A few months ago we at Mr Four Fingers decided to enter an illustration of ours into an ongoing online t-shirt design competition over at Design  by Humans. Much to our surprise and delight we were lucky enough to have our WTF design chosen as a part of their daily winner competition.

DBH release a new print five out of seven days of the the week, so it was a couple of months until our WTF design was printed and released. Once we got our hands on it I was blown away by how well they executed the print. The original I gave them was a scanned ink watercolour illustration just under A3 in size and DBH were able to increase the size and still maintain the integrity of the original illustration. They were even able to accurately reproduce the pink ink spatters.

The design is printed on Heather Grey 100% Cotton DBH Premium Tee and fits well. It seems DBH have their own manufacturer but their cut and soft fabric is much like American Apparel. This design is a 3 colour oversize screen print. My associate received this particular package so I’m unsure of what packaging it was sent in but the last time I ordered from DBH, my t-shirt  was sent in a sturdy clear plastic bag with large black logo printed on so you could see the t-shirt through the negative spaces. Chances are it was the same and hell it looks pretty cool.

I know from buying other DBH t-shirts that they normally print the artists name and/or logo on the t-shirt, either on inside collar or bottom hem. They never once asked us for anything so sadly for us they didn’t print any with our MFF name. That would have been nice. They did give us a wad of cash and 6 free t-shirts so we can hardly complain. I quite like their ‘smiley’ DBH logo stitched to the bottom hem line.

If you are interested in big illustrations from a variety of artists then head over to Design by Humans and grab this t-shirt and others for $20. They also have discounts all the time and interesting t-shirt deals like the Tee Grinder.

Finding a decent online company that does affordable Direct to Garment printing can be time consuming and tricky. I have used various DTG companie in the past but now I have officially found the one I will be sticking with.

Welcome to Digisin Apparel. When I initially found their online website it was more by chance while looking through a t-shirt directory as they were posted showing designs of their resident artists. These artists  pretty good and having caught my attention, I investigated Digisin further. It was then that I realised that they print DTG t-shirts as a custom print option.

My initial thoughts were, yeah ok probably transfer printed. Nope. Ok so must be expensive. Nope.Ok so let’s give Digisin a go. As a tester I asked them to print a large scale lined version of my Mr Four Fingers logo onto a black T. It was either black or white as they don’t have other colour options. Before the design was printed Senj from Digisin e-mailed me a JPG showing the design placement on chest of T-shirt and to see if I was happy with it before they printed. I liked that, I mean I have the capabilities to do this, but it’s good for those who don’t.

I received my t-shirts individually packaged in these great rigid boxes and a slick Digisin sticker slapped on the top. The box contained not only my well printed t-shirt but also a curious pack. This pack contained, much to my delight,  a sticker, badge, a flyer with company ethos (also discount code for next purchase) and limited edition Roger the Rabbit card pack with gum! This is over 20 years old.

As mentioned above, the t-shirt is has been printed Direct to Garment, so no set up costs and the quality is rather good. Ok my design may only be white lines on black, so not pushing any boundaries but I have no doubt an image or illustration will turn out just as good. They are printed on Gildan Softstyle and they are just that. The black fabric is not a dense black but more like a dark charcoal. I have been speaking to Senj from Digisin and they are also in the process of creating bespoke labels to replace the Gildan ones. This was the only thing I felt was remiss.

I have washed and worn and it’s even travelled to a South African shooting range (There are of course the obvious gangster posing photo’s around). The t-shirt is fine after a wash and fits as you would expect.

One of the main things that has impressed me above all is Disigin / Senj’s customer service. They did not know I was going to post a review (they follow HYA of course) so there was no ‘special’ treatment. I can tell you it was great, I mean that kinda great that is unexpected.

As I mentioned before, Digisin have a range of artists with t-shirts on sale from £14-£18  the online shop and you can grab a custom DTG printed t-shirt for only £14. They are based in Scotland.

Thank you Digisin for such great service and I will no doubt,as you know, be using and recommending your services to others.

Here we go! I hunted down my own company to review for Hide Your Arms. This company is called Culture Cloth, their website ‘http://culturecloth.com/‘ is currently under construction hopefully looking to launch in 33 days time! I actually discovered these guys in their Etsy Store which stocks a massive 191 items at the moment, massive selection of items in a selection of different colours.

My fiancé Nicholas is awesome modelling their ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ tee above. All their tees are available on a selection of colours and are made to order however I do feel that this design works particularly well on the yellow tee. The design takes over the whole chest area and the print actually get’s better as it’s washed. It’s not like an iron on transfer, it’s comfortable, bends and softens as it washes.

As mentioned before the selection of designs is epic, they have a massive collection of your favourite cinematic characters and musicians covered. Their ‘thing’, their gimmick is the nose of their designs is normally a different colour than you would expect.  This little original oddity is borne from the childhood of one of the company’s founders.

Nicholas also got this amazing Christian Bale American Psycho t-shirt on the white coloured tee. I adored this one, probably by far my favourite of the ones we received. It has a super expensive look about it and gets people’s attention. I am wearing an orange Willy Wonka tee. If I am honest I was a bit disappointed with the ones for me, they weren’t proper girly fit t-shirts, I basically got what felt to be a small guys tee. I don’t understand why tee companies would actively choose to only cater to 50% of the population. Guys tees on girls aren’t comfortable or flattering. Edited to say that you can get girly fit tees via their RedBubble store but I can’t review these as these aren’t what I received and I haven’t actually bought anything from RedBubble before.

I do sometimes find with guys tees you can save them and make them more feminine but with a lot of the ones from Culture Cloth a lot of the detail on the tee is at the bottom so if you tuck it in you’re affectively losing a third to half of the design. They have quite a few Star Wars designs my favourite of them is this Chewbacca one!

I do however adore the tee above, this Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffany’s tee has design placement perfect for tucking in, gorgeous vibrant blue tee and super colour print and amazingly created design. One of my favourite tees, doesn’t even bother me that it isn’t proper girly fit!

In my contact with the company owner he is super pleasant and I’d imagine the level of customer service is super high. I think they are probably better for gifts for guys or tees for guys though, although if you can get a nicely central placed design like the Audrey Hepburn one about they can be fantastic for girls too. You aren’t going to find a selection of tees like this anywhere else and perfect for hunting down an original tee from a niche movie or cult classic TV show.

As well as the forthcoming Culture Cloth website, you can visit their Etsy Store, Red Bubble Store and they are on Twitter too ‘@culturecloth’!

I received a generous package of samples from Victory Clothing – I picked it up off my doorstep and was immediately happy (indeed it was heavy!) First of all, Victory Clothing packed up their products very nicely in a regular envelope, and the tees were also packaged in plastic, which is a good touch. I would love to have seen a logo or some sort of custom printed envelope since I am a fan of that sort of thing, but Victory Clothing didn’t disappoint – they added some logo stickers and a postcard/business card to the package, as well as a personal note which always perks my attention.

All of Victory Clothing’s designs are nicely executed with complex, multi-layered arrangements and fine details within compositions that are energetic, somewhat eerie, but also are full of life. Honestly, this sort of design and style usually does not appeal to me, but after trying on each of Victory Clothing’s tees, I forgot all about that, and was surprised when I started becoming really attached to them, especially the fitted, women’s tees, because they feel really, really good on me and I have been wearing them constantly (and getting compliments!)

Blue Rose (shown below) is the first tee I tried on and it fits amazingly; the v-neck adds a lot of femininity to the tee, which I yearn for since I don’t own many v-neck tees that have good art on them. Also the design is placed in a attractive way that hugs the body just right, and it’s hard not to notice the beautiful aqua blue color with the black print and white highlights, and looking close-up one can see it’s printed evenly and is nothing but quality. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention the custom printed tag (on each and every tee) which screams professionalism and I also find it a nice touch that Victory Clothing cleverly places their logo amongst most of their designs and it’s refreshing to see that it doesn’t take away from the overall art.

This next tee, Sword of Victory pictured below, fits me, but it’s a bit big on me because obviously it’s a Men’s tee. I am not a big fan of skulls and swords or a mix of both, but I can see several others being charmed by it, especially with it’s grungy, dark style. The print is well done; soft and not too thick and I would also like to point out that this design is printed quite big, utilizing the space on the t-shirt area to it’s full potential.

Only Live Once, shown below and on me at the very top of the review, took me by surprise! At first glance, I did not think I would like this particular style t-shirt, but once it was on me, I didn’t want to take it off. With it’s ostentatious style, (which usually doesn’t appeal to me – remember I am picky), it instantly became one of my favorites, which like I said, was a big surprise to me. I am particularly taken by it’s unusual burnout style blank, I don’t own a single one like it (until now), and it fits me just the way I like; I know a lot of females would agree with me if they slipped this particular tee on. Again, this one is printed quite nicely and the textured pink blank combined with yellow, white, and black ink mesh really well together – it’s a wild style, yet adding the pink makes it pretty and feminine as well!

This last tee, Roman, is on a heather gray blank and it’s super soft and comfy, plus it’s printed very nicely (like I have said plenty of times before in this review!) I do quite like how the placement of the design is pushed to one side, it creates appeal to the viewer and even without color, the artist creates an interesting piece of art AND once again, this print like most of Victory’s is BIG BIG BIG!

So how would I sum up Victory Clothing? The tees are quality in print and fit, with designs that appeal to the those who are a bit adventurous and looking for tees that radiate a lively, but somewhat edgy style. Overall, I like Victory Clothing and will be keeping an eye out for what’s to come (and I will keep each and every one of you updated too, no doubt about that!)

ALSO, Geoff at Victory Clothing, was kind enough to offer a discount to all you Hide Your Arms readers – Put in code, “LeahHideYourArms” at checkout in the store to receive 15% off your order! Thanks a lot, Geoff, we definitely appreciate that!

Keep in touch with Victory Clothing: Facebook, Twitter, Shop

I’m thankful for being part of Hide Your Arms because every so often I’m introduced to a new brand that impresses me and Colus is one of those very brands. As soon as I saw Colus Hunter design (above) I could feel some deep rhythm stir inside me, something raw and totally awesome. Ok maybe a bit heavy but let me just say that Colus has got skills and has instantly become one of my favourite designers.

I received the t-shirts in a bespoke white envelope with enigmatic eye symbol printing in black . The eye symbol is a device used by Colus used to represent morality. Packaging is the first impression and it’s always good to see the effort. This ‘morality’eye design can also be purchased as a t-shirt called ‘We Are What We Do’. Layered inside the envelope were my two -t-shirts Hunter and Wise Owl (sealed separately) and a mission statement card nicely printed up with a personal note written on the back. I’m a firm believer in personal touches.

Both designs are single colour screen prints on American Apparel so make sure you follow the care instructions properly to get the most from the fabric. We were taking the photographs at night and the flash was popping off the t-shirt making it look intensely white. The designs in the Colus range are simple and bold, Hunter being particularly striking. If you don’t like attention then this t-shirt is not for you.

The fit of Hunter on me is great and the soft fabric feels really good. Craig, featured wearing Wise Owl, says it fits well and being an American Apparel white t-shirt it’s slightly on the thin side as you could see his tattoo faintly. All t-shirts are printed on American Apparel.

I had a good time reviewing Colus t-shirts and focused on being as non-biased as possible which was easy because the product is pretty good. You can purchase one of these t-shirts over at his online store for $26 and you can even check out his latest jewellery release.

I must admit I had my reservations about writing a review for a Star Wars related t-shirt as there are countless designs out there lacking ‘another level’ or simply relying on overused ideas. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that Cuppa-T have not one but two good ideas that show they have put a little more thought into it.

One of the designs in mention is called ‘Dark Lord‘. The design is a relatively complex illustration that subverts classic religious imagery which, in the case of Star Wars, becomes very apt. The design is witty and goes in a relatively new direction with regards to existing Star Wars related designs out there.

The print is a  3 colour screen print on black 180gsm smooth combed cotton . The design sits well on the fabric and is surprisingly not too thick as can sometimes be the case when printing on dark fabric. I have worn and washed and there are no issue with the print and as far as I can tell the t-shirt has not shrunk noticeably, if at all. Fits like most decent t-shirts.

There are a few small details which I appreciate like the logo label on the sleeve, red foil block printed logo traditional swing tag and a separate screen printed label on the inside collar. These are all signs that let you know that Cuppa-T appreciate quality and are investing into their product.

I’m  not sure how long the t-shirts journey was door to door but going by Andy’s surprised response to me having already received the t-shrit, it must have been quick. So don’t let the fact that Cuppa-T are based in New Zealand put you off. Their packaging needs a little love, maybe throw on a logo sticker. But that’s me just being pernickety.

What is good to see about Cuppa-T is that their store does not rely solely on Star Wars themes but rather they have a good mix of sci-fi and robot designs. They have a nice brand ethos and they describe their brand as “Sci-fi propaganda streetwear”, which is perfectly suited to the most famous space war yet.

You can visit their shop via their website or directly from actual stockists if you live in NZ (stockists listed in website) or from Sneaky Studios online shop. There is also the option to buy a design as a print or cards which is nice to have. The t-shirt costs $49 NZ dollars, $40 US and £25. So more expensive than the average, but not bad by any means considering the details and the fact that the designs incorporates 3 colours.

They seem like a good bunch of guys and I’m keen to see what else they have in store for the future.

First off, I am not a New York Knicks fan but happy to say that Jeremy Lin did play college ball in my home state (hint). Regardless, it is a great Cinderella story and pretty exciting to have a home grown Asian guy making headlines as a minority in the NBA. They say he may even be ready for game 4 against the Miami Heat. The series needs a spark.

The package arrived thanks to Ricky Cheung. It came in a standard manila envelope with no chotchkies like stickers, buttons or cute things that I can decorate possessions, like my lunch box with. That being said, this was really about the tshirt and its quality. These guys cared to source an alternative tshirt manufacturer and didn’t skimp on details by using a Hanes Beefy-Ts that hangs like a dress. Unless you are as tall as Jeremy Lin of course. They used “Next Level Apparel t-shirts” which is a company that I had not heard of until now. The t-shirts look and feel like ring spun cotton, which is soft like a baby’s bum for those that don’t know? They are fashion fit so you can act like a Diesel model when you root for the Knicks.

The print is plastisol ink and the quality is surprisingly very good for, four colors and its finite detail. For those that have never silk screened, it a pain to align multiple screens, especially with trending, angular dot matrix graphics like this one.

For the sake of New York Knick fans and the NBA, lets hope that Lin gets a contract extension. It would be sad to see him disappear into a small market team like the Raptors. Sorry Canadians.

Bottom line, you can’t go wrong with this Super LINtendo t-shirt. They spent some money producing this product.

Super LINtendo T-Shirt– Monetary Damage  $20.00 USD 

While I was waiting for my 8-Bit Zombie (8BZ) package, I felt like one of Pavlov’s Dogs. The door bell would ring and my mouth would salivate over the thought of the fresh, sweet joy of a new top. To my dismay however on most of the occasions it was just a door-to-door sales person or something equally uninspiring. Alas.

Success occurred finally and I was blessed with the presence of a delightful looking package neatly stuck together with an 8BZ logo sticker. The package didn’t stay neat for long. Upon opening the pack I found the top, a hat and a slew of goodies which greatly surprised me. The goodies contained a few badges, trading cards based on 80′s films and games and a vintage Muscle Man toy. I digress.

This is the first vest top that I’ve actually ever worn so for me it was an unusual feeling. It certainly felt snug and nice against my skin but I don’t think the top flattered my physique in any way shape or form, however this may be the gentle kick I need to get in to shape. The design is based upon Bub’s from George A Romero’s film Day Of The Dead. Having watched the film I struggled to remember the character but a few quick google searches and I could see the inspiration clearly. 

The print quality is fantastic and certainly feels like it will last a long time and even if it were to crack it certainly wouldn’t ruin the design of the shirt unlike other designs out there. I’ve yet to actually wash the top because frankly I don’t want to take it off, but I have faith that it will wash and iron well. 

The top is both printed on the front and the back and the design is something I absolutely love and reflects my punk rock taste, it will certainly become one of my most worn tops. For the amount of work that has clearly gone into this I think $20 is brilliant value for the top. I’ve already received positive comments and general jealousy toward this top from my friends, this coupled with the fact the design is almost sold out entirely on the website shows just how popular the top really is. Here is to hoping he gets more reprints in so more people can enjoy the shirts!

The top really goes well with the black and white snap-back hat that Ross kindly sent me too. The hat has Gizmo from Gremlins on it with a multicolour screen print on the peak too. Again the print quality is great and I’m very curious to see the process behind screen printing the peak of the hat, because it certainly looks like it could be fiddly. It’s nice to see some really unique hats being made as well because I like my all of my clothes to reflect my tastes, not just my tops. I don’t generally wear hats because I find hats that are readily available in the UK to either be flat peaks which I don’t think I can pull off, or boring designs. This is neither and is likely to become my main hat of choice in my wardrobe.

(Because I was so un photogenic I decided to use my lovely nephew for a hat pose! He photos far better than I. Proud uncle here!)

It really must seem that I’ve been paid* to write fantastic words about 8BZ but in all honesty I love the shirts and it’s the main reason I started getting in contact with them because I was so drawn in by the designs. I’m not sure why I’m defending myself to you the readers, but I’m sure if you check out or purchase any of the stuff from 8BZ you are likely to agree with me. If you are interested in 8-Bit Zombie then definitely check out their website for more interesting retro shirts (and hats)

*8BZ Where is my cheque?

Been a little while since I did a review! So here we go with a review of Nerdy Shirts (http://www.nerdyshirts.com/)! If you’re after a geeky or movie based t-shirt this is an excellent site to visit for sure. Also it’s perfect for a check if you’re looking for very specific t-shirts like the ’1994 Pogs Champion’ one above! Us 90′s kids all remember the epic phenomenon of Pogs. When I opened this package of tees when it arrived this particular tee made me grin from ear to ear!

If I’m honest I have a particular soft spot for the Star Wars designs on the site, of which they have 9, there is an awesome X-Wing one which needs to get itself into my t-shirt collection right now.

There is also quite a collection of Comic/Superhero ones, I got sent this one of ‘The Joker’ which I find a little bit creepy. I don’t normally go for white tees myself but this one works so perfect for the design.

I really like the fit of the tees they are very much standard, the quality of the tees are excellent without being too thick and also the print is fab. I have to admit I haven’t yet washed any of these tees but I am confident that I will have no problems due to the overall quality being so high.

I currently wearing the Dinosaurs Were Big tee from Nerdy Shirts, it’s super cute! I would highly recommend the Nerdy Shirts website for browsing, for gifts and when you’re after something geeky and niche. I also praise their tee quality and print quality! Drop by and have a peruse!

First of all, am I a Trekkie? Ah, probably not, but I am a fan and do watch Star Trek – I very much enjoy it when I am in that certain type of sci-fi (nerdy) mood. I would like to classify myself more so as a lover of the old school, classic Star Trek, and with that said, I pick Kirk. (So maybe I am a Trekkie…) So enough about me, let’s talk about the TWO Star Trek themed tees I received to review from the funny t-shirt brand, TshirtBordello!

I can’t say I am a huge fan of parody tees or pop-culture tees, I tend to be a bit picky, but I am definitely outnumbered when it comes to others in that way – most everyone loves a good laugh and especially if you can wear it! I think these two tees are very clever; one being a play on the reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians to mimic the race of Cardassians in Star Trek: The Next Generation… I believe that’s when the Cardassians are first introduced… Anyway, I definitely am not a fan of the Kardashians, (why are they famous again?), but of course this design is a cute and clever way to incorporate the two and most Star Trek fans would immediately get the reference. The second tee is my favorite of the two, mainly because Bones, or Leonard McCoy, is my favorite character and I just enjoy the classics, can’t help it. Plus, TshirtBordello adds a clever spin to the tee adding the text “The Real McCoy”, which is just perfect if you know his character!

After giggling at the designs for a few moments (in a good way), I then put on the tees, they both feel great – there’s no doubt about that because they are printed on super soft American Apparel blanks. I would like to note that TshirtBordello prints all their women’s tees on 100% cotton American Apparel, while the men’s tees are printed on 100% cotton Gildan. No offense to Gildan, but I am very happy to be a female right now; I prefer American Apparel blanks – they seem to always fit me just right and have never failed me. As for the actual print, it’s nice! Soft, not thick at all, and I appreciate that everything at TshirtBordello is screen-printed which, let’s face it, is the best way.

Taking a peek or two at the site, TshirtBordello has a good range of funny, nerdy, and parody tees and also makes available a few t-shirts on the artsy side, so there’s something for everyone. Another good thing, the prices are not high at all, ranging from $14.99 to $15.99, which is reasonable for the variety of designs offered along with the nice blank and print quality. I would like to also add that the site is easy to navigate and is very personable by adding funny captions and descriptions of the tees, while being very informative, all at the same time – I like personality in a company, especially one that offers so much, makes you feel at home when looking for the perfect tee and I can see that quality in TshirtBordello.

Overall, I recommend TshirtBordello to all those who love funny, nerdy, pop-culture tees, but who also appreciate a nice quality blank and print. If that’s you, then this is certainly the place for you to go!

Keep in touch with TshirtBordello: Facebook, Twitter, Shop