My T-Shirt Collection, aka My Closet
T-shirts make a statement. Sometimes this statement goes far beyond fashion and brand. I collect t-shirts that make interesting, amusing, or inspiring statements. My closet (see pic) is full of my collection. Collecting t-shirts is more fun than collecting anything else because every time I leave the house I have an opportunity to share pieces from the collection.
Starting this week I will be posting a weekly column I am calling T-shirt Tuesday. T-shirt Tuesday will be my opportunity to share some of the week’s news about my addiction hobby. Each week, I will also write about a shirt from my collection, explaining why I like it and what it means to me. I decided Tuesday for a few reasons but mainly because “T-Shirt Tuesday” sounds better than “T-Shirt Friday”. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this new series.
For T-Shirt Tuesday week one I chose to share one of the most important shirts that is in my collection, even though it isn’t my favorite and I don’t often wear it. This week I am featuring a user-generated media classic: the t-shirt “The Communist Party” by Threadless.
A close-up of the graphics from "The Communist Party" by Threadless
User-generated content is a growing web trend. I mean, what would sites like YouTube or Facebook be without it? Threadless, and its more artsy copycat, Design By Humans, proved that the end user could double as the product creator. Every Threadless shirt was first designed by one of its users (aka, customers) and then submitted for a vote by the community. Each week the community picks their favorites and the Threadless team turns those into t-shirts. This fun and unique system not only creates a loyal fanbase but it also guarantees some of the most unique and interesting t-shirts available. Each shirt, some with only 1000 in existence, are like piece of rare pop-art, except you wear it. I follow this company not only because it has great t-shirts, but also because it has one of the most forward-thinking and creative business models in the world, and as a creative entreprenuer my self, I can learn a lot from them.
Me sporting the funny t-shirt.
“The Communist Party” is easily one of Threadless’s greatest hits. It was originally submitted in 2005 and been reprinted over and over again. Its latest printing is pretty much sold out, again! Its popularity boosted the image, and success, of its manufacturer, and it is likely one of, if not the most, popular shirt on Threadless.
"Vodka comrade?" I offer some Russian Vodka to my Communist Comrades.
“The Communist Party” is a visual pun… a joke. As a rule, though, I try to avoid joke shirts. First of all, jokes get old while art does not, and second, unless the joke is very smart, it makes the wearer look stupid. (For instance, I’d look dumb in this one.) Yet I broke my rule for this shirt and bought it, even though it is a joke, for other reasons.
You see, to those of us in this hobby, this shirt represents the beginning of the success for Threadless. Also, to ‘creative entreprenuers’ like myself, this shirt is proof of how one can be successful by involving their customers in the design phase. So I basically bought this shirt because of what it represents, not what is says.
The shirt costs $17 when available. Sign up for the threadless newsletter to get a shot at the next printing if you’d like this shirt, or to follow all the new shirts they put out on a weekly basis.