Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jul 04, 2025

#FreeBrittany: Printing error leaves man ‘stuck’ with 10,000 t-shirts

#FreeBrittany: Printing error leaves man ‘stuck’ with 10,000 t-shirts

Though the error may seem amusing, it speaks to a larger problem with fast fashion and activism.

A man has been stuck with thousands of t-shirts saying #FreeBrittany on them following an unfortunate printing error.

Karl Baxter, who runs Wholesale Clearance UK, ordered 10,000 garments after seeing the “media storm” around Britney Spears, as the pop star battles her controversial conservatorship in court.

Spears appeared before a judge in late June, appealing for her conservatorship to be ended. Since 2008, the singer’s father - Jamie Spears - has mostly had complete legal control over her estate, along with other aspects of her life and career.

Fans have rallied round Spears, launching the #FreeBritney movement, a campaign that seeks to end conservatorship abuse.

The #FreeBritney movement has garnered major support, as campaigners seek to raise awareness around conservatorship abuse.


Baxter saw an opportunity to profit from the case, making up merchandise around the movement, pledging to give a small portion (20 per cent) of the proceeds to the #FreeBritney campaign.

“After hearing and reading all about Britney's fight to end her conservatorship, I'd been interested in doing something to help fight the cause by appealing to my young customer's (sic),” writes Baxter.

However, the wholesale director has now been left with 10,000 t-shirts that incorrectly read #FreeBrittany - the name of France’s northwesternmost region.

Seeking to reclaim some of the costs which have been lost on this unfortunate venture, Baxter is now hoping to still sell the tops - discounted, of course, from €12.87 to €4.67.

“I'm now stuck with loads of stock that is unlikely to go anywhere,” he says, “so I’m appealing to any fans of the movement to invest in one.”

The t-shirts have been manufactured in Bangladesh from cotton, and Baxter claims to send all leftover stock (from other products too) to developing countries. His company says they never send stock to landfills or to be destroyed, instead adding, “there is always a way to recycle.”

Though this was undoubtedly an amusing error, it also raises questions over the use of mass-produced garments within activism.

What’s wrong with mass-producing clothes?


The fashion industry is one of the world’s leading polluters, responsible for a tenth of all carbon emissions and consuming an estimated 100 million tonnes of oil every year.

With the average consumer throwing away 60 per cent of new clothes in the same year they are bought - it is fair to assume that garments associated with trending topics and campaigns are likely to be among the items being dumped.

“In the charity sector there is an ongoing in-joke about producing t-shirts instead of meaningful direct action to ‘raise awareness’ of a particular issue,” says journalist and fashion writer Frankie Leach, “and the #FreeBritney movement is no different.

“10,000 t-shirts aren’t doing the planet any good, particularly as most charity t-shirts end up in landfills as soon as there is a new crisis requiring a whole new set of tops.”

This is an issue faced by the music industry too, as merchandise for bands quickly goes out of style when a new album or tour is announced. Manchester-based band The 1975, who have previously collaborated with environmental activist Greta Thunberg, found an ingenious way to tackle merchandise waste.

The band pledged to stop making new t-shirts as it is “unsustainable”, instead inviting fans to “bring any old 1975 shirt or any band you love’s shirt” to be reprinted at their gigs for free.

When it comes to charitable causes, however, Leach argues that encouraging customers to donate directly to movements is a far better option than producing new garments from scratch.

“Exploiting a movement to make money by only donating 20 per cent of the proceeds to your chosen cause shows how asinine the whole process is,” she adds, “activists would be better off donating their money directly to a crowdfunder than this.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
×