Category Archives: Fashion Advice

Advice for wearing and caring for your clothing and t-shirts.

The Right T-shirt Can Make a Difference for “Man Boobs”

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Even though the media may poke fun at them, the hard reality is that man boobs are not a laughing matter for those who have them. Man boobs, medically known as gynecosmastia, is a condition where a male’s breasts are enlarged, or his chest has excessive fat. Man boobs also known as ‘moobs’, can be humiliating and difficult to deal with if you’re the male with the unfortunate issue. Teenagers may often find themselves being made fun of and embarrassed to take their t-shirts off at a pool party or around any of their friends. And even if the t-shirt stays on, it’s often difficult for men, teenage boys, or children to hide the fact their man boobs exist. However, the right t-shirt could help conceal man boobs. In turn, the wrong t-shirt could make man boobs more obvious. Here are some pointers to keep in mind when selecting a t-shirt to help conceal man boobs.

Avoid t-shirts that are too thin or worn out
Avoid t-shirts made out of thin material. They can often be tempting as they can be breezy and cool, but they are also a culprit to making man boobs more evident. The thin material could cling against your skin and make the man boobs more evident or obvious. The same goes for a t-shirt that’s too thin or see-through due to wear and tear. It may be your favorite t-shirt, but the last thing most self conscious individuals want is for a thinning t-shirt to show off their man boobs. Focus on finding a heavy cotton t-shirt instead.

Avoid t-shirt materials that are too soft
As comfortable and tempting as they might be, avoid wearing t-shirts made out of soft cotton, or a soft rayon/cotton blend. These t-shirts can also cling to the skin and easily show rolls evident under the t-shirt. Man boobs can be very evident under a t-shirt that’s too soft. However, that’s not to say you can’t find a soft comfortable t-shirt to wear, but you want to use caution in your search. Also, using a fabric softener in both your washing machine and dryer will help soften up your more ‘durable’ t-shirts.

Avoid t-shirts that are too tight
This may seem to be an obvious one, but some may think wearing a t-shirt that’s a little too tight may help reduce the appearance of man boobs and rolls. On the contrary, the opposite often occurs. A t-shirt that’s too tight can emphasize rolls and make every single one very evident. It can even cause rolls to appear that aren’t normally there without the t-shirt on. It’s also true a t-shirt that’s too baggy may look sloppy and make you look larger than you are. Go for a t-shirt that’s a comfortable fit; not too tight, not too baggy.

Try wearing a tank top under your t-shirt
By trying this technique, the extra layer under your t-shirt can add a barrier between the t-shirt and your man boobs helping to create a smoother appearance. The tank top can also help hold the man boobs in to minimize their size.

Finally, be proud of who you are, and wear your t-shirts with pride!

To Tuck, Or Not to Tuck – the Ultimate T-Shirt Question

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You’re getting dressed in the morning. You’ve got all the elements of a great, casual outfit. Great-fitting jeans? Check. Clever t-shirt? Check. Seems simple enough, right? I mean, just put it on and get out of the house. But with a look in the mirror, you’ll discover your simple outfit brings a big – albeit not earth-shattering – dilemma. Should you tuck in that shirt or not?

If you’re like me, you’ve gone the ‘experimentation’ route with your shirt. You don’t want to wrinkle your shirt, so you fold it under to get a good idea of what it would look like tucked in. If you squint your eyes, you can kind of tell. Then you unfold it and look at the un-tucked version. After a few rounds of this little game, you give up and just go out. But what if you could skip it altogether? What if there was an ultimate guide to when and whether you should tuck?

Well, here we go!

  • Let your feet guide you. What kind of shoes are you going to wear? If it’s sneakers, you can definitely go either way. If you’re wearing pumps or high-heeled boots or sandals, you should probably tuck. If you’re wearing preppy-looking shoes, like loafers, you should definitely tuck. If you’re wearing hiking boots or something else that’s kind of rugged, don’t tuck.
  • What does your waist say? If you’re going to tuck, you’ll probably need a belt – and that brings up a whole new issue. This issue can be solved by the size of your waist. If your waist is trim, you can always get away with tucking. If you’re suffering from “Dunlap Disease” (as in, your belly done lap over your belt), you’re almost always going to want to go untucked to help camouflage that little snack pack you’re carrying.
  • What else are you wearing? If you’re wearing jeans, you could go either way – depending on your figure or physique. If you’re fit, tucking will show off your hard work. If you’re unfit, tucking will show that, too.
  • Where are you going? If it’s casual Friday at work, you absolutely should tuck. Tucking looks neater than not tucking, and you’re there to work – not to shoot pool. You don’t want that “just rolled out of bed” look at work ever. Show up like that, and your boss, co-workers, and clients will all wonder about your competence. Tucking is your only option here. It says, “Hey, I can be part of the team, and the team wants casual Friday. But I’m still here to get the job done, to be a professional.”

There’s still some amount of judgment involved, and you may still have to practice the fake tuck method to make your decision on this crucial matter. You may want to bring in the opinion of an objective observer to help you make your final decision. Ask a friend or your spouse – or even your kids – about whether you should tuck on any particular occasion. It’ll be obvious to them, and if you’re lucky enough to have someone who’ll tell you the truth, you should definitely take their advice.

Can I Wear a T-Shirt with a Blazer?

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Don Johnson rocked our fashion worlds when he wore t-shirts and blazers on Miami Vice. No buttons? No collar? Is this man insane? Nope. Just fashion forward. And he set a trend that’s lived on into the 21st century. You know that wearing a t-shirt with a blazer can be a hip, casual look. That one’s easy. The harder one is knowing when it’s appropriate to wear the two together.

Job interviews

Wearing a t-shirt with a blazer is definitely not appropriate for a job interview. Even if the job interview is such that you can go business casual, it’s still a no-no. The look has a rogue, devil-may-care air about it that doesn’t necessarily shout out “hire me!”

Work – it can go either way

Whether or not you can wear a blazer with a t-shirt to work depends on the atmosphere of your workplace. If you work with a bunch of buttoned-up corporate execs, then it’s a no. But if you work at a trendy clothing store or a hip consulting firm, then go for it.

Those who own their own businesses get to set their own dress code. Freelance photographers or architects might find that pairing a t-shirt with a blazer makes them look down-to-earth but still well put together when meeting with clients.

Date nights and get-togethers

On a casual date, say catching a movie or going out for drinks, the blazer/t-shirt look will work. It’s a step up from jeans and a t-shirt and shows your date that you’ve got a bit of fashion sense. You can also wear a blazer with a t-shirt when you get together with friends for a night on the town or a dinner party. In fact, the t-shirt and blazer combo will work for just about any casual or informal party.
On the flipside, if you’re taking your date to an upscale restaurant or a play, wearing a t-shirt with your blazer isn’t appropriate. It’s likewise inappropriate for upscale cocktail parties, particularly if your boss will be there.

Women, t-shirts, and blazers

Women, on the other hand, can wear a t-shirt under a blazer just about any day of the week. A fitted, color cotton tee under a camel-colored blazer paired with dressed-up jeans is a can’t miss look. It can even be work-appropriate if you wear matching dress slacks. A t-shirt with a blazer looks sophisticated and is a great way to dress up without going the frilly, girly route.

How to wear a t-shirt with a blazer

It probably goes without saying that you should never pair a pastel tee and a white blazer with rolled up sleeves unless you’re the legendary Mr. Johnson. To pull off this look, you’ve got to pick a casual t-shirt. And no, that doesn’t mean a holey pit-stained Hooter’s shirt. Go for something sharp, designer-inspired and in a darker tone. Also, always go with a round collar; no v-necks.

The Rule of Thumb

When in doubt about wearing a t-shirt with a blazer, just remember this rule: Wearing a t-shirt with a blazer is NEVER, EVER a substitute for a suit.

Avoid See Through T-Shirts – Three Pointers

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Sometimes you may wonder why you’re getting the stares you’re getting while you walk down the street. It could be you simply didn’t realize how see through your t-shirt was before you walked out the door, or maybe you simply choose not to care if your nipples or chest hair are obviously showing to the world. I prefer to think the former. And if the latter defines you, then please realize that your chest hair and nipples are not so attractive when shining through a t-shirt. Whether you’re showing it all and it leaves no need for imagination, or your chest hair and nipples are obviously there, but it’s up to us to determine the details (ugh!), here are some pointers to help you avoid this embarrassing dilemma.

Watch out for thin materials or worn out t-shirts
If you purchase a t-shirt that’s too thin, then you’re asking for trouble. If a t-shirt is too thin, it allows for the shape of your nipples to show (especially when you’re cold) and whether you have a little chest hair or you’re hairy like a monkey, you’re hairy forest will be obvious through a thin t-shirt. Avoid thin cotton and rayon/cotton blends that show almost any shape under a t-shirt. Also, a t-shirt that’s too worn out can be 1) too thin and/or 2) so worn out it’s see through. If you have a favorite t-shirt that’s too thin, see through, or both, then please pack it away in a safe place out of reach from more wear and tear. Choose t-shirts that are made of good quality, heavier material (and newer vs. worn out).

Beware of white or light colored t-shirts
The lighter the color, the more likely it is for nipples and chest hair to show (details and all), especially if the t-shirt is made of a thinner material. White t-shirts are great and versatile, but go for a heavier white material that reflects a good quality t-shirt that leaves no room for imagination. And indeed, please add color to your wardrobe, no matter how light the color, but heed the same advice as if you’re purchasing a white t-shirt. Go for a heavier material to avoid the ‘see through syndrome’. In addition, it will help the color look better, as well.

Check out the mirror before you leave
This would seem rather obvious, but you’d be surprised to know how many men walk out the door prior to looking in the mirror (or their mirrors only show from the neck up), and they often don’t try a t-shirt on prior to buying it as they would a button up blouse or pair of slacks. This being the case, they don’t realize how see through the t-shirt really is, or if not see through, how obvious it is to know that he has cold nipples or chest hair. By simply checking it out in the mirror before leaving home, it could help save all involved from the embarrassment. If in doubt, then ask a friend!

What Is T-Shirt Weather?

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When the temperature hits the high 60s, t-shirt weather has officially arrived. You can give or take a few degrees, of course, depending on your tolerance for the cold. Some people won’t declare it t-shirt weather until the temperature reaches the low 70s. In terms of seasons, t-shirt weather usually rolls around in the spring. Basically, though, it’s t-shirt appropriate weather if you can go outside comfortably without long sleeves.

Different ways to define t-shirt weather

T-shirt weather isn’t defined solely by whether it’s warm enough to go outside in short sleeves, however. A warm but breezy spring day, for example, could call for a t-shirt with a light jacket. Just because you have to layer doesn’t mean it’s not t-shirt weather. You can also wear a loose-knit cardigan with a t-shirt on a breezy day.

T-shirt weather can also be defined by answering this question, “Can I wear short sleeves without looking ridiculous?” When everyone else around you is in parkas and sweaters, you might get some odd glances if you’re sporting a t-shirt. Regardless of whether you’re freezing or roasting, you want to dress in seasonally appropriate clothing.

Feelin’ hot, hot, hot!

Once t-shirt weather arrives, it’s here to stay as the thermometer keeps climbing. In fact, the hotter it gets, the more you’re going to thank your lucky stars for t-shirts. A light cotton tee can keep you cool into the hot summer months. Put on a t-shirt, a pair of shorts and some flip-flops and you’ll be good to go. If the temperature hits the triple digits, though, you might see t-shirt weather turning into tank top weather.

Falling leaves, falling temperatures

As fall approaches, the temperatures begin to drop, but you’ve still got a couple of good months of t-shirt weather left. Even though department stores start putting out the coats and sweaters in August, in most places you’ll still have warm days into September and even October. A t-shirt with a sweater vest, for example, is a perfect back-to-school look.

Snowflakes and t-shirts?

Some might argue, though, that there is no such thing as “t-shirt weather” because you can wear t-shirts year round. You can pair a short-sleeve t-shirt with a long-sleeved shirt for a funky layered look. You could also wear a t-shirt with a blazer during the colder months. So, you don’t necessarily have to pack away your t-shirts during the winter.

Most people sleep in t-shirts, which could technically make any time of the year t-shirt weather if you look at it that way. Depending on how warm you keep your house, you might opt for a t-shirt and boxer shorts in December rather than flannel pajamas.

Traveling

Temperatures – and therefore t-shirt weather – varies from state to state and country to country. Always check the forecast when you plan to travel because the temperature might call for t-shirts at your destination even if you’re currently wearing sweatshirts. Also remember that when you travel overseas the seasons themselves can be different. No matter where you’re going, it’s always a safe bet to pack at least a few t-shirts.

How to Recycle Your Old T-Shirts

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You’ve got a pile of raggedy t-shirts, too pitiful to wear and certainly too shabby to donate to charity. Rather than chucking them in the trash, try out a few of these ways to recycle old t-shirts. Mother Earth will thank you, and you might just wind up with some pretty cool stuff.

Haute couture from holey shirts?

Maybe it’s not fit to wear as a t-shirt, but it might still have a place in your wardrobe. A shirt with a cool design on the front, such as a band name, can easily be turned into a trendy, one-of-a-kind purse. If you’re feeling sassy, you can turn that old tee into a pair of undies. That’s right! It’s such a popular trend that you can even find patterns for t-shirt panties on the Internet.

Keep it clean

Without a doubt, the most popular use for old t-shirts is to turn them into cleaning rags. Unlike paper towels, t-shirt rags are reusable. Stick them in with a load of laundry, and there good for another few rounds of cleaning. They’re great for drying dishes, cleaning up spills or washing your car. You can cut the shirts up into smaller pieces to use as eyeglass wipes, too.

Old t-shirts can also keep things clean by protecting your expensive clothes. Place the shirt over your suit or dress on the hanger, and it will help keep off the dust. You can place them over shoes as well.

Decorate your house

Decorate my house with ratty t-shirts? Eek! What would Martha Stewart say? It might sound crazy, but old shirts can be transformed into some pretty cool décor. You can make quick and easy throw pillows from old shirts, and you don’t have to worry if they get dirty or spilled on. Let the shirts pull double duty, and cut a few up into small pieces to use as stuffing for you pillows.

If the shirt has a particularly interesting or artsy design, you can cut it out and frame it. You’ll have a very unique piece of art and quite a conversation piece. Or decoupage several shirts squares and paste the finished product on a board. T-shirt squares can also be incorporated into funky quilts.

Gifts for our four-legged friends

You can give an old shirt to your dog as a blanket. They’ll love having something with your smell on it to cuddle up with. You can also use the fabric to make little catnip toys. All you need is a bit of stuffing and a package of dry catnip. Sew up a dozen or so and donate them to the local animal shelter. Or, tie the shirt up into a few knots and you’ve got an instant doggie chew toy.

A few last random ways to recycle old t-shirts:

· Cloth diapers
· Packing material
· Sell them to a company that buys cotton to make rags
· Handkerchiefs
· Donate them to elementary schools for children to wear as painting smocks
· Plant ties
· Woven rugs
· Bedding for ferrets

With all the ways you can give old t-shirts a second life, tossing them into your garbage can should be the farthest thing from your mind!

Can I Get Sunburned Through My T-shirt?

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The question of whether or not you can be sunburned through a t-shirt is a common one. Having clothing on seems like a logical way to protect yourself from the damages of UV rays and preventing the sun from burning your skin. Sadly, that is not technically accurate. With the increase of skin cancer many people are concerned with doing everything they need to protect their skin from the harmful effects of the sun. There are many different brands of sun block with varying amounts of protection. Even some makeup is toting sunscreen protection.

While protecting your face and other exposed skin from UV rays with sunscreen is a great start, it is just a start. Clothing does not block enough of the rays to be a perfect protection. After hours in the sun, or less depending on the situation, you may find that your skin is burned even where your clothing was. The likelihood of being burned through your t-shirt rests on several factors.

A lighter weight material is usually less effective than a thicker material. There are some companies that claim they offer clothing with UV ray protection, but usually these items are swimwear and not t-shirts for everyday wear. Loose woven fabrics are much more likely to allow sunburn than fabrics that are tightly weaved. Also, a wet t-shirt greatly increases the risk of a burn over a perfectly dry one. While a wet shirt may seem like a great idea to keep your body cool during a hot summer, if you don’t protect your skin with a waterproof sunscreen, you may end up being sunburned.

Wearing a sunscreen under your t-shirt helps to block the UV rays that do seep through the fabric. While it seems like a waste of energy and money to wear sunscreen under clothing, it is the best way to try and prevent the sun from burning your skin and increasing your chance of skin cancer. While you may be able to still get cancer even if you have never once had sunburn, the more your skin is exposed the higher the chances are of getting skin cancer. Sunscreen is designed to protect your skin from the rays for a designated amount of time, so take the time to apply it as often as needed.

Just because your shirt may not be a tight woven fabric doesn’t mean you should just through it out and buy new ones. Your favorite shirts can still be worn if you take a little extra time to protect your skin by applying a liberal layer of sun block to your skin before putting your shirt on and going outside. You will not only be protecting your skin but you will also be able to enjoy wearing your favorite t-shirt without worrying too much about the effects of the sun on your body. Your t-shirt is an expression of your individuality and personality. Don’t let the sun dictate what you wear. Just take the precautions of applying sunscreen before hand and enjoy a life of wearing your favorite clothes.

My Poor Friend Always Wears the Same T-Shirt…

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Best friends share a very special bond. They know and understand each other’s needs and no words need be spoken to express them. Mostly, best friends understand their obligation to help each other out. Sometimes this means protecting your best friend, even from himself. I consider myself a good friend. When I see a friend in need, I’m there in a flash. Hopefully with a solution. Lately, I’ve noticed that my best friend is having a fairly serious problem. The saddest part about his situation is that he seems unaware of its presence. Because of his ignorance, he has not approached me for help, his bestest buddy. I think I’m going to have to impose a solution on him. It’s my duty.

See, my friend is a swell guy. Everybody likes him. He’s funny, the life of the party, and he’s super smart. Needless to say, he has a bright future ahead of him. However, this bright future of his is going to get dimmer if he doesn’t get another shirt to wear. When I say “another,” I don’t mean that the poor fellow has a history of wearing bad shirts and that they need to be replaced with better ones. I mean quite literally, that he needs another shirt to wear besides the single, lonely shirt he has. It’s so pitiful, hanging there in his closet all by itself. My best friend’s single, solitary shirt.

The shirt itself is okay, there’s nothing offensive about it. He keeps the shirt clean, which is to his credit. In fact, the shirt is fresh as a flower most of the time. It would be a perfectly good shirt if it weren’t for the fact that every time you see my friend, he’s wearing it. And it’s starting to affect his life. This seemingly harmless shirt is shamelessly sabotaging my friend. He finally got the guts to ask this great girl out on a date last week. He’s been working up the courage all semester long. She said “yes” and they went out last Saturday. Of course, he wore the infamous shirt. He says they had a great time, but now she won’t return his phone calls. It’s got to be the shirt.

I suppose it isn’t fair to blame the shirt. It’s not its fault that my stupid friend wears it constantly. You’d think he would know better. Nevertheless, I can’t stand by and watch my friend’s life go to shambles. What kind of friend would that make me? I decided to get him a new shirt. But not just any shirt, an extra cool one designed by me. I might even go wild and get him several shirts, so he can have some options. Not only will our friends have a renewed appreciation for my dear friend, but they’ll be stunned by his fabulous new wardrobe. They won’t even know what hit them. And he will be scratching his head, trying to figure out how he ever survived without these fantastic shirts. See, personally designed shirts can change lives.

A Farmer’s Tan by Any Other Name Is a T-Shirt Tan

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A T-shirt tan, also known as a farmers tan, is particularly common for anyone who works outside and especially so in the spring and early fall. It is simply a tan which stops at the borders of where a T-shirt would be worn. It cuts off around the neck and mid-upper arm. One of the most famous farmer’s tan pictures around is that of one of the Tour de France participants who trains daily for up to 10 hours in a biking T-shirt. You can imagine the contrast in his tan lines.

Farmer’s tans are so common in spring and early fall because the temperatures are warm enough for short sleeves but not quite warm enough to wear any less. In those types of in-between temperatures, we also tend to forget about sunscreen to protect ourselves, as getting a tan is often not even a thought that crosses our minds. Such tans are also common when people spend long periods of time outside in the summer in places or doing activities where it is inappropriate to wear less than a T-shirt.

Don’t fear, there is a way to fix a T-shirt tan. When you have the opportunity to go topless for the guys and nearly topless for the girls, apply SPF 45 to the areas of your body that are already tanned. Apply only SPF 15 to the untanned area. This will protect you from getting sunburned but will also speed up the equalization process for your tan. Remember to reapply often and be careful to apply the lower sunscreen right up to the tan line or you may have patches of dark tan, light tan and red on your body. The process may need to be repeated depending on how dark your farmer’s tan is.

If you have a farmer’s tan and are proud of it, then show it off in a farmer’s tan T-shirt. You can have one custom-made saying something like this:

  • I love farmer’s tans
  • I love your farmer’s tan
  • Yup, she loves my farmer’s tan
  • One day I’ll have a farmer’s tan like my daddy

You can even have a custom-made anti-farmer’s tan T-shirt made up with a line like: This isn’t a farmer’s tan, it’s a gardener’s tan or a golfer’s tan or a watching my kid’s soccer game tan. There are so many choices of what you can print on your anti-farmer’s tan T-shirt. You can even take the high road and print a line like “The correct term is T-shirt tan.”

If you have a group of people working together outside, for a special project or even on a regular basis, you can get a set of farmer’s tan T-shirts made up for everyone in the group. It can say “Proud member of a farmer’s tan T-shirt group” or “This is my official farmer’s tan T-shirt.” Whatever the case, it’ll surely earn a smile from everyone in your group.

Get yourself a farmer’s tan or T-shirt tan T-shirt today and flaunt your T-shirt tan.

T-Shirt Storage 101 – How to Store Your T-Shirts

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How to store your T-shirts is another one of those debatable topics. Many people swear that their preferred method is the absolute best and only way to store T-shirts. Whether to fold or hang T-shirts is a subject that some people can argue about for hours. In most cases it truly is a personal choice, sometimes based on the amount of storage space a person has and sometimes based on other reasons.

If you choose to hang your T-shirts, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Place the T-shirt straight on the hanger to avoid wrinkles and avoid it falling off the hanger. Padded hangers are best to avoid bumps and dents in the shoulders of your shirts. Plastic and wooden hangers are acceptable, but wire hangers should be avoided at all cost. Rotate your shirts so that none stay hanging in your closet unused for too long. When you go to use them you will encounter not only hanger dents, but also a line of dust along the shoulders. If you iron your T-shirts, hanging them on a hanger may be the best way to ensure that they remain wrinkle-free.

If you decide to fold your shirts, you need to do so neatly and place them so that they are not overcrowded or stuffed into a small area. In order to keep your shirts from wrinkling, you should fold then properly using the following technique. Hold each sleeve in your hands with the T-shirt facing towards you. Fold the sleeves inward with a crease forming at mid-shoulder. This type of folding will cause the outer sides of the T-shirt torso to fold also. You should now have an almost rectangular shape to fold either in half or in thirds, depending on your own preference and storage space. A plastic folding board may also be a useful thing to have on hand to help ensure neat folding.

One thing to keep in mind with custom-made printed T-shirts that have something big printed on them is to be careful how you fold them. You want to avoid folding the shirt so that print is not folded over on itself. It may stick together a little causing you to pull it apart when the time comes to wear it. Such action over time may cause additional wear and tear on the print and it may not last as long as you would like. You may also want to avoid folding the print itself, especially if it is a large one, because it may have a tendency to hold the crease after you unfold it, meaning you may need to iron the shirt.

Some people even suggest that a good way to store T-shirts is to roll them. This works particularly well if you have a tight space to store them in or if you are packing a suitcase. Simply fold the arms of the T-shirt inward mid-shoulder, like in the folding instructions, and then starting from the tail of the shirt, roll it into a neat cylinder shape.

There is no right or wrong way to store your T-shirts; it is simply what works best for you.  Get yourself some custom-made T-shirts today and try out the different storage techniques to find the one you like best.

Is Putting Names on Kids T-shirts Safe?

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T-shirts are so much fun. They are great gifts for anyone. Kid’s t-shirts are a blast since you can personalize the shirt with their favorite activities, places and even name. The question is it safe to have your child’s name on a t-shirt then becomes the issue. The problem with having the child’s name right on the shirt is that a stranger then has access to that information without even trying. A less than stellar stranger may use this information to approach your child thus can put your child in danger. Keeping your child protected is one of the main concerns for parents. Letting your guard down over a t-shirt just doesn’t seem worth the risks.

Each parent has the responsibility to protect and teach the kids in their home. Teaching kids about potential dangers can ease your mind a bit, but you must remain vigil in keeping watch. With your child’s name on a t-shirt a stranger could approach your child. Using your child’s real name may confuse your child into thinking that this stranger actually knows him or her. Of course, potential threats can find out this information other ways as well.

Having your child’s name on a t-shirt is cute. Most kids enjoy seeing their names on t-shirts and having other people to acknowledge them personally. If you are uncomfortable with your child’s name on a shirt for fear of a stranger knowing your little one’s name, perhaps there is another alternative. A fun nickname that wouldn’t be a cause for alarm may work great. If you decide to have a name or nickname printed onto your child’s t-shirt you may want to explain to your child about strangers and the potential threat they offer.

Another option if you intend to have your child’s name on the t-shirt is to only allow your child to wear that shirt when you are around and paying attention. Perhaps at birthday parties or family gatherings would be perfect places for your child to wear this prized t-shirt. This might be a great way to please your child since the personalize t-shirt can be worn out but under the strict watch of responsible adults. For large gatherings like family reunions it might also come in handy to have the child’s name on a t-shirt so that everyone will be able to address the child personally and give the child a sense of belonging.

Deciding if it is safe to put your child’s name on a t-shirt is a personal decision that should be made after serious look into the implications. Having your child’s name on a t-shirt might be a great thing, especially if your child loves to have others know his or her name. Of course, the risk of someone dangerous knowing your child’s name by simply reading a shirt can also cause serious problems, so weigh the options carefully. Taking special care to protect your child while still allowing the enjoyment of a personalized t-shirt can be tricky, but worth it.

T-shirt shrick

How to Shrink Your T-shirt

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T-shirt shrickMost T-shirts today come pre-shrunk, however there is still a small amount of shrinkage that can still occur. If it shrinks significantly, it shows that the manufacturing quality is probably not very high. Preshrunk is a standard used in good quality T-shirt manufacturing because it tends to provide a more stable finished format and better results with color, printing and size. However, there are times when we buy or are given those T-shirts that have not been preshrunk and they are too large for us. That’s when we want to shrink a T-shirt so that it fits better.

If you are looking to shrink a T-shirt that you have, you first need to look at the fabric content. There are certain fabrics that simply just do not shrink, like acrylic. The majority of T-shirts though are made of cotton or a cotton blend and these do shrink under the right conditions. The trick to shrinking cotton T-shirts is to use lots of heat.

First set your washer for a small load and set the water temperature to hot. If the pre-set temperature on your home’s water heater is more warm than hot, you may want to add some boiling water to the washer also to increase the temperature.

Then add your T-shirt to be shrunk to the wash water and let it proceed through the cycle as usual. Do not put any other clothes in with your T-shirt and use laundry detergent like usual.

As soon as the washer finishes, put it in the dryer on the highest temperature setting possible and leave it there until it is bone dry. Then, let it sit until it cools before removing it. You should have succeeded in reducing it one or two sizes. You may also iron it with a very hot iron, but do not iron outward as you may stretch it.

One thing to keep in mind however is that any clothing item that you shrink at home may not shrink in the ways you want it to. Often the results are uneven or the shirt is too short, or not wide enough or the collar or sleeves didn’t shrink in relation to the shirt. Therefore when you attempt this, the results are always risky and you may not get want you want, leaving you with a T-shirt that doesn’t fit right and doesn’t look good anymore.

If you opt to get a preshrunk T-shirt that is an almost perfect fit, avoid shrinkage by washing it in cold or warm water and drying it on low. If you get a larger shirt than you need for whatever reason and want to shrink it, follow the directions above for the best possible result.

Get yourself a variety of custom-made T-shirts that fit, by ordering online to guarantee that your size is in stock and you’ll never need to shrink a T-shirt again. No need to worry about uneven shrinkage or a retailer selling out of your size when you order custom-made T-shirts in the design of your choice.

If you have any advice on shrinking or preventing your shirt please let us know.

Donate Your T-Shirts!

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Not sure what to do with old t-shirts? Or you want to help an organization in a simple and easy way? T-shirts are an inexpensive way to contribute.

One group is showing soldiers support with T-shirts. Students from Maine decided to write letters to their local troops serving in Iraq. After starting the project, they decided to send t-shirts, too. Kids from kindergarten to high school participated. They had a contest to design the shirt. The final product had the troops’ logo and that of their local high school with the town’s name.

It had a huge impact on the soldiers to know how much their work is appreciated by these kids. PFC Tom Crist is on his second tour. “It’s amazing. You get so caught up in the day to day operations, sometimes you forget how much everyone back home is thinking of you. We proudly wear our t-shirts and know who we’re really working for; the kids from our hometown.”

The project meant a lot to the students, too. “We were really, really excited. It was fun to make up the design,” said Henry Peters, age 12.

Project organizers said it was easy to make the shirts and other local businesses chipped in. Principle Ann Sanders explains. “A group of marinas went in together and bought and donated the t-shirts. Then, a silk-screener in town said he would do the printing as a donation. All together, this was a great team effort.”

You can also donate plain shirts to groups and allow them to put their own logos on them. The Helen Krouse Animal Shelter had a drive for new plain white or colored shirts. People donated hundreds of them. The organization had the shirts silk-screened with their logos and the theme for the annual Pet Walk. By using donated t-shirts, the group saved hundreds of dollars!

Have old t-shirts you want to get rid of? You can donate those, too.

Local groups that serve your community are always looking for donations. Try Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and Volunteers of America. They all have thrift shops. Another place to drop clothes is local shelters and low-income drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers. Many of these people are just getting back on their feet and could use some decent clothes.

Other national groups send gently used and new t-shirts to poor communities around the world. Just check on line with www.kidsforcommunity.org, just one of many sites that do this. You send the group your shirts and they’ll get them to people in need. Shirts bearing American sports logos, designers and other U.S. marketing icons are very popular.

Do All Color T-Shirts Go With Blue Jeans?

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Jeans and T-shirts seem to go together like so many other classics: hamburger and French fries, prom and dresses, bat and ball and cookies and cream. It just feels right and is a natural combination. The greatest thing about the jeans and T-shirt combination is that it requires no thought at all. They always go together and always match. There is no bad color combination of T-shirt and blue jeans. Whether the T-shirt in question is red, green, black, blue, orange, yellow, purple, white, gray, beige, pink or some other color, it matches blue jeans. Jeans and a tee make for easy dressing for the millions of us who love to wear our blue jeans every chance we get.

If you were to change the jeans color to anything other than blue or black, then you will have complicated the matching process. White jeans work well with almost any color T-shirt with the exception of white and off-white tones. Putting white and white together tends to give the look of wearing an all-white uniform typical to certain professions. When the jeans are any other color besides blue, black and white, you run into the regular color matching questions that you’d find in any wardrobe dilemma.

Depending on where you live and what you do, jeans and a T-shirt can be pretty much an everyday outfit. For many people they can even be worn to work. When outside of work, jeans and a tee make a perfect outfit for doing chores, running errands, socializing and more. It is even acceptable to wear jeans and a T-shirt in many restaurants, churches and other places where traditionally one has needed to dress up. Our world is becoming a much less formal place and a clean T-shirt and jeans can go almost anywhere.

In fact, the matching of blue jeans and a T-shirt is so versatile that it can be dressed up or down to match the occasion. By wearing sandals or sneakers with a regular T-shirt and blue jeans, you will give a casual and relaxed appearance. By dressing up your blue jeans with a nicer T-shirt, high heels, boots or nice shoes and a blazer or a wrap, you will have successfully transformed your look into something much more stylish. It will be appropriate for going out to dinner, to a club, or anywhere else that you want to present a more polished look.

You can get a custom-made T-shirt for yourself that talks of the versatility of the classic blue jeans and T-shirt combination. Some options to have printed on a tee are:

  • Yes, blue jeans and a T-shirt do go with everything
  • This is my dress-up T-shirt
  • A match made in heaven – blue jeans and a T-shirt
  • Blue jeans and a tee – my uniform for life
  • I’m a blue jeans and T-shirt kind of guy/girl.

Get your custom-made T-shirt today in any color and proudly wear it with your blue jeans, knowing that you are perfectly matched and ready for just about anything.

Will you Regret Wearing an Ironic T-Shirt?

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SheKnows.com did a story on the top 10 regretable fashion trends and one of them includes the t-shirt. The fashion/style no-no’s include:

  1. overtanning
  2. extensions
  3. hobo chi
  4. t-shirts with ironic expressions
  5. giant sunglasses
  6. Uggs
  7. bringing back the 1980s
  8. hoodies
  9. crocs
  10. ultra low rise jeans

The article states that “This once-cute trend has now reached an annoying level of pop culture pervasiveness. Sorry, hipsters, but it would be nice if you found some other way to express your sarcasm.”

Well, I have to say that shoving all ironic expression t-shirts into one group is not exactly fair. As a t-shirt lover I believe there is a place for ironic t-shirts. I would love to hear more from SheKnows about why they don’t like them. Personally I find them amusing and always commend those who are brave enough to wear text based t-shirts. Will you really regret wearing the shirt 20 years from now? If the ironic t-shirt was your biggest no-no when looking back 20 years then I say you aren’t doing too bad. Let us know what you think.

When Are T-Shirts Appropriate?

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From the White House, to the workplace, to the red carpet, and everywhere in between, dressing down is trending up. While some occasions still require a suit, a tie, and patent leather shoes, casual dress is becoming increasingly acceptable where formality was once the rule. T-shirts used to be relegated to the bottom dresser drawer, nestled between old pairs of underwear and mismatched socks. Now they are seen as a fun way to liven up a wardrobe, not just on the weekends, but every day of the week.

T-shirts are no longer off-duty from 9 to 5. Many employers now encourage their employees to embrace a more flexible corporate culture, which often includes a more casual dress code. For some workers, jeans, t-shirts, and flip-flops are the daily uniform. Even if that look is too dressed down for your office, there still may be room for a t-shirt or two in your wardrobe. A t-shirt can be dressed up with a tailored blazer and crisp slacks, adding a splash of warmth and color to a no-nonsense business look. Sharply dressed young men often layer traditional button down shirts over playful t-shirts, spicing up the corporate look with a bit of youthful fashion sense. With a little imagination and style, anybody can incorporate t-shirts into a professional wardrobe.

Wearing a t-shirt to work makes it easy to transition into going-out garb at the end of the day. Take off that jacket or undo another button or two, and you’re left with a fun, flirty look that will carry you through the evening. Graphic tees, emblazoned with words and pictures, are a far cry from Grandpa’s plain white undershirt. Today’s t-shirt makes a statement, and can be as unique as the person wearing it. It’s a look that’s absolutely appropriate for a dinner out, grabbing drinks with friends, or even going to a party. If Sharon Stone can wear a t-shirt to the Oscars, you can wear a t-shirt to your buddy’s birthday party.

Of course, the t-shirt’s bread-and-butter is relaxation. T-shirts are soft, flexible, easy to care for, easy to wear–the perfect garment for lounging around the house, for vegging out in front of the TV, or for taking a Saturday afternoon nap in the hammock. College students–the gurus of relaxation–practically live in t-shirts. There’s no better choice for someone watching Sunday afternoon football or staying up for an all night study session. And for those weekend activities that aren’t so relaxing–washing the car, painting the garage, mowing the lawn–t-shirts are the only way to go. T-shirts let you get through any tough job in style.

Once upon a time, you couldn’t wear stripes with plaid, you couldn’t wear white after Labor Day, and you couldn’t wear t-shirts if you weren’t doing chores or going to the gym. But times have changed. Society has embraced a more expansive and flexible set of fashion rules. These days, people are free to choose the clothes that they like best. T-shirts are now appropriate in a whole range of settings and situations, meaning we can look good and feel comfortable at work, at home, and out on the town.

What Does Your T-Shirt Say About You?

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Americans are addicted to self-expression. Among other things, we have the right to free speech, as recognized and ratified by our founding fathers. While I don’t think they had light cotton shirts that bare the arms and are emblazoned with witty sayings, graphics, and whatnot in mind, I’m sure they’d approve of this most American way of expressing ourselves.

Walk down any street in any neighborhood, town, or city across the nation and you’ll find you can feast your eyes on other folk’s “self-expression” by simply reading their t-shirts. One can buy a t-shirt for any reason, to suit any purpose, and to state any belief.

What does your t-shirt say about you? Well, that depends on the shirt, doesn’t it? If you have a quirky sense of humor, you may choose to wear shirts that show funny situations or have jokes printed on them. You might believe that part of your purpose in life is to spread happiness to your fellow man. Wearing a funny t-shirt is an easy way to achieve this goal. You may be free-spirited and happy-go-lucky, and just want the world to know it.

You may have t-shirts hanging in your closet that reflect your political views. Maybe you are a member of a political party and have graphics depicting a donkey or elephant on your shirt. Maybe you want to support a particular political issue, such as withdrawing troops from the battlefield and choose a shirt that sports a yellow ribbon.

Many people wear shirts that show-off their interests. Lots of these types of shirts include humor; one that comes to mind is the one with three cats or dogs walking on the front, and their rear ends on the back of the t-shirt. You many have participated in a big event, like a hunting convention, and bought or received a t-shirt commemorating your participation. Wearing this type of t-shirt is another way to show the world what you enjoy.

Perhaps you want to share your spiritual beliefs. You might then choose a shirt that has inspiring verses from the holy texts of your religion. Your shirt might show a particular icon that is sacred to your beliefs, like Jesus wearing a crown of thorns.

Still other people wear t-shirts that show their support of a particular sports team, whether it’s a professional or an amateur one, or their kid’s soccer team. This may be one of the most popular types of t-shirts you’ll see coming down the street, especially during play-off time. In fact, when showing their support for “their team”, people will gladly wear their team colors on their shirts, but will also match their shorts, socks, shoes, accessories, and sometime their hair and faces to their t-shirts!

Another group of people who wear t-shirts that will give you a clue about who they are are people who support a charity or a cause. Think about the piles of t-shirts that are given away to participants in Red Cross marathons, Alzheimer’s walks, Green Peace rallies, and so on. Not only do the shirts draw attention to the event’s particular cause, but they show the world that the wearer is aware of the issue, and supports it. A person wearing one of these types of t-shirts is working to raise awareness of their cause, in one of the easiest ways of doing it; by wearing it!

What you’re wearing does indeed say something about who you are. Whether you are supporting your favorite charity or sports team, or want to share your faith or your love for cats, you can do it with a t-shirt. The only difficulty lies in picking one from a nearly infinite number of choices!