Vintage T-Shirt Collective
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Malaysian Perversion
December 4, 2011 by Jimmy J · Leave a Comment
A roundup of Defunkd Collective tees offered from vendors in Malaysia.
English isn’t their first language but our Malaysian vendors are definitely fluent in the international language of love. The above Marciuliano print looks innocent enough from a distance but get a little closer and you’re knee deep in a massive orgy. There’s even some dogs getting in to the act – can you spot them? Waldo’s there too but without any of his signature clothing on – he’s anonymous (and wants to keep it that way.)
Then there’s this nifty chart of boobs which originated down under and you can thank Germany’s Volxmusik festival for their support of the nude boob. We couldn’t leave The Pogues off this list, their Naked Howling Freedom tee features a baby who’s just…well, hanging out.
In closing we’ll ask an age old question: is it considered necrophilia if two skeletons are engaged in a sexual act?
The Rayon Craze
July 20, 2011 by Jimmy J · 10 Comments
In recent years the demand for rayon blended vintage tees has been a bi-product of the surge of vintage tee popularity in Thailand and Malaysia. A t-shirt with a tag that features a rayon blend can make even the most run-of-the-mill design much more desirable (and valuable.) Heads up to all you sellers and pickers out there – shirts you typically passed over during the pick can be well worth grabbing given these tags can trump a lame design. Many sellers on top of their game are now including “rayon” in the title of their listing if tee in question features the fiber. Furthermore, this trend has increased the price of already sought after prints that just to happen to be on a t-shirt with rayon.
What’s the big deal with rayon fabric blends? And why does the trend seem indigenous to these two countries? Well, it actually has a lot to do with the climate in this region of the world. Thailand and Malaysia both share a tropical climate characterized by heat and humidity. Contrary to popular belief, rayon isn’t an artificial fiber like polyester. However, it also doesn’t occur naturally like cotton. It’s classified as “manufactured” yet still a by-product of something natural unlike polyester. Rayon is ideal for hot and humid climates because it has the same absorptive and breathable qualities of cotton and it doesn’t insulate body heat like polyester. So a t-shirt that features a blend as such: 44% Poly, 43% Cotton and 13% Rayon (Wolf) makes it superior to a 50/50 poly/cotton blend in terms of comfortable wear in a tropical climate. Since the rayon has cotton like properties the t-shirt mimics the feel of a 44/56 poly/cotton blend – small percentages that are appreciated on a hot day.
Rayon tees with a more common blend of 50% poly, 35% cotton and 15% rayon are actually more durable than standard tees. Since they have a higher percentage of stronger fibers they can better withstand the test of time from wear and your washing machine. As the cotton deteriorates the other two fibers hold strong creating a micro ventilated shirt due to the lack of cotton fibers in the fabric weave. The optimal paper thin worn tees are those comprised partially of rayon because you’re still left with a fiber that has natural qualities when the cotton has called it quits.
And weather conditions aside, rayon just plain enhances the life of your vintage t-shirt. So seek ‘em out and wear ‘em more often.
Brands that are known to have a line of rayon blends:
Malaysian Vintage Invasion Part II
February 14, 2010 by Jimmy J · 5 Comments
In our first Malaysian bundle post we featured a tiny fraction of their vintage blog shops. That was roughly six months ago and they have been growing exponentially ever since. I’m pretty certain they’re going to break the internet at some point. Until that sad day comes I’ll keep traveling to their infinite virtual vintage destinations and report back ones that catch my eye. If you can’t find what you’re looking for on eBay, make use of the wanted section in our forum – one of our browsers did and found the shirt he was looking for on a Malaysian blog.
Here’s a bunch more of our favorites:
If you run a vintage Malaysian blog shop and would like to be featured, please contact us.
The Malaysian Vintage Invasion
September 29, 2009 by Jimmy J · 26 Comments
In the last three years the vintage clothing market has erupted in Malaysia and used clothing shops (kedai bundle) have been sprouting up in every state and village. Traditionally Malaysia’s second hand clothing business (baju bundle) has provided the general public with inexpensive clothing just like North American thrift stores. That said, the Malaysian vintage market has recently become much more similar to Japan’s. When the their boom settles most predict it will be a mainstay in their culture going forward – like Japan’s decades old passion for these goods.
In the meantime Malaysia’s surging demand has textile importers from Korea and Singapore shifting their distribution networks to this new destination. And where there’s piles of used clothing – there’s collectors digging through them. Yes, every so often they too discover the needle in the vintage haystack: a concert t-shirt or pair of vintage big e levi’s jeans.
And for those who don’t dig the digging, Malaysia’s premium vintage shops (brick and mortar) are so plentiful they outnumber most cities in North America, respectively. If you can’t afford the flight for a Malaysian vintage shopping spree you can always venture in to their online realm. Respect to them for courageously operating independently from the monopoly that is eBay. Instead they negotiate sales via their blogs and since they freely link to one another they all benefit from the strength of the community.
I just spent two hours wormholing around them uncovering a vintage blogging world I didn’t know existed. Then came the daunting task of selecting only five to feature all the while knowing that I only saw a small percentage of them. Yes, there’s that many and yes, I’m lazy.
Check ‘em out:
If you run a vintage Malaysian blog shop and would like to be featured, please contact us.