Unlike most of our shirts, this one isn’t a loving reproduction of a design seen on screen. No, we looked around, studied those worn in films and existing options available online (which, to be honest, we found lacking), incorporated the best bits of each, added our own accents, and crafted an entirely new, and awesome, template.

Seeing as how this project was kinda my baby, I was S-T-O-K-E-D to see the first batch come back from our screen printers last Friday, looking very P-I-M-P. The black and white color combo just pops on the American Apparel blanks on which they’re are printed. The whole thing looks super sharp if I may say so…

In any case, I wore it to a party (actually, a pair of parties) over the weekend to get some early feedback. Peeps — friends and randoms alike — loved it, which was nice, a real ego confidence booster. Maybe it was my imagination, but I noticed that donning this shirt brought on a level of assuredness usually held by only the most dapper of gentlemen. I could do no wrong. I was a social chameleon, able to hold my own discussing cultures high and low with the fellas, then to turn around and abscond with the catch of the party… almost.

The primary target eluded my grasp, but I’m not conceding defeat quite yet; that file will stay open, so to speak. A second girl, both hot and crazy, also seemed promising, but her date was clearly keeping an eye on me — or perhaps, more accurately, my shirt. He correctly recognized the allure of the classic Tux Tee, which seems as good an endorsement as any. Defense, as they say, wins championships…

Put simply, the classic Tux Tee will open the door, but you’ll need to seal the deal on your own; results, as they say, will vary by user.

Buy it here, right now, for the low, low cost of $21.95.

The T stands for Tuxedo: travis@founditemclothing.com

The exact deets are still hazy at this point, but the image embedded below provides a tasty hint of what’s to come. I think it’s safe to say that there will be a mix of limited edition items and mass-produced designs. Click on the pic for the official press release.

File under: two great tastes that taste great together.

May the (tri) Force be with you: travis@founditemclothing.com

All acts arranged in chronological order.

Caves
Metronomy
Punk Group
Nice Boys
Shaky Hands
Spoon
Destro
Ratatat
Wavves
My Bloody Valentine
Vivian Girls
M. Ward
Animal Collective
Sun Kill Moon
Ra Ra Riot
Decemberists
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Bon Iver
Crystal Castles
Murder City Devils
TV on the Radio
M83
NIN
Of Montreal
Santigold
Blitzen Trapper
The Knux
Silversun Pickups
Beach House
Girl Talk
Explosions in the Sky
Gliss
Jay Reatard
Gene Ween

Here’s a fun little video to cap it off.

Optimist, Pessimist by Caves from Johnny Le on Vimeo.

What bands have you seen? travis@founditemclothing.com

Buy one — or three — today!

The T stands for trainwreck: travis@founditemclothing.com

Via Print Liberation.

The way you make me feel: travis@founditemclothing.com

First up, after a long gestation period, Found Item Clothing (.com) has unveiled a series of original designs. We proudly present the Gamecock sketch shirt. Inspired by a deep-seated appreciation of Americana (and the joy of simple doodling), this beauty is printed on the back of American Apparel 50/50 Unisex Crew Neck shirts in two rich color tones, heather plum (pictured) and heather blue. Snap one up for yourself — or a friend — today!

We’re also happy to reveal our new Suplex shirt, an action-packed illustration that features one wrestler dropping his opponent to the mat.

Switching gears, some of you might remember that a few weeks back, I wrote a post about my favorite Transformers’ tees (the movie opens at midnight, BTW). My friend, Micah, who blogs about tees at tee.ms, has just completed a little parody, entitled Spambot, that cleverly riffs on the Autobot logo and the canned ham phenomenon. More than MEATS the eye, indeed…

It used to be that if you bought a record, you’d occasionally get a tee tossed in as a promotional thank-you. In today’s upside-down economy, though, free and pervasive downloads (legal or otherwise) are just killing the music industry. In an effort to find new and sustainable business models, then, artists and record labels are desperately turning to new tactics to move units. Hence, this interesting decision by Mos Def to sell his newest album via t-shirts. According to this bulletin in NME.com, “each shirt has a hang-tag printed with a URL and a unique code allowing the purchaser to download the music from the album.” I have some practical concerns about how this would work in a retail environment over the long term (uhm, do you have my size?), but it is a creative, if expensive ($39!), gimmick nonetheless.

Finally, from the sporting world comes this picture of David Ortiz (embedded below), superstar slugger for the Boston Red Sox. Mired in a uncharacteristic slump for much of this season, Ortiz has looked lost at the plate — until a recent hot stretch lifted his batting average and power numbers to more respectable heights. Peep out the slogan on the front of Reebox shirt, which serves as a de facto retort of sorts to his armchair critics.

I don’t have a picture of the back to share, but according to media accounts, it reads (as you may already have inferred) “It’s How You Finish.”

I got a lust for life: travis@founditemclothing.com

On an aside, the results from our first drawing have been revealed and I want to take this opportunity right now to congratulate Alex G., selected at random as our inaugural winner. Alex received a $50 gift certificate, which he promptly turned into a pair of free shirts: Roy Rogers 1984 and Charlestown Chiefs. Great choices, both.

If you haven’t already, take a look-see at these great designs below in a simple little slide show that collects all of our assorted shirts.

I’m dressed entirely in green: travis@founditemclothing.com.

Last night, the Los Angeles Lakers, as we all know, pinned a brutal beat-down on the Orlando Magic. Behind Kobe Bryant, Trevor Ariza and Coach Phil Jackson (who merits praise for his trademark Jedi Mind Tricks), the Lakers won the series 4 games to 1, thereby clinching the franchise’s 15 title — which still ranks two behind my beloved Boston Celtics — and leaving me with no choice but to eat my words.

Without an injured Kevin Garnett, the C’s never mounted an effective defense of their championship; let’s hope he returns healthy next year and an epic showdown between these ancient rivals ensues.

In any case, here’s a new print that commemorates the Lakers’ moment in the sun:

Via Phenomenal Swag, a blog about cool NBA-related products.

Beat LA! (in 2010): travis@founditemclothing.com

As most of you are no doubt aware, Found Item Clothing is all about the movie tees. When inspiration strikes, though, we stray from our standard operating procedure to bring you new and exciting products. In years past, this wildcard category has included hats, embroided patches, sweatshirts, and the like, all inspired to some degree, by props seen on the big screen. Add to that list yet one more wickedly awesome movie-themed product: behold, the mighty “Beer” Can Cooler.

Though I don’t have the time or the space to author a complete history of the humble koozie (as some like to call it), this informative Wikipedia entry reveals that it was created as a promotional tool for the advertising industry. With a proliferation of new designs, sizes and materials, can coolers (also known informally as coozies or huggers) have enjoyed a renaissance of late, emerging as a must-have accoutrement for the leisure class at both ends of the economic spectrum.

Film buffs will no doubt recognize our reassuring white-and-baby blue design aesthetic as an homage to 1984’s punk-thrash cult-classic, Repo Man. This simple, generic and minimalist form of branding was applied to a wide assortment of household staples and seated in retail environments throughout the movie.

Despite its seemingly low-rent pedigree and ambitions, Repo Man garnered a devoted fandom as a witty and thought-provoking film that explored, among other issues of the day, the nature of fate, alienation, coincidence, skepticism, alien life, narcotics, religious devotion and the mass-media.

As the story unfolds, these frequent (anti-)product placements coalesce into a pointed indictment of society’s rampant and mindless consumerism. Do you own stuff or does it own you? It’s a complex question the film returns to repeatedly, and I don’t think it’s insignificant that much of the action (so to speak) occurs at liquor stores, food marts and gas stations, as various parties bushwhack one another — ultimately, possession is a fleeting, ephemeral sensation. (That we’ve used said style to make new product is not lost on us here at FIC. Oh the irony…)

Deconstructionist musings aside, here’s why you want the “Beer” Can Cooler. First, it is made from really soft neoprene and the design is printed on both sides (totally bitchin’, I know…). Much like a football helmet needs a face mask or a broken arm requires a cast, your beverage of choice will stay frosty longer with a protective sleeve. Think of the “Beer” Can Cooler as a t-shirt for your bottle (err, can), making this little guy the perfect accessory for summertime fun. It’s ideal for lounging poolside, BBQing in the backyard or just shooting the breeze with friends on the front porch. Functional, stylish and meta, its chief cool factor is literally derived from the fact that it keeps your beverage beer cooler (or just less warm).

In any case, the “Beer” Can Cooler costs a meager $4.95. Pick up one (or three five) and you’ll be the envy of cult cinema buffs everywhere. To paraphrase the source material one last time: “It’s 4 AM. Do you know where you Beer is?”

And for your viewing pleasure, one of the best clips from Repo Man. Enjoy!

Get yours here: the “Beer” Can Cooler.

Beer me: travis@founditemclothing.com

5. Growing up, I used to watch Yo! MTV Raps alot. Like everyday if possible. Aside from new videos, one of the highlights of each show was when Ed Lover, one of the show’s two hosts, would do his trademark groove. It wasn’t very difficult and most everyone could do it, and that really was the point — dance is democratic. As such, it doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated or the end product of years of physical training (though it is sometimes all of these things).

4. Last month, I wrote a post about the Sasquatch Music Festival, a three-day event staged at the beautiful Gorge Amphitheater in Eastern Washington. On the first day, as Santigold was performing, an impromptu dance party broke out in the upper bowl (which I saw unfold from a distance, but immediately forgot about in the hustle and bustle). Until I saw this video embedded below, which is proof-positive that one man can start a revolution with his feet.

3. On occasion, dance is not just an art form or a recreational outlet, but instead a physical competition to be judged and assessed. To wit, peep out this rather memorable scene from Pulp Fiction, which riffs on John Travolta’s previous role in Saturday Night Fever. “I want that trophy. So dance good.” Indeed.

2. As an avid cyclist and a former bike messenger, Quicksilver, an 80’s flick starring Kevin Bacon as a financial analyst-turned-cycle-courier, makes me cringe with embarrassment. That said, there’s not one but two noteworthy passages of interest to us here.

Dancing with bikes? Yikes.

Once more, with feeling:

1. Between his noted personal “quirks,” lavish but reclusive lifestyle and highly publicized child molestation charges, it’s hard to remember that Michael Jackson was once the premier pop musician in the world. Watch here as he performs his signature dance move, the Moonwalk, in 1983 for the first time in a public forum. Some observers have suggested that this is the best known dance routine in history and I am not inclined to disagree.

The requisite tee:

Break a leg: travis@founditemclothing.com