Unfortunately for one baseball fan, an attempt to rep their favorite teams turned out to be a massive waste of money.
"Got all these T-shirts and the quality simply just scares me," they vented in the MLB's dedicated subreddit. "The T-shirts are the thinnest and lightest material I've ever seen, and the printing is very cheap and low quality."


They included photos of the new T-shirts, which revealed extremely thin fabric when held up to the light.
"That'll be $60 sir," one person said wryly.
Others shared similar frustrations with Fanatics, the website that sells MLB-licensed apparel. One person pointed out that not only was the fabric appallingly thin, but "the printing starts washing off after 5 or so washes too."
"I ordered from Fanatics once … and experienced similar concerns about quality," one person said. "I doubt it would survive a trip through the washer."
Another vented: "I've had the same experience — Fanatics destroys everything it comes in contact with."
Despite these complaints, there is little evidence to suggest the supplier has made efforts to improve its quality.
This is a common issue across the fashion world, where many brands have come under fire for charging premium prices for clothes that are shoddily made with cheap materials. Many people have pointed out that this generates a significant amount of pollution and waste.
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Meanwhile, clothes under "fast fashion" banner — low-quality, cheap clothing rushed into stores to keep up with the latest trends — are often made with synthetic materials, which shed microplastics, contain harmful chemicals, and often end up in polluting landfills after they deteriorate.
But instead of settling for terribly made clothes, one commenter argued that voting with consumer dollars is key to incentivizing improved production value.
"The quality will continue to decrease as long as people keep spending money," they said. "I highly encourage everybody to try out not spending $ on MLB or other Fanatics garbage. It's free to try and you won't be supporting billionaires!"
Instead, shopping at thrift stores and online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace and ThredUp is a great way to find affordable, higher-quality pieces for a wardrobe that won't break the bank — or tear at the seams.
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