My wife has been telling me lately that I need to invest some cash into new items for my wardrobe. Now, I’m not usually the type to go shopping. Okay, I’ll level with you here. I hate shopping for clothes. If you want to ruin my day, take me to a mall and force me to wander aimlessly while pointing out various things I might like. I get seriously cranky in no time. My family generally knows this about me and so I’m usually not invited on such missions. Which works out better for everyone involved.
But, what happens when you hate shopping and never do it? A year or three goes by and your clothes start to look a bit tattered around the edges. Small holes and splotchy stains start to become your signature style. So, my wife is right. She often is about these things. My closet needs a refresh.
Does that mean I’m going to head to the mall and knock out an awesome day of shirt shopping? Hell no! I’ve already mentioned how much I don’t like that torture, right? But it doesn’t stop there because there’s another thing I don’t like about the concept. I get positively curmudgeonly about some fashion wonk telling me I should wear this hot thing or that hot thing. It’s attempted brain washing and it’s insidious in our culture as propagated through the media and peer culture. Yeah, most of us just want to fit in when we’re teenagers, but I haven’t been a teenager in longer than I’d like to acknowledge.
So, what is a creative, independent, opinionated type like myself to do? Well, in this new world of easy personalization of consumer goods, the answer is obvious! Make my own shirts! No, not harvest the cotton, spin the thread, weave the fabric, cut the panels, sew the panels, etc. No thanks. I enjoy our modern conveniences. But yes, make my own shirts as in design them!
Once I got to thinking about what I wanted on the shirts, I realized I wanted something more than just a cool design of Bob Marley surfing a tsunami wave with the rings of Saturn in the distant background. Yeah, I know. That would be amazing. But I realized I wanted something both fun to look at and that served a more functional purpose, aside from covering my tender flesh from prying eyes. I wanted the shirts to help me with my writing. I wanted a shirt that, when I put it on, would help my creative juices erupt and jump start my brain if it was having a down day. In other words, a shirt that would save a day that might have otherwise gone to waste.
Yes, I wanted it all and nothing less!
So I decided to go with message shirts. Just for me. Phrases, designs, whatever that were like positive brain washing. Hey, meditation is essentially the same thing (in a good way!). So, I’ve decided that I’m going to clear out some of the more tattered scraps of fabric from my closet and replace them with shirts that I love and that also help me to kick ass on this journey that is being a professional writer.
As a quick aside for anyone who might be considering doing something similar, I’m using Teespring right now as they have a great selection of clothing options, quality choices, and also great prices. I think most folks use them as a hub for selling their designs to others, but you can just as easily order a single shirt for yourself. The designs/shirts I’ve priced out come in around the same price as what I’ve seen in stores, at most. They are often a good bit cheaper! What’s not to like?
Going forward, I’ll update the blog with designs as I make them and order one for myself. All of the designs will also be cataloged on a new page of the website. I’ve done a few designs so far. You can check out everything I’ve whipped up by checking out the Shirt Designs link below. It can also be be found on the main web page in the Fun link on the main menu.
I’m actually excited about getting new clothes! It’s a Christmas (in April) miracle!