It can be tricky knowing where to start when it comes to selling on Instagram, Facebook or any of the major social media platforms, especially if you’ve spent time building up your network organically. If you want to make money selling T-shirts, though, you’ll need to get them in front of an audience, and social media is one of the best ways to do this.
We’ve put together our own insights on everything from where you should be selling, to how to run a promo campaign, but we know though that all the guides in the world can’t substitute for seeing how it works in practice. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite accounts for your viewing pleasure.
Fruit Stickers
Sometimes the ideas that seem the simplest, in retrospect at least, turn out to be the best; enter Fruit Stickers, the Instagram dedicated to all the weird and wonderful fruit stickers from around the globe. Presentation is really key to this account – all stickers are displayed centred on a white background, a uniformity which helps keep the focus on the stickers. Perhaps because of this very coherent aesthetic, they tend to keep their T-shirt promo to their stories and bio, so they can let fans know about their designs without disrupting their curated feed.
Fruit Arts Club
Sticking with the fruity theme, our next pick is Fruit Arts Club, the design studio and cult Instagram launched by Andrew Wetmore in 2018. Fruit Arts Club serves as a platform for both the studio and its community, with the Instagram spotlighting submissions from fellow creatives. Similarly to Fruit Stickers, Fruit Arts will always frame images against a black background, which helps gives their feed its strong visual identity. This means that when it comes to sharing their T-shirts they’ll tend to use the multi-post feature, using a close up of the design as a cover, followed by more photos of the T-shirt itself. This is really the best of both worlds; their followers can check out their tees in all their glory, but without the feed getting too cluttered.
Noah
In a sea of brand Instagrams New York clothing label Noah manages to keep theirs interesting by mixing it up. Lookbook shots and mock-ups of hoodies sit alongside iconic archive footage and photos from films and gigs. Most intriguing though, they use their stories to break down their supply chain and production processes, keeping it transparent and treating their customers as equals in a conversation.
Bad Vegan
Bad Vegan’s Instagram stays true to their cheeky moniker by interspersing photos of their T-shirts with pop culture references, including the Olsen twins and an ‘80s supermodel with a milkshake. (Non-dairy we take it.) They have a real knack for displaying their tees, using a mix of more traditional lookbook photographs along with pics of their community. Not only do we get to see the T-shirts out in the wild, but scrolling through their feed we feel like part of the gang too.
Naive
Lisbon-based Naive label boss DJ Violet’s Instagram is emblematic of her collaborative approach. As well as posting the typical mix of flyers, club photos and album releases, she uses her platform to shout out her peers too. She brings a tongue in cheek approach to her T-shirt promo posts, opting for simple mock-ups which suit the lo-fi style of her feed with captions like, “Be the goth raver you want to see in the world.” Overall, it’s a masterclass in announcing your T-shirt designs to your community while still staying authentic.
Stussy
A stalwart since the ‘80s, Stüssy needs no introduction. Their account is always worth checking out for the way it presents the brand’s heritage, mashing up images from its archives with new campaign photos. Skateboarding has always been part of Stüssy’s DNA, and skate videos add even more variety to an already colourful feed. When the brand posts new lines and pieces, they tend to use a gallery post to display the whole range, which sits well in their busy feed.
Assid.club
As high-octane as only the best graphic novels are, Assid.club’s account is super distinctive in both its style and its energy. In keeping with their madcap account, their posts of their tees are loud and colourful, taking visual cues from comic books and films. They’ll tease incoming T-shirts too, with close-ups of the design that help build hype.
Udli editions
Udli bring their anarchic, DIY ethos to their Instagram account with a medley of artwork photos, campaign and BTS shots. They’ve made showcasing their T-shirts against a black background a bit of signature, and they’re always sure to add close-ups so their audience can really check out the detail of their designs.
Want more tips on selling tees via social? Head to our detailed guide here.