Simply put, we are a company that believes unflinchingly in transparency about our faults, being purposeful (our purpose is NOT our side hustle), and the highest level of commitment (we call that quality assurance in blood).
This campaign is meant to put these beliefs to the test. This campaign is meant to put our ideas and product into the world and see if you agree that this is worth starting.
The shirts are . . .
100% Organic cotton – because cotton is 4% of the world’s crops, yet accounts for 25% of the world’s pesticide use (that sits on your body, all day, impacts the world, and those that work in the fields)
Locally Designed in Crown Heights – aka I’m either on my couch or elsewhere in BK doodling, then I scan it, auto-trace, send to the printer, pick up my shirts a few days later
Locally Printed at BKNY Printing – the short coming here is that the ink is plastisol which is not earth friendly like water based inks. But as you’ll read later on, we won’t hide our faults.
Since our values are some of the main reasons we think you’ll end up giving a sh*t about what we got going on, check out the short explanations below before you get into the designs.
1. PURPOSEFULLY TRANSPARENT
Everyone and everything is imperfect.
Yet even the most conscious companies really only focus on the sunny side of their efforts.
We at Same Old Expressions believe that there is too much to be learned and shared from failure and mistake to keep them to ourselves. As well, everyone and everything is a product of the good and the bad, so why try and pretend any company is all good? or hell, even all bad?
We will be 100% transparent about . . .
everything right and wrong with what we do, when we do it
In short . . . errrything
2. TRANSPARENTLY PURPOSEFUL
What we stand for, why we exist, and why we think you just might want to give a sh*t, will never be hard to discern.
Out of the gate, we stand for these 3 principles and believe that if this value system permeated other companies we would all be living in a far different world.
Our purpose will develop over time, but before we go saving the world one organic t-shirt at a time, we’re going to focus on a successful launch, then take it from there.
3. QUALITY ASSURANCE IN BLOOD
We would never ask you to put our designs on your body if we didn’t whole heartedly believe in them.
Designs will have a set goal. Once sales reach that number I will be getting that design tattooed on my body.
It’s not a gimmick, but instead, it is our “quality assured in blood” to you. This is a chance for you to participate in the direct reflection of our commitment to you, in a way that no other company allows people to participate.
Want in? Then bear with me, keep on reading on . . .
Quality Assured in Blood – The Tattoo Goal
In this crowd funding campaign, each contribution will be your active vote and participation in the process. Each shirt you purchase is your vote for the winning design. The first of many designs to be assured in blood.
1. Choose your contribution tier based on the number of shirts you want to get
2. Then, I will follow up to get all of the details about . . .
. . . and keep the tally going as we count down to $2400.
The design with the most contributions will be the tattoo that I get. As well, any design that gets greater than 23* contributions will also become a tattoo on my body.
*Why > 23 contributions?
Because it allows me to produce shirts in the next tier of reduced costs from the company that I get the 100% organic shirts from, and from the local printer that we work with. Thus, those cost reductions will be reinvested in our commitments to you and the community.
Our goals and aims are bigger than this, but this is where we start.
It would be an honor if what we stand for resonates with you.
First off, there are fixed costs . . .
Blank shirts = $8.51/shirt
Printing cost/design (12-23 shirts same design) = $10/shirt
. . . From there I will follow up to discuss the specific plans of where the difference between the costs to me and the costs to you go. This clarity down to the exact fraction of a penny is crucial to me. I want you to know exactly what you’ve invested in because that’s what you’re doing, investing.
You are investing in a company, in an idea, in a future populated by the type of businesses and people that you want to see.
Note:
Once you know what designs you want and at which sizes . . .
. . . then choose the perk level that you want and I will be in touch immediately afterward to collect the info about exactly what you want.
FINALLY!!! DESIGNS!!! FEAST YOHHH EYES ON THESE MULL SUCKAHS!!!!
1. George Washington Wore A Weave – If one of the world’s most revered leaders can achieve that position with a powdered wig fastened to his dome, then you can too! This homage to GW pokes fun at a now defunct style, but is meant to highlight that what you wear matters, but what matters more is how you rock it. So, shoulders back . . . tits out . . . do you, because realistically GW wore a weave (like, he actually did wear an actual weave y’all).
2. Don’t Tread on I – What you said, has been said before. So say it differently, SAY IT BETTER! Don’t tread on me? Nah, sonion, DONT TREAD ON I. Revolutionary Rasta Snake (the rasta flag crown, Jamaican flag pattern on the snake, and rasta colored rattler) pays tribute to one people that say everyday phrases in a way that’s just better. If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, it’s been said before. SAY IT BETTER.
3. I ❤️️ The Idea of NY – I ❤️️ NY? Sure, maybe. But, if you’ve lived here for any period of time you really get the feeling that the best part about New York is the idea of New York. It takes a special breed to love a city where finding a solid pile of human poop on your subway car is not as uncommon as you might expect, or what seems like a strategically placed gaggle of tourists looking directly up in the sky at seemingly nothing snapping their 150th picture while you’re just trying to get to where you’re going (at lightspeed walking pace), or hell, the family of rats that live in your apartment wall that your slum lord swears isn’t his problem. In the end, all of this is ❤️️ worthy, but the idea of the city that never sleeps, that’s what we’re all here for.
4. Mustard on the Beet – is pretty objectively simple and potentially stupid, but it’s what started this whole jam. Messing around with friends, stuck in the catchy trance that only DJ Mustard can deliver, I wanted to pay homage to “Mustard on the beat,” in the most figuratively literal way I could think of.
5. Frank Ocean – Is in a similar vein to Young Mustard aka Dijon J, aka Family Size Poupon. I started playing around with other peoples’ names and settled on “hot dog on oceanic sunrise,” aka Frank Ocean.
6. Marl-Bro – Ever been to a grocery store and tried to read a label full of fake words with no regulation that is meant to make you “feel” healthier. Me too, well fu*k that. This shirt calls that reality out by applying words from the FDA that could actually legally be used to describe a pack of cigarettes due to the lack of legal regulation any of these words actually have . . .as always, Keep it 100’s.
Note: Once you know what designs you want and at which sizes (S, M, L, XL, men’s, women’s) then choose the perk level that you want and I will be in touch immediately afterward to collect the info about exactly what you want.
Perk Additions: The Packs
As you’ve read in the perks section, the perks come with these “packs” so I elaborated on what they are below.
Thank You Daps Pack – This comes with every tier and will be stuffed with little personal touches from us to you saying danke, grazie, 谢谢, and good lookin out.
Fitting Pack – Whether you’re buying more clothes for you, for a friend, or whoever it is we’re going to be sending some essentials for more precise future fitting and self-measuring. Again, these will come with some touches. What’s that mean? You’ll see.
Cleaning Samples – Most companies want your stuff to be dunzo quick. This way you can buy more of their crap faster. Plus, a lot of the destruction to this world comes in the cleaning process, so we’re going to send you a pack of some products that can help maintain your stuff, your health, and the world in the process. Dope? Right?
WHICH DESIGNS WILL TURN INTO QA IN BLOOD?
As contributions come through, I will send out an update in comments keeping the tally up to date as the numbers climb, plus I will update right here so that if you love a design, and or just want to mess with me and make your vote count, then peep this section or the updates to keep tabs . . .
The Scoreboard:
George Washington Wore A Weave =
Don’t Tread on I =
I ❤️️ The Idea of NY =
Mustard on the Beet =
Frank Ocean =
Marl-Bro =