Fantastic Blognanza!

It seems like patterns within elements of t-shirt designs are becoming more and more common these days; and I’m certainly not complaining, because I think they’re pretty cool! If you can’t visualize what I’m talking about (and I won’t blame you; I wouldn’t be able to, either!), here’s an example from Your Favorite (about whom I’ve wanted to blog for a while now, anyway):

To the Edge! at Your Favorite ($20)

Using a white/green plaid for the ship works really well here. It’s already absurd for it to be sailing through the clouds (even though I think it’s going to the edge of the world, hence the title), so there might as well be something odd about the ship itself. Why not make it plaid? I like it. To the Edge! is not the only instance of this phenomenon that I’ve noticed, however. Here are three more that I think are cool:

Scuba Platypus by Eleanor Grosch NEW at Owl Movement ($20)

Instead of being a solid color, all of the brown elements of this design (i.e., the scuba diving platypus and the li’l fishies) are patterned. I think the design would look rather flat and boring if it weren’t for the patterning, which I find very aesthetically appealing.

The Joy of Repetition by Taylor Russ ($45)

Alright, this one is a hoody and not a t-shirt (although you wouldn’t be able to tell from the above picture), but I still think it deserves a mention, partly because it contains a couple famous patterns. Both houndstooth and herringbone are well-represented. Even though most of the patterned elements are not representations of ‘real things’ (except the hands), they are still interesting. I especially like how Taylor breaks the boundaries of many of the patterned elements using their primary colors, i.e., the brown floral element, the yellow scribbles, and the green leaves. NB: This hoodie seems to be sold out. UPDATE: This hoodie might be is definitely available here for $40. Thanks, Emily! UPDATE 2: I forgot to thank Andy at Hide Your Arms for my first exposure to this hoodie. Thanks, Andy; you rock!

Patterns in Nature at Moral Fabric ($25)

I believe the pattern found in this bird is inspired by patterns in Islamic art; it may even be a reproduction of one, but I don’t know where to look. Either way, it’s vaguely reminiscent of the large top section of this textile fragment. The colors are certainly very similar. If you want to view this very detailed pattern larger, you can do so here.

Because I think patterns can be used in highly creative ways, I’m eagerly awaiting the release of more t-shirts utilizing them. I might try my hand at incorporating one into a t-shirt design myself sometime… Anyway, I hope you’ve enjoyed this foray into pattern!