Pretty insignificant you may think.
A bit materialistic and trivial they may be but the purchase or acquisition of each item represents a waymarker in a particular phase in my formative years.
Some are in very poor condition as a consequence of age and multiple machine washes. It is difficult to make out the printed detail which has faded in the matter of a better original quality screen print or just fallen off where one of those basic iron on transfer types has been used.
Of course, thirty years on I have no hope whatsoever of fitting into the garments. I attribute this to a combination of natural shrinkage of old cotton molecular structures on the one part and middle age spread on the other.
The oldest surviving T shirt was bought at a gig by The Jam in 1979 when I was aged 16. This was gloriously rediscovered in a recent house move after I had thought it long since eaten by mice or used to clean the cooker by my Mother. It would have been very well received if aired in public at the recent "wear you old rock T shirts to work day" but on my expansive torso would have looked, in all honesty, like a boob tube.
My current most worn item is a Holy Moly production with the slogan "Jack Bauer wouldn't stand for this S**T". I wore this last week whilst at the indoor climbing centre and it was much admired, well at least more than my mountaineering skills.
Volunteering for or attending at different events has brought forth a number of free 'T's'.
These include support for cows on the local common land at risk from being run over by vehicles, crew gear for marshalling at two rounds of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, a celebratory pastiche of the Bayeux Tapestry depicting Bradley Wiggins victory at the Tour de France and a list of vessels at the Cowes Regatta.
In the dark or under a few layers I do wear a rather gawdy and effeminate Pink Martini tour T shirt. It is lovely and soft indicating a wonderful quality garment. Lush.
A loud and brash slogan or equally a subtle and at first innocent expression of opinion or feelings on a 'T' shirt can bring a smile to those who see it, if of course not too controversial, politically insensitive or rude.
There are some very good examples currently available through on line sales sites and I have compiled my top ten gigglers and bubblers-under as follows;
Acknowledgments to Snorg Tees, Roswell, Georgia, USA for this selection although the choice was very difficult.
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