the US, free of sweat shop labor, with no potentially harmful (to you) chemicals in it and had a less than average negative impact on the planet.
Would that be a plus, negative, not a factor to you?
Would you be willing to pay a little bit more for a shirt you liked if it met those types of standards?
Some 12 year old could make it out of someone's basement after a 13-hour shift while the company releases tons of CFCs into the air--if it's good gear at a good price & looks good, I don't care about the rest.
I hate companies that take regular Hanes T-shirts and press their logo on it. I also hate company names around the neck line of the shirt, olde English fonts and in general stupid company names.
I love the feel of Afflicion shirts (not so much the style), from what I heard they are cotton shirts given a salt bath?? Probably the most comfortable t-shirts in general.
We're doing just that with our products at Rupture Clothing. Our products are proudly manufactured, embroidered and printed in the USA using water-based inks.
Interesting Q. Just recently am I starting to become more conscious of where the product I buy is sourced from as well as it's impact on the environment. If given the opportunity to choose a product like you described v. something shat out in a foreign factory I'd opt for the product you presented and would be willing to pay a premium for it. I'm guessing I'm in the minority as the American consumer has been asking for more for less over, and come to expect getting it. If the economy keeps going downhill it will be interesting to see if people start waking up to the fact that their purchase decisions can make a difference.