Retro has become a huge niche market in almost all areas – t-shirts included. And one t-shirt company out of Ireland are taking advantage of that rise in popularity of all things retro.

8BIT has a collection of carefully designed tees based on the glory days of retro gaming. The 8-bit era produced some of the best games and established the modern-day industry as it stands now. Their limited edition run of shirts (snap them up quick: there are only four designs, and each design only has 100 or 125 versions) appeal to the kind of person who lived through the 8-bit era the first time round, and now wants to show their love for their childhood with a beautifully crafted piece of clothing.

That care in the end product comes as soon as you receive the package. Your tee is encased in a brilliant white box, sturdy enough to keep the quarry inside clean and tidy but not too heavy.

And once you open the box, and take aside the tissue paper and the cool postcard with an old-school Gameboy on a washed out beach, you realise that the shirt inside is pretty great, too. The design I received was ’001 – Grace’ (€30) which is a limited print run of 125 (mine was #19).

It’s a luscious representation of the kind of huge sprites from the classic era of 8-bit games that you grew up with; this footballer performing an overhead kick could have been ripped right out of something like Amiga’s Sensible Soccer franchise.

The quality is great, as you’d expect from a company so invested in producing the great packaging they do. The tiny touches such as a nicely presented package are one of the best ways to separate the wheat from the chaff in an industry where the ability to enter it is becoming ever lower. Those who take pride in their work will make sure to present it neatly.

The tee is a thick, soft one, and it holds up well in a wash. Overall, if the bright lights of the 1980s and early 90s gaming world is your thing, you should head on over to 8BIT and grab yourself a tee.

Since I was a little kid I have been obsessed with sandwiches. There is something great about how portable and delicious a sandwich can be. It’s an everybody food.

The t-shirt is worn by everyone. Whenever possible I am in a t-shirt. I love the t-shirt community and am a huge fan of branding.

When I was in college I ran a small t-shirt company while I worked a full time job. I loved it. When we closed I missed the concept of coming up with shirt ideas and seeing a vision become a reality. It was hard work but it was something I loved. Since then I have been wanting to do something that would allow me to sandwich my two loves- Sandwiches and T-shirts.

The sandwich is now over 250 years old and is consumed by millions. So why not create a brand that shows the #KingOfMeals the love that it deserves. I started Deli Fresh Threads in January of 2013.

Like every good sandwich, ingredients are key. I hope to feed those that are hungry with quality products made and packed with love.

Andy: Great brand intro, thanks a lot for the submission.

Joel Wiesner, the co-founder of Create Clothing, sent me an e-mail back in January, I took a quick look at the e-mail on my phone and told myself that I’d give the site a look when I got home and was in work mode. Of course, I completely forgot and have only gotten around to checking them out almost two months later. My bad, they’ve got some really cool stuff.

They had their first birthday back in January, so they’re still new but not that new, and it’s interesting to see how their style has progressed through the year by looking at their store, what I assume to be older stuff at the bottom of the store doesn’t suck, but the newer designs are a lot more impressive and enticing to new customers. Looking forward to seeing more from these guys and hopefully I won’t be such a slacker on the next update.

*UPDATE* Create have been nice enough to offer use a coupon code. Use the code HideYourArms to get 10% off your entire order.

This little package arrived on my doorstep a few days ago. In case you’re incapable of reading, it’s a package from blu-boy, a tee brand started up by Bev O’Shea when a freelance graphic designer in Ireland. “I guess it’s safe to say that I got bored of playing it safe and sticking to the norm,” Bev said in a covering email. Not sticking to the norm results in some brilliant t-shirts.

Opening the package was great. For what is a relatively young brand, blu-boy have managed to put together a really professional style of presentation that makes receiving a tee more of an event. As a little attempt to bring something new I used Vine to produce a 6-second unboxing of the shirt itself here.

The shirt blu-boy sent was their ‘Exquisite’ design (€25.00) on a black crew neck – and I can’t fault it one bit. It’s one of the least brash designs they do, and I think the sort of understated nature makes it excellent. I’m a strong type fan, and this is great use of it. It’s subtle enough that you don’t feel overly self-conscious wearing it while standing out enough that it’s not the sort of thing you find ten a penny on the racks at any high street shop.

Everything about this seems well made, from the thick card stock used for the brand tag on the back of the neck to the printing itself (blu-boy use water-based inks, for those of you who are concerned about the environment and want your tees to have a green-friendly provenance).

All told, this is a really great tee – which means I’m stuck for having much to say. What I will say is that this isn’t the only good design that the guys at blu-boy have online, and it’s well worth a look at their online store to see if there are any others out there you might fancy.

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:

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.

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.

There are many t-shirt brands out there, with new ones launching every week it seems, but not all can say they have their own focus group and testing ground. Boy Parker, the independent store in Brighton on the Sussex coast, can claim just that, as they’re able to get an instant reaction to any new design from the stream of on-trend students that frequent the seaside town.

Having perfectly honed their season’s collection, Boy Parker then unleash their brand The Illustrated Mind, which brings together the work of artists from diverse backgrounds, and offer it to other stores to carry safe in the knowledge the range contains the best selling designs.

Their quirky prints and unique illustrations add a well-received surrealism to their range and distinguishes The Illustrated Mind from many other brands.

The Illustrated Mind started in 2011 and has steadily built their range, their group of collaborating artists, and their stockists ever since.

The new season’s range will be on display to buyers and press exclusively at Margin, the London trade exhibition in February 2013. The Illustrated Mind first debuted their range at Margin back in February 2011 and are returning in February 2013 to unveil their latest designs.

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

Boy Parker is an independent store in Brighton, Sussex, that specialises in tees from brands including Lazy Oaf, Threadless, Brandt, My Yard, Paper Root, DeadBuryDead, and many others.

For more info and a look around the store, watch the Boy Parker Shop Tour Video created by Margin.

The Illustrated Mind will be exhibiting at Margin in February 2013 which takes place on the 10th & 11th, and you can find Boy Parker who distribute the range on Facebook here.