Kickstarter Review: Blank by Cotton Bureau
I backed Blank by Cotton Bureau: a t-shirt company that is seeking out the best possible fit for modern t-shirts.
Blank was put together by Cotton Bureau, an online platform for a highly-curated collection of t-shirts and apparel. Blank exists mainly to create the ultimate fit in a t-shirt, particularly for women. From early bird deals, to unique voting-style stretch goals, Blank had a lot to offer in its Kickstarter Campaign.
The Kickstarter’s Purpose
Like myself, you may be wondering, why does an established t-shirt company need to start a Kickstarter to sell t-shirts? In an introduction blog for Blank, Cotton Bureau had this to say:
We know how demoralizing it is to buy one of our t-shirt designs, wait weeks for it to arrive, then hurriedly try it on only to find out that it’s about six sizes smaller than you expected. It shouldn’t be like this, and it kills us that we haven’t been able to find a women’s t-shirt that works.
So we’re gonna make our own.
Today, we’re lifting the lid on Blank, our project to design and produce better t-shirts from the ground up: our sizes, our fits, our fabrics, our colors. Over the last six months, we’ve been building relationships with people all over the garment industry: pattern makers, fabric suppliers, cut-and-sew operations, industry consultants, full-service apparel factories, fit models, and more.
Since Cotton Bureau is taking a risk by essentially building a t-shirt company from scratch, it seemed that Kickstarter was the best route to build up a test market before going all-in on the production of Blank. Based on the total amount raised, I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.
The Campaign
Blank’s Campaign goal was $48,000, which they were able to crush. They completed the campaign with 1,527 pledges totaling $94,628. The folks behind Blank kept frequent responses through the entire campaign. From August to December, they provided 17 total updates. That’s just shy of one update/week. For those who haven’t been involved in a Kickstarter, that is above average communication. My previously-backed Kickstarter campaign has 17 in just under a year, with the final three updates being promotions for new products (lame).
Rewards & Stretch Goals
The project rewards spanned from $20 for a single t-shirt (early bird pricing) all the way up to $10,000 for 750 Blank shirts. Their top two rewards had 0 backers, and were quite lofty goals. The biggest two backers pledged $1,500 for 50 shirts that would include a logo design. The early bird pricing lasted a mere 7 hours before filling up, meaning the majority of backers went with the single t-shirt reward that was priced at $25.
There were a total of five stretch goals in this campaign. All five were new color options to choose from when it came time to deliver the final product. Before introducing a new color as a stretch goal, Blank took to Twitter for votes on which color should be unlocked next. The color that won would be unlocked, and the color that lost would become the next stretch goal.
I would have preferred a more clear path to stretch goals, but in the end, you got to choose between a good variety of colors.
What I Backed:
I invested in a single Male t-shirt size Large in Tri-Blend Navy, on August 17th. I was able to get the early bird deal for $20. A single Blank shirt was their most popular reward level. 37% of backers chose the single shirt option.
The Finished Product
This Kickstarter was focused on one particular issue in the t-shirt industry: fixing women’s t-shirt sizes. As a male who ordered one of the male t-shirts, I honestly cannot say if they accomplished that goal. What I can say, though, is that I received an overall quality t-shirt that I will wear frequently.
The best thing to hope for in any Kickstarter campaign is a) getting the finished product as described and b) getting it on time. Cotton Bureau delivered on both these fronts. The T-shirt came to me in the correct size and color.
My t-shirt was delivered just before Christmas, which was one of the big goals that Blank had. They had one batch of shirts in a particular color that ended up getting delayed from the rest of the group. However, that just means they wanted to get everything right before the sendoff, which I can appreciate.
This t-shirt may be the softest shirt I own. The material is incredible. It actually threw me off quite a bit when I first put it on; it feels more like wearing a bed sheet than it does a t-shirt. The fit isn’t 100% perfect, but that may be more of my self-consciousness than anything.
Blank is Now Available
Want to try it for yourself? Cotton Bureau is now selling Blank shirts on their website: https://cottonbureau.com/blank.
Final Thoughts
I’m happy with not only how the KickStarter ran, but the finished product as well. That being said, the t-shirt I got through the campaign will likely be the only Blank shirt I purchase. I got an early bird KickStarter pricing of $20 (plus $5 shipping). The same shirt now would cost $32+shipping. As good of a shirt as it is, if I’m spending $30+ for a t-shirt, I’m going to get a Cotton Bureau designed shirt, which is not only cheaper than $32, typically, but you get a uniquely designed shirt while supporting an artist with your purchase. To me, that’s more worth the investment than a blank shirt that may feel softer than a regular shirt.
But that’s just me. Maybe you’re in need of more solid shirts with no designs. If that’s the case and you’re willing to spend more for a quality product, I would 100% recommend picking up some Blank shirts.
This review is 100% my own opinion and experience with this Kickstarter campaign. I was not asked by Cotton Bureau or Kickstarter to review this product, nor have I been promised anything in return for writing it. This is not a promotion of the product. Just simple, honest feedback of my experience.
Read my previous Kickstarter Review: One Week with my UNO II Backpack Made by NIID