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Vintage T Shirts Book Review
May 26, 2010 by Jimmy J · 3 Comments
I finally managed to get my hands on all the vintage t-shirt books published in the last few years. Truth be told, I would recommend any book that contains photos of vintage tees, even if it was scribed in crayon by a two-year-old child.
Title: Vintage T Shirts
Meet the authors: If vintage tee addiction is hereditary meet the proof in the poly-cotton pudding. Brothers Patrick and Marc Guetta own and operate the decade old World of Vintage T-Shirts store on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood.
Number of shirts inside: 650+
Rating: 4.8/5
Buy it: Amazon / Taschen
Welcome to the closest thing to a vintage t-shirt bible you’ll ever find. In 2008 we gave that honor to a book by the same name that contained over 500 tees, but then along came this beast which trumps it by 150. Not only that, the pages are actually about 1/4 larger so you’re getting more bang for your buck. And bigger is definitely better especially because it’s showcasing a vast array of vintage tee genres, rather than just a music related ones.
If I judge this book solely by the cover, it’s perfect. Great fold out, die-cut raised detailing on the tee’s ringer and raised printing for the home-made style lettering. No, you sicko, the lettering doesn’t have a fuzzy feel to it, although I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a consideration. None of the other books put as much creativity in to their appearance.
The write-ups banked in the early part of the book are ok, but after reviewing five books previous to it I’m jaded. At this point there’s nothing new anyone can say about a glorified piece of cloth that Marlon Brando popularized. And since the authors are imports from France there’s also French version of the write-up, which is not foreign to me given I live in a bilingual country. Don’t worry those pages aren’t wasted with duplicate photos, so for everyone who isn’t fluent in French (including me I dropped it after grade 9, oops) you still have something to gawk at.
Relax, there’s not a lot of reading to do. After the final sentence it’s strictly tees for 350 pages. The concert tee section won’t blow your mind if you’re a vintage aficionado. I sold many of them during my days as a dealer which is something I can’t say about the contents of Ripped or Vintage Rock T-Shirts. But the book does a bang up job of touching on all the good things in life: sports, cars, surfing, booze, beer, movies and tv. Hell there’s even a fantasy and video game section PLUS Maiden and Harley receive extra attention. Great torsos think alike.
The downside to its size and special printing is that the book also carries the biggest price tag coming in at double the price as its predecessors. Is it justifiable? I think so especially if you’re going to buy just one. Have a look at the first 100 pages compliments of the publisher and do your own math. Pretty ballsy, but only a book so big could offer such a bonus.
Preview the book>>here. And please let us know your thoughts below.
Additional Vintage T-Shirt Book Reviews.
Ripped Review
March 29, 2010 by Jimmy J · 1 Comment
I finally managed to get my hands on all the vintage t-shirt books published in the last few years. Truth be told, I would recommend any book that contains photos of vintage tees, even if it was scribed in crayon by a two-year-old child.
Title: Ripped: T-Shirts from the Underground
Meet the author: Cesar Padilla survived through a horrific childhood incident – the loss of his entire t-shirt collection at the hands of his mother. Twenty years later and he’s managed to restore a portion of his collection and recapture his Sunset Strip glory days via poly-cotton.
Number of shirts inside: 200+
Rating: 4.75/5
Buy it: Amazon / eBay
Reading this book is like hanging out with a bunch of people that are way cooler than you. The closer you were to the front lines of these musical movements the more you’ll appreciate it. If you’re looking for mainstream vintage t-shirt porn, look elsewhere because this is the most niche of all the vintage t-shirt books. And with a new vintage t-shirt book emerging yearly, this themed piece is one future authors should take note of.
The primary focus of Ripped is counterculture music and vintage t-shirts are the medium best fitted to tell the story. The blurb inside describes it as a visual history, but don’t expect an actual history lesson – do that on your own time. It assumes you’re in the know and it can’t be bothered to explain much. It scores points by speaking directly to its intended audience and remains true to the counterculture attitude it glorifies. Kudos for not sacrificing integrity by trying to appease the masses.
But then I stumbled on some Run DMC t-shirts and assumed I was in for a real treat given the book had so accurately represented other genres. One of my favorite examples of this is an amazing Kraftwerk tee that exudes the history of electronic music. With this in mind I started fantasizing about what might appear next from the hip hop persuasion: a DJ Kool Herc or a DIY New York b-boy t-shirt? Maybe some rare Sugar Hill Gang, Afrika Bambaataa or Grandmaster Flash swag? Nope. Just two token Run DMC tees and they stand out like a sore thumb.
I felt ripped off in the rap category, but Ripped still rivals Vintage Rock T-Shirts in terms of obscure pieces. And unlike the Vintage Rock T-Shirts collection I doubt Ripped’s shirts would ever be put up for auction. The inspiration behind the book and its nifty write-ups make it clear the sentimental value of these tees trumps the almighty dollar. The cynical intro by Lydia Lunch is tops compared to those we have reviewed in the past which have all been way too wordy and Pulitzer poised. The rest of the contributors are welcome additions – one even discusses digging through the drawers of the deceased Sid & Nancy. Oh and if you’ve ever wondered the history behind John Lennon’s New York City tee – it’s in the book.
I highly recommend adding this book to your collection, it’s perfect (as long as you close your eyes on pages 170 and 179).
Additional Vintage T-Shirt Book Reviews.
Nike’s Irreverence Justified: Part 2
May 30, 2009 by Karl · 1 Comment
Like promised, every now and then I will upload some pages of the book Irreverence Justified (check that link – every so often one appears on eBay)…I know that a lot of people are just curious to see what’s in the book…
I could go on for years, since the book has brought together more then 500 different nike models….here comes the second batch of pictures.
Enjoy!
On a side note: it isn’t that easy to make pictures of the pages, since the book is small but massive, and in a way fragile, since i don’t want to “break” the back of the book….
Nike’s Irreverence Justified (2000)
May 19, 2009 by Karl · 2 Comments
In the years before entering into the new millennium, Nike, as did many other big corporations, were thinking how to celebrate this unique moment, and how to thank all the people that supported them over the years.
A lot of ideas passed the table. From calendars to a recompilation of legendary nike spots for television. At the end, they did go for a book, since it has the big advantage to be able to give it, and a as result “Irreverence Justified” (check that link, it occasionally appears on eBay) was born. A massive book, almost literally like brick, which has become one of the most looked after collectors items for every Nike collector.
But not just a “book”. Nike wouldn’t be Nike, to transform this pile of paper in a work of art, beginning with the cover. The golden shine of the book cover comes from the use of the material “PU Sparkle Leather code number gold 6002”, which is the same material used for the shoes in which Michel Johnson set the 200 Mt. World Record. Nike used in fact what had left over by the production of Johnsons golden shoes, which make the book even more special.
Now, what’s the book about?
Shoes, shoes and again shoes. Nike made a compilation of almost 600 Nike models (575 to be exact) of known and sometimes very unknown nike models. IJ starts with the 1972 Waffle Montreal, and oddly enough ends with several blank pages. In this way Nike wanted to make clear that this isn’t a closed project. You know Nike, “there is no finish line”
What it makes even more sought after, is that Nike only did 2000 exemplar’s of IJ, each hand numbered. IJ wasn’t for sale either. Each of the 2000 exemplars went to important “cultural” leaders or important people out of the Nike family. As a fact, Phil Knight received copy number 1 of IJ.
Is this book worth all the hype, taking it almost to a mythical “holy grail” like level?
Absolutely!
The books give a stunning overview of more then 30 years of Nike history. Being myself a collector of Vintage Nike shoes, I came across of a lot of shoes I even never heard off. The Nike LD1000, the Nik Smoke, etc.. shoes that are by most of us long forgotten (inside as outside Nike), but are worth being dusted of.
In a sense, Nike made a sort of corporate history, since the effort they did, to find all the shoes was nerve breaking. A lot of the shoes didn’t just exist anymore, so they had to do it with scans from old and even “older” catalogs.
Eight years after release, it’s becoming hard to come across a copy, since most of the copies of IJ ended up in the hands of people who will never ‘(or not soon at least) part from it.
the next coming weeks, i will post som more pictures of rare nike shoes that appeared in the IJ… here are already a few….
More to come!
Irreverence Justified (2000)
February 11, 2009 by Karl · 1 Comment
Before I depart to London for a long weekend, take a look at this…
I am now an owner of one the 2000 copies of “justified irreverence”… The ultimate Nike collectors book. Besides the design, it contains pictures and release dates of almost 600 Nike shoes, beginning from the early seventies (1972) until….. (there is no finish)
In the following weeks I will share some more pictures…