Pocket Change - Shopping Blog

Seems like sometimes the toughest question of all is: “it’s my friend’s birthday / graduation day / Bar Mitzvah, what should I buy him/her”? Did you ever think about the T-shirt as a perfect gift? Today, T-shirts represent a media for expressing someone’s personality, stands and beliefs. T-shirt designs became art itself, and are not just a piece of commercialized cloth for emphasizing already established brands. Everyone loves and wears a T-shirt, so why not gift your loved ones with one? But before you go and buy a tee, you might get help from this few tips.

1. Know what you want – that means: pay attention to the personality of that someone you’d like to gift with a T-shirt. Question yourself, do you know what colors he/she likes, does he/she like witty slogans perhaps, or is he/she more of an arty-type of person? Maybe he/she likes specific movies, books, sports or animals? Or if you don’t know what he/she exactly likes, maybe you know what they don’t like? That could narrow your options and bring you one step closer to choosing that perfect tee.

2. Research – there are plenty of specialized T-shirt labels out there, that are focused on such details as 80’s video games, religious messages, even mustaches and hamburgers! You also have specialized online shops, which carry many T-shirt lines with various tee designs. Do yourself a favor and research deeply, and if possible – go indie, because that way you do a favor for everyone; your money gets that little specific value, small tee label gets your support and your friend or a loved one gets an unique, often hand-printed T-shirt, which he/she will wear with a sense of pride for sure! There are also plenty of T-shirt blogs, which provide the readers with shop and shirts reviews and all necessary info on how/where/what to buy.

3. Quality – it does matter! You wouldn’t want to give someone a T-shirt as a gift, and then worry about the design bleaching, or stretch out during time? So, if you’re looking for a shirt on the internet, make sure you’re paying for quality. Do yourself a favor and ask the label or the seller about the tee – what kind of cloth is it made of, what kind of printing method did they use, which kind of ink, how does it wash or dry, and such details. Many of the labels/sellers out there will be more than happy to answer your questions! Or, if a shop that carries your desired tee is nearby – go to the shop and ask about it, take a look at it, feel it beneath your fingers… You’ll be happy you did later.

4. Detail – details matter a lot! Either if it’s a branded neck label, or that label’s logo printed on the sleeve, or a special message attached to a tee by a safety pin – it will make a person you’re gifting with a T-shirt proud. He/she will have a feeling that they’re someone special and unique to you. And they are, right? Otherwise you wouldn’t want to invest all that time in finding them that specific, unique tee…

5. Packaging – it’s a “cherry on the top of a cake” of the whole process! Now that you’ve chosen that perfect tee, why not invest some time in packaging? Many of the labels or shops made a whole new art of T-shirt packaging, packing them into cardboard boxes, special kinds of paper, or even cans! Or you can use your creativity and imagination to surprise the one you’re gifting with a shirt. After all – isn’t it nice if he/she doesn’t know what’s in that mysterious package you’ve prepared for him/her?

Hope these few tips will help you in your decision. Don’t make the T-shirt shopping just a regular “go-to-the-shop-and-buy-what-you-have-to” process – make it a little adventure! When gifting someone with a shirt that way, you’ll feel happy and proud.

Guest Blogger: Dejan Jelicic (TeeZine)