London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 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

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×