IN/TL/1 — Boxy Tee, Washed Bone

240gsm GOTS-certified organic cotton boxy tee, garment-dyed, drop shoulder — IN/TL's opening statement.

Categorytee

Target retail$85

Fabric weight240 gsm

Estimated landed cost$26

Estimated margin69.4%

Confidence78%

Material & construction

Fabric	GOTS-certified organic cotton, single jersey, 240gsm, garment-dyed post-sew
Silhouette	boxy heavyweight crew, drop shoulder 1.75", body length 27" at size M, slightly tapered hem, no side seam
Construction	tubular or cut-and-sew boxy body, drop shoulder set-in, double-stitched hem 0.375", taped neck binding, no side seam preferred for tubular option
Trims	woven neck label (4-line open ledger: mill name, GOTS cert number, worker wage tier, GPS coordinates of factory) — same open-ledger architecture as planned waistband label per memory [7]; no hangtag beyond QR to ledger page
Finishing	garment-dyed after sew, single cold wash pre-ship for pre-shrink and hand softening, dye-lot number printed inside label

Colorway

Bone (#E8E0D0)Washed Black (#2B2B2B)Faded Slate (#7A8A95)

Points of measure (size M)

Specs as recommended. Grade S/L/XL using standard rules (2" chest/hem jumps for tee, 1.5" waist/hip for sweatpant). Tolerance ±¼" on critical dimensions.

Point	Size M
shoulder drop	1.75"
body length hps	27"
neck rib height	0.75"
chest pit to pit	22.5"
sleeve length sho	8.75"

Recommended factory profile

Region	Portugal
Required certifications	GOTS, OEKO-TEX 100
Rationale	Somelos or equivalent knitting + garment-dye program; GOTS-certified; MOQ 100-300 achievable at 240gsm single jersey; lead time 8-10wk within Nov 2026 horizon

Demand evidence

competitorColorful Standard tees posted 40 sellouts in 30d — highest tee conversion among tracked competitors despite minimalist-only positioning
competitorLady White Co tees posted 9 sellouts in 30d at elevated price tier, validating premium boxy-tee demand even in small-brand context
market436 minimalist tee drops in 30d signals category volume but also incumbent noise — differentiation via weight, dye process, and radical transparency is the wedge
socialr/malefashionadvice thread on essential basics (86 upvotes) shows active wardrobe-rebuilding intent from IN/TL's 25-40 male core audience
socialr/malefashionadvice Banana Republic quality thread (163 upvotes) explicitly validates 'luxury weight tees' and roomier fits as the preferred direction
brand_fitEverlane-Shein collapse (Reddit r/femalefashionadvice, 1,247 upvotes) created transparency vacuum — IN/TL's open-ledger neck label converts that demand to a physical artifact on first contact
newsNAUTICA Made-in-USA tee drop (Hypebeast, May 28) proves manufacturing origin story drives media and consumer pull — Portugal-to-Brooklyn narrative is IN/TL's equivalent moat

Risk flags

220gsm (founder brief) rejected: below IN/TL's 240gsm floor — reads as commodity-weight at $85, erodes brand credibility on first touch; 240gsm is minimum viable compromise

Garment-dye batch variance 2-3% at 240gsm must be documented on neck label as intentional dye-lot variation, not a QC defect — consistent with memory [8] sweatpant precedent

$85 sits at IN/TL's price floor — zero room for promotional discounting; must launch at $85 and hold, or the non-promotional positioning collapses on day one

Tee category is commoditized (436 minimalist drops/30d) — differentiation lives entirely in the open-ledger label, Portugal origin story, and garment-dye process; marketing execution is load-bearing

Direct overlap with Colorful Standard tee positioning at similar price; IN/TL must out-transparency, not out-color

Why this for IN/TL

Opens Drop #1 with IN/TL's primary narrative vehicle — the tee is the brand's first handshake. At 240gsm with garment-dye and open-ledger label, it is structurally differentiated from Cole Buxton's 15-drop blitz (73% at $55-75) and fills the post-Everlane transparency vacuum validated by 1,247 Reddit upvotes. $85 holds the price floor without discounting room — disciplines the brand from day one.

Acceptance criteria (sample review)

Hand-feel matches reference garment within ±10% weight tolerance.
Color matches Pantone TCX / lab dip approved before bulk.
All points of measure within ±¼" on size M; grade rules pass for S, L, XL.
GOTS + OEKO-TEX certificates received and verified before bulk PO.
Sample washed 5x at home temperature — no shrinkage beyond 3%, no pilling.
Stitch density ≥ 10 SPI on critical seams; coverstitch on hem.