Threadless

Every Threadless tee has a story.
We at Threadless print new tee shirts created by our community of designers every single week. And every so often, we feature some of these tees and tell the story behind them. Because artistically distinctive tee shirts don't just happen on their own - there's always a talented designer with a story behind each one.
“Rock On, Rock Off” by Tymn ArmstrongNot only does this tee make our day, it rawks our night! It’s got a fancy glow in the dark ink that lets awesomeness shine in any light. Watch a demo of it on Threadless Tee-V, be amazed. About Tymn: He’s an artist and designer who’s relatively new to the Threadless fam (he joined April 6, 2009!). Check out his portfolio and his other stuff on Twitter and Flickr. Tymn’s Inspiration: “I was inspired by the spirit of the show. When you’re outside the venue, you’re casual—but once you’re inside, it’s time to ROCK!” Score: 2.87 out of 5 (The average for a printed tee is around 2.8) See this tee on one of our lovely models.

“Rock On, Rock Off” by Tymn Armstrong

Not only does this tee make our day, it rawks our night! It’s got a fancy glow in the dark ink that lets awesomeness shine in any light. Watch a demo of it on Threadless Tee-V, be amazed.

About Tymn: He’s an artist and designer who’s relatively new to the Threadless fam (he joined April 6, 2009!). Check out his portfolio and his other stuff on Twitter and Flickr.

Tymn’s Inspiration: “I was inspired by the spirit of the show. When you’re outside the venue, you’re casual—but once you’re inside, it’s time to ROCK!”

Score: 2.87 out of 5 (The average for a printed tee is around 2.8)

See this tee on one of our lovely models.

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“Missing” by Julian Glander   As we like to say, behind every great tee design there’s a talented designer with a story. And usually the story comes completely from the designer’s imagination. However, this week’s tee design is based on a really real true story! The artist actually had his bike stolen and he actually posted a flyer about it around his college dorm. He probably didn’t know at the time it would end up a Threadless tee! Who knows, maybe this tee will unite victims of bike theft the world over. We’re sure everyone has a missing/stolen bike story. What’s yours? About Julian: He’s a “Boston-based creative person” who’s been a member (alias: secretly robots) since June 15, 2005. This is his 7th printed tee. Julian says: “The design was based on some flyers I put up when my bike was stolen earlier this year. I later found out it had actually been impounded for being chained to a fence with a “no bikes” sign on it. Oops!” Score: 3.10 out of 5 See this tee on one of our lovely models. 

“Missing” by Julian Glander  

As we like to say, behind every great tee design there’s a talented designer with a story. And usually the story comes completely from the designer’s imagination. However, this week’s tee design is based on a really real true story! The artist actually had his bike stolen and he actually posted a flyer about it around his college dorm. He probably didn’t know at the time it would end up a Threadless tee! Who knows, maybe this tee will unite victims of bike theft the world over. We’re sure everyone has a missing/stolen bike story. What’s yours?

About Julian: He’s a “Boston-based creative person” who’s been a member (alias: secretly robots) since June 15, 2005. This is his 7th printed tee.

Julian says: “The design was based on some flyers I put up when my bike was stolen earlier this year. I later found out it had actually been impounded for being chained to a fence with a “no bikes” sign on it. Oops!”

Score:

3.10 out of 5

See this tee on one of our lovely models. 

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“Rock Out With Your Cock Out” by Simon Massey Di Vallazza We prefer not to say the name of this tee aloud for many reasons but mainly because it ruins the punny joke! And the fact that the rooster is hiding amongst the speakers just, like, hanging out with the band makes discovering the punchline even better, don’t cha think? Simon says: “Wait… cock is another term for penis?” About Simon: He’s a designer with what he calls a “keen interest in art direction and illustration.” To learn more about him and his audacious designs, check out his Designer Interview with Threadless’s own Charlie Festa and peek at his Flickr. He’s been a member (alias francobolli) since April 2006. This is his 5th printing. PS - “Rock Out With Your Cock Out” is also available as a print! Score: 2.75 out of 5

“Rock Out With Your Cock Out” by Simon Massey Di Vallazza

We prefer not to say the name of this tee aloud for many reasons but mainly because it ruins the punny joke! And the fact that the rooster is hiding amongst the speakers just, like, hanging out with the band makes discovering the punchline even better, don’t cha think?

Simon says: “Wait… cock is another term for penis?”

About Simon: He’s a designer with what he calls a “keen interest in art direction and illustration.” To learn more about him and his audacious designs, check out his Designer Interview with Threadless’s own Charlie Festa and peek at his Flickr. He’s been a member (alias francobolli) since April 2006. This is his 5th printing. PS - “Rock Out With Your Cock Out” is also available as a print!

Score: 2.75 out of 5

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“Road Rage” by Brock Davis First thought: “Oh dear.” Second thought: “That’s hilarious!” Well, at least that’s how we feel about this design - we think you’ll share our sentiment. Brock’s Inspiration: “I’d like to thank my fellow commuters for being the inspiration behind this design… every day, for the last several years.”About Brock: Brock is an artist, musician, and highly recognized creative director (he’s a winner of the prestigious Cannes Lion!) He’s been a member (alias: Laser Bread)since November 2007 and this is his 12th printed tee. Catch up with him in plenty of web-like ways: through his Twitter, Flickr, and on his portfolio site.Score: 3.22 out of 5See this tee on one of our lovely models. 

“Road Rage” by Brock Davis

First thought: “Oh dear.” Second thought: “That’s hilarious!” Well, at least that’s how we feel about this design - we think you’ll share our sentiment.

Brock’s Inspiration: “I’d like to thank my fellow commuters for being the inspiration behind this design… every day, for the last several years.”

About Brock: Brock is an artist, musician, and highly recognized creative director (he’s a winner of the prestigious Cannes Lion!) He’s been a member (alias: Laser Bread)since November 2007 and this is his 12th printed tee. Catch up with him in plenty of web-like ways: through his Twitter, Flickr, and on his portfolio site.

Score: 3.22 out of 5

See this tee on one of our lovely models. 

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“Nutritious Breakfast”  by Chow Hon LamMmmm, pixels? This design is simple, colorful, and easy to appreciate. Just like the game that inspired it. Chow Hon’s Inspiration: ”The video game world is full of imagination, and it just wonderfully compares with our real lives. I think that’s the reason we love video games.”About Chow Hon: He’s a designer with a tee shirt business of his own (see more of his work on Flickr too). He’s won multiple Bestee Awards for his amazing Threadless-ing! What are Bestee Awards? They’re monthly and yearly honors that recognize the community’s favorite creative minds within Threadless, and they’re just another way we show love to our amazing members (which we show financially and with prizes!)  Chow Hon has been a member (alias: Flying Mouse 365 or simply FM to his Threadless pals) since January 2007. This is his 3rd printed tee.Score: 2.83 out of 5See this tee on one of our lovely models.

“Nutritious Breakfast” 
by Chow Hon Lam

Mmmm, pixels? This design is simple, colorful, and easy to appreciate. Just like the game that inspired it. 

Chow Hon’s Inspiration: ”The video game world is full of imagination, and it just wonderfully compares with our real lives. I think that’s the reason we love video games.”

About Chow Hon: He’s a designer with a tee shirt business of his own (see more of his work on Flickr too). He’s won multiple Bestee Awards for his amazing Threadless-ing! What are Bestee Awards? They’re monthly and yearly honors that recognize the community’s favorite creative minds within Threadless, and they’re just another way we show love to our amazing members (which we show financially and with prizes!)  Chow Hon has been a member (alias: Flying Mouse 365 or simply FM to his Threadless pals) since January 2007. This is his 3rd printed tee.

Score: 2.83 out of 5

See this tee on one of our lovely models.

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“Extra Pulp“ by Chris Sharron  We’ve got a certain fast-talking director on the brain. This juicy (sorry, couldn’t help it) design has been reprinted just in time for the launch of his new flick, so you can wear this tee to the opening!About Chris: Though he’s only a junior at Kent State, he’s a recognized illustrator and editorial cartoonist and a finalist for this year’s Charles Schulz award. Check out more of his political cartoons at the Kent News Net. He’s has been a member (alias: csharron) since October 2007 and this is his 3rd printed tee.Chris’s Inspiration: “I have always been a fan of puns and pop culture references and this was one of those ideas that seemed to marry those really nicely. When it came to me, I just knew I had to sit down and do it and I am definitely glad I did because the response to it has been phenomenal.”Score: 3.20 out of 5 (The average for a printed tee is around 2.8)See this tee on one of our lovely models.

“Extra Pulp“ by Chris Sharron 


We’ve got a certain fast-talking director on the brain. This juicy (sorry, couldn’t help it) design has been reprinted just in time for the launch of his new flick, so you can wear this tee to the opening!

About Chris: Though he’s only a junior at Kent State, he’s a recognized illustrator and editorial cartoonist and a finalist for this year’s Charles Schulz award. Check out more of his political cartoons at the Kent News Net. He’s has been a member (alias: csharron) since October 2007 and this is his 3rd printed tee.

Chris’s Inspiration: “I have always been a fan of puns and pop culture references and this was one of those ideas that seemed to marry those really nicely. When it came to me, I just knew I had to sit down and do it and I am definitely glad I did because the response to it has been phenomenal.”

Score: 3.20 out of 5 (The average for a printed tee is around 2.8)

See this tee on one of our lovely models.

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What happens when you mix cotton with fondant? Why, Threadcakes of course! For the past seven weeks, Threadcakes.com has accepted hundreds of cake designs, all inspired by Threadless tee artwork. Threadless community member Chris Cardinal (alias: disillusioned) is the mastermind behind Threadcakes and he’s chosen a handful of star-studded baking masters as judges (one is Mary Alice from Ace of Cakes!). In honor of this contest, we give you our sweetest design - none other than the aptly named “Cake is Awesome!” Threadcakes winners have now been announced, so check them out!”Cake is Awesome!” by Matt Palmer Matt’s Inspiration:  “There is a quote most commonly attributed to Marie Antoinette, ‘Let them eat cake.’ This was apparently said in response to a report that the peasants in France did not have enough bread to eat. The cake I have depicted is a symbol of the common people, not just in France but everywhere. The cake is jumping in the air, as the spirit of the people cannot be oppressed, and the text ‘Cake is Awesome’ refers to the power of the people as awesome. My design ‘Cake is Awesome’ is clearly a design which represents the power of the working class, and its power to overcome oppression and the bourgeois when fighting together as one.” (Hmm….we get the feeling Matt could be yankin’ our batter a bit here. According to his profile page: “Cool people don’t quote themselves.” We appreciate the “creative” writing efforts, Matt!) About Matt:     He’s a print and web designer with photography and teaching talents. Matt has been a member (alias: bananaphone) since February 2005. Matt has five printed tees, and “Cake is Awesome” is being reprinted now, due to high community demand for it. Score: 2.15 out of 5 See this tee on one of our lovely models.

What happens when you mix cotton with fondant? Why, Threadcakes of course! For the past seven weeks, Threadcakes.com has accepted hundreds of cake designs, all inspired by Threadless tee artwork. Threadless community member Chris Cardinal (alias: disillusioned) is the mastermind behind Threadcakes and he’s chosen a handful of star-studded baking masters as judges (one is Mary Alice from Ace of Cakes!). In honor of this contest, we give you our sweetest design - none other than the aptly named “Cake is Awesome!” Threadcakes winners have now been announced, so check them out!

”Cake is Awesome!” by Matt Palmer

Matt’s Inspiration:  “There is a quote most commonly attributed to Marie Antoinette, ‘Let them eat cake.’ This was apparently said in response to a report that the peasants in France did not have enough bread to eat. The cake I have depicted is a symbol of the common people, not just in France but everywhere. The cake is jumping in the air, as the spirit of the people cannot be oppressed, and the text ‘Cake is Awesome’ refers to the power of the people as awesome. My design ‘Cake is Awesome’ is clearly a design which represents the power of the working class, and its power to overcome oppression and the bourgeois when fighting together as one.”

(Hmm….we get the feeling Matt could be yankin’ our batter a bit here. According to his profile page: “Cool people don’t quote themselves.” We appreciate the “creative” writing efforts, Matt!)

About Matt:     He’s a print and web designer with photography and teaching talents. Matt has been a member (alias: bananaphone) since February 2005. Matt has five printed tees, and “Cake is Awesome” is being reprinted now, due to high community demand for it.

Score: 2.15 out of 5

See this tee on one of our lovely models.

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The smell of used textbooks is in the air! It’s back to school time, folks. Which means we’ve got a ton of tees in honor of the annual return to academia, in all sorts of different themes. Check out this design and the two posts below!”Hoot! Night Owl!” by Marco AngelesYou don’t have to be a student to understand the need for caf during an all-nighter. Marco’s Inspiration:  “I don’t like coffee in the morning. Maybe I’m doing it wrong :D”About Marco: He’s been a member (alias: ivejustquitsmoking) since April 2008.  This is his 7th printed tee, including collaborations with other members. You can follow him on Twitter and see some of his other tee designs on Emptees. Score: 3.56 out of 5 See this tee on one of our lovely models.

The smell of used textbooks is in the air! It’s back to school time, folks. Which means we’ve got a ton of tees in honor of the annual return to academia, in all sorts of different themes. Check out this design and the two posts below!

”Hoot! Night Owl!” by Marco Angeles

You don’t have to be a student to understand the need for caf during an all-nighter.

Marco’s Inspiration:  “I don’t like coffee in the morning. Maybe I’m doing it wrong :D”

About Marco: He’s been a member (alias: ivejustquitsmoking) since April 2008.  This is his 7th printed tee, including collaborations with other members. You can follow him on Twitter and see some of his other tee designs on Emptees.

Score: 3.56 out of 5

See this tee on one of our lovely models.

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“Geometry Cheat Sheet” by Sara Martin The much-maligned subject of math becomes fun-er.Sara’s Inspiration: “I had a lot of fun with this.  I enjoy drawing, and I enjoy math, and I enjoy puns, so this is pretty much the ultimate trinity right here.”About Sara: She’s been a member (alias: mismonaut) since September 2008. This is her 1st printed tee. This design was originally part of the “Less is More” design challenge – a competition to create tee designs based on 2006 submission guidelines. Score: 3.09 out of 5 See this tee on one of our lovely models.

“Geometry Cheat Sheet” by Sara Martin

The much-maligned subject of math becomes fun-er.

Sara’s Inspiration: “I had a lot of fun with this.  I enjoy drawing, and I enjoy math, and I enjoy puns, so this is pretty much the ultimate trinity right here.”

About Sara: She’s been a member (alias: mismonaut) since September 2008. This is her 1st printed tee. This design was originally part of the “Less is More” design challenge – a competition to create tee designs based on 2006 submission guidelines.

Score: 3.09 out of 5

See this tee on one of our lovely models.

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“A Simple Plan” by Neil Gregory You can learn a lot from video games. And so can the characters inside them, apparently? This Space Invaders-inspired design will charm those who remember the original and the young folks who kick it retro, too. Neil’s Inspiration: “A simple, fun design, inspired by a simple, fun game.”About Neil: He’s been a member (alias: NGee) since June 4, 2004. This is his 3rd printed tee. This design is also available as a super striking Blik wall graphic. Score: 2.95 out of 5 See this tee on one of our lovely models.

“A Simple Plan” by Neil Gregory

You can learn a lot from video games. And so can the characters inside them, apparently? This Space Invaders-inspired design will charm those who remember the original and the young folks who kick it retro, too.


Neil’s Inspiration: “A simple, fun design, inspired by a simple, fun game.”

About Neil: He’s been a member (alias: NGee) since June 4, 2004. This is his 3rd printed tee. This design is also available as a super striking Blik wall graphic.

Score: 2.95 out of 5

See this tee on one of our lovely models.

Comments (View)