An Old Tshirt Blog

Artists Love to Draw Attention is another Threadless joint; this one is from their TypeTees division. The fact that the type is made up of art — pencils, no less — speaks to its brilliance. The slogan, submitted by Laura Brightwood, was executed perfectly with a custom typeface created by Jan Avendano. It’s almost too cutesy for me, but that’s the risk you run by wearing a T-shirt with a pun on it…visual or otherwise. Either way, this Artists Love to Draw Attention T-shirt is by all means a success.

This new Threadless tee reminds me of a simpler time. Friends Forever is designed by Julia Sonmi Heglund and captures the sentiment — and likeness — behind friendship bracelets rather brilliantly. (I bet you had one that looked exactly like this!) I don’t have any friendship bracelets from my childhood, but this shirt makes me wish I did. I’ve also got a thing for infinity symbols which makes the Friends Forever T-shirt that much better.

Kerning Ain’t Easy is a T-shirt directed toward type nerds and lovers alike. If you already know what kerning is, then there’s a good chance you’re one of the two. Kerning, as explained on the product page, is manipulating and adjusting the area between individual letters in a font. It is often overlooked and under-appreciated. The slogan printed on this tee by Typefaced is a variation of the slogan, “Pimpin’ ain’t easy,” made famous by rappers and (I would assume) pimps. I’m not embarrassed to say that I like this version a lot better. I also thoroughly appreciate the way the type has been treated. If you’re a designer, typographer, or just someone who recognizes the work and effort that goes into designing type or designing with type — then this Kerning Ain’t Easy T-shirt might just be for you.

Few T-shirt concepts reach the kind of audience that the Frankie Says Relax tee has. Consequently, it’s been mimicked and parodied many times over. But I have yet to see one that is as awesome and true* as this Cali Says Relax T-shirt by True Clothing (*…yes, that was a pun). I wouldn’t even call this a parody; it’s really its own concept inspired by an original idea…rather than something intended to spoof that idea. California is a laid back place…especially compared to my home state of New York. Everyone — New York(ers) in particular — can definitely learn something from California(ns) here: Cali Says Relax! I love the color scheme which also happens to be the same one used on the California State Flag.

The Eames Kids Hanger T-shirt by Jonas Wiehager is a well-deserved tribute to one of the most talented husband-and-wife design teams in history: Charles and Ray Eames. Specifically, it honors the Eames Hang-It-All, which is manufactured by Herman Miller [alongside many other Eames creations]. I’m a huge fan of their work, as I suspect most designers are…but even if that weren’t the case, it would be difficult not to admire the playful, sophisticated, functional works of art that they created. The print on this Eames Kids Hanger tee is a bit abstract, especially to anyone unfamiliar with the product. The relationship of colors (size, sequence, etc.) and colors themselves, however, immediately calls to mind the Hang-It-All to anyone who is already familiar with the product. I asked myself why the orientation of the print is sideways…and came to the conclusion that it just looks better on a shirt this way. It’s nicely executed.

The Timber Preservation Society has a great selection of lumberjack-themed tees and this Jack of Hearts T-shirt is no exception. I’m not for cutting trees down or anything, but I dig the illustration on this shirt. I’ve also always been fascinated with the artwork on playing cards (which is what drew me to Jack of Hearts in the first place). I especially love Timber’s color choices for this print.

Have you heard that if Brooklyn was its own city, it would be the 4th largest in the United States? I’ve no idea whether this is true or not…but with a population of 2.5+ million people, it’s definitely plausible. Brooklyn was, in fact, its own city before its consolidation with New York in 1898. So it makes sense that Brooklyn Industries carries this Brooklyn City T-shirt. Even though I moved to San Francisco from Brooklyn last year, I still consider myself from Queens because that’s where I spent the majority of my formative years; my family and I were living in Brooklyn prior to that. Since my roots spread across both boroughs, I have much love for both…and for New York, in general. But this isn’t about me…it’s about Brooklyn City!

I’m a big fan of Woodgrain…so naturally, I fell in love with this tee by Keren Richter for Blood is the New Black. It’s a few seasons old but it still feels fresh. [I don't usually refer to "seasons" when it comes to T-shirts, but BITB is a more fashionable label than most.] Unfortunately, it’s currently only available in a women’s size extra small on their website, but maybe they’ll re-stock. This tee uses a discharge printing technique which leaves the shirt smooth (and soft) to the touch. I copped my Woodgrain T-shirt a couple of years ago, despite a slight aversion to all-over prints.

Clinton from Headhoods brings us another brutally honest tee with his I’m a Fucking Hipster T-shirt. In the early days of this blog (…the very first day, actually,) I featured his I Can’t Afford to Love NY T-shirt — a tee which draws comments almost every time I wear it. I’m sure this would draw even more. While the term “hipster” is a dubious one, I believe there are certain staples that have become synonymous with the hipster lifestyle. Tight pants, big sunglasses, fixed gear bikes…and of course, Pabst Blue Ribbon — just to name a few. While I don’t consider myself a hipster (and yes, I’m aware that hipsters don’t consider themselves hipsters, either…but if you knew me personally, I think you’d agree) I have no problem with the label itself. I don’t own any of the aforementioned things but I have had a PBR or two. [That's hipster slang for Pabst Blue Ribbon, the cheap beer that this shirt is referencing.] There is an animosity towards hipsters that stems mostly from other hipsters. Is that, perhaps, another trait of the seemingly ubiquitous hipster? In any case, they (we?) love irony…but so do a lot of other people. So I’m unclear as to whether or not wearing this Hipster tee makes one more of a hipster or less. Does it really matter, though?

Well, I think enough time has passed since I posted my Spambot T-shirt for me to plug another iteration: the Spambot Musubi T-shirt. If you’ve never had Spam Musubi, then you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s a delicious treat consisting of Spam, rice, and dried seaweed. Mmmmmm. So good. But I digress. This tee plays off of Optimus Prime’s rallying call, “Autobots, Roll Out,” and says, instead, “Spambots, Musubi Roll Out.” Because that’s the only way Spam should roll! Available in a variety of colorways from the Spambot Shop on Spreadshirt. Just as a reminder [or if this is your first time seeing the Spambot logo...] the logo is made up of letters that spell out “SPAM.” Seriously.