Brand-ish: 8103 Clothing
Everyone has vices. One of my most obvious and expensive ones is shopping. So when you combine it with my love of sports, things can get a little hectic for my little Visa card. Streetwear is one of my passions and men have a plethora of options compared to women. The ladies' gear is starting to set up, but the fellas' market is massive in comparison. Especially when you look at the t-shirt and cut and sew arena. 10 Deep presented one of the best executed and styled look books in recent years with their Fall/Winter 2009-2010 "Hunt or be Hunted" Collection. Mishka consistently brings out perfect custom colour New Era caps and cult favorites. And Nike Sportswear constantly impresses with their collabs (I bought this Nike x Grotesk jacket at Nike Sportswear at 21 Mercer - amazing!) I'm going to let my girl boner for these established streetwear brands subside for just a minute to showcase 8103 Clothing, an independent brand out of the land of the Jaguars: Jacksonville, Florida. 8103 Clothing began in 2003 in the sunshine state and call themselves a lifestyle brand that fuses skate and street cultures (my first loves) to come up with interesting, quality and topical apparel. They preach quality, passion and independence as they screen all their shirts in their Florida facility, which you have to respect in this mass manufacturing market. They offer tees, jeans, caps and even limited edition collaborations including rings and chains. I want to focus on their t-shirts as I think that's their strong suit.
The prints range from sexy and classic, to silver screen heros, and the ubiquitous East Coast vs. West Coast. But, my two personal favourite prints are the most pertinent now. The first style is their version of what I'm sure is the first of many, Tiger Woods post "sex addiction scandal" tees to drop. It's simple and bold - JUST DID IT.
I kinda love the slightly tall tee fit (long shape and sleeves) and it also comes in a crew neck sweater in black. I may get a XXL (mini dress length) in my favourite colourway, purple and white, and rock it with knee-high socks and heels to a PGA event. Though how awesome would it be if the tee came in Tiger final round red? Do you think he wears red boxer when he seals the deal?
The second t-shirt from 8103 Clothing that caught my eye is the ode to the MTV show that is transforming Facebook statuses and club dance moves everywhere...yes, I'm talking about the phenomena that is Jersey Shore.
The t-shirt showcases some of the very best quotations from the boys who creeped all over Seaside Heights and into our hearts. This is a much more fashionable and ironic way to sport your love of all things GTL (gym, tan, laundry for the non-converted) than say a blowout ala Pauly Dee or fluorescent garb from the Shore Store.
Shout outs to the crew at 8103 Clothing for keeping it fun, fresh and local. If you want to pick up some gear you can grab it from their online store. Or, Karmaloop has some special items on their site as well and if you use coupon code SHEGOTGAME you'll get 20% off. Happy shopping.
High fives & booty taps,
Megan