Happenings at UMIdirect

2013 Blowouts Coming Soon

2012-12-26T13:25:00.001-07:00

2012 was a year of updating and upgrading to help our customers have a better experience when shopping at UMIdirect.com. Now that we're moving into 2013 it's time to start having some fun. Starting in just a couple of weeks we will begin the year of giveaways! These are going to be fun and easy to win giveaways where we're going to be giving away as many as 50 items per giveaway. If you want to get some really nice high quality merchandise for free then check back often for updates!

Top 10 Items for November 2011

2011-12-01T09:56:00.002-07:00

I've gotten a few requests about what our top products are. It's been an interesting month with the Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Every November seems to be a major transitional month with buying patterns making the final shift into warmer winter clothing. So without any more delay here are the top 10 items for November 2011.

#10
Adult Egyptian Interlock Long-Sleeve Mock Turtleneck
8510

With almost 900 views this shirt just slipped into the #10 position

#9
Mock Turtleneck
PC61

Classic style that has been around for a while. It's really no wonder it made it into the top 10.

#8
Men's East Hill Dri-Balance Long Sleeve Mock Turtleneck
Z1010

This mock turtleneck is usually in the top ten almost year round.

#7
Men's Loose Fit Cargo Pant
23214

This is one of the newer pants we added to the site.

#6
Syntrel Men's Pebblebeach Short Sleeve Mock Turtleneck
Z1325

It isn't suprising that this made the top ten. It really is a comfortable shirt.

#5
Adult Fleece-Lined Hooded Jacket
8915

This is such a great jacket when your in the wind and rain.

#4
Men's Original 874® Flannel Lined Work Pant
2874

If you have never worn flannel lined pants you are really missing out. The first time I wore mine I was amazed how unique a feeling it was but it was really nice.

#3
Men's Relaxed Fit Flannel Lined Jean
29693

What can I say another great pair of flannel lined jeans.

#2
Nylon Coaches Jacket (Light Lined)
321

This Cardinal jacket is great for cool weather.

#1
Men's Premium Industrial Cargo Pant
2112372

This is another of the new pants that we added this year. Cargo pants have been hot and it shows with over 2300 views just on these pants.

Get Something Special for Mom

2011-10-26T13:16:00.002-07:00

It’s that time of year again, and no one likes being one of those crazy last minute shoppers. You want to get what you want, not what you have to settle for because you waited until a couple days or even a week before Christmas, especially a present for Mom. She has been the one who’s always been there for you, your shoulder to lean on, or even just because it’s your Mom.

One thing you could never go wrong with getting Mom is clothes. I mean you could never have enough clothes. Something every woman loves is a cute very stylish sweater, it is winter time. Even when winter season is over she could still wear it on those rainy days or nights. Another thing you could look at is a cute burnout tee. Who doesn’t love the stylish designs and patterns that the burnout style gives? Your Mom might not be into any of that, maybe she’s a real athletic woman who goes to the gym every day. In that case get her a cute new fashionable outfit she could work out in, for example a pair of flexible shorts and tank top could be perfect.

Most clothing out there you can wear for different occasions anyway so in all reality if you get her clothes for Christmas you’re not just getting her an outfit she can only wear for one thing. You’re giving your Mom a gift she can use for anything, and as women we love that! You’re not only doing Mom a favor you’re doing your-self a favor by saving money on an affordable present, clothing (if you shop right) can be the most inexpensive item you can purchase. So go out of your way this Christmas to buy your Mom some cute fashionable clothes that she would love.

Written by Cassie Leimbach. Style Coordinator for CarefreeCasuals

Save Money With Just a Little Work

2011-10-21T13:24:00.002-07:00

As decades and decades go by, we start to realize that the retail prices keep rising. Some of you probably are the type that look at the department store ads in every Sunday newspaper, or maybe you’re the type that the first thing you do when going into a store is go straight to the clearance, or sale rack. Sometimes those prices really aren’t that great of a deal.

Go to a department store that has before sale and after sale cost listed, but before you purchase it go home re-search the same item online. However if you are the type that just orders online than before you purchase a certain item research it on other websites. That way you know the deal you’re getting, sometimes you might find out that it isn’t a deal at all.

Some brands will make you think you are getting a fantastic sale price when in all reality they may have just upped the regular non-sale cost. So again before you buy a ridiculously priced item, re-search it, 75% of the time you could actually get the exact same or even better quality item with a cheaper brand or discount seller.

Most every single person in this world is all about the high-end name brand however some of those brands aren’t as good as the decently affordable priced brands. I mean especially with this economy shooting further and further down in the past couple years.

I shop at discount stores all the time and find a $50 pair of distressed jeans for $20. The other month I was at discount store and bought a $10 pair of cute fashionable sunglasses, my brothers fiancé had purchased a pair of brand name sunglasses for over $100, two months later they broke hence my statement of not all high-end name brands are better quality than others. So do yourself a favor and re-search before you purchase an outrageously priced item, you’d be surprised at the better priced same brand or different cheaper brand but better quality.

Written by Cassie Leimbach. Style Coordinator for CarefreeCasuals.com

Looking Good While Working Out

2011-10-20T13:28:00.001-07:00

Do you remember the days when you walked into a gym that heads didn’t turn to look and judge you upon what kind of sporty, stylish work-out clothing you are wearing? You used to just pull out an old t-shirt and a pair of shorts or pants. Now-a-days it's all about who wears what, even in a gym.

You could go out and spend $50-$60 dollars on a cute stylish sports bra, and then spend even more on the rest of the outfit. Brands now have moisture wicking materials, materials that keep you cooler in the heat and even ones that keep you warmer in the winter time. You can get one shirt in a million different colors. Headbands to keep your hair back. A cute water bottle and even a stylish work out bag to go along, in which it all could even be the same color!

They have all different brands from Under Armor, Nike, Hanes, Champion, and Zorrel. Most clothing companies end up coming out with some type of athletic apparel. Don’t get me wrong a lot of these new stylish athletic clothing can get pretty expensive, but you don’t necessarily buy straight from the company. You could purchase the same clothes almost up to 50% cheaper and not even realize it until after you purchased it at full price. Sometimes you could even find one of the articles of athletic apparel to be worn for many different occasions, not just for working out but for every day use.

Written by Cassie Leimbach.

Quick Tip for Looking Great

2011-10-19T09:16:00.001-07:00

Coming from a women’s perspective in this day and age one of the most looked at thing as far as outfits go is matching. For instance say you’re at the mall or even just a clothing store and you see someone with a light pink shirt with blue socks and neon green shoes, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? “WOW that outfit is phenomenal!” No. The most likely thought in your mind is “What were they thinking when they woke up and got dressed this morning?!”

In this decade your most judged by your peers on appearance sadly, it’s true. Plus most of us women want to look decent, even if you didn’t get all dolled up. For instance say you want to wear your favorite distressed jeans with a couple patches that have a white background and green floral design, most of us are not going to wear a bright yellow t-shirt. Most likely you are going to match that green floral design with maybe a white, or even brown cute v-neck shirt and showing underneath is a green tank top or even spaghetti strap.

There are two reasons you would do that. One being that green undershirt is going to match that adorable floral design on your favorite distressed pants, and two the white v-neck is going to match the background of the floral patch. Also the v-neck with the spaghetti strap or tank layering underneath is going to give you a more conservative look in the case the v-neck it may be a little too low-cut. With matching you could even go further than just layering, or picking out other colors that go with your main color. You could add a cute belt, headband, bracelet, necklace, or even a stylish flower to pin into your hair.

Written by Cassie Leimbach. Style Coordinator for CarefreeCasuals.com

Backlinks, SEO and more

2011-10-12T16:23:00.004-07:00

So if you watch anything coming out of Google then you get the distinct impression that doing any SEO is bad however getting a decent rank on Google, Bing or Yahoo without any SEO is pretty much impossible. I decided to check around and see what kind of decent quality backlinks I could find. I was suprised that I was able to easily get backlinks from MTV, Google, Joomla and Good magazine pretty easily. What really added icing to the cake is the 4 of these are actually interesting to me so I won't just pick up a back link and never return. Anyhow here's a couple of them that I thought topped the list in interesting.

http://community.mtv.com/profile/carefree1
http://forum.joomla.org/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=607337
http://www.good.is/community/carefree1
http://profiles.google.com/111965573467485338171

The Art of the Deal

2011-08-29T15:22:00.003-07:00

It's been a long time since our last post. A while back we purchased CarefreeCausals.com and I have been crazy busy trying to get that up to date. I was in the warehouse late last week and I was looking at the "dead" inventory that was hanging around. It got me to thinking that while even though it's just taking up space to me, it's priceless to someone else.

I figured that since fall is coming I may as well get a few items out that I could sell way below my cost and see if there's any interest. So here's some of the fun stuff I found:

Heavy Duty Rain Hat
This is one of those heavy duty rain hats like the lighthouse keepers wear. Their all bright yellow and most have some sort of screenprint on them but if you don't really care what they look like then your going to love the 49 cent price tag!! My original cost on these was $3.50 or $4.00 each and I took one home just because of the monsoons we have here in Arizona. It definitely did the job even though it wasn't the prettiest thing in the world. By the way that's Cassy from our Customer Service Department. She was my unwilling model for this picture.

Ladies' Hip-Length Brushed Canvas Jacket

This is a fun little jacket that we have had for a while. I decided that I wanted to give you a deal and make a little extra room in the warehouse. I cut the pricing on these down to $3.99 each. That puts them at way less than wholesale price. Their available on Carefree Casuals now and I don't have a lot of them.

Lined Coaches Jacket

This is a nice lightweight coaches jacket that I picked up from tact squad for a contract we had. We all know how much spare money the government has to throw around so they canceled the order before delivery. This means I have a bunch of really nice coaches jackets in orange that are taking up space and I need to clear them out. If your interested I have them up on Carefree Casuals for only $2.99 each plus there's no mark ups on the larger sizes!!

This is just a few of the items that I found and I still have lots more. If there's something that your looking for let me know and I'll see what I have available.

Black Friday Ad Now Posted

2010-11-22T14:16:00.004-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!

UNIFORMS MANUFACTURING, INC OFFERS $25,000,000 WORTH OF CREDITS TO COOK COUNTY ILLINOIS RESIDENTS

2010-10-13T07:31:00.002-07:00

UNIFORMS MANUFACTURING, INC OFFERS $25,000,000 WORTH OF CREDITS TO COOK COUNTY ILLINOIS RESIDENTS

Scottsdale, AZ — October 7, 2010 —Cook County Illinois rejected a bid from Uniforms Manufacturing Inc because they are located in Scottsdale, AZ.

Cook County requested quotes for contract 10-84-29. The items were to be used for clothing residents of the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center of Cook County. Even though the bid from Uniforms Manufacturing was $25,000 lower than the nearest competitor the bid was rejected because their headquarters are in Scottsdale Arizona. On June 1, 2010 the county commissioners passed resolution 10-R-202 banning business with Arizona companies except “where there is no significant additional cost to the county”.

Uniforms Manufacturing Inc released the following statement, “While he haven’t done polls of the residents of Cook County Illinois we believe that most of those residents feel that $25,000 is a significant amount of money. Since their elected officials don’t feel any sense of fiduciary responsibility to their constituents we will offer a one time $5 discount to any resident of Cook County Illinois who places and order on one of our websites (UMIdirect.com or FortifiedWorkwear.com) in the month of October.”

COOK COUNTY WASTES ADDITIONAL $25,000 ON CONTRACT

2010-10-13T07:27:00.001-07:00

COOK COUNTY WASTES ADDITIONAL $25,000 ON CONTRACT

Scottsdale, AZ — October 5, 2010 —Cook County Illinois announced that they are rejecting a low bid from Uniforms Manufacturing Inc because their headquarters are in the state of Arizona

Cook County has announced a ban on doing business with Arizona companies due the Arizona passage of SB 1070. On October 5, 2010 a bid from Uniforms Manufacturing Inc. was rejected that was $25,000 less than the next closest bidder. After a two votes by the county commissioners Uniforms Manufacturing’s bid was rejected simply based on where their corporate headquarters are located.

Uniforms Manufacturing Inc is a small company based in Scottsdale Arizona and had been successfully providing uniforms for many of the county employees and inmates since 1978. “The loss of this contract is not a devastating blow for the company however; it does push more tax burden onto the taxpayers of Cook County.” Larry Tucker, CEO of Uniforms Manufacturing Inc, was quoted as saying, “While it is the right of the county to choose to whom they award contracts it is not fair to further burden the people of Cook County with additional tax burden especially given the current economic climate. Since the county board refuses to do the right thing while serving their constituents, Uniforms Manufacturing Inc will have to.”

Don't Throw Away Your Kids Clothes

2010-04-20T16:18:00.002-07:00

Do you still have clothes that are hanging around that your kids outgrew months or even years ago and you realize that it’s time to get rid of them? This is often the case with many parents, including myself, and it is hard to let go of those items because usually your child only got to use them for a few months. In my home grandma loves to buy the girls clothes and sometimes they may only get to wear something once or twice before they grow out of it.

So what do you do with those clothes that you cannot bring yourself to throw out because they are still almost new? Here are just a couple of suggestions that have worked great for me either by putting a little cash in my pocket or giving a sense of satisfaction that I did a good thing.

The first thing your going to have to do is separate the items that are truly almost new from the ones that may have stains, wear spots, rips, or even dead batteries. The best of the best can either be sold at a garage sale or at a consignment shop. Often times I’ll do the garage sale first then take them to a consignment shop. This way I get double the chance of selling them and often times I get a better price in a garage sale anyhow. Also many consignment shops will donate whatever doesn’t sell.

The best stuff is pretty easy to sell but what do you do with all the less than perfect items? Well I will usually sort this into two piles. One I call trash and the other I call wearable. I figure that if I wouldn’t want my kid wearing it then it’s time to donate it to a thrift store like goodwill. If an item is bad enough that they cannot sell in there store they have people who buy those items to recycle into a whole bunch of new products from rags to insulation. So even if it is a total piece of junk they are still going to make some money off of it. Now the items that I still consider wearable I personally like to donate to organizations that support foster care. Being a foster parent myself I have had children dropped off at my house at 2 am with a dirty diaper and pair of shorts 3 sizes to small and nothing else. More than once I have made a 6 am run to one of these places just so a child can have some clothes to put on until I have time to do some actual shopping. I couldn’t imagine getting pulled from my home dropped off in a strange place and just to make things worse have no clothes.

There are a million other things that you can do with old kids clothes that you either don’t want or need but don’t just throw them out. There is already enough good stuff flowing into landfills today lets work together to see if we can keep some out.

Save the world and a few dollars

2010-03-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

With the current global warming trend and the recession any way we can find to save is a good thing. In this article I would like to impart a few tips about how to save a few bucks with your clothes dryer and at the same time conserve energy.

The optimal thing to do is to hang your clothes on a clothesline and let the sun take care of the job for you but urban dwellers often don’t have that option either due to space constraints, HOA rules or a whole assortment of other reasons. This means that millions of dryers must be used every single day and we need them to work better instead of harder.

Lets first look at how a dryer works. It’s a pretty simple process in that all it does is suck in surrounding air and heat it up. It then blows all this heated air through a spinning drum, which your clothes are in, and forces the warm damp air through a pipe to be vented outside. The process is actually really simple and while there are factors that you cannot control but there is a lot, which you can that will pay off in putting money back into your pocket.

The air that your dryer is sucking in should be as dry as possible and while you have no control over the humidity try not to use your dryer when the humidity spikes. Usually during or directly after a rainfall are the worst times. Another thing is often times the washer dryer combinations are in a small confined area. If you’re using the washer at the same time then it raises the humidity of your laundry area. So if your using your washer and dryer at the same time then keep it ventilated so that the damp air can escape which will help your dryer.

Next you’re going to want to look at the clothes that you’re drying. If you just pull them out of the washer and throw them into the dryer you are making the dryer work a lot harder because the final rinse cycle tends to make your clothes into little balls that the dryer has to get opened up to dry them. If you give each item a quick shake to open it up before you put it in the dryer it improves the airflow throughout the entire garment allowing it to dry faster. Another trick is to throw a clean dry towel in with each load to dry. This will pull the moisture out of the wet clothing and since the towel is already dry whatever moisture it does pick up will evaporate much more quickly.

You must clean your lint trap after every load. This will allow the damp air to escape so that fresh dry air can continue to pick up and remove more water from your clothing. Dryer lint is blamed for thousands of home fires every year because if it does come into contact with the heating element on your dryer is can burst into flames with relative ease. Also make sure that your dryer screen doesn’t become clogged and impede airflow. The lint screens can be easily cleaned with toothbrush and warm water.

Finally check your dryer hose that attaches to the outside vent. The first thing is to make sure that it is firmly attached to your dryer and the outside vent so your not blowing damp air into back into your laundry area. Another major mistake that is often made it the hose itself is way to long. You can tell if you look behind your dryer and the vent hose is snaking around back there. When you purchase the hoses they usually come in lengths about six feet long but the connection from the dryer to the vent is often less than a foot. You should cut the hose to make the connection as direct as possible but make sure that you leave a little extra so it won’t come off if your dryer shifts a little. This will increase the airflow out of your dryer and also eliminate a good place for lint to build up.

2009 WSOP comes to a close with huge payouts and new faces

2009-11-10T08:55:00.003-07:00

The 2009 WSOP is in the record books and while exciting the final results were predictable. One would expect that with every pro from every corner of the world entering this one tournament that you would see familiar names like Seidel, Juanda, Duke, Brunson, and Gordon but with a pack of 6,494 entrants only Phil Ivey was able to make it to the final table.

It was a fun and exciting tournament to watch and when the dust cleared the 21 year old Joseph Cada took home the $8,546,435 first prize and the coveted braclet while the true amature Darvin Moon finished in second with $5,182,601. The heavy favorite Phil Ivey only managed to get to 7th place before he was eliminated receiving only $1,404,002 for his trouble still better than Jay Chase who was eliminated in 648th place and the first paying position for $21,365.

What makes the WSOP so great? How many times can an average Joe play for the most prestigious prize in any sport? As far as I know poker is the only one. Just try asking the superbowl teams if you can be added to their roster but for as little as $40 you can work your way into the number one poker game of all time. While we do cheer for those names that have made their way into every household at the same time we can secretly cheer for the underdog who is known only as dead money.

So what would have made the WSOP better? I would like to see a woman make the final table. That throws a monkey wrench into a lot of amatures play since for some reason men are supposed to be better at poker so the macho game comes into play. The pros have been around and played enough to understand that the top female players are every bit as good as their male counterparts so they won't feel that same pressure. Another thing is that is always seems that for television they like to highlight the traps where you check a monster hand trying to get your opponent to go all in because they think they have the best of it. Often they don't show other stratagies since there nowhere near as exciting yet often times they are very succesful.

Well love it or hate it the 2009 WSOP is now history the cards hae been put away, the payouts have been made and the lights have been turned off. Now we look forward to the 2010 WSOP and who will be the next champion? Congratulations to all the 2009 players and I hope to join you in 2010.

Massive Clearance

2009-09-17T08:48:00.008-07:00

We decided to clean out the warehouse and we found so many items that we just need to get rid of that it's ridiculous. All of these items are going up on the clearance section of UMIdirect.com with markdowns of up to 80%. We have polo shirts under $5 and so much more that it's not even funny. Items are going to be added on an ongoing basis and I wouldn't be surprised if it took months to get everything listed. Take a look at some of the great deals that we're offering just to clean out the warehouse.

Black and White Prisoner Uniform Set
These are made for actual prisons so if you want the real deal for a costume or are a little homesick these are cheap at only $14.99 for the set

Mens Medium Weight Polo
This is a great polo at a price so low that you can't pass it up. The 79% discount makes these only $3.99

Carhartt Heavyweight Crewneck sweatshirt
These are some of the nicest sweatshirts I have ever seen and since there made by Carhartt there is no doubt that they are top quality. These should last for years and keep you warm in some of the coldest weather. At only $10 ea you can't pass this up.

There are many more items being added every day all items are on a first come first serve basis and are limited to stock on hand.

Updates Finally Done

2009-09-02T09:49:00.003-07:00

Hi everyone it took a little longer than expected but for those of you who have been asking about the new updates to the website they are pretty much done for now.

The front page has a new design
Item pages are also redesigned
Customer reviews have been added for almost every product
Cross sell up and running so similar items will now show up
We're still adding as many pictures for every item as possible so you get a good idea of what you looking at
The security has gone through a massive increase
More quantity pricing has been implemented to give better deals
The brands list has been redone to make it easier to search

We also decided that since this is a holiday weekend were putting Wolverine boots 20% off for now. We haven't put an end date on this sale yet so it could be over Monday night or next week. We want to see the response we get from it first.

Anyhow take a second and check out the progress. Any suggestions you have would be appreciated.

Top 10 Ways To Tell You Need Bigger Clothes

2009-08-24T16:20:00.001-07:00

Hi Everybody,

I'm a big guy and I hate have to get new clothes. I tend to wear everything until I have to go shopping and sometimes I have to go because stuff is just getting a little small on me. I thought I would help everyone out and create the "Top 10 Ways To Tell You Need Bigger Clothes" guide to save you some of the trouble I have been through.

10. You can't clap without ripping the back of your shirt

9. You look like the increadable hulk.... just rounder

8. The waistband on your pants stop blood going to your feet

7. You have less than 1" to tuck in

6. You have to open a button to breath

5. It takes longer to put your pants on than to drive to work

4. You have to use a zip tie (or two) to make the ends of your belt to meet

3. Everyone thinks your t shirt is a tube top

2. Your boxer shorts fit more like a thong

1. Your buttons pop off your shirt hard enough to kill someone

I hope this helps. Good luck

Break time

2009-08-13T09:45:00.003-07:00

It seems as though every decade is remembered with a major trend. For instance the 1920's were the roaring 20's of prohibition or the 70's with disco and bell bottoms but the first decade of the 21st century seems to have a strange feel to it. Virtually every major trend from 2000 to 2009 has been a remake of an earlier trend and nothing unique to this decade. It is especially true in the final few years of this decade.

While Hollywood continues to pump out new movies and record labels put out new music at alarming rates everything seems to be a direct remake of the original or a slightly altered version of a previous time. I have been thinking a lot about how history is going to remember this time and what happened.

Here's a list of major events that think we be considered to define this decade:

9/11 and the resulting invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq are going to a topic that will undoubtedly be discussed and speculated about for many years to come. Now that there are so many new conspiracy theories being propagated it is only a matter of time until the discussion intensifies again.

The United States elects the first black president. I don't really need to expand on this much since the media has been hammering both sides of this since months before the election but in the end it shows that, as a nation, we are more concerned with the better candidate than their skin color.

This one may actually be trend for the next decade but it could also be known for this one. Going green(er) in order to stop global catastrophe. If there is a major breakthrough in the next decade that significantly reduces or eliminates fossil fuels then that will be the theme for that decade.

As I see it those are the only three events that are major enough and haven't already been done to define this decade. I know your thinking about the housing meltdown and all the banking issues but in reality they pale in comparison to the great depression that started in 1929. The only other thing that there's even a possibility that this decade could be known for is the current health care reform but considering the growing opposition to it because of the already insane national debt I'm not sure that it will ever get pushed through.

Compared to most decades of the 1900's we have seemingly made little progress towards the betterment of our nation. I think we just needed a break. In 1900 most people rode horses and few people had cars with no road system in place once you got out of town. In 1999 most family's had multiple cars with a massive road system that covered the entire county. In the 1900's we also had two world wars, made amazing advances in medicine, brought technology to a state where people could talk instantly to each other from distant parts of the globe. As a whole the 1900's were really busy.

This decade is coming to a close and our break hasn't been peaches and cream but now it's time that we look to the future again. Start moving forward to the unknown and become the people who lead the way to a better tomorrow.

What Is Going On?

2009-07-27T14:34:00.003-07:00

I was surfing the web today and was checking out trends/styles and some designer clothes. I got to say I was shocked when I came across a pair of jeans by Current/Elliot. They are called "The Crop Skinny". I took a look at them and couldn't help wondering what commanded the $499 price tag. As I looked over the first picture I just couldn't understand why a pair of distressed pants, capri's at that, would be so expensive.

I checked out the additional pictures and almost died laughing since I realizied what all the hype was about. The waist and pockets have silver studs on them to give them their "designer" look. What is so comical about it is that if you were around in the 80's you'll remember the fingerless studded gloves that were worn by about every rock star at one time or another.

Now here's what I find so truly interesting is that when all the studded items were so popular you could but a package of 100 studs for 2 bucks or somewhere close to that. That way you could make your own unique items out of any item that you wanted. So I ran the math on it. The cost of making a pair of jeans is about $12 to $15 with another $4 to $5 to distress them. I was able to find 100 studs for $3.40 so this would cost about $10.20 in studs. Assuming you aren't using child labor it will cost another $5 to $10 to attach the studs to the pants. This brings the total production cost of the pants to about $40. This is a very generous estimate for them I would expect it to be maybe half of that.

So if your in $40 to make a pair of pants even with mark ups the retail price should be well under $150 but in this case it's almost $500! Why? Is a name really that important? Let me know what you think.

Why Men Love Shopping

2009-07-16T08:27:00.001-07:00

So the whole story that men hate shopping is somewhat of a myth. We don't hate shopping we just hate most shopping.

I pulled out my to do list and fixing the drip on my faucet was at the top of the list. The constant sound of drip drip drip had finally become annoying enough that it was time to do something about it. A quick inspection told me that I could replace the washers but the faucet was old, ugly and the mineral build up from Arizona's hard water meant that a new one was a better choice.

I told my wife that we were all going to make a trip to home depot. She protested so I told her that I would try to pick out a nice faucet for the kitchen sink. Apparently she didn't trust my judgment since it only took her a few moments to get ready.

We entered Home Depot through the contractors doors. For those of you who don't know they are on the far end by lumber and concrete. As we entered the smell of cedar wafted past. I inhaled deeply enjoying the aroma. "Where's plumbing?", my wife asked. "Over there", I replied pointing generally in it's direction. The smell off the cedar and the row of wood got the better of me so I headed straight down the lumber isle. My imagination was in overdrive as looked at each piece of wood. 2x4, 2x6, 4x4, 4x6 they even had some custom cut 10x12's that were a special order the customer had refused. In my mind I was builging a play set for the kids, added the walk-in closet and even built a second story on the house.

The next isle was fencing and it made me realize that I wanted a decorative picket style fence on the front of my house. I checked out all the options and decided that the black iron fence would look the best and hold up in our climate. I pulled out my note pad and wrote down prices so I could go home and measure and figure out how much it was going to cost. Once I was done off we went to the next isle.

Every isle had another project that I wanted to try. Rewire the house, put in new windows, hardwood floors and the list went on. We got into the first plumbing isle that had all the pipes and fittings. Heavy duty PVC pipe, adapter, valve it was all here. Everything I needed to make a massive potato gun or boom cannon. Just as I was figuring out the best way to build it I heard a loud sigh behind me. "What's the matter honey?", I asked. "Nothing", she replied. I knew in a second that she wasn't having a good time.

Trying to be sensitive to her needs we moved over to the plumbing fixtures. It took a little while but we found one that we could agree that we both liked even though it was neither of our favorites. No sooner than it hit the cart then she looked at me and asked "You ready?". My mind raced we were only on aisle 6 of 24 plus the whole gardening section outside. My heart sunk as I tried to think of something that she would agree that we needed but nothing came to mind. I was like a deer in the headlights. I couldn't move but unable the find a reason to stay.

As we walked to the checkout I looked down every aisle looking for something we "had" to have but nothing would create the convincing argument that I needed. At the last second I realized I needed a Hail Mary. Something huge, something there would be no rebuttal for. "Let's get new door handles", I blurted out. Most of the handles were as old as the house and needed to be replaced. I thought I had came up with the perfect excuse. Something my wife had wanted done anyhow. Then I remembered that the dishwasher was on it's last legs so we could go to appliances after handles. Storage would be next since she always mentioned getting more shelves in the laundry room.

I was on a roll. I may not get the whole store but I would get most of it. I was planning the best way to move from department to department so I could make random stops along the way. If we went to lighting after paint then I could check out the power tools.

I was already heading towards the hardware aisle when I heard the checkout girl ask "May I help you?". I turned around just in time to see my wife hand her the faucet.

Why Men Hate Shopping

2009-07-16T07:37:00.006-07:00

It's no secret that most men don't like to go shopping. For us the mall is a place of tedium. When I have been dragged into yet another store standing there in the clothing section I often wonder why this shirt won't work or what's wrong with this skirt.

Clothes shopping should be fast and easy. Walk in, see it, buy it and done.

My wife sees it another way. Look at every possible item available and make notes of where every possible keeper is. Then go back and compare all the keepers. Try them on. See how it looks on. Eliminate some items. Try them on again. Compare them together. Look a little more as she contemplates possibilities. If possible include new clothes as possibilities. Try those on. Make a decision. Buy them.

I try to be a good husband and understand that this IS important to her but by then end of the experience I am as inclined to jump from the top of the mall as walk out the front door. Every attempt I have made to facilitate (and speed up) the process has proven fruitless. For instance I thought I had a pretty good idea on the types of clothes that she likes to wear so I decided to find the possibilities on a large rack for her. After a few moments of searching I triumphantly held up a blouse that looked like they made it to suit her style and taste. "What do you think of this honey?", I proudly remarked showing her the treasure that I had pulled from the rack. "Oh, It's nice", she replied flatly and obviously unimpressed. I made the the mistake of deciding to push the issue. "What's wrong with it?", I asked knowing that I was crossing a line. I don't really remember the answer but something about a button and colors and I realized that I had committed a major mistake by messing with the special karma of the mall.

From that point on I did what I usually do when clothes shopping. I followed, carried and kept my mouth shut. When she needed to try stuff on I waited patiently. When she resumed searching I followed quietly so as not to cause any more damage to the great balance. On occasion we would pass another couple and in almost every case I could see that the dynamics of their shopping relationship was the same. Both women would be so engrossed in the almost religious experience that they were oblivious that anyone was anywhere near them. I would try to make a quick nod to the other man who was also trapped to say I know your pain, I am in the same hell, just hold on they close in 4 more hours.

The Best Steak You'll Ever Make

2009-07-07T09:19:00.006-07:00

Summer is here and Bar-B-Que season is in full swing. Here's a recipe for making the ultimate steak that will put your taste buds in heaven.

Ingredients:
Large T-bone steaks
Worcheshire sauce
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Chili Powder
Wood chips (I prefer apple but you can use any type you want)

Prep:
Sprinkle a few drops of the worcheshire sauce on each side of the steaks and rub into the meat.

Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder in a bowl. Remember that the chili powder adds heat so don't use much if you don't want it spicy.

Rub the dry ingredients into each side of the meat and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Put your wood chips in water and make sure they are completely submerged. Depending on the size of the chips they should sit at least an hour. Drain the water off and shake out the excess moisture just before grilling.

Cooking:
If your using a gas grill then sell it in a yard sale since briquettes taste better.

Once your fire is going put your hand about 6 inches above the cooking surface and slowly count to 5. If you can keep your hand over the grill the entire time then your fire isn't hot enough let it heat up some more.

Place your steaks on the grill directly above the fire for 1 minute then rotate 90 degrees for one more minute. Flip and do the second side the same way. This locks in the juices and leaves the nice grill marks on the meat. For very thick steaks I will also do the sides of the steak.

Once the steak is seared move the meat to the side of the grill and off the direct heat.

Place your wet wood chips directly on the fire and spread them out to get the most smoke possible. (Keep a spray bottle handy since the wood will want to catch fire as it dries out. A quick squirt on the flame will produce a lot of smoke to help flavor the meat even more.)

After your meat has smoked for at least 20 minutes open the top and let the wood catch fire.

If you like the outside of your meat more done then move your meat directly into the flame and let it cook for several minutes on each side. **Use caution if you choose to do this there is a very real possibility of getting burned. Make sure you wear protective gear or use very long utensils for your own safety.

If you want your steak more done but don't want to cook the outside more then move it near the heat and close the cover on your grill. Check your steaks frequently but keep in mind that the more you open the grill the longer it's going to take. This is because you are now using the indirect heat from the fire to finish off your steaks so you need it to build up and hold the heat inside your grill.

Whatever you do don't cut into your steak to see how done it is. This will allow all the juices to flow out and into the fire. You can test how done it is by pushing on the meat. Soft meat is more rare and gets firmer the more it cooks. You can also use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.

Once your meat is cooked take it off the grill and let it set for about 5 minutes. This allows the fibers to relax and retain all the moisture.

Additional:
This is my basic recipe for steaks since it gives you a great flavor but you can still taste the steak. I designed this recipe because you may not know what your guests like. This way I have a fairly universal recipe that is enjoyed by most people. It was intentional that I didn't put any amounts in this recipe since everything should be mixed to your taste. Let me know of twists that you have found or tips that you want to share. One last thing, if you are going to use this recipe the please don't use BBQ or steak sauce. They are both designed to covered the flavor of your meat. Enjoy your summer!

Spandex - Wonder Fabric or Worst Nightmare?

2009-06-30T09:20:00.009-07:00

Spandex leads a strange existence being ostracized yet is so commonly worn, often without the knowledge of the wearer. Back in the 80's and early 90's spandex was all the rage. Manufacturers were making every conceivable item they could from spandex and those items flew off the shelves.

Bella Ladies Camisole Shelf-Bra Tank Top
5% Spandex

So what happened to the miracle known as spandex? As usual fads die out and fade away however spandex has enjoyed life as being perfect for blends ever since. There are still a few items that are made out of primarily spandex such as bike shorts, lingerie and some compression items but they day of all spandex anything are long gone.

Under Armour Men's Endurance Short
16% Spandex

Today you still find spandex in many items such as shirts and jeans adding some stretch and making the fabric it's added to lighter and more comfortable. Manufacturers often state they try to stay under a 30% blend but you will typically see around a 12% to 15% blend in compression items and 5% for stretch garments. This just goes to show that a little spandex goes a long way.

5.11 Tactical Muscle Mapping Shirt
5% spandex

The next time your shopping and see an item that interests you don't just put it back because you see spandex on the tag. With the new uses and blends for this material you may be passing up the most comfortable shirt you ever wore.

Custom Items Are No Problem

2009-06-24T14:48:00.003-07:00

If you are having a hard time finding a product let us know what your looking for. We can make custom or customize garments that won't find elsewhere.

We have a lot of experience in custom projects since we have provided special items for many businesses and government agencies. With low minimums and a fast turn around time you won't be disappointed.

For more information or to discuss a particular project please get in touch with Miranda or Nilo in our sales department at 800-222-1474.

Don't Risk Your Future on a T Shirt - Nail That Interview

2009-06-08T10:01:00.006-07:00

Hi Doug. I need to talk to you. Business has been slow and we to make some cut backs in order to save money. I'm sorry but we're going to lay you off. I need you to clean out your desk and leave the building.

Unfortunately this is a conversation taking place all over the country and according to the bureau of labor statistics the current unemployment is at 9.4%. That means there are a lot of people looking for a job. If your one of them it is important that you don't blow your interview by showing up looking completely inappropriate.

There are three levels of dress that you should be prepared for in going to an interview. They include casual, business casual and professional. You need to know the correct style of dress before you go to your interview. You can ask what the dress code is when they call to set up your interview or call the company receptionist and ask them what the dress code is.

Casual dress is simple. You can wear jeans and a shirt. Make sure your clothes are clean and free of smells with no holes. I would suggest that you wear a nicer pair of shoes and not the tennis shoes you have had for almost a year. Make sure your hair is neat and groomed. Under no circumstances should you ever wear a T shirt instead wear a solid color polo or button up shirt. The types of jobs you would dress casual for would be fast food establishments or other similar jobs.

Business casual is what most people should wear to an interview. For men this would usually include a collared shirt, possibly a sport jacket, slacks, black socks and a matching belt and shoes. For women it would be a good quality blouse with a blazer, slacks or a skirt, nylons if wearing a skirt and leather closed toe shoes. Also and appropriate dress can be considered to fit in this category. You should wear business casual for any jobs from retail to management positions.

Professional dress is one of the most dangerous areas of dress since a slight miscalculation could cost you any chance of advancing past the first interview. When you dress professional people expect you to be on top of the game and will not let little mistakes slide as if you had dressed in one of the other two categories. For men you are going to wear a suit and tie with a white or solid color tie. Also shoes and belts must be black or brown and your shoes must be well polished. Pressed slacks and dark socks are also a must and ensure your hair and nails are well groomed. Keep any tattoos covered and wear only a wedding ring and a watch for jewelry. For women a business suit or dress with a suit jacket are acceptable. Shoes should be closed toe pumps. Limit jewelry to small pair of stud earrings, wedding band, watch and maybe a necklace/pendant that compliments the outfit. For both sexes the preferred color is black, gray or navy. Professional dress should be worn for executive, banking, and professional types of positions.