You can tell a lot about people by looking at their t-shirts: There are the hipsters sporting logos for bands you’ve never heard of, geeks with Einstein or Latin quotes emblazoned across their fronts, and Jersey girls who think spelling words like “Princess” or “Bitch” in faux-Swarovski crystals on their boobs is the height of fashion. Somewhat recently, we’ve seen casual wear go highbrow in the form of a raft of small, literature-inspired t-shirt lines. And while we’ve found a ton of covetable designs, we do want to make sure that those of you buying book-nerd clothing understand the silent messages you’re sending. After the jump, we read between the lines of 10 literary t-shirts.
Jorge Luis Borges, The Book of Imaginary Beings: “If you don’t get this high-end T-shirt’s very subtle Borges reference, I probably don’t want to know you.”
William S. Burroughs, Naked Lunch: “I could go for some heroin and/or gay sex. How about you?”
Oscar Wilde: “I talk witty shit about you behind your back.”
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland: “I am a Manic Pixie Dream Girl with an eye for design.”
Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged: “Ron Paul ’12.”
Kurt Vonnegut: “I am a curmudgeon in training.”
Virginia Woolf: “Smart, whimsical, and self-dramatizing writer seeks same.”
Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita: “I’m either the creepiest guy you’ve ever met or a 14-year-old girl with no common sense.”
Jack Kerouac, On the Road: “Welcome to my quarter-life crisis.”
Jean-Paul Sartre, Being and Nothingness: “I spent four years studying for a BA in Philosophy and all I got was this clever T-shirt.”
Comments (7)
Hey T-shirt readers, don’t always “judge a book by it’s cover” hu-hu,the same goes for a person’s t-shirt, I mean how many people wear a B-U-M Equip.shirt but are probably not bums? Or other such slogans, ie: “I’m with Stupid”, might it be that that person is really the stupid one? So goes literary Tees, just because someone wears a shirt with a certain book title & author’s name does not necessarily mean that person has read that or other books by that author. Although I haven’t read Ken Kessey’s book “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” I have seen the movie done from that title and am quite familiar with him and his cultural signifigance, and would be proud to wear any of his titles on a shirt.Anyway dont believe what you see, and dont always believe what you read. The question is: is it non-fiction or fiction? Ok. Later, sincerely, Rhinus
I really don’t wear Tee’s for anyone other than myself. If I like what is on the front and the color is right I will wear it.I did once have a Tee that aid Hi on the front,and Bye on the back.That one was kind of a fad…like Hula Hoops and mood rings.
@ Rhinus and Carol: I don’t really care.
judy unfortunately you’ve missed out the original literature-inspired tee brand, called ‘the-affair’… we’ve been producing tees for the thinking man for over 3 years now, please check out our (much better) designs over at http://www.the-affair.com
PS: new (non-flash) site launching next week!
I’d also like to put in a word for the-affair. Their 1984 tee is a force to be reckoned with, it’s just too bad I didn’t order one in time (once they’re gone, they’re gone, do’h!).
I’ve been wearing my H.P Lovecraft Dagon t-shirt from them with nerdy pride, though. Top marks.
Good article.
i have the affairs miniluv tshirt as well and the down with the deep ones shirt as well, it seems i have an affair doppleganger,
the affair knock this stuff into a cocked hat
woop woop
http://www.the-affair.com
ftw
Wow! Thanks for the tip about http://www.the-affair.com
I didn’t know this brand before…
I like who this guys take an aspect of the book instead of just writing the title of the piece.
Really good execution combined with strong concepts!
Great article!
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