It’s obvious from the moment you visit the site that these guys (and gals) really love t-shirts, they even offer a FREE Pimp My T-Shirt service, here’s what they do… “We want you to tell us about your most hideously shameful shirts. Send us a pic and tell us a little bit about why it’s so bad, and we’ll pick the worst of the lot and get you all pimp-daddied up. Yes, we’ll take your shirt off you and modify its ass until it becomes the envy of every lounge lizard fashionista the world over, and what’s more, we’ll do it absolutely free of charge.“

Asides a healthy selection of genuinely funny shirts there are a few cool classics, stylised illustrative, even diagrammatic if not a little geeky designs that really shine out for me. Take a gander at this lot…

Jukebox Gold Tee

A classic jukebox design adorns this shirt, oh so retro, oh so cool. It reminds me of greasy transport cafes and old man’s pubs in the 1970s. By the 1980s most places cleared these out and replaced them with CDs. I was working in a bar in Brighton trying to make ends meet as a student and on my first day there the manager was thumping his CD jukebox as it kept skipping, I begged him to let me listen for a while. About 3 years later I heard almost exactly the same kind of sound on the radio, it was Fat Boy Slim. Who knows he might have been a regular there ;P Anyway get the Jukebox Gold Tee for £18 for men and women in a range of sizes and colours.

Mac T-Shirt

I was late when it came to Macs, but not for the want of trying, I asked for a Mac in the 1980s one Xmas and was laughed out of the room. When I first tried to get into the graphic design industry I needed a Mac to get the experience to apply for the shift-work so many graduates slave away through in umpteen design houses around the world. Vis-a-vis: no job = no money = no experience = no Mac = no job. Still what looks like a heap of crap these days was like Manna from heaven back then. Love it, the style is as cool, calm and collected as the content. Get the Mac Tee at £18 for girls and guys.

Truck Tee

Totally old school, probably older than the actual saying “old school”, this fine illustrated shirt is probably my fave tee at DeathGob right now, there are funnier ones for sure, but just for the sake of style I’d stake my claim with the Truck Tee. I love old illustrations, it’s probably nostalgia or a flashback to playing with trucks as a kid, who knows, it’s got me all the same. I’d like to think it was a beer truck just to finish it off :) Get this tee for guys (sorry girls no trucks for you! Complain if you wanna’ lol.) in all sizes and a four colours for £18.

All of their tees are superbly screen-printed shirts and the inks “feel nice & soft” (I’m hoping this means water-based?), using slim-fitting and sweat-shop free American Apparel tees. Some of their designs are way out there in cuckoo land, which is just fine for me, it’s where I belong ;p Right now there’s a $10 Summer Sale on so if you fancy sprucing up your wardrobe with some highly original limited edition art then take a look at this lot:

Skulls and Kittens Tee

I’m sure I’ve featured this one somewhere before, if I haven’t it’s a crime, this design is awesome, kinda creepy but it hits the perfect tone of sarcasm. If you’re fearless in the face of death and love cute animals you’ll be glad to know this shirt by Brandon Dunlap is available in pink (M-L), grey (S/L), blue(L) and yellow(S-XL)! Yep everyone of them is just $10 in the sale.

Bureaucrat Tee

The faceless corporate drone gets his 15+ minutes of fame due to the highly creative mind of Josh Bertrand. Simple, powerful and highly effective design, you can get the Bureaucrat Tee for $10 in XL.

King Rhino Tee

Years ago Chris and I went to a country park in Sussex, they kept Rhinos there, one of them suddenly began to bolt towards us, it looked like it was about to charge through the fence and over the ditch. Then it stopped, and sort of whined and simpered. We picked some grass nearby, fed it, and then patted its head. I love rhinos. I also had a ghetto blaster as a teen, I painted crap all over it and took it everywhere then some sod at a party “borrowed it” like 20 years ago hah. So, King Rhino has a lot of personal connections for me lol. No seriously, love this one, it’s groovayyy. Get it as a tee (s/L/XL) or polo (S) for $10 each.

Two Guys And An Octopus Tee

Don’t ask, I have no idea what’s going on, the general idea seems to be “steam punk gone awry”, all I know is that it’s weird and that’s good for me. If you have a penchant for Victorian freakery, and want something a little more spectacular than The Elephant Man, then meet Two Guys And An Octopus – available in sizes S/M for $10.

Check out the Summer Sale at www.ResistToday.com.

First things first, Michael was kind enough to offer Buy Tees a discount for all you lucky readers – just type in buytees at the checkout for a very generous 15% off -  it’s permanent and is featured in our T-Shirt Discounts section so you’ll never miss out in case you need a quick fix of his refreshing brew of street fashion. I’m definitely a fan of some of STJ’s tees, I do like the fact that he’s printed the inside of his shirts with a recipe for Sweet Tea which must come in handy for anyone with a less than perfect memory. However recipe or not this is a very novel idea, perhaps a lesson for all the t-shirt companies out there struggling with their branding, most brands will make a big fuss when they produce the odd reversible fashion item but the truth is Michael is doing it as standard. Outstanding.

All Sweet Tea Junkie’s shirts are printed on comfortable 100% cotton 4.3 oz Combed Ringspun shirts which means super-soft, lightweight, and slim-fitting tees, all preshrunk to minimize shrinkage and side-seamed for a tailored cut. STJ offers a very wide range of sizes too, from kids sizes (cut for boys and girls) all the way to 3XL, and every t-shirt is available for a reasonably priced $17.50 which seems something of a bargain when you consider the quality.

Fancy a brew? I’ll be mother…

Bloom Tee

I’d never thought about it before but it makes sense that if you grow tea the plants will bloom in the Spring. I really like this design, it’s definitely STJ’s strongest. As mentioned before this and all Sweet Tea’s tees are printed with a sweet tea recipe on the inside. The flower motif reminds me a lot of a Tudor rose, right down to the woodcut style of the illustration. It’d obvious why this shirt has been reprinted time after time, a big seller for tea fans.

Collage Tee

Now, I’m not quite sure what this one has to do with sweet tea, or tea in general, perhaps it’s inspired by a special breed of Peyote-based tea, or maybe the sweet tea experience is a lot more psychedelic than I had imagined. What I do know is that whatever the hell else is happening in this design, there are definitely some critters in there of some description chuggin’ away at pitchers of the stuff. A cool design but it needs more tea :o

1879 Tee

This shirt marks the year of the first published Sweet Tea recipe emblazoned with all manner of tea-related sayings and vintage typographies. A nice example of a type tee with a message, and that message is… Michael is totally obsessed with sweet tea! Lol. Seriously though I do wonder how many more ideas he can garner from this highly specific addiction, maybe it’s time to come to the dark side and try a few unsweetened teas. Or is that tantamount to heresy?

I have to admit I’m more of a tea addict than a sweet tea aficionado, however if I ran a tea-inspired t-shirt company the first thing I’d do is print an enormous tea bag on the front of my very first shirt, we’ve have all had our fill of polka-dot designs, but a tea bag design would be a real twist. Yes I’m sticking my oar in but the fact is big is better and I know that, at the very least, that the British hoi-poloi would go nuts for a truly trendy tea-inspired design. One to consider for the future I suppose…

If your thirst isn’t quite quenched then stroll over to www.SweetTeaJunkie.com for even more tea-inspired tees!

Their commitment to quality has stood them in good stead over the years, their C’est Beau pop-up shop is doing a roaring trade on the Lower East Side of NYC,  where they sell everything from tees to jackets, jeans, tops, and even stickers. Online they’re building a really strong following too, partly on the kudos of Jon Totaro’s career, himself having a big NY following as DJ Price. What’s more they’ve really put some time and effort into their blog which is essential reading for anyone who wants to keep up with all the goings on at Reason, and it really is packed with some great reportage photography of the rise and rise of this cult label.

Take a look at what they have to offer:

Bored Tee

The ultimate slogan tee, I couldn’t agree more. I love the sorority style font, I’m usually not a fan of typographic t-shirts, but this one had to be made eventually… and I’m glad. Here’s what Reason have to say on the subject “Work, relationships, school, conversations with senile relatives, everyone feels like their watching paint dry at some point. Boredom bites, but it bites way less when you get to subtly tell the world what you cant say out loud.” Available in S-XXL in grey and black for $32.

Go Love Your Own City Tee

I usually hate I “heart” tees, I mean it’s only one step-up from buying a “kiss-me-quick” hat at the seaside, something devoid of any imagination and visual impact, yet Reason have done the impossible and managed to redesign this tired old t-shirt format and reinvigorate it with the cyncism of a generation on. If you love somewhere that much stop being a tourist and move and do us all a favour. Love it. On offer in sizes S to XXL in black and white for $32 each.

Reindeer Tee

One of two abstracts by Reason I wanted you to see, the Reinder Tee is fabulously retro, almost like a washed out sepia print or a frame from black and white fifties school board movie about forest fires. The reindeer are really quirky and the abstracted patterns evoke a very wintry feeling without making the mistake of going down the yuletide route. The Reindeer Tee is just $10 in S-L sizes here.

Black Plaid Panel Tee

I’m not usually a fan of plaid and to be honest I’m not to keen on the choice of colour, but I had to give this one an honourable mention, it almost looks like some kind of Japanese haute couture biker’s jacket, it’s a really interesting play on the traditional plaid motif and at $10 it’s a downright bargain. Get the Black Plaid Panel Tee in S-XL here.

Go see for yourself, and find a Reason to be cheerful.

We’ve all seen, worn, and even described t-shirts as having ‘attitude’, but for the main part they are the philosophical equivalent of swearing at the dinner table or sticking up two fingers ‘at the man’. Ignoble go a step further, in fact a leap, and I really hope it’s not to their detriment, especially as most anarchists don’t believe in capitalism, or at the very least, can’t afford it. Still, I have to admire their guile. You won’t find any ‘pretty pictures’ in their collection of limited edition tees and art prints. Not a single vector swirl in sight, not even a jot of colour on show, but if I could award a t-shirt brand for sheer bravado, I’d give these guys an A+.

Ignoble seem to really believe in their cause, which personally I find as refreshing as a cool sea breeze on a stiflingly hot summer’s day. This label most definitely want to cut the crap when it comes to fashion, so much so it might even be described as ‘anti fashion’. But whatever it is they do, I’d bet my bottom dollar it isn’t all just hype, if it was they’d knock out something far more visually digestible than the brutalist one colour ’scratch drawings’ that emblazon every one of their tees. Still, I’ve always been something of a trouble-maker, so this might just be a twisted subconscious kinship obscuring my judgement, so I’ll let you all decide for yourselves.

Dino Boy Tee

Here’s what Ignoble have to say about their Dino Boy Tee… “promoting the extinction of the office-lounging, suit-and-tie wearing dill-holes highly characteristic of most white-collar American co-workers. Maybe you’re already acquainted with Dino Boy. No surprise, we’ve run into him quite a few times ourselves.” I can relate to that one, I spent a few years in my early twenties trying to ’subvert the system from the inside’. If you’re thinking the same but you’re forced to wear a suit and tie and sell crap to cretins, don’t bother, they’ve already got you by the short and curlies. Probably my fave at the store, available for $22.95 in sizes S-XL printed on American Apparel in a limited run of 50 tees.

Cash Advance Tee

Naked ladies and cold hard cash, certainly a powerful combo, however I’m not quite sure if Ignoble are for or against, is this about the exploitation of women, or an admiration for those women who can with a mere glimpse of their anatomy fleece a sizeable population of men for all they’re worth? Either way, it’s a shocker, as unglamoruous as fashion can get, and that’s good enough for me. The Cash Advance Tee is available $22.95 in sizes S-XL printed on American Apparel in a limited run of 50 tees.

911 Tee

Nope don’t go there, this isn’t another t-shirt commemorating the terrorist attack, or at least I don’t think so. Here’s what Ignoble have to say “Smoking, drinking, competing… the fundamentals of self-destruction and arguably the very basis of western living. Just supply your own high speed ambulance ride and some intense defibrillation and it’s a complete package.” It’s the other ‘911′, like the Brits ‘999′, call them up and emergency services might be on the way, then again they might not. What I’ve wondered for a while is how come historically the police in America get public funding but healthcare doesn’t? Now that would be total anarchy. How many are going to pay to be beaten up and wrongfully arrested? Anyway… get the 911 Tee for $22.95 in sizes S-XL printed on American Apparel in a limited run of 50 tees.

Who knows, Ignoble might just be the diamond in the rough, work it out for yourself at www.whybecommon.com.

They’re usually open for submissions, but I think they must have their books full as they’ve closed the doors, at least for the immediate future. Still they do like to collaborate, helping the indie music industry on the side by giving out a few shouts to their fave bands and artists at their Turntable Archive – which is full of interviews and music clips to keep your brain occupied for a while. Whilst you’re they’re you really should check out their t-shirts though, after all that is what they make. Anyway as the store is loaded with Javascript I can’t link to their products directly,  so you’ll have to do a little hunting for yourself. Here are some cool picks from the store:

Artcotic Traditional T-Shirt

Designed by Shawn Conn from Rochester, NY, a part-time tattooist and talented artist who’s exhibited at several shows, as well as designing art for t-shirts, skateboards and more. I’m always a sucker for a good tattoo tee, and this one’s a beaut. ust $14.99 for men in all sizes.

Happy Pointer T-Shirt

A fine example of Trent Call’s work. I love this guy’s art, his cartoon style illustrations are like taking an acid trip through the early age of animation, when Mickey Mouse was neither beautified nor a mascot for an evil corporation (as Bart from The Simpsons would say). You’re either a fan or not, I definitely am. Trent works from the Captain Caption Studios in Salt Lake City, he’s done illustrations for the likes of Newsweek and he even runs his own zine called Swinj. Get this limited edition tee for men/women in sizes S-XL for a piddlin’ $14.95.

Running Operative: Final Mission T-Shirt

This tee is by Derek M Ballard (aka the line tamer) currently resides in Gainesville, FL. He’s created art for Giant Robot, Wonkavision, SCREW, Escort, The Drama, Faesthetic, Circus Punks, SEIBEI, Eros/Fantagraphics, Tinymeat, Go Ape tees, Royal Flush and tons more. Top notch t-shirt by a top notch artist. A total Ninja Kama Sutra in glorious retro toon style. Get it for just $14.95 in S-XXL sizes.

Untitled T-Shirt

Here’s a rarity, it’s a t-shirt design by the rather famous artist Dalek (as opposed to the Dr. Who frenemy), what’s more it’s figurative! Well kinda – in a cartoon stylie. This guy creates an amazing array of technicolour abstract paintings, he’s probably one of my favourites in the genre, I’ve never seen him do anything like this, still it’s rather cool, and mad (as usual). Again on sale for a pittance at $14.95, especially when you think how well known the artist is and that the tee is limited to 500. Available in all sizes.

See the rest at www.artcotic.com.

It looks more like a “Mandela” t-shirt than a mandala tee, still it’s a great design, very tribal, almost African, and some nice cuts in the tone and line. Designed by Matt W. Moore who is the co-founder of Glyph Cue and the founder of MWM Graphics based in Portland, Maine. Matt exhibits his artwork in galleries all around the world and works across disciplines, from colourful digital illustrations in his signature “Vectorfunk” style to free-form watercolour paintings and massive aerosol murals… If you fancy knowing more then lap it up at Addicteed’s interview with Matt here.

For those out there scratching their heads and asking “what the hell is a glyph?” you’re in luck. Before I introduce you to the wonders of Glyph Cue’s tees take a look at their simple but informative explanation for the name:

def. GLYPH
– - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
– A graphic symbol whose appearance conveys information.
– A symbol for referring to a planet, zodiac sign, or other esoteric concept.
– A visual in the form of a symbolic figure carved or incised in relief.
– A symbolic figure or character, usually a picture, that gives information.

Phew. So you can take your cue from that :p Anyway, all that asides, if you like your t-shirt artwork on the abstract side, with plenty of interesting details to keep eyes glued in your direction then check out these beauties…

12 Hour Truce T-Shirt

This is a weird one, I mean that in a cool way, almost designed to mess with your head, here’s what GC have to say about the design “Within this interlocking 12 point star lies many visual narratives. Two 6 point stars join to create the clock formation. Unfinished Tic-Tac-Toe game says it all.” Screen-printed on a heavyweight cotton tee (they all are), the 12 Hour Truce tshirt is available for $33 in sizes S-XL here.

Dilated Grid T-Shirt

Loving this one, the design is inspired by a Hip Hop breakbeat loop, hovering between the abstract and the literal, this tee has a superb “vibe”. Very mellow indeed. Available in all sizes for $33 here.

Big Bang T-Shirt

Pretty and trippy, if you stare long enough you’ll space out, or so I am told, obviously I can’t, I could never do those Magic Eye posters either. Cool t-shirt available in all sizes at $33 here.

Mosaic Mucho T-Shirt

Another very cool abstract tee, one of the best logo tees I have ever seen, the designer actually makes you “work” to see their branding. Lovely old retro and particularly “Atomic” motifs, gridtastic! Only available in L-XXL sizes for $33 here.

See the rest at www.glyphcue.com. If you fancy getting a limited edition box set from Ltd. Tee then hurry there’s only (as I write) 6 days left for their Mandala shirt!

His store The Project Shop is cleanly laid out and offers a full background story on each and every design, which makes for an enticing stroll around the site, even if you’re only window shopping. Each tee explores a different aspect of gang culture, or in certain cases such as his Freedom t-shirt, the culture of violence as is so apparent in Gaza. With the recent Israeli attacks on aid ships attempting to break the blockade and bring the people of Gaza vital food and supplies, Peralta’s passion for the underdog are more pertinent than ever. I recently read that Israel were about to allow the import of confectionery which shows just how out of control the embargo has been until now. However, for the main part one can expect a particularly Washington Heights based view of culture, exploring different aspects of the ‘hood’ and how he and others have survived, armed with common knowledge and common sense.

As Peralta would say, take a look at his “art in progress”…

Uptown Livery Cab Service T-Shirt

As Tony so eloquently puts it “It’s a homage to the immigrant livery cab driver from Uptown that is out there night and day chasing the American Dream.” The Uptown Livery Cab Service T-Shirt design is a fictional advertisement for the ‘gypsy’ cab service circa 1920s. Often found in the least affluent and fructious areas of New York, picking up passengers from the street, the riders boarded “at their own risk”, however the drivers risked their lives almost every night, just to get ahead in the world. The t-shirt is available in cranberry, sizes S-XL for $35 here.

Money Makin’ Manhattan $24 Stamp T-Shirt

Again available for $35 in all sizes, the Money Makin’ Manhattan $24 Stamp tee commemorates  the purchase of Manhattan Island by the Dutch West India Company from the Lenape Indians in 1626 for $24. Perhaps the biggest con in all history. The deal took place at Inwood Hill Park, a place to hustle till you drop, make it big, and show the world you have more money than them. Great design, and a fascinating slice of history.

Defend Uptown T-Shirt

This one’s very cool. Designed to bring attention to the fight against the gentrification of Uptown (Harlem,Washington Heights,Inwood.) Killing the culture, and ousting local families, many of whom have lived there for generations. As usual when a problem gets too hot to handle, government will always take the option to shift it onto someone else, somewhere else, rather than try to fix the inequity. The Defend Uptown T-Shirt is available in all sizes for $35 here.

Freedom T-Shirt

As you’d expect I had to include Peralta’s Freedom t-shirt, a variation on the original print/artwork, I really like the guy’s stencil stylings, although I have to admit I much prefer the version featured in his interview with Giant Magazine. Available in black and only medium sizes are left (all others sold out) at $35, you can swipe yours here.

Still, I’m going way off point, or maybe not, I just wanted to prep the uninformed about the beauty of simplicity in functional abstraction, or in other words, ‘how to say the most with the least information’. Not one of my own personal strong points I know, but it all adds up to a variety in life :/

Milk & Eggs Co. are Ade & Dave of Burbank, California. They launched their label in February of 2009, and find their highly humorous inspiration in everyday life. They cite some of the folks that have influenced their style including the illustrator/graphic designer Charley Harper and the abstract artist Büro Destruct. Why the name? They say that milk and eggs are essentials on their shopping list, and so they’re hoping the same will apply to their t-shirts! Still not sure how well the lactose-intolerant will take that one on board. Heh.

Self Portrait T-Shirt

This tee is probably my favourite at M&C’s store. A perfection of simplicity and a nice visual gag too. Only large sizes available at $18 each. Get your Self Portrait tee here.

Rearview Mirror T-Shirt

A really smart abstract design, the Rearview Mirror tee is for sale at $18, only small and medium sizes left!

Cat & Mouse T-Shirt

A very sweet abstract graphic, the Cat & Mouse tee is available at $20 in sizes XL/2XL here.

Peace T-Shirt

A lovely retro design, very cute vintage typography, pure nostalgia wrapped up in a simple logo. Get the Peace T-Shirt for only $14 in sizes L/XL here.

They don’t just sell tees, they also knock out a fine range of graphic buttons and write a groovy blog too. Go nuts for Milk & Eggs!

There following is small but highly devoted, and with a little exposure I can see King Noir emerging as part of the staple diet of underground streetwear scene of London and beyond. Here’s a few of my faves from their current collection…

Balloon Vs. Storm T-Shirt

The Balloon Vs. Storm tee is available in B/W and red in sizes S-XL, this rather hypnotic little number features a beautiful composition and perhaps a lesson or two for life. A gloriously illustrated vintage hot air balloon that would make Phileas Fogg green with envy sails through a shower of arrows, beyond them lies an abstract sun featuring another of their motifs at its centre, an equally surreal crown with a third eye. At only £15 this and all of their t-shirts are what I would class as a bargain. I can imagine their prices much entice a lot of new custom, which is the whole point after all!

Ninety Nine Anchors T-Shirt

Another slice of utterly British surrealism, I can see King Noir gathering quite a following for their delightfully weird take on fashion. Ninety Nine Anchors features just that, except for some reason they’re dropping from a giant Victorian umbrella. I am starting to wonder if Gumm and Gilmour’s local boozer is spiking their drinks with hallucinogens. No matter what they’re drinking, it’s definitely the right poison. Perhaps the strangest nautical theme tee I’ve seen in a long long while, it’s available in white for £15 in all sizes.

Red Dead Doll T-Shirt

Loving the combo of a Russian doll and Day of The Dead art, this tee is again available in B/W and red there’s as with other shirts in the collection a ‘third eye’ peeking out of the design, and a very subtle use of the logo. A love the woodcut effect in this illustration, a great confluence between folk art and post modern grit give this t-shirt a real edge. Both colours are available for £15 each in all sizes.

Black Crown T-Shirt

The Crown tees are available in black, red and grey and feature their superbly simple yet downright strange logo. If you’re looking for bold design with no messing around then look no further. I get the notion there’s more to it though, living in Britain we’re not citizens but subjects of the Crown. We’re spied on by more cameras than any other country in the world. Two popular subjects for a lot of artists in the UK contemporary scene, this nifty combination of  two major problems blend into one gloriously tribal motif. Get this tee for £15 in all sizes.

Check out all their work including tees, badges, stickers, hats and limited edition posters at www.KingNoir.com and make sure to follow all their graphic exploits at Twitter.