the district

Kenneth Cole is the latest designer to get into the “message” shirt game with his a-wear-ness series of black t-shirts. Most of them are pretty straight-forward if not slightly cliche proclamations of things most well-to-do Lefty New Yorkers would agree with without raising any real eyebrows.  Probably my favorite design, although also the most out of place, is the “piece out” graphic depicting a red-strike through a hand-gun. Clearly this must speak to all of the Kenneth Cole customers who are so directly effected by gun violence on a day-to-day to basis.  “The Spoils of War” (pictured) is slightly edgy and admittedly a little surprising compared to the others.  While the shirts retail at a whopping $35 each, 100% of proceeds goes to Cole’s nonprofit foundation, so I guess that justifies the price.  Oddly enough, the shirts are conventional cotton, and no obvious mention is made of their origins.  To me the origins and contents of a shirt say a lot more than the message printed across the front in plastisol. Finally, in what can only assume is a bit of self-deprecating irony is the “Boycott designer T-shirts.”  Go figure.  Oh yeah, there’s a book too.

Porn star come American Apparel Model Faye Reagan aka Jillian. (get it?)

Critics of American Apparel advertising who claim that it is virtual soft-porn have recently gained some fodder for their argument. While this is apparently not new news (file under: I learn interesting things when I talk to my brother) American Apparel has at some point begun featuring porn stars in their print and online advertising efforts.  While this is hardly the venue to discuss the implications of pornography and perpetuating gender inequality, I do think its fair to assume that such a move will not be received warmly by the feminist community at large.  One has to wonder how American Apparel has continued to do so well amongst the specific class of consumers and t-shirt companies wishing to use an ‘ethical’ blank, despite the company’s continued absurd antics towards women.  (At least) 5 sexual harassment cases, pedophile-baiting photography, and now the use of porn stars for models, yet American Apparel continues to dominate as the source for blanks for socially responsible t-shirt companies and consumers.  It don’t make no sense, and those are my two cents.

I kind of feel like I have written about Black Sheep Heap before, but for the life of me couldn’t find a post.  Anyway, they have announced their Pre-holiday Semi-Luddite t-shirt and tote sale.  The sale works like this, you buy a shirt online and then like magic Black Sheep will send you 15% back via paypal.  No explanation as to why they don’t just lower the online price by 15%, but hey there is a recession on, who cares its a discount.  Additionally, no word on whether that is 15% before or after paypal takes their cut.  Come to think of it, this should maybe be called the “we love Paypal fees” Sale.  Anyway, some pretty awesome t-shirt and tote prints handmade here in NYC on 100% organic blanks. Check it out.