August 19, 2026
What Does It Really Take to Make a T-Shirt?
What Does It Really Take to Make a T-Shirt?
At the MTNS MADE Sustainable Textiles Symposium in October 2025, three local makers, Lina, Laetitia and Jaime, were invited to make a MTNS MADE t-shirt from start to finish. From a roll of cotton supplied by Minerva's Bower, and the Myka Top pattern from Tessuti. Using industrial sewing machines, the team cut and sewed the Tessuti pattern before Freedom Wilson screenprinted the MTNS MADE logo onto the finished garment.
We commissioned Matt Jackson from Hey Action Productions to film the process so we could show what actually goes into making a t-shirt, time, skill, equipment and materials, and to help us work out the true cost of making a t-shirt. When we ask, “How can a t-shirt cost just $10?”, this video helps make the answer visible and keeps the conversation going about sustainability, fast fashion and what we can do differently.