Saturday, January 24, 2009

Altru: Insightful, Witty, Cheeky Tees

I found myself at Urban Outfitters today looking at their sales rack because: 1. We're in a recession, 2. I like looking at things people don't like. (I guess the old saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure" applies to this.) Anyway, I found the perfect t-shirt and got it for $9.99. I mean, it's still expensive for a t-shirt, but it used to be $32.00. So I did some research about the brand, and I thought they really clicked with me, which is weird because I'm not an advocate of word or graphic tees. At the same time, it's really hard to say "no" to humor that caters to my taste because there is some really stupid humor out there. And humor isn't everything, art and culture are important elements too. Altru has it all.

New York Times Obama $32.00
Okay, so this shirt isn't all that exciting. It's just another newsprint shirt, which I've seen a ton of times. I just thought it'd be nice to throw out there because we're finally out of the Bush Era. Hooray for President Obama!

Ginsberg Howl $32.00
I love the counterculture of the 1950s in America; it's so old-school badass. As you all know, I am a fan of the Beatniks, so tying in some Allen Ginsberg is perfect. "Howl" was so ahead of its time with its "obscenities" , which makes me feel like sometimes, I'm ahead of my time (not). I like how the words of the poem are cascading rather than just splatted on.

Olympics Passport $34.00
Whenever I go to places, I look forward to getting my passport stamped. There's just something so organic about it, which is I like this shirt. Some things I would change about it would be the placement of the stamps and the Olympic advertising. It's a great D.I.Y. project.

Mickey Rat $32.00
Mickey Mouse is one of those classic icons you don't really want to mess with, but that's exactly what they're doing, which is great. Frankly, I'm quite tired of their romantic and fantastical view of life; not everyone can be a princess. Oh, and I've heard from several sources speculating fascist politics within Disney. Mickey's a real rat for influencing generations of people with its innocent charm.

Ban the Bra $32.00
Does feminism still exist? If it does, why is it so soft-spoken? I think we still live in an extremely patriarchal society, with a lot of women reverting back to old ways. I like the historical context and provocative message that this shirt entails. Ladies, show some support for yourselves!

Peek $32.00
This is what I ended up getting. Good choice, right? It's creepy, funny, and weird all at the same time with the blinds. It was the most eye-catching thing on that sales rack, which makes me wonder why no one else bought it. Anyway, I'm glad I have it.

Courtesy of Altru

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