Water base, discharge or plastisol?

[59Graphix]

OK, this may be very generic or simple to answer, if there is an answer.
Let me set the tone for this.
This morning we had a scheduled electrical service shut off so they can upgrade a substation or something. So I run some errands, go see a few clients and end up at ( oh god do I dare say it! ) THE MALL!!! Yea, scary. Anyways, as I am not much for shopping, I go to a few stores, PacSun, Zumiez, etc...
Most, well 90% or more is plastisol printing on t-shirts. This is SoCal!!. I thought everything was going water base! Several items in the girls section was water base. Very soft hand to none. But on the t-shirts, such as Crooks and Castles, Diamond Supply, Obey, Fox and others, very heavy, thick plastisol. I even saw high density on some Fox shirts. Did I end up in a time warp to the seventies? I know retro is big but just as I am thinking about really stepping up on the water base, I get this!
We usually go to Magic in Vegas at least once a year to check the new styles and all but I myself haven't gone to the last 2 shows so I must have missed something.
Who's printing what and do any of you print for any name brand companies? Don't say who because I know that is a no no. Are the trends coming back to plastisol?

[ericheartsu]

i've noticed with some of our urban/streetwear customers they want the SUPER thick print. we usually print one color for alot of them, on 110 screens. really heavy deposit.

it's the indie/hipster crowd that likes the waterbase/discharge prints.

[StuJohnston]

Waterbased doesn't have to mean soft hand. I haven't used them, but I am pretty sure there is an italian manufacture that makes all kinds of special effects waterbased ink including high density.

That said, these are big brands you are talking about who probably have little interest in the method of printing aside from how soon it can be done.