T-Shirt Reviews Blog

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 05:15 AM PDT

Ignoble, a punk (for the lack of a better description) t-shirt brand, is about as close as you’re going to get to anarchy in the rather prettified world of fashion. If their tees were blind dates I’d walk out the door before they spotted my red carnation., but if I found myself locked in bar room brawl, perhaps even at the gates of hell, I’d want Ignoble on side. They’re rough and tough, there’s no two ways about it, disillusioned art school renegades much like myself, but with the advantage of a decade less compromise on the planet,

We’ve all seen, worn, and even described t-shirts as having ‘attitude’, but for the main part they are the philosophical equivalent of swearing at the dinner table or sticking up two fingers ‘at the man’. Ignoble go a step further, in fact a leap, and I really hope it’s not to their detriment, especially as most anarchists don’t believe in capitalism, or at the very least, can’t afford it. Still, I have to admire their guile. You won’t find any ‘pretty pictures’ in their collection of limited edition tees and art prints. Not a single vector swirl in sight, not even a jot of colour on show, but if I could award a t-shirt brand for sheer bravado, I’d give these guys an A+.

Ignoble seem to really believe in their cause, which personally I find as refreshing as a cool sea breeze on a stiflingly hot summer’s day. This label most definitely want to cut the crap when it comes to fashion, so much so it might even be described as ‘anti fashion’. But whatever it is they do, I’d bet my bottom dollar it isn’t all just hype, if it was they’d knock out something far more visually digestible than the brutalist one colour ’scratch drawings’ that emblazon every one of their tees. Still, I’ve always been something of a trouble-maker, so this might just be a twisted subconscious kinship obscuring my judgement, so I’ll let you all decide for yourselves.

Dino Boy Tee

Here’s what Ignoble have to say about their Dino Boy Tee… “promoting the extinction of the office-lounging, suit-and-tie wearing dill-holes highly characteristic of most white-collar American co-workers. Maybe you’re already acquainted with Dino Boy. No surprise, we’ve run into him quite a few times ourselves.” I can relate to that one, I spent a few years in my early twenties trying to ’subvert the system from the inside’. If you’re thinking the same but you’re forced to wear a suit and tie and sell crap to cretins, don’t bother, they’ve already got you by the short and curlies. Probably my fave at the store, available for $22.95 in sizes S-XL printed on American Apparel in a limited run of 50 tees.

Cash Advance Tee

Naked ladies and cold hard cash, certainly a powerful combo, however I’m not quite sure if Ignoble are for or against, is this about the exploitation of women, or an admiration for those women who can with a mere glimpse of their anatomy fleece a sizeable population of men for all they’re worth? Either way, it’s a shocker, as unglamoruous as fashion can get, and that’s good enough for me. The Cash Advance Tee is available $22.95 in sizes S-XL printed on American Apparel in a limited run of 50 tees.

911 Tee

Nope don’t go there, this isn’t another t-shirt commemorating the terrorist attack, or at least I don’t think so. Here’s what Ignoble have to say “Smoking, drinking, competing… the fundamentals of self-destruction and arguably the very basis of western living. Just supply your own high speed ambulance ride and some intense defibrillation and it’s a complete package.” It’s the other ‘911′, like the Brits ‘999′, call them up and emergency services might be on the way, then again they might not. What I’ve wondered for a while is how come historically the police in America get public funding but healthcare doesn’t? Now that would be total anarchy. How many are going to pay to be beaten up and wrongfully arrested? Anyway… get the 911 Tee for $22.95 in sizes S-XL printed on American Apparel in a limited run of 50 tees.

Who knows, Ignoble might just be the diamond in the rough, work it out for yourself at www.whybecommon.com.

Lifestyle World

Friday, 25 June 2010