We recently put up One Thousand Shirts new tee for you all to check out, which I really enjoy. It’s got the right level of unique but still looking cool. I also a while back reviewed one of their tees which you can check out here. Anyway the guys behind One Thousand Shirts sent me some behind the scenes snaps of their print run so I thought I’d pop it up so you guys and gals can see a bit more of what goes into T-Shirt printing, which I’m sure a lot of you already know a fair bit about! Check out the pictures and if you ever want to have a chat with them pop over to their Facebook page!

A few months ago I reviewed 83MM who are awesome. They’ve recently changed their name from 83MM to Dead Reel, which to me is a nicer name! So good choice guys!

Sheffield-based independent movie t-shirt line, 83mm Apparel has re-launched as Dead Reel to prepare the brand for international exposure following a successful first nine months in business. As part of the brand revamp, founder Jon Hides, who hand draws the t-shirt designs, has unveiled a slick new identity featuring a re-designed logo, website and photo gallery. Dead Reel launched as 83mm Apparel in September 2012 after graphic designer and artist, Jon couldn’t find a t-shirt line that catered for his love of classic movies. The nine-strong collection features designs based on iconic movie moments that only the true film fans would recognise, including scenes from The Shining, Batman and The Evil Dead.

They recently unveiled under their new guise at MGM’s Comic Convention, which is pretty sweet. They through some pictures up as well from the event on their Facebook page

Last weekend me and Mrs HYA took a trip down to London from the cold, dark North to enjoy the perks of the bustling metropolis, and also to check out the Margin tradeshow after HYAs absence from the show for five long years. I was going to pop down last Summer but show founder Odysseas had to cancel due to the Olympics putting a spanner in the works. This years second edition will be going ahead and HYA fully intends to be there too after enjoying this visit so much. This trip was also the first time ever that I met one of the other bloggers at HYA, namely Doug who has been part of the team for a year now. Turns out he know A LOT about art and I don’t, which I think made for a pretty deadly double act when talking to brands.

Doing what I do you tend to ‘meet’ a lot of people, but there’s only so much that you can gain over e-mail compared to meeting people face-to-face and seeing what they’re passionate about and the amount of enthusiasm they have for their brand. It’s also great to see the products in the ‘flesh’ since lookbook photos and mockups can only tell us so much. Also, it turns out that when I talk, I tend to talk a lot, visiting just the t-shirt-y brands at the show me and Doug managed to clock up getting on for four hours chatting with people about the ins-and-outs of the industry, at one point we had to take a water break. Were we thorough? Yes we were.

Rather predictably for the UK (even in the tropical South) it was raining, but fortunately the show was well located at The Music Rooms about a minute or so from Bond Street station (and hipster burger restaurant Meat Liquor, where me, Doug, and Mrs HYA enjoyed burgers and cocktails in the dark). After signing in at the reception we went into the main room filled with brands eagerly waiting to show off their clothing. The initial impression you get shows a big difference between Margin and other tradeshows, everyone is equal, and it isn’t so big that it’s overwhelming. All the brands at Margin are small up-and-comers, a lot of which have never exhibited at a show like this before, so it’s good for them to get their feet wet in a smaller environment with like-minded people rather than being stuck in the corner at a larger show and being over-shadowed by bigger brands. It’s also a great opportunity for smaller boutiques to pick up interesting new labels to sell in their stores, though there is a lot of interest from larger entities too, I did see a few Drapers business cards around the show, which is arguably a bit bigger of a deal than HYA. I don’t know of any other tradeshow that caters to smaller brands in the same way that Margin does, if you do let me know because I’d love to check it out.

We visited on the Sunday, and a few of the people we spoke to had said it was quite quiet in terms of foot traffic, but with the combination of the wet weather and it not being a work day I don’t find that too surprising. It was Sunday after all, I imagine that most buyers for shops don’t want to be working on a Sunday, and most people in the press are probably the same, so whilst it’s really convenient that I could make a weekend of it and go on the Sunday, in business terms I’m sure there was more activity on the Monday and hopefully lots of deals come from the show because there were a lot of brands that I’m sure would be a good fit for all kinds of shops. For us, it being a bit quieter was a real plus, we weren’t fighting for people’s attention and could have some good conversations with brands, which is what it was all about for Team HYA.

I’ve been purposely vague about specific brands in this post because I don’t really want to single anyone out just yet. Over the next couple of weeks me and Doug will be providing commentary and an overview of most of the brands we spoke to and reporting back on what we found, so this recap iss mostly just to give you a flavour of the show. It really was great to be there, after the show on the train home I felt invigorated, being around creative people helps to get ideas going and makes you feel positive, and I hope that other brands involved felt the same. See you in the Summer, Margin!

Regular Hide Your Arms readers will have spotted our recent posts highlighting a few of the brands exhibiting at Margin London on the 10th & 11th February.

With just six days to go until the show opens to buyers and press, here’s a preview of some more of the labels making their tradeshow debut at the exhibition.

We thought we’d better not post any more in-depth profiles otherwise the Hide Your Arms crew wouldn’t have any exclusives to report on when they visit the show!

Here are some images to whet the appetite and look forward to the Hide Your Arms reports after the show.

For information about exhibiting at or visiting Margin, get in touch via the website.

LATIN LOVER, a new t-shirt label from Columbia for men & women, with great illustrations & graphics:

EVIL, the first-season from this new menswear range will be debuted at Margin. The collection features a whole range of clothing (shirting, trousers, chinos, denim) and printed tees & sweatshirts:

SLANG, a new men’s and women’s t-shirt brand from Portugal, drawing influences from art, music, and skate, and making their debut at Margin:

NETTY RATTI, adorable cross-stitched designs in this range of ethical women’s tops and tees:

OUT OF PRINT first made their debut at Margin in August 2011 and have exhibited at every edition since. They’re back again in February 2013 to unveil their latest tees featuring artwork from classic books:

Two weeks ago a new Crew Sweatie was released with help from Regular Printing, so I wanted to share a behind the scenes look at their shop process.

Heather blue crew is a perfect color for a tonal printing, so we mixed up a water based ink color to match the shirt, then got ready for the Regular Printing magic!

You wanna check out a short Video Of The Printing?

The studio is one of the cleanest I’ve seen and perfect for a master at work.

Scott and Shamsy are using a manual press so everything is hands on here!

Perfect placement and alignment is key when the sweatie is put on the pallet.

The water based ink is so soft compared to a plastisol print, that is why I use water based inks all the time… Especially for this super soft crew sweatshirt!

Each sweatie runs thru the dryer to cure the ink, then collected and folded up.

The limited run of 24 are complete, so extra ink is collected to clean the screens.

Then each sweatie gets a custom neck label sewn in by hand.

The little details like a embroidered sleeve applique make it perfect…

Fresh from California comes this new range of menswear by Ours. With tailoring alongside premium streetwear, the range should appeal to a wide range of men looking for quality relaxed clothing.

Blending 1980?s Caribbean influences with New England tailoring, Ours could be summed up as “Island Prep”. The range of laidback surf-inspired menswear consists of a full roster of clothing including shirts, trousers, shorts, caps, vests, and unique illustrated tees.

As Hide Your Arms is all about the tees, we’re featuring images of Ours’ t-shirts, but you can see more images with the clothing at their website.

We love the beach-inspired hand-drawn illustrations coupled with text and retro imagery simply coloured in.

Following their debut at Agenda in Long Beach, Ours will be making their European debut in February 2013. Margin London is the only show in Europe to see this first season by new Californian brand Ours when their European distributors, Boy Parker, exhibit the range.

Renowned amongst key buyers and press as the launchpad for new brands, Margin has been providing an affordable platform for new brands since 2002 and will be the only trade exhibition across Europe to see the range of bags in person.

Since the exhibitions first started back in 2002, Margin can lay claim to providing the UK launching point of overseas brands such as Upper Playground, Diamond Supply Co, Stereo Sound Agency, Double Goose, Loreak Mendian, Syndrome, Nooka, Mimobots, Qwstion, Hixsept (now Etudes Studio), and many others, who all made their European or UK trade debuts at Margin, which celebrated 10 years of exhibitions in 2012.

Ours will be exhibiting at Margin in February 2013 which takes place on the 10th & 11th, and you can find Ours, Boy Parker, and Margin on Facebook.

Exciting times lie ahead for young streetwear brand Less Clothing.

As well as just launching their new website, Less will be making their trade show debut at Margin, the longest-running independent exhibition in London.

Handcrafted in London, Less Clothing produce men’s and women’s streetwear with a sharp attention to detail, from the signature cuffs to the embossed leather labels.

We love the vibe of the label and their lookbook, the sun-drenched images and their association with musicians and DJs give the brand a real “Ibiza” vibe that we’re happy to buy into for some sunshine (especially during such a cold grey winter!).

Renowned amongst key buyers and press as the launchpad for new brands, Margin has been providing an affordable platform for new brands since 2002.

Men’s and women’s labels such as 1ina100, Lazy Oaf, Supremebeing, Eva Evanovitch, Sugarhill Boutique, Ruby Rocks, Diamond Supply Co, Ashley Marc Hovelle, King Apparel, My Yard, New Love Club, Your Eyes Lie, Seventyseven, Emily & Fin, and Long Clothing, all made their UK trade debuts at Margin, which celebrated 10 years of exhibitions in 2012.

Less will be exhibiting at Margin in February 2013 which takes place on the 10th & 11th.

Hailing from Sheffield, DPA, an acronym for Dr Popcorn Apparel, is a new brand producing handcrafted tees for men and women. With a dark edge to the graphics, the range is printed on high-quality, fair-trade garments.

Along with releasing their 22-strong range, DPA are making their trade exhibition debut in February 2013 at Margin London.

So many streetwear brands concentrate on mens’ items only to it’s refreshing to see that DPA have not forgotten about women’s pieces. These designs would also sit well in a women’s boutique and we can imagine some of these prints looking great under a sharp, tailored jacket.

All items come well-presented in their own hand-printed box which adds a level of detail and care that raises the sinister aesthetic to that of a collectible.

Renowned amongst key buyers and press as the launchpad for new brands, Margin has been providing an affordable platform for new brands since 2002.

Renowned amongst key buyers and press as the launchpad for new brands, Margin has been providing an affordable platform for new brands since 2002.

Men’s and women’s labels such as 1ina100, Lazy Oaf, Supremebeing, Eva Evanovitch, Sugarhill Boutique, Ruby Rocks, Diamond Supply Co, Ashley Marc Hovelle, King Apparel, My Yard, New Love Club, Your Eyes Lie, Seventyseven, Emily & Fin, and Long Clothing, all made their UK trade debuts at Margin, which celebrated 10 years of exhibitions in 2012.

DPA will be exhibiting at Margin in February 2013 which takes place on the 10th & 11th.

We at No Love City work with a handful of artists to create what we feel are really great designs that represent our brand.  Recently I realized how lucky we were to have found and be able to work with these people who truly never cease to amaze us. The reason for this is that a majority of our designs are typography driven and all begin as sketches. I personally thoroughly enjoy the design process, watching it unfold, and seeing our ideas come to life.

I feel that this process is unknown and/or unappreciated by people who don’t know what some artists go through in creating even the simplest of original t-shirt designs.  I wanted to share this process not just because it’s cool, but also might give some a new found respect for the talent, work, and skill that artists put into your favorite t-shirt designs.

The artist in the case of this shirt design is Friks84, who is also responsible for our logos, some of our shirt designs, and amazing work for countless other brands, project, and anything else you can imagine.  All of his work begins with a sketchpad and a pencil, not digging through fonts and clipart.

The shirt is simply called ‘Ain’t No Love…’  We felt that the quote itself and as a classic R&B song which has been sampled in numerous Hip Hop tracks would coincide with our brand perfectly.  Friks took what usually comes in the form of a long, rambling email from me at 3 in the morning and began turning it into what you saw above.  As usual, just seeing the sketch I knew he had once again taken my vision and made it 10x better.  I asked him to grab a couple screenshots along the way to document parts of his process so others could appreciate and understand what is is people like him do.  I knew before we even got past the sketch how amazing this one would be.

Of course after the initial sketch, the design gets scanned in and his mad scientist Illustrator skills come into play.  Working out the background and outlines the design begins to jump off the screen.

The time, patience, and skill in working out all the little highlights, line thickness, shadows, etc. is way beyond me.  From the sketch to the final product you saw above and everything in between, I hope you have a new appreciation for the artist.

Long story short, respect the ones you work with, make sure they know you appreciate them, and the most important part… PAY THEM!  The deserve every penny.

You can see more Friks’ work at www.friks84.com or find him on instagram @friks84

The ‘Ain’t No Love…’ shirt is coming in March.  5 colors screen printed on a black shirt.  We are currently taking wholesale pre-orders, so if your retail or online store would like to carry this or other No Love City products, please contact us.

For more on No Love City, you can visit our website or find us on facebook/twitter/instagram under @nolovecity.

Not tees, we know, but you can be wearing the best looking t-shirt and let your outfit down with a bland or ugly bag.

Chances are that, if you’re reading HideYourArms, you care about your printed tees and what you wear so, like a hair-flicking starlet, you deserve a decent printed bag (because you’re worth it).

American brand Sprayground is innovating baggage with their distinctive art-inspired range. With backpacks, weekenders, and iPad sleeves, all available in a range of great designs, Sprayground bags feature dripping gold paint, camo sharks, piles of cash, and many more unique prints, including a collaboration with Mishka.

Designer David Ben David, aka DBD, grew up in Miami painting, skating, surfing, and always on the go, packing his whole life in his backpack but all he could find were bags of the same old solid colors and shapes so had to create his own brand.

With stores as diverse as Nordstrom, Digital Gravel, Patricia Field, and Kitson carrying the range in America, and spotted on numerous artists including Rihanna, the bags have wide appeal, from streetwear stores to fashion boutiques.

Sprayground bags are made from durable polyester fabric and feature a sleek construction with hidden features, such as velour laptop, tablet and sunglasses compartments, ergonomic padded back support, and stash pockets.

Sprayground are reaching out to potential stockists across the pond when they make their European tradeshow debut exclusively at Margin, the independent trade show exhibition in London for new brands.

Renowned amongst key buyers and press as the launchpad for new brands, Margin has been providing an affordable platform for new brands since 2002 and will be the only trade exhibition across Europe to see the range of bags in person.

Since the exhibitions first started back in 2002, Margin can lay claim to providing the UK launching point of overseas brands such as Upper Playground, Diamond Supply Co, Stereo Sound Agency, Double Goose, Loreak Mendian, Syndrome, Nooka, Mimobots, Qwstion, Hixsept (now Etudes Studio), and many others, who all made their European or UK trade debuts at Margin, which celebrated 10 years of exhibitions in 2012.

Sprayground will be exhibiting at Margin in February 2013 which takes place on the 10th & 11th, and you can find them on Facebook here.