Good T-Shirts for the World®

When I was four, I would reach behind my neck, grab the tag on the inside of my t-shirt and rip it out. This generally left a large hole in my shirt. T-shirt tags bothered me then and still bother me now. Today, ONNO t-shirts have a silky soft tag that I can’t feel at all. ONNO was started in 2006 and I’ve been focused on making Good T-Shirts since then.

For me, Good T-Shirts start with eco-friendly fibers. They need to fit great and feel great. All the people we touch (factories, warehouse, office, shipping, and you) need to be treated well.

I’ve personally sourced the yarn used to make ONNO t-shirts. Our yarns are somewhat eco-friendly. I say ‘somewhat’ because our GOTS certified organic cotton for example, still requires a significant amount of water to grow. Even though it’s organic, it’s not perfect. It is, however, better than conventional cotton – which requires lots of pesticides that end up in our rivers and soil. This in turn wreaks havoc on our environment. For example, I think the disappearance of honey bees is linked to the use of these pesticides. Using sustainable fibers helps move things in the right direction.

Good T-Shirts also means that you need to love wearing your shirt. I studied mechanical engineering in college, here in Boulder, and have always loved designing stuff. ONNO t-shirts have 23 primary measurements. I’ve been adjusting those measurements since 2006, and continue to think about them today. Our t-shirts fit well – I hope you’ll agree. I’ve also worked on our fabrics to make sure they breathe well and have good ‘mechanical elasticity’. Elasticity is what allows you to move comfortably in your shirt, without feeling constricted – essential for a Good T-Shirt.

You can’t make Good T-Shirts without good people. I do my best to work with people who are fun and of the highest integrity. Working with fun people makes life much better. ONNO is partnered with two small-family owned factories. You can read more about our t-shirt production.

If you’ve bought an ONNO t-shirt – thank you. If you have time, let me know your thoughts about ONNO, our shirts, or anything, for that matter. Your feedback is vital and shapes my thinking about how to keep improving.

Sincerely,

Jack Kanefield