put it on a t-shirt!
put it on a t-shirt!
INSIDE: vintage Dolce with Kim K, outfits for non-sports girlies who are just here for the vibes, and the history of MERCH
SPONSOR NOTE: Hi, I’m Nathan 👋 I started Project Repat in 2012, and since then, my team and I have upcycled over 30 million t-shirts by turning them into custom t-shirt blankets. Over the years, we developed a system using Google Sheets to create different shipping systems for creating fully custom products – and now, we want to help other resellers and “dm-to-order” small businesses do the same thing.
That’s why we created ShipSheet. It uses forms to collect customer info and then allows you to ship right from Google Sheets – without anyone having to manually enter the info. We offer no monthly fees, the best pricing for shipping on the Internet, and a $25 shipping credit when you sign up – we hope you’ll give us a try!
Happy official START OF FALL, ATSC friends 🍁🍁🍁 I know we have been WAITING for this one!!
A couple of items here at the top: this is the first official newsletter that has a sponsor (ty ShipSheet!). As I’ve mentioned before, this is very much a passion project for me and focused solely on my constant need to thrift and shop lol – and hopefully do right by the planet and by people while I’m doing it. So please note any sponsors that ATSC may have will also only be people who share in that goal!
Second, I got a “film” camera from Flashback for my girls trip to Austin last weekend, and I am so, so obsessed. My last real film camera got badly jammed, and the roll got ruined, and I simply could not deal with that heartbreak again so this is a great way around!!
Third and finally, I wanted to say at the top that this full newsletter has a theme and that is MERCH! With the election and football season and SO many movies coming out and all the holiday sales on the horizon, it felt like a good time to celebrate fashion’s arguably ~most controversial~ genre.
Also, I am not a sports girlie lol, but I am using the teams I feel most loyal to in images/examples as much as I can – so if those are your teams too, give a shout :)
Ok, now onto the good stuff!
Get Thrifty
1. Moschino Tee, Size Small from Vestiaire, $44
I stumbled into designer “merch” while doing research… and I fear I will never return to the normal world – it’s also so cool but actually also funny???
2. Dolce & Gabbana Scarf from Vestiaire, $86
And if we’re talking fashion merch, I could NEVER not include the iconic Kim Kardashian x Dolce & Gabanna scarf that comes in a tomato jar!! Truly surprised you can still buy one of these!
3. NFL Bears Men's Jacket, Size Large from Depop, $100
If there is one thing I am a sucker for every single fall, it’s an oversized vintage varsity jacket, and this one is just SO GOOD. (Also, I’m actually writing this from a family wedding in Chicago, so go Bears!!)
4. Vintage Blondie Tee, Size Small from Etsy, $40
Ok, this might just be me who thinks this is cool… but if I were personally like a platinum/light blonde girlie, I would be wearing vintage Blondie tees like this at all times because I just think it’s the most fun!!
B.N.W.T.
1. NFL LuxeLoft V-Neck Sweater from Abercrombie, $100
To no one’s surprise probably, the new NFL by Abercrombie is so unbelievably good – just allll the retro, comfy, classy, casual, cool, sports vibes. I truly recommend taking a browse through the whole section on their site if you’re a sports (or sports merch) fan!
2. I Hope Both Teams Have Fun Graphic Skimming Tee from Abercrombie, $29
So sorry to include another Abercrombie find, but this is TOO good (and represents my actual position on sports lol). They have a couple of others like this for all of us who just kinda sit on the couch and vibe, and we love the inclusion!!
3. In My Voting Era T-shirt from Social Goods, $38
Um HELLO Swifties for Kamala x civic engagement collab! And yes, they are taking volunteers if you’re looking for an extra fun way to get involved :) I also LOVE this brand Social Goods – truly the cutest merch for excellent causes.
4. Helmets Heavyweight Hoodie from F1r The Girls, $79
This one may be niche… but for all my fellow grid girlies, I found us some merch that is not incredibly dude bro vibes lol. The merch is from a podcast that I LOVE, the Paddock Project!
Spotlight ✨
For today’s spotlight (and in honor of back-to-school vibes), I’m tapping in another of my niche passion’s lol and going full history nerd – specifically, the history of merch.
Merch has been a highly-controversial topic in 2024 (I’m sure we all remember the infamous and, frankly, very dumb GQ article from this past May).
But merch actually dates all the way back to the late 1800s. Merch’s “founding father” was an Ohio man named Jasper Freemont Meek who was, by all accounts I could find, considered an early marketing genius. Meek actually invented the printed tote for a local shoe business, and they then gave the totes for school kids to carry around and essentially do free advertising. I’ve seen the date of this project listed as between 1878 and 1881… but either way, it’s wild to think that my Harry Styles Love on Tour bag actually comes from a 125+ year history.
That brings us to the 20th century, where the merch game really heats up. In the 1930s, Pierre Molinier, the French artist and photographer, essentially created merch for the Paris Opera, which gave the audience something collectable to take home.
And then, in the 1950s, we, of course, get Walt Disney. Disney, despite his many (MANY) serious flaws, is still probably the greatest merch strategist to ever exist, if we’re honest. Back in the 1930s, he and his company had apparently actually started with simple merch like stuffed animals and figurines. But by the 50’s, much like today, they were kinda just selling anything you could think of. An early example of merch from Disneyland from the late 50’s that apparently cost 48 cents ⬇️
There is, however, also one specific vein of merch history that I want to mention (and honestly, this might be its own spotlight at some point), and that is the history of the band tee.
T-shirts were first made by the military and weren’t actually popular until the 1950s. At that point, the first band tee is attributed to Elvis fans who made their own in the late 50’s. And then, of course, when the Beatles became huge in the 60’s, they kept their fans close by producing Beatles tees. The first merch company actually started around the time of Beatlemania in 1968… and the rest is history.
There is obviously a TON more to say about the cultural history of merch (especially as we get into the 80’s and 90’s) but these are its origins! Let me know if y’all would want to read more :)
Look at this Graph
Now that the summer has officially come to a close, I wanted to take the time to look back on and appreciate a true femininomenon. Charli XCX has officially declared that brat summer is over forever, but that doesn’t mean we can’t remember her the most fondly.
Here’s a quick little look-back at Google search trends for people (probably very confused boomers but we still <3 them) who have been looking up brat in the past 90 days.
Ok the thing that shocked me… the term only really peaked in late July?? It feels like it’s been with us forever but I guess it’s really only been about two months. Which is just another testament to Miss Charli! Now, the question is… what does next summer have in store for us?
Moving onto our own little data collection, we have a THREE-WAY tie for our favorite classic fall color between green, red, and brown… and honestly, that is absolutely correct.
For this week:
SPONSOR NOTE: Hey, Nathan from ShipSheet and Project Repat again! I wanted to share a few more features that make ShipSheet unique.
You can add a customer’s Instagram handle to the shipping label to help organize.
You can ship multiple packages at a time.
Your customer gets a tracking link automatically when the post office first scans it in.
If you have any questions, send us a DM!
Vision Board
Sneaking in a new section here because I had such a good time spotlighting Cache from
last week and you best believe I have been making good use of all their features! And the vibe of these, as you can probably tell, is very chill outfits that I know I would/will actually wear super easily!This is an all-Abercrombie look (minus the lip oil lol) because yes, I did indeed by the shirt! I’ll do links right here: shirt, jacket, taper jeans, ballet flats. (Also, I have SUCH a good dupe for the flats, lmk if y’all want the link 👀.)
Other Corners of the Internet
I know this is old news at this point… but I do want to say I am still in deep mourning for brat summer :(
We have the first Taylor outfit of the NFL season, how we feeling?? I personally love, and I need Travis Kelce to match the vibe better lol.
I cannot stop thinking about these comfy pants from Uniqlo, I think it’s just time to place an order.
Also this tarot necklace omg (I think I would personally take the initial charm off but still love).
I don’t usually let myself get clothes from Amazon so best believe I will be HUNTING for second-hand versions/similar items in the thrifting apps for these fall finds!
Last week’s most clicked links were the H&M fine-knit sweater (did we sell it out??? lol), Erika Dwyer’s fab TikTok, and, yet again, the Damson Madder Depop dress – I will try to find us more!!
That’s all for now! I hope the Gilmore Girls vibes are very high wherever you are and see you next Friday <3