You need only to visit MEKANIK CLOTHING‘s website to instantly recognise that this streetwear brand is sleek, sharp and bold with a humorous twist and a nod to pop culture geekdom. So far so good! Launched earlier this year by Istanbul based artist and graphic designer MEKAZOO, the influences of sci-fi, mechas, videogames and b-movies are clearly represented in his work. The tee’s on offer appeal to a love of bold, simple, eye catching urban design which is why (after a really long wait, Turkish postman be slow yo!) I was thrilled when the package below plopped through my door!
(Photo: www.mknk.net)
The parcel contained the tee and a business card (which if we’re getting all “American Psycho” was a nice, bold black and white print on thick, matte card) and a sticker but also a sheet of card printed with a cut-n-build your own toy which was very exciting as I love a bit of scissors-paper-glue crafting! (Pics of crafting prowess below)
(Photo: www.mknk.net)
The tee itself is feels smooth and cool and the tri-colour print pops out against the crisp white background. The image is printed on with precision and has a pleasant texture. Giving it a poke and a stretch also reveals it to be pretty resilient to cracking or peeling which is a problem sometimes when an ink is too thick and becomes brittle, but all MEKANIK tees are and printed with eco-friendly water-based inks, which is a relief to those of us with an eco-conscience!
The smooth, soft feel when wearing is down to the 100% combed ring spun cotton which should assure you of the garments quality as 100% cotton fibre content will never result in pilling or bobbling that you get with polyester blends (it’s also more absorbant, for all you sweaty betties out there) . In fact the quality of the fabric, print and construction should mean this garment lasts and last. The only thing that could possible take it down would be a red wine of curry stain down the front!
Size men’s medium is a good fit on my medium sized partner but it’s also a nice size for any girls who like a looser “boyfriend” fit.
STYLING TIP: For a chic and edgy urban look, ladies, roll up the sleeves and wear with skinnies, dirty converse (or ankle boots with a heel if so inclined) and some Mr.T necklace application. I also enjoy a good door-knocker chav earring when rocking a tee. Just an idea!
Here is the paper toy before (above) and after construction (below), which was a fun 10mins out of my day and looks cool on the bookshelf gathering dust. MEKAZOO has plans to expand his brand with hoodies, hats and designer toys which I will definitely be checking out.
I really really appreciate a printed back neck label in place of those itchy folded tapes which, I at least, end up cutting out leaving an ugly frayed bit that still tickles! ALL apparel should have the brand and size info sneakily printed on somewhere! #nomoreitchylabelsthankyouplease.
Now, I had a bit of an issue with the creasing situation after wearing it all day and being comfortable and receiving plenty of compliments, I stood up and the front had concertina’d like an accordion and stayed that way all night. Cotton does crease I’ll admit but body heat will usually cause creases to drop out, this extreme creasing could be down to an applied finish on the fabric which kept it so flat and sharp looking in transit and may wear off after laundering a few times.
One last criticism would be that after washing (following care label instructions obviously) the tee shrank 3cm in length and 2cm across pit to pit. While this isn’t a massive change it is worth noting if you’re a borderline size, maybe consider sizing up. This shrinking also caused an issue with slight puckering around the neck and some twisting of the sleeve cuff.
These pictures of sleeve twist were taken before ironing, you (or your mum) could potentially iron the worst of it out but it will always return to this configuration after washing. This is known as spirality which affects jersey fabrics such as this, the only thing that can help reduce this twisting is a more careful approach to the construction of the sleeve WHICH I might add may only affect this particular tee! Yours might have been made by a more skilled machinist!
In summary this is a great tee and MEKANIK CLOTHING is definitely worth checking out. Cool, comfortable clothes for boys and girls! Can’t wait to see how the brand progresses.
