London – Continuing his
battle against fast-fashion built-in obsolescence which leds to a vicious
cycle of consumption and waste, designer Thomas Cridland has launched what
can only be thought of as the sequel to the – the 30 Year T-shirt – a
t-shirt so well made that it is guarantee to last 30 years and built to
last a lifetime.

“Both the 30 Year Sweatshirt and T-shirt were originally planned at the
same time,” explains Cridland to FashionUnited. He aimed to launch the
t-shirt crowdfunding campaign once the sweatshirt campaign has reach its
target goal of 50,000 pounds, which successfully was met on July
15. “Although I never considered that I would not reach the target for the
30 Year Sweatshirt, even if it was extremely ambitious,” he adds with a
laugh. “It was a great feeling hitting the target for the 30 Year
Sweatshirt. But it was a little nerve wracking as well, seeing as we just
reached the milestone. Honestly I am a bit disappointed that we did not
exceed our target of 50,000 pounds by much after all the media attention we
received, but I am still very pleased to have reached our goal.”

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‘The 30 Year T-Shirt is so well made that we guarantee it for 30
Years’

To kick off the 30 Year T-shirt crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo,
Cridland created a new short film which several media quotes from his 30
Year Sweatshirt campaign on Kickstarter. His decision to launch his second
crowdfunding campaign on a different platform was mainly driven by his
willingness to have a new experience. “Although some of our loyal backers
were a bit disappointed that we made the switch to Indiegogo, so I think in
the future we will launch any other campaigns on Kickstarters.” Available
in a uni-sex classic crew neck fit, the 30 Year t-shirt available in 5
colors for the wholesale price of 25 pounds.

Cridland aims to raise 2,000 pounds within the next 20 days to begin the
production run of the t-shirts and so far has received 576 pounds worth of
pledges. The wholesale for the t-shirt also includes free shipping to the
UK and US, which means that similarly to the 30 Year Sweatshirt Cridland
and his team of 4 will unlikely make a huge profit on the t-shirt if they
reach their target for minimum order. “We don’t care though. This is a
creative project and a labour of love.” Cridland will also offer shipping
with the European Union for an additional 15 pounds and International
shipping for an extra 20 pounds.

“I am a bit less ambitious with the 30 Year T-shirt than the Sweatshirt,
hence the lower target goal.” Cridland adds that thanks to the success of
the sweatshirt and their relationship with their
current Portuguese factories allowed him to both lower the prices and order
number for the t-shirts. “It is also an easier and simpler process to make
the t-shirts compared to the sweatshirts.” The organic cotton yarn for the
t-shirts underwent similar tests that the material for the sweatshirts
underwent and is processed in a similar way, which are both crafted to last
a lifetime. However if the t-shirt rips or tears over the next 30 years,
customers can send it back for repairs free of charge.

The young designer’s decision to use the classic crew neck cut for the
t-shirt design because it has remained a classic fit that has withstood the
test of time, but he notes that he has also received requests for v-neck
t-shirts and sweatshirts as well. “We do our best to accommodate all of our
customers needs. One customer who placed a pre-order for a sweatshirt asked
for a grey one with a navy logo, others asked for the sleeves to be a one
centimeter longer. Seeing as we just began producing the sweatshirt and do
not have them waiting on backorder we are able to do these things for our
customers.”

In terms of his design aesthetic, Cridland says he leans towards a more
minimalistic and conservative, classical approach even though he himself
enjoys playing with colors and edges on the side of eccentric and wacky at
times. “We try to develop the colors for the t-shirts so they are unique
using as number of shades, as well by designing customized logos for each
shade to make it feel like every t-shirt is unique. I personally love
little details like that, over big loud prints or pattern on t-shirts which
can be fun for a season or two but then get boring.”

The 30 Year T-Shirt aims to start the trend towards more durable
fashion>

But at the end of the day it all goes back to Cridland passion for
sustainable fashion and a return to the olden days, when people looked
after the clothing they had and wore it until it needed to be replaced. “Do
people want to keep returning to the high street and paying ten pounds for
a basic white t-shirt every year, or would they rather spend 25 pounds on a
t-shirt once every 30 years?”

So what comes next after the 30 Year T-shirt? The young designer has his
sights set on another fashionable project, this time falling below the
waist. “The next project I am working on is a range of shoes for men. I
hope to launch a comprehensive collection of footwear for men, consistently
of basic styles I think every man should have in his wardrobe, such as
brogues, penny loafers and chelsea boots.” The shoes will also be
manufactured in Portugal, as Cridland, who is
half Portuguese himself, believes some of the world’s best footwear
manufacturers can be found in the country.

“The 30 Year Sweatshirt and T-shirt however do remain my number one
priority and focus at the moment,” he stresses. Eventually Cridland hopes
to slowly expand his range to include more products but for now is
satisfied to do each product launch separately to ensure it receives the
impact it deserves. “The shoes for example will be a separate launch from
the 30 Year Sweatshirt and t-shirt. Of course I plan to produce them
ethically and sustainably, but that will not necessarily be
the main ethos of the collection. I don’t see myself launching 30 Year
everything.”