Custom T-shirts are somewhat unique in that they are both clothing items and works of art. Unlike any piece of clothing you buy off the rack, a custom T-shirt is something of your own creation. That is what makes it so special. You can wear the T-shirts you designed with pride, knowing they speak to who you are.
With all that said, there are some do’s and don’ts that come with custom T-shirt fashion. Australian T-shirt printing specialists, The Print Bar, say the unwritten rules for wearing custom T-shirts are pretty straightforward. Here they are:
Do Use Them as Leisure Wear
T-shirts are perfect as leisure wear. They are comfortable and breathable. They give you plenty of room to move. And if a custom T-shirt doesn’t look perfectly pressed and laundered to perfection, it’s no big deal. We have come to expect T-shirts to not look perfect. That’s why they work so well at the beach, the park, and even out in the bush.
Do Feel Free to Express Yourself
The whole point of the custom T-shirt is freedom of expression. Unlike off-the-rack shirts that force you to accept someone else’s messaging, customisation affords you the ability to say whatever you want to say. Take advantage of it. Use every opportunity to make your T-shirts an extension of who you are. If you want to be funny, ham it up. If you are more of a serious mind, use your T-shirts to challenge others to think. Everything is on the table.
Don’t Use Gratuitous Profanity
There are times when you have to be a little profane to get your message across. But those times are few and far between. More often than not, the profanity found on custom T-shirts is gratuitous. Here is what you need to know about that: gratuitous profanity doesn’t impress anyone. It only makes people question the user’s intellect. You are far better off avoiding gratuitous profanity and finding more creative ways to say what you want to say.
Don’t Purposely Incite People
Another custom T-shirt fashion faux pas is creating a design intended solely to incite people. Not good. While it’s true that someone is bound to be offended by nearly every T-shirt design, there is no value in purposely being offensive. Make a point of not inciting people and you’ll discover that the number of those offended by your custom T-shirts is minimal.
Do Embrace Variety
The most creative T-shirts in the world get a lot of attention. They cause people to stop and take a second look. They provoke questions and start discussions. The secret to keeping it all going is variety. In other words, do not stick with a single theme or message when designing your shirts. This is especially true of custom T-shirts in Australia.
We Aussies are social people. We like to meet one another and make new friends. We love a good discussion on topics that matter. If the messages on your T-shirts never change, you’ll have a hard time sparking those discussions.
Don’t Abandon Your Other Clothing
Finally, custom T-shirt printing is not an excuse to abandon all your other clothing. Let’s face it, T-shirts are not appropriate for every occasion. They might work well on a night out with friends but wearing a T-shirt to a funeral just doesn’t work. The same goes for weddings, job interviews, and a host of other events.
There are a lot of things to love about custom T-shirts. Just be sure to embrace them with a mind toward staying true to T-shirt fashion etiquette. Mind the do’s and don’ts and you’ll be fine.