T-Shirt Reviews Blog

A Trip Back in Time – Maiden Voyage Clothing

Posted: 26 Mar 2010 06:51 AM PDT

I bumped into these guys on Twitter and was immediately besotted with their site. Normally I don’t approve of website music but I have to admit it adds to the oldie-worldie atmosphere at Maiden Voyage Clothing although if the Laurel and Hardy in Egypt old-time jazz tune is starting to grate then you’ll find an on/off switch bottom right of the screen. There are only four designs on offer right now, but I’m guessing that they haven’t been going long, and besides they are rather cool so give them a break. BTW I can’t provide links to each tee, it’s a Flash site however they are in the process of redesigning the website in a more traditional and link friendly fashion.

MVC definitely want evoke a times past, a culture of tall ships and tall stories. Everything from the music, the store design and the tees themselves seem more akin to the turn of the 20th Century than the 21st. They’ve really put a lot of thought into the whole set up, and I’d imagine if they packed the store with more top-notch t-shirts they’d build themselves a rather respectable following. The name was inspired by the excitement and endeavours of a slice of history where every trip was a big adventure, be it via Zeppelin, ship or propeller driven plane, most likely you’d be one of if not the first to visit your destination in that fashion. A slice of history where fantasy and reality merged quite frequently, still following a tradition for, let’s shall we say exaggerating, be it the splendour of lost cities, the size of unknown creatures or a race of giants, the abundance of gold and other precious finds. At this, perhaps in hindsight one of the most exciting times in history suffered from a Chinese whisper syndrome, exaggeration was infection, the world of mass-communication hadn’t quite arrived yet and many adventurers did have a habit of fibbing. MVC want to recapture that spirit of mystery and excitement for the undiscovered, something we on this overcrowded world sadly lack these days. Roll on the space age I say.

Bears in Tandem T-Shirt

Bears In Tandem Tee

Bears in Tandem Tee (Back)

The Bears in Tandem tee is probably my favourite, available for $28 in sizes XS to M. I love the use of all-over printing and the illustration itself is rather gorgeous. Fur is a tricky texture to draw in monotone. Nice sepia effect too.

Fishtachio T-Shirt

Fishtachio Tee

Here’s a lovely piece of surrealism in the form of the imaginatively titled Fishtacio. The fish leaping through the loops of the tash and the subtle lines marking out the reflection really add to the design. Available for guys in sizes XS to XL for $28.

Flagship T-Shirt

Flagship Tee

Flagship Tee (Blue)

Aptly enough the Flagship tee features an impressively drawn clipper ship in both white (XS to XXL) and blue (XS to XL), both available for $28. A very slick piece of old fashioned etching style illustration. A really smart incorporation of the brand too.

You can visit Maiden Voyage Clothing’s store at www.MaidenClothingCompany.com or keep up with them at Twitter.

Lifestyle World

Friday, 26 March 2010