On the 28th February, an unapologetically feminist t-shirt range was launched, called She Shirts. The minds behind this ethical brand are Sally Patterson and Ceini Bowen, who are both involved in Bristol SU Women’s Network.
Committed to fighting inequalities, profits made by selling these She Shirts goes directly to three charities supporting vulnerable women. These include Women’s Aid, Smart Works and Bloody Good Period.
Ceini (left) and Sally (right) at the launch of She Shirts, hosted at Mockingbird Cafe, Clifton.
So far there are five trendy designs to choose from, all priced at £17 which includes deliveries. Not only do the profits go to charity, but the price means people involved in making the t-shirts are not exploited and are paid a fair wage. Also, the manufacturer Teemill prints the t-shirts in the UK, using low-waste printing technology in a renewable energy powered factory. What better way to spend less than £20?!
Furthermore, each design has a story and message behind it. On their website, you can see a description next to the images of the t-shirts showing exactly what these are. For example, the ‘All Bodies Are Beautiful’ t-shirt explains that women’s bodies are often demonised for not being the perfect body ideal; for being too fat or too skinny or too hairy. This t-shirt reminds and celebrates the fact that all bodies are perfect no matter what.
‘All Bodies Are Beautiful’ – available to buy here.
Her Campus interviewed Sally Patterson about her reasons and experiences in creating She Shirts, along with who her feminist icon is.
How long have you wanted to embark on this project and what inspired you to create this t-shirt brand?
I’ve wanted to do this for ages! For the past couple of years, I felt like someone was missing a trick by not tapping into the feminist consumer market. Increasingly, we see a move towards reclaiming feminism; feminism is not a dirty word. But I wanted to do more than wear cutsie slogans across my chest. She-Shirts is unique in that it supports women from the ethical production of our products, to the profits that we make, which go towards charities changing women’s lives. She-Shirts is about joining a global movement of people, tackling gender inequality.
You’re head of the Women’s Network, and UBTV. Now you have this project… how do you balance everything?!
By having no social life! Honestly, I don’t think that I could do it if I didn’t love what I was doing. I’m so lucky to have supportive committees, friends and flatmates. The people I get to meet through my roles teach me so much, and many of them have become some of my closest friends.
Sally wearing ‘Hands Off’ – available to buy here.
Who is your feminist icon?
I never know how to answer this question! Everyday I come across new women who inspire me… but if I had to choose one, I’d say that my Grandma (now 88) is my feminist icon. In 1946, she was one of just 20 women who was granted a place at UCL Medical School, one of only three institutions in London which accepted women. In the 1960s, she and my Grandpa were some of the first GPs in the U.K. to provide contraception for unmarried women, and lobbied for the legalisation of abortion. The role that individuals like them played in changing women’s lives was revolutionary. For perhaps the first time, women had control of their own bodies, sexualities and life-courses.
What do you hope is the future for She Shirts?
Everything is already happening so quickly, and I’m just taking it one step at a time. This is all very new to me – I’ve never even sold anything on Depop, let alone created a brand! Thank goodness I have my incredible Right-Hand Woman, Ceini Bowen, who is the fountain of all knowledge when it comes to organisation, social media and sales. I’d love to create new designs, collaborate with feminist artists and support even more charities.
To buy your she-shirt, go online to sheshirts.teemill.com. Follow @sheshirtsuk on Facebook and Instagram, and spread the word!