What I Got - Mess

From the totalitarian lands from whence my ancestors hail from, I received a special package
from MESS Beijing.



DHL. Wow, I feel like royalty when a company has to send it by courier.


This is interesting. This is the first time someone sent me a carrier bag. And inside the carrier...


... it's an envelope. This is all turning out very chic. There's a certain sense of sophistication if I may say so.


But the creme de la creme is the shirt. It's an iron-on image on a heavy shirt. I could be wrong but it seems that many shirts from China are made thicker. It's a tongue-firmly-in-cheek take on communism. I don't usually wear shirts of these sort (I'm looking at you Che Guevara shirt) but they won me over with the design.


This is printed on the back of the shirt.

This is at sewn at the hem. This makes me feel special.


This is the tag. I assume the number two in Chinese means a size medium and not that I'm second-place or as Seinfeld refer to affectionately, "the first loser." Though wearing it makes me feel anything but.

Tetsuwan Atomu

Chloë Sevigny (of Big Love; Boys Don't Cry) and Tandanobu Asano (Ichi the Killer; Mongol) are spokespeople of Japan's UNIQLO UT (they also have an American outlet as well). They model the latest lineup of Tezuka Osamu-inspired shirts.

Also, I think for something of this quality, they are pretty affordable.

Monies: US$15.50

God is in the Details

I like to introduce you to GodSend Clothiers. The idea behind the site is to promote good fashion and above all else, the message of charity toward your fellow brethren. 25% of their net proceeds goes toward various charitable organizations.

This t-shirt is inspired by Indonesian block prints. The intricate pattern is a feast for the eyes. It may look busy but there's order in the chaos.

Monies: US$35.95

A Good Start to the Week

Let's start this Monday off with a bang shall we?


Grace, who handles promotion from Eio Clothing, likes to taunt me with their cool sexy parties (see above) knowing full well that I can never set foot on England soil because of my unfathomable hatred for the Spice Girls.

Oh, yeah and Eio Clothing also have their new Spring / Summer lineup like the sexy number above that's good to wear at cool sexy parties.

Monies: £29.95 or US$60

The dudes at The Ryde are organizing a design t-shirt competition to raise money and awareness for breast cancer prevention. If you hate cancer but absolutely love the breasts, this will be perfect for you.

Daryll from Indivisual Clothing gives a heads up about a new polo shirt designed by Daniel Vigil. Geometric shapes, mysterious letterings... there's a lot going on on the shirt.

Monies: US$58

You've seen them before but they're worth mentioning again. Amanda, from Reverie, likes "dressing the dreamers," so how does she know this is what I dreamt of last week?

Monies: US$19

Bang Bang T-Shirts released three new t-shirts and I like this shirt because I think today's cinema is poorer without the rich stereotypical kung-fu revenge flick.

Not to nit-pick but Bang Bang call this their Ninja T-Shirt, which is disparate from Shaolin kung fu. I'm just saying.

Monies: £13.99 or US$28

If you mofos have anything you want to make known, feel free to shoot us an e-mail.

Except, you, Carl. Please stop stuffing our inbox with pictures of your wiener. It wasn't funny during the first seven times.

What I Got - Plastered

There's a cultural shift in China. In the past you have dissenting citizens, tacked under the imperial thumb of the Chinese government. Now with the Internet, boom! You have an explosion of information and creativity.

Since this is China, I'll be remiss if I didn't mention that there is also a big t-shirt boom. Of course, the bulk of it are communist-themed t-shirts but recently, the trend seems to be shifting away from that.

Plastered T-shirts is a store in Beijing that sell t-shirts about China culture with a kitschy twist. Operated by a British-Canadian couple, you find items ranging from buttons to apparel displaying designs of everyday visuals like a train ticket or a beer bottle. Last year, they had a fashion show to kick off new Olympic-inspired designs.


I received two t-shirts from Plastered and as you can see are...

... a three-wheel motorcycle...


... and a flask. I assume, it's Chinese for "flask."

The apparel is thick. And check out the stitching around the arm...


... and around the collar.


The designs are not screen printed. They looked like iron-ons.


I can't attest to how long the designs can last (disclaimer: I've gotten several other t-shirts from China and they also utilized the same method of printing) but they have very pretty designs.

J-Horror

AkumuInk came up with this horrific image of my parasitic twin in my chest, gasping in horror at the outside world she's been missing out.


And this t-shirt where I always see my phallus as a three-headed hydra.

It's like they are seeing into my brain!

Monies: US$21

Note: Is the guy above posing in a men's room? That's gotta be a first.

Go Go Geisha

James dropped a line about his t-shirt site called Wunjo and there's something about this design that's so simple, so pretty.

You get 10% off your purchases if you type "WTEN" at checkout. Offer lasts up to December 31, 2007.

Monies: US$26

He is Legend

In spirit of Diwali, here's a Desi-themed t-shirt.

Amitabh Bachchan. The doyen of Bollywood. I actually prefer the guy in his twilight years. That piercing eyes, the salt-and-pepper beard... the rich baritone voice...

Shahrukh Khan can kiss his ass.

Monies: US$35

Stamp of Approval

Bollywood always fascinates me. The singing and dancing, it's like your average American musical turned up to eleven. While we wait for Pardon My Hindi to come up with new t-shirts, we have Chor Bazaar to fill up the empty hole that is Desi love.

Monies: US$25

Journey to the East

I found this store by chance in Bugis Junction, Singapore. I took it as some sort of sign because it was one of the few interesting t-shirt store with unique ideas.

Speaking to the owner, Ignatius Koh, he said he wanted to create something that's inspired by traditional Asian art. Thus, Koh managed to bring about a line-up that's doesn't spit in the face of Asian culture but rather emphasized it on something as Western as a t-shirt.

You could check it out but it's in Singapore and some of you might be too far... hey, what do you know? There's a website where you can purchase the t-shirts.

Monies: US$22

PS: And if you're asking, that dude above isn't me.

Beach Genji

I love anachronisms!

It just seeks to challenge people's perception on the continuity of time and place. That's why I'm so excited about Namitatsu (or Wave Master).

What a combination! Japanese art by Hideo Takeda and surfing! That's enough to blow up Einstein's thinking of the time-space continuum.

Monies: US$48

We Now Return To Your Scheduled Programming... Somewhat

Okay so the blog interface isn't working as well as I hope but enough's enough. I'll try to work within the restrictions because my e-mail is swollen with t-shirt sites and I hope this will appease you guys. Let's get to it, shall we?


From Hong Kong, we have mashPotato with their interesting lineup. I like this t-shirt because it describes what I always feel whenever I surf other t-shirt sites.

Monies: US24.50


Ten Bills may have to change their name if their sale of US$7 per t-shirt continues. T-shirts like Everyone Wants a Peace (shown above) and Radio Flyers are selling out quickly.

Monies: US$7


The Ironic T-Shirt Corporation have lovely t-shirts at non-explotative prices like F the Media (N.W.A. should re-unite and make a rap with that title) but the Tom Cruise Freedom of Speech tee just grabs me by the short hairs and refuse to let go.

One can write (in erasable marker) the many of things that Cruise might say like "I'm a poo-poo head!" or "My penis looks like Xenu or the result of an undiscovered VD." So many possibilities...

Monies: US$17

I'm from a little island called Singapore and not many people know about it but we're well-known for our non-existence; public caning; outlawing chewing gum; the Merlion and of course, Annabel Chong. Yup, despite our achievements, we're known for producing a pornstar but not just any pornstar, one who held the world record for biggest gangbang in 1995.

And to answer your question, the tally was 251.


Anyway, Singaporean t-shirt company, Local Brand sells this t-shirt, I guess, as a source of national pride.

Local Brand t-shirts are printed on... er, America Apparel. There's a joke somewhere in that sentence.

Monies:S$30 or US$19-something something.

One of my favorite artist, Jim Mahfood has a store that you can buy to show your appreciation for the man's art like the Lil' Cat Girl tee, the fine ladies can rock in.

If that doesn't float your boat. Here's a picture of a satisfied customer in said t-shirt, telling what you can do to yourself.


Monies: US$25 (includes shipping within the US)


Anybody here still read Archie? Is Archie still a fickle-minded bastard who still has spoilt Veronica lodge on his booty call list? around? Go for Betty, you freckled-face bastard! I swear his indecision makes me think he's a closeted homosexual.

Speaking of which, remember Jughead Jones, the gluttonous woman-hater? Phantom Flyer has a new design on this old school character.

Monies: US$12

That's it for today. I'll leave you with an article on the history of the ironic t-shirt. You wear the stuff, now learn about it. Read it through and read it well. Pop quiz on a Friday.

Maybe.

Wonderboy

After seeing the Pop Noodle t-shirt (styled after Warhol's Campbell soup) a few moons ago, I longed to know where the tee came from and just yesterday, I got my answer.

70six produces Asian-centric designs and they're pretty spiffy. Take the beautiful, sold out Phoenix Down stencil for the ladies. It's a detailed spray painted stencil on a sheer jersey top.

I'm leaning toward the faux baseball team, the Okinawa Ogres for men. Japan should really capitalize on their domestic products what with all the rampaging monsters in Tokyo and put them on the baseball team.

What's even better is that 70six is having a 50% sale and if you get two t-shirts and more, shipping is free within the US.

Monies: US$8.50 - 9.00

Mini Godzilla!

Tiny Factory (if you ask us, is just that much closer to being mistaken for that Elton John's song) looks kinda downscaled. The website doesn't have them fancy flash programs or that "boing" sound effect when you click on a link. What they do have are interesting t-shirts like Wind Me Up (if you ask us, is just that Fastball's song title).

Monies: US$20

Laugh My What Off?

Think of it as a fusion of the yesteryear of Mao fashion and the now of Internet talk. Dirty Microbe printed ROFLMAO to show the Communist Leader has a sense of humor.

It might not be a Little Red Book but at least you can still spread the message of hilarity on a Little Red Shirt.

Monies: US$15

And the Grammy Should Actually Go To...

Th Black Eyed Peas won a Grammy for "Don't Phunk with My Heart," which, according to Will.i.am, "fused Lisa Lisa with Bollywood and Miami bass..."

Though credit was given, according to one half of Kalyanji Anandji (Kalanji, the brother died August 24, 2000), Andandji said he hasn't received any royalties for it.
Kalyanji Anandji are famous Indian composers for Bollywood movies and the fact, they are not given their dues for their work, is distressing. A more in depth look on the controversy is found here.

Here's an excellent t-shirt of Kalyanji Anandji from *Pardon My Hindi, a site focusing on everything India, which is a nice relief because even as a Chinese I'm like, "enough with the Chino-centric fashion!"

Monies: US$27

Divine Wind

"In the Japanese language, kamikaze, usually translated as "divine wind" (kami is the word for "god", "spirit", or "divinity"; and kaze for "wind"), came into being as the name of a legendary typhoon said to have saved Japan from a Mongol invasion fleet in 1281."

Wikipedia.org

The Divine Wind is printed in platisol inks on a military olive tee. The shop, GM Tee sells Asian-themed tees and is located in Hong Kong and they ship worldwide.

Monies: US$34.95