Bodybuilding shirts aren’t something I would typically blog about, but I had to make an exception for MuscleFire. A few things jumped out at me about them, in particular the quality of their designs. Their primary logo, the MuSkull, is a great illustration and I would wear it even if I was nowhere near a free weight.

A portion of the proceeds from each shirt go to the Wounded Warrior Project, a charity focused on the needs of severely injured service men and women. This is a trend I’ve been seeing lately that I think is a great way to provide additional incentive to consumers. Also packaged with each order are samples of various sports supplements, and even a small surprise that I won’t ruin for you!

They’ve just updated their website and I enjoy the new look. Their selection seems small at the moment, but they also have female clothing and some non-apparel items as well. I hope they add to their designs because the illustrator is really talented. My only gripe is the high price of the shirts, but the quality of the designs still make them worthwhile.

The headline of this post is the motto of a new clothing brand named 2600 Strange Ave. A summer cruise with close friends birthed the line, which mocks that latest craze of expensive t-shirts with tattoo-like designs made popular by Ed Hardy. I’ve had a particular disdain for this style of shirt so it’s a relief to see that I’m not alone.

These guys take it to another level and let you choose a charity to donate to when you buy a shirt from them. The amount is small but the idea is sound, and I imagine they are only making enough profit to cover their bases. It’s an interesting take on t-shirt sales that we’ve seen before, but not quite like this.

The only criticism I have is the low amount of designs. As of the writing of this post they only have five shirts available. The designs they do have are pretty good, and they show a unique brand of humor that I hope to see duplicated in the future. If you do happen to buy a shirt from them, take a picture and send it to. They’ve got a cool little map with pictures from people that have bought their shirts, a nice touch!

Artwork Junkies is the latest contest site to hit the internet, and so far they are doing everything just right. They haven’t been up for more than a few months and they already have a large selection of very high quality shirts. Their prizes, while not as large as some of the more prominent sites, are very reasonable.

All it takes is to download their templates, design some shirts, and then submit them. Once approved each shirt is eligible for their weekly contest and if you’re a winner you can make up to 3000 euros! The full awards system can be found on their site, but it definitely benefits the more popular designs. A brief glance shows that they do anything in their power to help the winners reach their goals. This is done by giving each shirt of the day prominent billing on their front page.

The shirt of the day on my visit I particularly liked. It’s title is Birdhorse, by kndll, and it’s just what the name would lead you to believe. It shows some chimera’s of horses and birds. I really like how the colors work together and there is more than meets the eye when you take a good look at it.

There are still some problems with the site, although that is to be expected since they are so new. I’m sure they’ll clean up those issues, and they are nothing that will get in the way of the primary function of the site. I really like what they’re doing and I can’t wait to see how they evolve over time. It’s always great to see new opportunities for t-shirt designers, the more options the better!

Light has always been really fascinating—the way it forms negative space, questions figure/ground relationships, and has such beautiful form. Fireworks, flashlights, sparklers, even fluorescent lighting—it changes the way we view things, what we can and cannot see.

I’ve recently had a request to take a look at a shirt from Pyrotechnic Display at Celebrations, or P.D.A.C for short. They only have one shirt available but it looks great! It’s based off a photograph of a firework, and the result is like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s especially interesting to hear the story behind the design and the site in general.
The quote included in this post really shows the expressive nature that t-shirts allow their artists to showcase and provide for all others to enjoy. The owner said they’ll have more designs in the future, and if they’re as good as this one I’ll be very interested in seeing it.

I recently mentioned a t-shirt site called Retro Campaigns. They just let me know that they are releasing a new line of shirts called “American Legends.” The designs on these shirts have an even more retro look to them, and feature classic campaigns such as Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Henry Harrison. My favorite of the bunch is the Abraham Lincoln shirt, which I’ve featured to the left.

Retro Campaigns describes the shirts as “big, bold designs incorporating the style of political art of the time” and I think that describes them perfectly. They also mention they are printed on Alternative Apparel’s destroyed shirts which gives them a more authentic look. They plan on adding more to this line and to their classic line as well. This should result in a wide selection of very quality shirts. I am continually surprised by their designs and I’m ready to see more!

Another new t-shirt shop that I’ve been informed of is Emulsion Apparel. They feature designs from local artists in Boston and some of them are quite unique. They have the typical brand shirts with just their name on them but even those look really great. I don’t usually dig those types of shirts but in this case I can make an exception. Most of their designs are catered towards the skater culture with a heavy artistic tint.

One thing I didn’t realize until I started to grab links for this post was that their shop runs on Big Cartel. I’ve written about them before and it just goes to show how powerful their platform is. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to start their own brand.

The design Shroomwhale really caught my eye. I hope it’s something I can see more from them in the future. It was done by Sean McCabe and hopefully he does some more designs for them soon. It’s got a lot going on but the composition of the elements really makes it visually pleasing. If designs like this are any indication of what’s to come from Emulsion Apparel, consider my excited!

I’ve recently been made aware of a very new t-shirt site called Made With Awesome and their designs are just as advertised! It was created by two frequent Threadless contributors. That style carries over into their designs, which feature extremely unique concepts that are expertly created.

They don’t have a lot of shirts right now since they just started in August, but the designs they have are top notch. It’s good to see a site focus on quality instead of quantity. I particularly like Lunch Break. It features two movie monsters (Kaiju) taking a break from their day to have some lunch. There is a lot going on in a design like this and that attention to detail carries over into their other shirts as well.

I’ll be keeping an eye on these guys in the future and I’ll let you know if they come up with any great designs!

Rose & Stephanie from Crywolf wanted me to write about a sale they are running on their newly released Halloween designs. It will only last until the 31st so if you’re interested you’ll need to get there fast as some of the designs are already sold out. They are all limited edition runs (as are all of their designs), so don’t delay!

So what do I think? Their designs have a very unique style which transfer well to shirts. All of their clothing is done by hand and silk-screened by the designers themselves! The tactical decision to do limited runs of their designs lends well to their independent attitude and I hope it pays off for them! In addition to apparel, then also carry decals, magnets, bags, mirrors, and buttons which all carry their original artwork.

I’ve included a picture of my favorite design. Check them out if you like it!

Retro Campaigns is a t-shirt site that I’ve recently learned about and that I’m really liking. They have a political theme, with a heavy focus on memorable campaigns in American history. The shirts themselves have a great weathered look to them and are printed on high quality American Apparel shirts. They scream vintage, and if I didn’t know any better I would think they were the real deal. I wouldn’t be surprised if others think the same.

In addition to the shirt, my shipment came with a Retro Campaigns button, and a history printout relating to the design itself. It’s little touches like these that let me know these guys are in it for, not just the shirts, but the entire package. Much of the information contained in the printout can also be found on the website.

All things told, Retro Campaigns provides a way to show off the political geek in anyone, and in the most stylish way possible!

Their ranking system is happily robust. There are many factors that work to give a shirt it’s rating. This includes (but is not limited to) twitter votes, page views, click through, and purchases. I’m glad to see a lot of thought in a ranking system since most sites are surprisingly shallow when it comes to that aspect.

All in all Daytee has a solid concept and delivers on it very well. There is nothing flashy about the site, which is not a criticism by any means. The only gripe I can think of is that the logo is not clickable so it’s hard to return to the front page easily. I’ll be anxious to see how they grow!