Back in March Shari from Mi Tesoro kindly nominated THIS GIRLS'S TEES for The Button. I've had a lot of fun with this one, so much so, that I felt it deserved its very own spotlight because it's locally hand made and it taps into something my husband and I understand only too well ...
Handcraft Button
THIS GIRL’S TEES is a unique clothing line aimed at dispelling gender stereotypes regarding girls and women while embracing their strengths.
Can be found via:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 216.394.9591
Website: www.thisgirlstees.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisgirlstees
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thisgirlstees/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thisgirlstees/this-girls-tees/
Other: https://www.thisgirlstees.etsy.com
THIS GIRL’S TEES is a unique clothing line aimed at dispelling gender stereotypes regarding girls and women while embracing their strengths.
Can be found via:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 216.394.9591
Website: www.thisgirlstees.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisgirlstees
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thisgirlstees/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thisgirlstees/this-girls-tees/
Other: https://www.thisgirlstees.etsy.com
Owner, Kris Williams
“Be your biggest fan” Kris Williams – THIS GIRL’S TEES
Background
Based in the Cleveland area, Kris has been a Graphic Designer for nearly twenty years. She has worked as a fine artist, painting and illustrating works for children, for the last eleven years. From 2004 – 2007, she taught at Laurel School in Shaker Heights. When asked how long she has been handcrafting, Kris responded by saying “Ha! Since I could sit up on my own!” She saw a need for an alternative apparel option for girls that would defy the negative stereotypes often perpetuated on mainstream clothing and set up THIS GIRL’S TEES in 2013. Instead of sentiments such as “I love glitter”, THIS GIRL’S TEES highlights messages that encourage girls’ and women’s strengths. Kris ran a Kickstarter campaign to get started that was a total success within the first week and the brand is still growing. She and her team are also committed to fair and progressive employment practices and all materials and production are:
Based in the Cleveland area, Kris has been a Graphic Designer for nearly twenty years. She has worked as a fine artist, painting and illustrating works for children, for the last eleven years. From 2004 – 2007, she taught at Laurel School in Shaker Heights. When asked how long she has been handcrafting, Kris responded by saying “Ha! Since I could sit up on my own!” She saw a need for an alternative apparel option for girls that would defy the negative stereotypes often perpetuated on mainstream clothing and set up THIS GIRL’S TEES in 2013. Instead of sentiments such as “I love glitter”, THIS GIRL’S TEES highlights messages that encourage girls’ and women’s strengths. Kris ran a Kickstarter campaign to get started that was a total success within the first week and the brand is still growing. She and her team are also committed to fair and progressive employment practices and all materials and production are:
If you want to find out more about how the Tees are made follow this link, Learn more about how our shirts are made >
Inspiration
Kris shares two daughters with her husband and feels inspired by the way they are so packed with possibility and joy. She and her husband believe their daughters are capable of doing anything and feel that the girls should believe it too. Kris also emphasizes the influence of her parents. Her mother felt that “at any moment in life she could decide something and then make it happen” while her father asserted that “people may place labels or limitations on you throughout your life, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept them, let alone should you place any upon yourself.”
Kris also has her own design firm, Tiny Desk Design (www.tinydeskdesign.com) and her own fine arts label, We & The Bean (www.weandthebean.com).
Upcoming events
This GIRL’S TEES can be found at Bike for Beck @ The Beck Center for the Arts May 31st, 2015. Here’s a link to the event, http://www.beckcenter.org/events/bike-for-beck-beckfest-2015/
Involvement with local community art projects
Kris donates her professional design services to a number of non-profit or community-based projects every year. The most recent of these efforts involved her designing a logo for the 1 Life, 1 Voice, 1 Community Health Fair, a large health fair focused on health disparities around birth outcomes and infant mortality rates taking place on June 20th at the Cleveland Convention Center. Kris says “Cleveland is so incredible. There are so many people out there doing good work to improve the lives of the people who live in our community. I am thankful to have the chance to participate.”
Luluké comments
What a treat and joy to highlight this local artist! I have to say, I have been blown away by THIS GIRL’S TEES. Kris is passionate about her business’ mission and is actively making fresh changes that are well overdue in the fashion industry.
I get a strong sense of change in the hands of a balanced artist who says it’s not about hating glitter, pink, kittens and rainbows, just providing an alternative to the stereotypical sentiment that fashion imposes on girls. THIS GIRL’S TEES is more about embracing the available, the alternative and challenging stereotypical sentiment aimed at girls through clothes. THIS GIRL’S TEES recently succeeded in changing the perceptions and stocking choices of the NYC University Bookstore. See the link to the story here http://www.thisgirlstees.com/whats-new/nyu-drops-hate-celebrates-girls-instead-with-this-girls-tees. Thank goodness THIS GIRL’S TEES has replaced messages such as “I Hate my thighs” (on a baby onesie!!!) with ones like these,
Inspiration
Kris shares two daughters with her husband and feels inspired by the way they are so packed with possibility and joy. She and her husband believe their daughters are capable of doing anything and feel that the girls should believe it too. Kris also emphasizes the influence of her parents. Her mother felt that “at any moment in life she could decide something and then make it happen” while her father asserted that “people may place labels or limitations on you throughout your life, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept them, let alone should you place any upon yourself.”
Kris also has her own design firm, Tiny Desk Design (www.tinydeskdesign.com) and her own fine arts label, We & The Bean (www.weandthebean.com).
Upcoming events
This GIRL’S TEES can be found at Bike for Beck @ The Beck Center for the Arts May 31st, 2015. Here’s a link to the event, http://www.beckcenter.org/events/bike-for-beck-beckfest-2015/
Involvement with local community art projects
Kris donates her professional design services to a number of non-profit or community-based projects every year. The most recent of these efforts involved her designing a logo for the 1 Life, 1 Voice, 1 Community Health Fair, a large health fair focused on health disparities around birth outcomes and infant mortality rates taking place on June 20th at the Cleveland Convention Center. Kris says “Cleveland is so incredible. There are so many people out there doing good work to improve the lives of the people who live in our community. I am thankful to have the chance to participate.”
Luluké comments
What a treat and joy to highlight this local artist! I have to say, I have been blown away by THIS GIRL’S TEES. Kris is passionate about her business’ mission and is actively making fresh changes that are well overdue in the fashion industry.
I get a strong sense of change in the hands of a balanced artist who says it’s not about hating glitter, pink, kittens and rainbows, just providing an alternative to the stereotypical sentiment that fashion imposes on girls. THIS GIRL’S TEES is more about embracing the available, the alternative and challenging stereotypical sentiment aimed at girls through clothes. THIS GIRL’S TEES recently succeeded in changing the perceptions and stocking choices of the NYC University Bookstore. See the link to the story here http://www.thisgirlstees.com/whats-new/nyu-drops-hate-celebrates-girls-instead-with-this-girls-tees. Thank goodness THIS GIRL’S TEES has replaced messages such as “I Hate my thighs” (on a baby onesie!!!) with ones like these,
If you have any suggestions for Kris to make a new line of tees with a message of strength then just drop her a note at [email protected].
Raising a girl ourselves, one that, as you can see, blasts away any stereotypes that girls are ALL just about kittens and rainbows,
Raising a girl ourselves, one that, as you can see, blasts away any stereotypes that girls are ALL just about kittens and rainbows,
I appreciate, feel thankful and totally applaud THIS GIRL’S TEES for addressing the unbalanced stereotypical sentiment on clothing and challenging retailers, fashion and the clothing industry to be conscious of the products they produce. The clothes girls wear influence them and those that see them. Let’s break this cycle for the existing and next generation of females. Here’s a link to a powerful story that I understand very well. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/03/dangerous-lessons-from-sexist-shirts_n_6102096.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063. Last year, I too had to venture into the boys section at Target at our daughter's request, to find a Minecraft Tee. I strongly recommend anyone who is raising girls to explore the THIS GIRL’S TEES website and share this blog. I think THIS GIRL’S TEES is going to get bigger and land in a shop near you soon… if it isn't already! I know which Tee I’m buying for our girl warrior …
Nominations for The Button in the future:
Jane Pierce of ZJayne
Karen Bush of Aviron Jewelry,
Amy Bennett of Mod Lux,
Textile artisan - Christy Gray
Metal Artisan - Chris Zielski.
Kris commented” I could list so many more, but these ladies come first to mind”.
I’m off now to write to Target and Justice about stocking THIS GIRL’S TEES, I encourage you to do the same to get our "girls’ world" into balance …
Jane Pierce of ZJayne
Karen Bush of Aviron Jewelry,
Amy Bennett of Mod Lux,
Textile artisan - Christy Gray
Metal Artisan - Chris Zielski.
Kris commented” I could list so many more, but these ladies come first to mind”.
I’m off now to write to Target and Justice about stocking THIS GIRL’S TEES, I encourage you to do the same to get our "girls’ world" into balance …
Here’s a couple of direct links to Target and Justice/tweenbrands, just in case you would like to do the same,
Target: http://www.contactcustomerservicenow.com/contact-target-customer-service/
Justice: [email protected]
Enjoy the THIS GIRL’S TEES photo gallery below …
Target: http://www.contactcustomerservicenow.com/contact-target-customer-service/
Justice: [email protected]
Enjoy the THIS GIRL’S TEES photo gallery below …