Favorite T-Shirts

I rarely wear anything other than a t-shirt.  They are usually cheap and always easy to deal with.  I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but I seldom go anywhere that requires much more.

I'm pretty specific when it comes to prints, though.  I tend to go for simple, verbage-centric designs, with the less colors the better.  I also avoid anything that is over the top or remotely tough guy looking (i.e. Affliction) like the plague.  Which is funny, because I design and manufacture these sorts of tee's for clients all the time.

The truth is I probably have not worn a t-shirt that I've made since the mid nineties, and it was probably either a Radiohead or Oasis t-shirt (Note to EMZ:  This is when I liked music).

Anyway, here are 4 of my current favorites.

Bianchi

I just got this tee recently and I love it.  I ride a Bianchi, but even if I didn't I would like this tee regardless.  It's a pretty cool looking retro print.  And I've also always been a sucker for maroon.  It must be because I lived right next to Boston College for so many years.

By the way, it's good that I ride a Bianchi, because if I didn't I might not be able to wear this shirt.  I have rules.  It's complicated.

Outspoke-n

This is the shop tee for Outspoke-n bike shop here in Huntington Beach.  It's a fairly new shop, and though they are still working hard to get their product assortment right, they've built a great retail experience in terms of shop decor and staff.  Everyone who works there is super cool, and the mechanic is great.  I've been taking my bikes there a few months now.

They don't actually know it yet, but they will be sponsoring me next year when I do Ironman Hawaii 70.3.

 

Runner's High

This is a tech tee from a local running shop called Runner's High and is pretty much my go-to tee for running.  I have the same design in red as well.  It's simple.  I probably would have capitalized that "H" in "high", but that's just me.  And since endurance sports is the only way I'll ever get "high" again, the tee has a nice personal motivational message built right in.

The downside is that Runner's High is not a Newton dealer, which complicates things somewhat.  But I give them my business when I can.

Obey

Though I'm not a huge fan of most "California Couture" lines like RVCA, Paul Frank and Howe, I've always been a Shepard Fairey fan.  So I think think the Obey stuff is cool, as long as it's simple.

I met Shepard when he was an art student in Providence.  He would come up to Boston to skate and go to shows.  Somewhere I have a hand made silk screen of Andre The Giant on a piece of really hideous looking wallpaper.  I wonder if it's worth anything?