Don't trust your own fashion sense? Let the distributed power of the Internet guide you. The T-shirts sold at Threadless.com are all inspected and approved by user consensus. How? The company stages a weekly competition for would-be Hilfigers, who upload their designs to its Web site. Shoppers can scroll through the images and vote for their faves. The winning graphics are printed on limited-edition Ts (their creators get $500 in cash/store credit).
Started in 2000 by Chicago Web designers Jake Nickell, 24, and Jacob DeHart, 23, Threadless pulled in $1.6 million in revenue last year. Now the pair are extending the business model: Hit NakedandAngry.com to vote on user-submitted fabric patterns for items like neckties and polos. Surf over to OMGClothing.com to choose your favorite open source T-shirt slogans. Or go to 15MegsofFame.com to weigh in on MP3s from aspiring musicians; top vote-getters receive cash, airtime on XM Radio, and the chance to perform live at a Chicago venue.
- Stuart Luman
credit Robyn Twomey
Logomania: Some winning designs from Threadless.comés online competition, which has received 40,000 submissions to date.
Logomania: Some winning designs from Threadless.comés online competition, which has received 40,000 submissions to date.
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Open Source Softwear
