So what’s with the name, isn’t it a brand?
Yes and No. For the sake of business practices it becomes a brand inadvertently. However, we do not print our business name on our garments or accessories anywhere. We are disseminating ideas, opinions and politics not a brand. Our website appears on our enviro shopping bags to assist with this.
Why polyester? Isn’t cotton better for the environment?
One of the greatest myths is that cotton is cheap, natural and green. Cotton is renewable in that it can be replanted, but it is not grown sustainably. Cotton cultivation accounts for about 10% of all pesticides and 23% of all insecticides used in agriculture. On average 200kg of nitrogen is added to the land for every tonne of cotton picked. 33% of this is lost into the atmosphere, though 98% of this is harmless, the remaining 2% is nitrogen oxide which is a harmful greenhouse gas.
While organic cotton production is exemplary in the way it avoids pesticides, all cotton farming is incredibly water intensive. It is not only needed for growing but for processing and dyeing. So much water is needed that it’s often diverted away from communities. Cotton irrigation is a major contributor in the depletion of the Aral Sea.
Cotton garments waste energy. They require more energy to wash than a polyester one because they must be washed frequently, at high temperatures and generally require tumble-drying and ironing. 60% of the carbon emissions generated by a simple cotton t-shirt comes from washes and machine dryings it will require.
The growth, harvesting, shipping and maintenance of cotton from around the globe means it does more damage to the environment than the factories that produce the artificial fabrics.
In contrast, polyester is 100% recyclable. Polyester garments can be shredded, melted, extruded and woven again. Whilst a polyester garment takes more energy to make, since synthetic fabric comes from materials like wood and oil, the upkeep is far more fuel-efficient, since polyester cleans more easily and dries faster.
Our t-shirt manufacturer Vapor Apparel generates 67.3% of its power from non-fossil fuels by having access to hydro and geo-thermal electricity. In addition they are developing products from eco-friendly yarns using 100% recycled materials, including post-consumer and post-industrial polyester fibres.
Vapor Apparel produce polyester garments of superior quality. They are engineered with built-in moisture management technology and temperature control, making them odour, bacteria, fungi and mildew resistant. They are very light yet extremely durable and boast record drying time. The temperature and moisture control allows the skin to stay cool and dry even during extreme conditions. Stain-resistance makes them easier to clean along with faster drying times, equates to less energy.
I like your designs but they seem overpriced, why?
At brand resistant we strive for consistent ethics. You may have seen t-shirts selling online for considerably cheaper. The reduction in price equates to exploited human labour in the form of sweatshops and exploited environment in the manufacturing of garments.
So what’s the deal with sweatshops then?
The term “sweatshop” refers to those factories relying on the exploitation and abuse of workers. Sweatshops rely on and promote racism, sexism, classism and many other human rights violations.
Corporations have been moving manufacturing processes from relatively prosperous economies and stable democracies to take advantage of cheap labour and escape government scrutiny and criticism from human rights and workers' rights organisations.
Sweatshop workers face dangerous and exploitative conditions including sub-minimum wages, no benefits, non-payment of wages, forced overtime, sexual harassment, verbal abuse, corporal punishment, and illegal firings. According to the International Labour Organization, nearly 171 million children are engaged in hazardous work, of which 111 million are younger than 15.
The health burdens placed upon sweatshop workers have been extensively documented, and include exposure to noxious fumes, organophosphate compounds, and silica dust, resulting in record high cancer, asthma, bronchitis, pneumoconiosis, and leukaemia rates in many regions because workers aren’t provided with masks and gloves.
As consumers, we should ask ourselves: should corporations really be allowed to shop around the world for the most easily abused workforce and are we going to contribute to it by purchasing their products?
How do you minimise your ecological footprint?
Our t-shirt manufacturer Vapor Apparel generates 67.3% of its power from non-fossil fuels by having access to hydro and geo-thermal electricity. In addition they are developing products from eco-friendly yarns using 100% recycled materials, including post-consumer and post-industrial polyester fibres.
The majority of screenprinting companies use plastisol ink because they are simple to use, inexpensive and durable. Plastisol inks contain PVC and phthalates that destroy the environment and have been associated with many medical issues including cancer, mental disorders, and infertility. Additionally, the cleaning process for plastisol inks call for environmentally harmful, petroleum based chemicals.
Our printing method, dye sublimation uses solvent-free, water-based inks. These are non-toxic and non-allergenic with fewer health and environmental hazards.
We purchase carbon offsets to neutralise our emissions through Carbon Neutral.
When we send our product out to you it comes in a recycled paper bag not plastic. This bag can be recycled again and we encourage you to.
The swing tags are printed on recycled products using eco-friendly inks.
All of our printed stationary including business cards and brochures are printed on recycled products using eco-friendly inks.
We recycle our waste.
What is your printing method?
Our printing method is dye-sublimation. We use solvent free water-based inks that are non-toxic and non-allergenic. Dye Sublimation, as a process is really very simple. It is the method of applying an image to polyester fabric, using three main ingredients: sublimation dye, heat and pressure.
It produces superior quality because at high temperatures, the solid inks in the print convert into a gas without ever becoming a liquid. The high temperature also opens the pores of the polymer and allows the gas to enter. When the item is removed from the heat press, the temperature drops, the pores close and the gas reverts to a solid state. The dye has now become a part of the polymer. Done correctly, it cannot be washed out or come off.
Why do you not print on dark t-shirts?
Our printing method is not an ink that sits on top of the fabric, it is a dye that penetrates the fibre of the fabric. Therefore adding a little colour to something that is dark doesn't do anything.
Will the design look exactly as I see it on the website?
The design itself will be as you see it, however slight colour variations will occur. If printed on a white t-shirt the design will look almost exactly as you see it. However due to discreet differences in monitors there will be some variation. A monitor operates in an RGB colour space whilst digital printing is done in CMYK. The image on the website is a different format to the image we print from which can result in slight colour variations. On a coloured shirt the design will vary. It will include the colour of the shirt. We are careful to print dark colours on light shirts to minimise this. We make every effort to represent the design colour as it prints and offer examples in the photo gallery.
I want to order a design but the style I want is not an available option?
Some designs work better on certain coloured garments. This is the nature of textile printing. We only offer designs on the styles that are suitable.
Can I buy your stuff in stores?
Currently our products sell in the stores listed on our stockists page.
Can I use a custom design?
No. It’s just not what we do. There are plenty of custom design t-shirt companies out there though. Most of them do not adhere to sweatshop free policies so be careful who you choose. American Apparel & Zorrel are two other great t-shirt manufacturers with sweatshop free policies.
We love your designs. Can you design a shirt for our organization or charity?
We are dedicated to effecting change. Please email us with details about your organization and we’ll see what we can do.
Why don't you offer more sizes?
We don’t have very much demand for sizes other than what we already offer. However for bulk orders we can try to accommodate. Send us an email with your order request and we’ll see what we can do.
Care Instructions?
By following basic washing instructions you can maintain the quality of your apparel. All garments come with care instructions on the garment and additional instructions on the swing tag. But just in case:
We recommend using a minimum amount of eco-friendly laundry products.
Wash in cold water
Do not use bleach (stain resistance means it shouldn’t need bleach, additives can clog the fabric fibres)
Do not tumble dry (doesn’t need it, dries in 15 minutes usually, but on low if you must)
Do not iron (shouldn’t need it, but low and inside out if you have to)
Do not dry clean
My children are messy are your shirts easy to clean?
Each garment is engineered with Intera permanent moisture wicking technology, which provides many benefits including stain-resistance. When oily dirt falls on a synthetic fibre that has Intera bonded to the surface the dirt is sitting on water loving molecules. Therefore the water and soap are drawn under the dirt to lift it off the fibre.
All of this equates to a fabric that is easier to clean. In fact about 1/2 the recommended soap is needed to clean Intera fabrics.
Is it safe to order online?
Of course, brand resistant uses PayPal to process all internet orders. PayPal is the safer, easier way to pay and get paid online. The service allows anyone to pay in any way they prefer, including through credit cards, bank accounts, buyer credit or account balances, without sharing financial information. PayPal has quickly become a global leader in online payment solutions with more than 153 million accounts worldwide. Available in 190 markets and 17 currencies around the world, PayPal enables global e-commerce by making payments possible across different locations, currencies and languages.
PayPal has received more than 20 awards for excellence from the Internet industry and the business community - most recently the 2006 Webby Award for Best Financial Services Site and the 2006 Webby People's Voice Award for Best Financial Services Site.
Located in San Jose, California, PayPal was founded in 1998 and was acquired by eBay in 2002.
Are my personal details safe with brand resistant?
brand resistant practices safe e–commerce. We do not have acess to your credit card details, as the purchase is handled by PayPal on their servers. As a well trusted company owned by eBay you can be sure that they keep personal details safe. At no time do we share any of our customers information with any other parties except were required by subpoena from a court of law. We do retain customer information in the interest of further communication with our customers. If at anytime you would like your information removed from our files please contact us info@brandresistant.com
What is brand resistant’s refunds/exchange policy?
There is nothing that pleases us more than a happy customer, your satisfaction is our priority. If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase it may be returned within 10 days of receipt of purchase. We will need a copy of your receipt to be included in the return. Exchanges will be made promptly upon receipt of the merchandise.
Exchanges are to be returned at the customers own expense and sent to brand resistant PO Box 338 PADDINGTON NSW 2021 Australia.
We can not accept exchanges on items that were purchased on sale. As we make to order we cannot exchange for incorrectly chosen sizes. There is a size chart on each product page for customers to carefully choose. Should you have any sizing questions don't hesitate to email us info@brandresistant.com
Please note: A returned item must be unworn, with tags and packaging intact or we are unable to accept the item for return or exchange.
Does brand resistant Deliver Worldwide?
Yes , we will ship all over the world.
How much does delivery cost?
Delivery is a flat rate of $10.00 throughout Australia.
We use Australia Post Express delivery.
Delivery is a flat rate of $20.00 Internationally.
We use Air Mail for International delivery.
How long until I receive my goods?
As we make t-shirts to order please allow 7-10 days within Australia and 2-3 weeks for international delivery.
How Can I place an order?
1. Online using your credit card, we accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners via our payment processor PayPal.
2. Using your PayPal account
3. Email us your order and pay via Direct Debit:
Please use your name when paying and send us an email to let us know you have paid. Keep in mind payments may take up to 48 hours to clear, and items will be sent once payment has cleared.
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