British Tees at MySoti

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     Brit, British, British T-Shirt, MySoti, UK, crowdsourcing

London-based MySoti.com is one of very few British companies online offering a crowdsourcing t-shirt service comparable with the likes of Threadless. Don’t expect any big prizes for designers, they take a more pragmatic approach to pricing allowing their creatives (from around the globe) to add the commission of their choice to their own products. There’s a good selection of talent at the store and plenty more in the wings awaiting your votes. I really liked the look and feel of MySoti and decided to sign up as a designer myself. They don’t just sell t-shirts, they offer art prints and would you believe it lampshades too? That’s a new one on me, but I did have fun designing my own lampshade and have already submitted it along with a couple of tees for voting.

As a matter of interest I’m guessing the site’s name is based on the (slightly more) sophisticated alternative to the awful netspeak for laughter “LOL” meaning laugh out loud. SOTI means “smirking on the inside”. Then again I could be wrong and it could be a reference to sex on the ice, but that’d be a long shot ;) The site is pretty sophisticated too, with an ultra clean design every little interaction seems somehow smoother and quicker than most stores, fans and designers should find it a breeze to shop, vote or upload a submission.

Here’s my latest submission based on a piece of mine called ‘Pearly King’, basically a vision of an alternative reality where Elvis was born within the sound of Bow Bells. Let the Dick Van Dyke impressions commence!

Pearly King T-Shirt

If you’re a member at MySoti I’d appreciate a few votes! Here’s a few more up for the vote that deserve a boost…

Storm In A Teacup T-Shirt

Here’s a great use of the classic Japanese painting The Great Wave by Hokusai. Designed by Ross Robinson who from his profile photo where he’s wearing a Union Jack tee I’m guessing he’s British, then again featuring anything connected with tea in a t-shirt design is another big giveaway. I love this design, it’s deceptively simple yet beautifully drawn. Vote for it or buy it for £21.56 in all sizes and plenty of colours here – only available in a  men’s style?!

Epic Rock Paper Scissors Battle T-Shirt

This is a superb design by YAWN, I really like this designer’s sense of humour, and they have a really great talent for eyecatching illustration. There are a few more by YAWN worth checking out including Ice Is Nice! and Nerd Gets Hurt. If you fancy voting for any of their designs check out YAWN’s profile. Their Epic Rock Paper Scissors Battle T-Shirt is available for Girls, Guys and Kids in plenty of sizes and colours from £15.59 here.

Marilyn Sane T-Shirt

Probably my fave tee at MySoti right now this is the one that got away from Warhol, well if he’d been into early 1970s British Rock. I actually own a copy of the album “Aladdin Sane” by David Bowie, he was going through his Thin White Duke phase when he wrote it, although the make-up is straight from his Ziggy Stardust wardrobe. There are a couple of cool songs on it but try Lodger, Heroes or Low for the real deal. You can’t get more Pop Art than this shirt, a great design by RikkiB available for Kids, Girls, Guys and Onesies from £21.67 in a range of colours, vote for it or buy it here.

Why not vote for a few more, upload your own or even buy a few tees with a more British feel at www.MySoti.com?

Drawing Inspiration From Draw Ltd. Tees

admin    T-Shirt News     Draw Ltd., draw limited, graphic tees, hand drawn t-shirts, illustration

Draw Ltd. is a brand new label, site and offers their first collection of fine graphic t-shirts entitled “Between the Lines!” which features art by Byron Gray and Ricardo Sousa. The ethos behind DrawLimited.com is inspiring to say the least, their belief is that anyone can draw, and everyone should. I’d love to be in wholehearted agreement but I think there maybe a margin of error in that theory, still you can’t knock them for optimism. I am however completely on side with their statement that “There is such a vast group of talented and creative people out there that never get the exposure they deserve…”

I myself have set up several sites to help promote artists so I’m definitely on their wavelength. To be frank my opinion is that the more places artists can showcase their work the better. The Internet has done wonders for the arts community, and  what’s more t-shirts are a quick and simple medium for the most talented to get their work out there in the public domain. The success of various behemoths of the t-shirt industry such as Threadless and DBH have already proven how popular t-shirts are as an arts medium for artists and essential item for fashion lovers everywhere.

Lucia T-Shirt

This rather beautiful t-shirt design by New York based artist/illustrator Byron Gray who’s kindly donated this one to Draw. It’s a beautiful piece of illustration but the truth is that it was inspired by a rather gory tale his science teacher told him as a kid. Essentially a guy hits a deer with his car, the guy gets out to check if the deer is okay and it kicks him to death. Still that’s the natural order for you. The Lucia T-shirt is available for both men and women for $2o each in sizes S to XL. This tee like almost all at Draw Ltd. are also available with pins and Giclee prints for a little more.

Innervision T-Shirt

Again for men and women in all sizes for $20, Innervision is by Richard Sousa from Lisbon in Portugal, who is a mere 17 years old. It’s obviously this guy has a fantastic future in the arts ahead of him.

There are a heap more tees at the site but I don’t think they’re available for sale yet but take a sneak peek anyway!

You can see who else is on their books at the site in their Art Gallery. Look out for plenty more great talent and tees at Draw Ltd. in the future.

Sex, Death, Heavy Metal and Nostalgia at Beautiful Decay

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     Al Capone, Charles Manson, L.A, N.Y.C, beautiful decay, biker t-shirts, gangster t-shirts

Beautiful Decay have just released a rather fascinating collection of new t-shirts for their Spring/Summer Collection. The fact that their latest designs feature everything from a 1930′s gangster to a 1960′s serial cult leader/murderer to the relentless obsession with plastic surgery that continues unabated across the globe comes as no surprise to me. BD can always be counted on to push the very boundaries of taste and invention in the world of fashion. Although it must be said they do still have a penchant for nostalgia, sometimes a design can simply look great, such as their recent addition Unknown Voyage t-shirt which must be the second t-shirt featuring our maritime past I’ve reviewed in a matter of weeks. I do think that when it comes to expressing the cultural Zeitgeist, out of all the areas of the fashion industry, it’s the humble t-shirt that most consistently performs the function of social barometer for society, and Beautiful Decay take full advantage of that fact.

With so many great designs to choose from I am literally spoilt for choice here, let’s go for the most controversial designs first…

Manson T-Shirt

One of the most notorious killers of all time, Charles Manson, although in truth the scandal surrounding the lunatic cult leader of “The Manson Family” centres more around his bizarre opinions, the self-inflicted Nazi scar on his forehead, and his unyielding power over his “recruits” to do his bidding and murder the victims such as the infamous killing of Sharon Tate and the LaBianca family. This psychopath has had a strong influence over modern  culture, The Beatles wrote the song “Helter Skelter” about Manson, Marilyn Manson swiped his surname, and the movie industry continue to obsess about cult murders to the present day. As a design it is very powerful, yet there are those who will say that Manson shouldn’t be afforded any more publicity beyond the grave. One could argue it serves as a testament to the truth and a warning. The truth is that innocence died a long time ago, the warning is to be wary of those who fanatically enshrine any belief system, be it religious, political, or just plain crazy. The Manson T-Shirt available in sizes S-2XL in black for $29.95 here.

Greetings From N.Y.C T-Shirt

BD’s Greetings From N.Y.C tee features another notorious American, this time Al Capone, perhaps the most written about and dramatised gangster of all time. Throughout the history of Hollywood, the Mafia have been a pet subject for both writers and movie makers since the 1930s, actors including James Cagney, and almost everyone who ever worked with Martin Scorcese in the 1970s and 1980s have been influenced by organised crime’s vice-like grip over the USA’s psyche. I find it strange that America, an essentially prudish culture in regards to sex and sexuality, embraces violence and death so openly. I’m sure Sigmund Freud could work this one out, I’m damned if I can. Let Beautiful Decay make you an offer you can’t refuse – available in all sizes in white for $29.95 here.

Greetings From L.A T-Shirt

Talking of sex, here’s yet another phenomenon that many would rather sweep under the carpet. The media, peer-pressure, and social expectation have been the engine that powers the “beauty industry” since the very beginning. Much of Europe has begin to catch up with America’s obsession with physical perfection, plastic surgery must be at the top of the list of physical abuse that many willingly pay to have inflicted upon themselves. Plastic surgery can do great things, it can give burns victims a halfway reasonable chance of living a normal life, genetic deformities, many of which are highly disabling can also be treated to some degree, even breast reduction for those blessed/cursed with vast mammaries can do some good. But the tool has become a toy, something to play with, a pick and mix of promises that nearly always fall short of the truth. Hollywood has much to answer for, why has old age been banished from the movie and TV screens? We all age, we all die, live with it Hollywood. Get this tee available in all sizes in black/gold for $29.95 here.

Finally, the Bikes ‘N’ Roses T-Shirt. Even if it doesn’t quite serve as light relief, at least this one doesn’t feature a murderer or extreme vanity, just the love of the biker culture.

Bikes ‘N’ Roses T-Shirt

The Bikes ‘N’ Roses T-Shirt is a highly nostalgic look at the biker culture, something that for many seems less like rebellion and more like conformity these days. South Park, the quintessentially outrageous adult cartoon series has heavily laid into bikers in the past. The truth is it must have been exciting at some point, I even have an original Italian poster of the movie Easy Rider upstairs, we’re all party, in some way or another, to taking influences from the bikers. But the truth is that outside of the movies, there is no freedom on or off the road any more, the great unexplored has been explored, the open road is filled with commuters and tourists, oil prices debilitate the chance for anyone to ride off into the sunset. One day, in the not-so-distant future, we will all need to find an alternative, and it won’t be sexy. Here’s a glimpse into what our tepid fate might hold in store for us – The Sinclair C5. Get the Bikes ‘N’ Roses tee in all sizes in black for $29.95 here.

See the rest at Beautiful Decay Aparrel and never view the humble t-shirt in the same light again.

25% Off Goodie Two Sleeves

admin    T-Shirt Discounts     Goodie Two Sleeves, funny t shirts, girls tees, t-shirt discount, t-shirt sale

Goodie Two Sleeves, an old favourite at Buy Tees, are offering a very generous 25% off all orders! Just enter the coupon code: WINANANO at the checkout. Plus, every order made by May 14, 2010 is entered for a chance to win an iPod Nano! Cool!

Here’s a few new designs to wet your appetite… a treat for the ladies this time ;)

Take Me Out T-Shirt

Funny. Cute as always. Get this tee for $21.98 ($16.49 in their sale). in all sizes here.

Peacock Sketched Tank

Gorgeous. A very nice style and works particularly well as a tank top. Get it here in all sizes for $21.98 ($16.49 in their sale).

That’s Dandy T-Shirt

All sizes at $21.98 ($16.49 in their sale). Cute! Get it here.

Check out all their tees today and save some dough at Goodie Two Sleeves.

Art Shirts by ARDT

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     ARDT, ardentees, art shirts, graphic t-shirts, graphic tees, illustration

ARDT @ www.ardentees.com is the culmination of the vision and hard work of Curtis Liau, Benjamin Loy and Donovan Casey Mathews who aim to blur the line between art and t-shirts, which personally I’m all for. I’ve written quite a few posts heralding the change in public opinion towards t-shirts, both as a fashion item and art form, and it’s always nice to see new recruits to the cause. ARDT work with a large selection of talented artists to produce their highly particular style, right now there are a few available designs, buy I have an inkling with their army of talent waiting in the wings it won’t be long before they’ll producing a whole lot more.

They generously provide full profile pages with links for each and everyone of their artists and actively encourage interaction with their visitors who are free to comment on any t-shirt at the store. The site is superbly laid out, simple, clean and subtly slick, it’s obvious that Ardentees have really thought through what they’re doing. In general I like the t-shirts on offer although I have to say if I was running the show one of the first designers I’d feature is the German artist Pearpicker who has produced this superb illustration of a tattooed sailor.

Who knows, maybe this one is already on the cards? In the meantime here’s a few tees that are for sale right now!

Is This Truly Wonderland T-Shirt

The Is This Truly Wonderland T-Shirt by German designer Hansomoto and it offers a venerable bounty of flamboyant hand and vector illustration work (I’m guessing it’s a blend due to the style). I like the central motif, a letter “A” that’s reminiscent of a lot of antique embroidery panels, which I assume stands for the name “Alice” as in “Alice in Wonderland”? Again, I am guessing here. Still it’s a lovely decorative design, highly detailed and expressive in style. Get this unisex tee in white for $35 in sizes XS-L. As with all ARDT’s shirts, this tee has been screen-printed on 100% cotton, would be nice to see them shift to organic in the future. Still one thing at a time.

CMYK Inside T-Shirt

I’m always keen on CMYK tees, essentially the building blocks of all printing, just four colours (cyan, magenta, yellow and key which is black) and halftone shading can create infinite colours. As for CMYK Inside, it’s a nice t-shirt with an appeal for the more expressionist of tastes, but in all honesty it doesn’t either make the most of or even celebrate the wonders of CMYK. I’d like to have seen something far more complex, I’m surprised that the artist hadn’t incorporated halftones which would bring this design to life, and conceptual fruition to boot. Get this unisex tee in white for $35 in sizes XS-L.

“A” T-Shirt

Uniquely combining typography and the human form, I particularly like the “A” T-Shirt by British freelance designer Jack Crossing. It reminds me a little of 60′s fashion photography, especially in the Swinging Sixties of London with models like Twiggy, The Shrimp, designers like Mary Quant, and a deep respect for the power of composition. I’m not sure if I like the slight introduction of colour in this piece though, would be nice to see it in solid or halftone black and white. Get this unisex tee in black for $35 in sizes XS-L.

Check out their art shirt collection at www.ardentees.com or hook up with them at Facebook.

Banging Tees by Boom!

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     Boom, British t-shirts, indie tees, typographic t-shirts, typography tees

Boom! T-Shirts are a quirky British label who’s “about page” breaks down the ridiculously high odds of finding their site on Google. Their finesse for design and typography equally matches their gently pithy brand of humour, which lies somewhere  between Douglas Adams and Monty Python in the tradition of quasi-existential parody of life, (if the aforementioned were born 40 years later and loved the geekier side of the graphic arts). Asides the beautifully constructed Flash site, which literally oozes design savvy from every pore, they offer a compact range of t-shirts that deliver a powerful conceptual punch. Of the five designs available, one will most likely be lost on the international crowd, unless the fame of national treasure Stephen Fry has spread beyond our shores. Although the majority of Boom’s tees are typographic, their slick choice of colour and font certainly gives them a graphic edge sorely missing in similar lines.

All their products are organic and made by SAF Clothing which means no starving kids in sweatshops contributed to this particular fashion brand. Take a look at nearly the whole collection:

I’m Being Followed T-Shirt

A very British tee and one that made me laugh. Stephen Fry is probably one of if not the most popular Brit at Twitter, and it’s all down to the plain and simple fact that he’s a mainstay of our culture, there are probably more of fans of his wry sense of humour and highly intelligent witticisms than for the royal family, however unintentionally funny they may appear. Joke. The fact is Britain loves the guy, long may he reign. If you are being followed by Stephen you deserve some kind of prize, perhaps this t-shirt for instance? Then again you could just lie :p The I’m Being Followed T-Shirt is on sale for £12.50 in sizes S-L.

Lorem Ipsum T-Shirt

If you’re a blogger and you’ve managed to install WordPress in the past you’ll recognise these two words. Traditionally used by the printing industry (what’s left of it) as “dummy” or filler text, it’s actually an excerpt from an Ancient Greek treatise on ethics. I bet you didn’t know that? If you did there’s no hope for you lol. I used to get A’s in Latin at school, I decided to give it up in the 3rd year, turns out it isn’t a dead language after all. Any  British doctor, scientist, barrister or politican could tell you that. Get the Lorem Ipsum T-Shirt for £12.50 in sizes S/M.

Lomosexual T-Shirt

Perhaps the ultimate in geek love fashionwear, the Lomosexual T-Shirt proclaims its undying passion for a cheap and badly made Soviet camera that is capable of performing miracles in photography. The Lomo phenomenon has been around a while now, but the fact is that digital technology did exactly the same for photography as it has done for music, it sucked the soul out of them. Lomo cameras let the light in where it shouldn’t, the randomness of photographic quality is what it’s all about, chance, and if you’re lucky, now and again, pure visual genius. Show your love for the Lomo with this superb tee for £12.50 in sizes S-L.

Sorry T-Shirt

A design so simple it verges on the brink of abstract, the Sorry T-Shirt features a Stormtrooper (The Star Wars kind not the Nazi type) with a pink (for some reason beyond me) tear rolling down its cheek. It should be corny, but it’s not, it’s very very cool. I suppose it comes down to taste, some people hate Pop Art, Andy Warhol in particular, or the 80s conceptual scene with characters like Jeff Koons, but I don’t, I love it, and this tee belongs on a wall in a gallery… and on my back. Unfortunately it’s all sold out, so we’re all sorry now :/

Check Boom! out at their blog, their store, their Flickr and Twitter page,

A Fistful of T-Shirts

admin    T-Shirt News     Fistful Apparel, Mexican Wrestlers, comic art, comics, retro shirts, vintage tees

Fistful Apparel based in Tampa Florida is a brand a new clothing line from Calavera Comics who are well known for their authentic vintage-feel style and passion for Mexican masked wrestlers. Their online store is up and running at www.fistfulapparel.com, and they’ve just yesterday introduced their first selection of t-shirts for men and women.

Fistful has a dedicated following, check out this selection of their work at Behance to see why. The demand is most certainly there, and at last the highly talented team of founders illustrator Alexis Ziritt (do check out his Metal on Metal t-shirt at Threadless which is yet more evidence that Threadless ignore their best talents) and designer/colourist/letterer Mark Malazarte, graphic designer/Renaissance Man Mike Houlihan and a constant stream of collaborative talent have made their mark on the psyche of a generation of comic fans across the world. Founded in 2005 their unique comics and illustrations are inspired by cult and genre cinema, Japanese and European comics, Mexican culture, movie poster design, plus the whimsy and aesthetics of the Silver Age of Comic Books, Fistful specializes in creating hand-rendered art, keeping true to the Calavera slogan: “Comics with cojones”.

For their initial launch, their first 20 customers will receive a comic book from (Italian-based) Passenger Press or a sketchbook from Alexis Ziritt. T‐shirts are normally priced from $20-$24; but for the first week will range from $18-$20 as part of the presale.

Dudes T-Shirt

Lonerider T-Shirt

Create T-Shirt (Womens)

Fistful t-shirts are currently available for pre-order now and for news updates as well as what goes on behind the scenes, visit the official Fistful blog at: http://fistfulapparel.tumblr.com.

Now, the tees on offer are great so don’t get me wrong on this, one is by Alex Ziritt, the others by Josh Agerstrand (who I am already a fan of) and Ralph Niese, but I was expecting something more like this…

Let’s hope the next batch of t-shirts are more representative of what we all love about Calavera, mean ‘n’ nasty masked wrestlers and superb vintage graphic treatments. I’d add some all-over prints to that wish list too :p

LadyUmbrella T-Shirt Giveaway!

admin    T-Shirt Discounts, T-Shirt News     Lady Umbrella, LadyUmbrella, free t-shirt, girls tshirts, womens t-shirts

It doesn’t happen very often but LadyUmbrella are giving away a free ladies t-shirt to celebrate getting 4,000 Facebook fans. Yes it’s only one tee, but still one is better than nothing. They’re really happy to have gotten so many friends and holding a t-shirt raffle to thank all of their fans. To enter all you have to do is become a fan of LadyUmbrella @ Facebook and leave a comment either at their facebook fanpage and let them know which of their t-shirt designs is your favourite.

You can enter now, the closing time for entries is 8pm GMT on Tuesday 13th April. They’ll pick the winners randomly after that so good luck if you fancy joining in the fun! BTW they’re planning to do the same thing when they hit 5000 Facebook fans and 6000 Facebook fans so it’s well worth becoming a fan!

Here’s a few of their ladies’ tees to remind you, or read my review of their work at http://buy-tees.net/2010/01/the-sun-always-shines-on-ladyumbrella/

Even if you don’t win a free tee it’s worth considering buying one of their highly sought after shirts, what’s more they offer free worldwide shipping which is a nice change!

15 Percent Off at Chop Shop Tees

admin    T-Shirt Discounts, T-Shirt Reviews     chop shop, geek chic, geek tees, robot t-shirts, t-shirt discount

Here’s a blinding deal for all you fans of Chop Shop‘s famous iconic t-shirts! I’ve just added their glow-in-the-dark WeRobot shirt to RateTshirts.com and wangled a discount from the fine people at Chop Shop Tees on all  their superb shirts bar the multi-pack collections which already offer 25% off! Choose any of their single tees and receive a generous 15% off the usual price with our unique discount code.

Most tees are $20 each but you can enter buytees at the checkout and grab yourself a shirt for $17!

Here’s a few of my favourites from one of the coolest selections of geek chic shirts out there if you’re not familiar with Chop Shop’s unique range…

WeRobot (Glow) T-Shirt

51 celebrity robots pulled from popular culture references from literature, film, tv, cartoon, children’s literature, video games and even rock music all available in one classic sci-fi glow-in-the-dark t-shirt! WeRobot is available in all sizes for men (chocolate, black, cranberry, asphalt and grey on silver) and women (teal, chocolate, dark chocolate and hot pink (not glow-in-the-dark)), at the reduced price of $17with our discount code ‘buytees‘.

AlienWe T-Shirt

Another in Chop Shop’s highly celebrated iconic collection, this time featuring 50 different aliens from film, television, books, toys and one even a couple from rock history! Can you figure out all 50? Did you even finish figuring out the 51 robots yet? I can pick out quite a few such as a Dalek, a Cyberman, a Space Invader, Alf, E.T and Silver Surfer. I’ll leave you to guess the rest! Get the glow-in-the-dark AlienWe tee for men and women in a variety of colours for $17 each for men and with our discount code ‘buytees‘.

Hope T-Shirt

Obama in the Sea of Hope. Not sure if the sentiment carries so well these days, but I love this shirt, I even have an original Corgi Yellow Submarine sealed away in its original box for my old age lol. (What do you mean I’m already ld? Lol). I’ve even been friends with one of the guys who worked on the original movie, sure he was an alcoholic and only did the backgrounds, but we still had a few fascinating chats! Anyway, get a dose of subverted nostalgia for men ($12.75) in powder blue, silver and white and women ($13.60) in powder blue and white in all sizes. Available at these low low prices with our discount code ‘buytees‘.

Finally if you love what Chop Shop do and would like to help the world at the same time then check out the…

Water by Numbers T-Shirt

All the proceeds from the Water by Numbers tee goes to charity. The Chop Shop are backing WellDone which focuses on raising global water awareness for the future and helping to provide clean water to communities in Africa and beyond today! Created to highlight the various facets of the global water crisis through the visualization of 27 striking water statistics. Chop Shop’s icons paint a picture that remind us that we must both conserve earth’s most precious resource, whilst working together to improve clean water access to those most in need. Available for men in asphalt and charcoal ($17) and women in asphalt ($19.55) with our discount code ‘buytees‘.

Grab a bargain now at www.chopshopstore.com.

Any T-Shirt You Want For $5!

admin    T-Shirt Designers, T-Shirt News     cheap t-shirts, fiverr, freelance t-shirt designers, t-shirt design, t-shirt printing

Here’s a great offer from Babble Tees (a t-shirt focused art collective based in Hennepin, IL.), I found it on this superb site called Fiverr.com where anyone and everyone in the world can get just about any online service or product you could imagine for $5 including postage (guess that’s to the USA and Canada though). I’ve bought a few links and a little bit of social marketing for my art already, so I know it’s worth it. But as you’d expect the first thing I searched when I got to Fiverr was, you guessed it, “T-Shirts”, and I came up with this blinding offer.

Babbletees: I will make a print of your original drawing on a t-shirt and mail it to you for $5

There are plenty more at Fiverr.com including these…

jonard12: I will make a TSHIRT Design for $5

aa45: I will design a tshirt for you for $5

Imsaschalove: I will design professional cd artwork/ tshirt design for $5

vixinvin: I will design a tshirt for you or your business for $5

hillthread: I will create a screen print t-shirt design for you in Adobe Photoshop/Adobe Illustrator for $5
Justin0101: I will design a t-shirt for you, tailored to your event, cause, business, etc. for $5
tjanebutler: I will design a tshirt for you! for $5
dragao: I will print a tshirt for $5

Check out all the rest of the t-shirt offers at Fiverr.com.