Skreened: Clothing for the Greater Good

Ethically made clothing can be difficult to come by. The toxins found in many different dyes are often thought to be polluting the earth while the working conditions of many textile companies is often sketchy at best. Because of this, many consumers have actually turned to purchasing clothing from second hand shops, in order to alleviate their consciences about directly funding the creation of such apparel. Others have gone to an even more traditional approach with actually sewing their own clothing on a regular basis. In fact, the boom of the do-it-yourself industry has greatly increased in the sewing region in recent years, with several sewing bloggers actually offering "sewing lessons" through online video tutorials available for users on a subscription (for a fee) only basis. However, for the creative digital artist, there is another option for ecologically and ethically friendly (as advertised by the company) clothing available today. Skreened: Ethical Custom Apparel is an online based company that specializes in such clothing.

More specifically Skreened is a clothing company that allows users to create their own t-shirt masterpieces through using their own digital designs. Users on Skreened can upload their t-shirt designs to templates on the website that allow them to transfer their designs onto t-shirts made by either American Apparel or Anvil, two companies that Skreened believes engages in only "ethical manufacturing processes." Skreened carries a broad range of color options for all of their apparel, which also includes sweatshirts and children's sized clothing. The prices for the t-shirts, however, starts at around $17 per shirt, but bulk orders may alter this price depending upon the specifications of the order.

Additionally, Skreened's printing practices ensure that only ecologically friendly processes are used on their apparel. Since each shirt is custom made to order, there is certainly minimal waste created from the formation of each shirt; only what is ordered is created, so with each screen printing there is a guaranteed buyer. Skreened also uses water-based inks for their screen printing which is more environmentally friendly to produce (than other non-water based options available on the market today), and Skreened makes sure to use only minimal packing supplies when shipping so as to reduce the production of unnecessary shipping supply waste.

Finally, Skreened is also involved in investing in various global charitable organizations. Part of this support is raised through how Skreened functions as a company; organizations can create clothing designs hosted on Skreened that will earn them (the organizations) a portion of the Skreened selling price each time that the item is purchased. Skreened also loans money through Kiva Microloans to encourage the development of global entrepreneurship in developing countries.

For more information on how Skreened works as an apparel printing company, check out their website at http://skreened.com/.