With a mission to create global public awareness of the threat posed by high-carbon-footprint living, Carbon Teeshirt Limited’s climate and carbon-neutral Ts sport a simple footprint design on the front and footprint-reducing message in back. Making their way into celebrities hands during last year’s Emmy Awards and onto the Discovery Channel’s Planet Green series, all within its first year of business, the T-shirts help the company achieve its earth-focused initiative while employees strive to set an example, getting a handle on their own planetary impression.

No matter how superior you believe your product quality to be, or how dependable your delivery record has been, a decorated-apparel business is only as good as its people—the good folks who interact with your clientele and give your company its reputation. One can appreciate the fact that many employers are making tough fiscal choices to deal with the economy these days but, unfortunately, some of those decisions are shaking the confidence of the very people that could buoy a business to deeper, safer waters.

I remember as a young girl trying on my mother’s high-heeled shoes in an effort to mimic her style and feel more grown up. Today, I often find my own five-year-old daughter swiping my shoes, scarves and sweaters, wishing to look fashionable and more grown up as she totters around in my heels and sweaters, paired with little-girl leggings.

Originally published as the cover of the July 6, 1916, issue of Leslie’s Weekly with the title “What Are You Doing for Preparedness?” this portrait of Uncle Sam went on to become—according to its creator, James Montgomery Flagg—“the most famous poster in the world.”

In fact, Flagg patriotically contributed forty-six works of art to the war effort in order to bolster the recruitment of citizen workers, soldiers and sailors for both world wars. One can only imagine what Uncle Sam saw in the faces of the men, women and children who gazed upon this poster back then. Was it determination? A readiness to serve? A confidence of victory over our enemies as long as we stick together?

In a good building, a strong foundation is essential to the viability of the entire structure; the broader and sturdier the base, the better the building. Likewise in a business. As is true of most apparel decorators, you probably started out with a single discipline—no doubt embroidery or screen printing. You spent time learning the ins and outs of the process and the business, to build a good, solid—though not particularly broad—footing.

A football T that looks good on and off the field. (Photo courtesy Kavio!) The mall! What a great hangout spot for so many teenagers. It provides a place for them to meet, socialize . . . and generate wardrobes that express their personal sense of fashion. What better place to find out what’s hot and what’s not, and to talk to this group of people who . . . like . . . live for fashion?

In this brave new digital world, are there still places for old standby analog processes? Yes, the production of heat-applied graphics is alive and well! Heat transfers, as we call them, are still a viable way to decorate both garments and other textile products.

So why would anyone in his or her right their right mind want to decorate with a legacy process such as iron-on heat transfers when they can complete an entire garment using an inkjet printer in mere minutes? The fact that we’re dealing with that buttonless, collarless, round neck, pull-over garment commonly called the “basic T” offers much of the answer to this question: