Q. How do you find all these cool places and t-shirts?
A. Since we started out in our hometown, Seattle, a lot of our Washington T-shirts were our local hangouts and some were recommended by loyal patrons. After that, it's all about the expedition—our endless road trip in search of cool t-shirts from the coolest locally-owned places and cultural landmarks. Well, that and suggestions from you!
Q. Do you get permission to sell these t-shirts?
A. Yes, we meet with our member Destee-Nations, and they sign an agreement with us. It's all very formal and legal, of course.
Q. Do you share the profits with your members?
A. Yes, our member Destee-Nation businesses receive a percentage from the sale of all t-shirts.
Q. Are your t-shirts silk screened or are the designs ironed on?
A. Destee-Nation Shirt Co. prints quality t-shirts the old fashioned way, silk screening each t-shirt one color at a time with environmentally friendly water-based inks. You won't find any fake-o iron-ons (a.k.a. heat transfer) at our print facility.
Q. Have you considered using organic cotton t-shirts or garments exclusively made in the U.S.A.?
A. Absolutely—we're working on it. As any small company knows, there's a constant balancing act between meeting your customers' demands, sourcing product you feel proud of and making ends meet at the end of the day. Until the spring of 2008, we were using industry standard blank t-shirts from various textile manufacturers around the world, such as Hanes and Gildan, and we silkscreened our t-shirts with the widely-accepted plastisol inks. Now, we're turning the page on those processes and moving towards our dream eco-friendly t-shirt.
We are currently rolling out our new Destee-Nation Brand t-shirts, which are 100% made in the U.S.A. and printed solely with environmentally friendly water-based inks. Water-based silkscreen inks are non-toxic, PVC-free and best of all, leave a super-soft feel on these high quality t-shirts. As we continue to strive to call consumers' attention back home, to the neighborhood establishments that define our rich, local cultures, Destee-Nation is also committed to pursuing environmentally responsible practices in all that we do. If you have suggestions for ways we can improve our processes, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Q. Do you take suggestions for cool places or t-shirts?
Q. Will there be more t-shirts?
Q. When does it end? Q. I own a business, and I'd like Destee-Nation to sell my t-shirt. What do I do? Q. What if my business or a business I want to suggest doesn't already have a t-shirt? Q. Do the Destee-Nation businesses sell these shirts in their establishments? Q. Where can I get answers to my questions about shipping, returns, exchanges—you know stuff like that?
A. Oh please, yes. We don't know all the awesome places, or even a fraction of them. Our loyal customers provide us with numerous suggestions while Jimmy, our database engineer, tracks and prioritizes as best he can.
A. Yes, we are currently on a perpetual road trip up and down the West Coast. We visit many of the fine establishments suggested by our customers to test their worthiness, oftentimes by sampling their spirits and getting to know their owners first-hand.
A. Are you kidding? We're just getting started.
A. Just fill out our Suggest a T-Shirt Form. We review new member prospects each week. The more information you can give us, the better!
A. We have a lot of experience in that department and will gladly work with the business to design a t-shirt that represents their establishment.
A. Some do and some don't. As anyone who has ever tried to manage t-shirt inventory knows, it can be a big job. Many of our member businesses choose to direct their customers at our stores and many more offer these t-shirts, and sometimes other designs as well, at their locations.
A. Check out our Customer Service page for more details.
