Making Our SeaCell T-Shirts

The two year journey from seaweed to a versatile, sustainable, 100% USA-made T-shirt.

A short story about the long process of making a T-shirt...

For the last two years, we've been working to develop the perfect T. Made from seaweed!

Unlike our sweaters, which started with yarn, the T-shirts started with 6x6 inch squares of fabric... and a lot of them.

How We Found Our T-Shirt Fabric

Like judging the cutest dog competition, choosing the fabric was no small feat. Each little square was special in its own way, with a unique story and feel ready to be introduced to the world.

Ultimately, we decided to make it easy and choose the square that was made in the USA. In LA, to be specific.

Founded in 1986, our fabric supplier has been making high-quality, sustainable fabrics in the USA for nearly 40 years. It was the natural choice!

Finding The Perfect Fit... 20 Prototypes Later

Once we had our fabric, we looked to nature for the perfect colors. We found our inspiration in an unlikely place, the Common Blue Butterfly.

Like its namesake, our color palette combines vibrant, natural hues. But unlike the butterfly, the T-shirts are anything but common.

We dyed the first few yards and pre-shrunk them, confident we had found the perfect combination.

From start to finish, we designed nearly 20 different prototypes. It turns out making a shirt is harder than we thought. 

From Flawed Fits to Flawless Designs

Our first versions fit terribly. We did just about everything wrong.

Nevertheless, we pushed forward, tweaking and refining.

Unlike our sweaters, which are largely digitally designed, the T-shirt production starts with paper patterns. 

These patterns are used to cut our fabric into each piece that will eventually be sewn together into the final product.

New Seaweed T-Shirts Coming Soon!

Up to 40% off in our biggest launch yet!

The Wear Test: From The Lake To The Photo Studio

This process went on and on and on until we finally had the perfect fit.

All that was left was to put them to the test. Wear them in the wild with some style.

So I took it out on the boat.

I showed it to my plants.

I brought it to the beach and introduced it to its long-lost family of seaweed lurking just beneath.

Naturally, it was a lot of work, so I hopped in the water for a quick swim.

Then we brought in the pros. Professional models who really know how a shirt should fit. 

A SeaCell T-Shirt In Seaweed Packaging

What more can I say? They looked like a million bucks and asked for one of their own at the end of the day.

All that was left was the perfect packaging for our new perfect Ts. Naturally, we thought about what we could make from seaweed.

That's just what we did! We partnered with Sway to use their compostable, seaweed-based bag to protect our shirts as they make their way to you. 

New Seaweed T-Shirts Coming Soon!

Up to 40% off in our biggest launch yet!

If you believe that every good wardrobe starts with owning less and owning better, consider buying yourself an OLIVER CHARLES sweater.