I Feel Like I Need a New T-Shirt June 30, 2017 10:51 AM   Subscribe

My old FIAMO one in professional black is getting a bit snug in the middle, if you know what I mean.

Is it a good time for MeFi T-Shirt time again? It's been a while.
posted by notyou to MetaFilter-Related at 10:51 AM (84 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite

I've been hankerin' for a while to try and make some new shirts happen as well! It's been difficult to carve out time to focus on it, unfortunately, but "make a MetaTalk to kick off discussion" is one of the items on that list of things to do and so, hey, here we are!

If folks want to chatter about what they'd like in a shirt, this seems like as good a time as any to do it.

My main takeaway from our previous shirt outings is that it's a bit easier to produce a small number of designs than to wrangle a larger variety, for our relatively limited shirt-buying crowd—estimating and handling color, size, and cut variations for even a single design can be fiddly so doing it for more than like two to four is probably a headache we don't need to set ourselves up for.

So, like: a new basic logo tee, and then...what else?
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:55 AM on June 30, 2017 [3 favorites]


For people wanting instant gratification, there are three old Mefi t-shirt designs available at Topatoco, although they're phasing them out so if you want in, get while the getting is good:
-Metafilter logo
-"If you're not paying for it"
-Flag it and move on
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 10:59 AM on June 30, 2017 [3 favorites]


On the front:
[real]
On the back:
[fake]
posted by klarck at 10:59 AM on June 30, 2017 [9 favorites]


The classics are always good: Flag It And Move On. That one is a guaranteed conversation starter. ("Well, see there's this website, and.. shit, here, I'll send you a link.")

I feel like we should commemorate the politics threads in cotton, too, because they've been so epic, and also so helpful and comforting, but I can't think of an appropriate bon mot ("Help! I'm trapped in a MeFi politics thread.") and also maybe we shouldn't commemorate those things at all.
posted by notyou at 11:04 AM on June 30, 2017


I'd swap those, klarck.
posted by notyou at 11:05 AM on June 30, 2017 [3 favorites]


What about color-coordinated shirts with the logos of the four main sub-sites?
So: blue for MeFi, green for AskMeFi, purple for FanFare, and whatever color this is for MetaTalk.
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:08 AM on June 30, 2017 [9 favorites]


It's gray, right?
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:09 AM on June 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


On the front:
[real]


I'm sure this was well intended but as a person-with-breasts there is no way I am wearing that.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 11:20 AM on June 30, 2017 [119 favorites]


There has been talk of MeFi blue & AskMe green t-shirts as long as I can remember, but the problem has always been that no one manufactures them in the right color, and even if they did, the color varies so significantly between runs that it end up being sub-optimal.

I wouldn't mind one with the MF favicon on the left breast. Maybe even a polo with MF embroidered on there.

No, it's grey.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:21 AM on June 30, 2017 [1 favorite]


How about a shirt that says: FLAGGED AS FANTASTIC! or FANTASTIC COMMENT!

Some variation on that might be fun with a small MetaFilter logo on the sleeve.
posted by Fizz at 11:22 AM on June 30, 2017 [5 favorites]


> I'm sure this was well intended but as a person-with-breasts there is no way I am wearing that.

Holy Crap. Thank you for the benefit of the doubt. I didn't even think of that. My apologies.
posted by klarck at 11:23 AM on June 30, 2017 [11 favorites]


I feel like we should commemorate the politics threads in cotton, too, because they've been so epic, and also so helpful and comforting, but I can't think of an appropriate bon mot ("Help! I'm trapped in a MeFi politics thread.") and also maybe we shouldn't commemorate those things at all.

TEHHUND AIN'T GOT NOTHIN' ON ME.
posted by Etrigan at 11:24 AM on June 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


Just throwing in my perennial request to avoid using American Apparel; their shirts are difficult for people with breasts

And their company, too (although I guess it's better since the harasser-in-charge got fired). But the sizing on AA shirts is awful.

I would put in a request for shirt colors other than black. My metalhead days are long over, and it's nice to have a short-sleeved shirt that won't bake in the sun.
posted by suelac at 11:55 AM on June 30, 2017 [5 favorites]


Whoever did the grey MeTa shirts with tl;dr got the colors right.
posted by Chrysostom at 11:59 AM on June 30, 2017 [4 favorites]


I'd like to put in a request for stickers that say [+] and [!].
posted by zeptoweasel at 12:04 PM on June 30, 2017 [18 favorites]


Dark Mode Is On and/or
Dark Mode Is Off
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:11 PM on June 30, 2017 [1 favorite]


Perhaps an anthropomorphic smiling crouton receiving pats from a giant hand?
posted by slkinsey at 12:30 PM on June 30, 2017 [5 favorites]


I've stenciled a few shirts w/ MeFi designs for Quonsmas, etc. Apologies for the bad stencil edges -- this one is a reject I kept for myself.

I've had a few MeFites recognize the symbol from a distance. I'd pay good money for a similarly-minimal design that supported the site.
posted by introp at 12:52 PM on June 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


Seeing as how we're asking for ponies, I'd like mine to be wearing a MeTa grey brushed fleece zipper hoodie with a zipped chest pocket, a [+] emblem on the left front shoulder, and a [!] emblem on the back right, both embroidered.
posted by Kreiger at 12:58 PM on June 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


> If folks want to chatter about what they'd like in a shirt

TALL WOMEN'S SIZES
TALL WOMEN'S SIZES
TALL WOMEN'S SIZES

I surveyed all the Mefites in the room and that's what 100% said they wanted.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:20 PM on June 30, 2017 [28 favorites]


Tall everyone sizes please. Women's first.

Maybe a typography shirt based on the data collected on the various ways of pronouncing MeFite that that one user did? (sorry i'm not braining today or would remember their name)

Also +1 on [+] and [!] stickers/decals and "Flagged As Fantastic" with subtle MeFi logo.
posted by softlord at 1:23 PM on June 30, 2017 [7 favorites]


with the logo on the back (not into being a billboard)

As another breast person I don't give a frack about what the shirt says as long as it was on the back - I would wear the hell out of it. I never know what my beautiful large breasts will make a shirt say and sometimes it's HORRIBLE especially when parts gets lost in the underboob. Like I would love the "You're not paying for it" t-shirt but this is what would happen:

IF YOU'RE NOT
P A Y I N G F O R I T
customer
you're the product

BEING SOLD.

So if it is on the front something simple would be nice, though, lo, I'm unable to think of a suggestion right now to offset my complaint. But I can't make be the only person here like that.
posted by barchan at 1:40 PM on June 30, 2017 [6 favorites]


Maybe one of the William Carlos Williams rewrites? I don't know which one.
posted by blnkfrnk at 1:42 PM on June 30, 2017 [8 favorites]


Dark Mode Is On and/or
Dark Mode Is Off


"Dark Mode Is Off" with "Dark Mode Is On" superimposed in glow-in-the-dark material?
posted by knuckle tattoos at 1:48 PM on June 30, 2017 [4 favorites]


Metafilter: [insert pithy quote fragment here]
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 1:52 PM on June 30, 2017 [4 favorites]


This is just to say...
I fucking hate plums
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:09 PM on June 30, 2017 [11 favorites]


My favorites:

MetaFilter + [!}

Special Snowflake

What I wish I had: either of the above with a woman's cut. Also:

FIAMO
DTMFA
Plate of Beans Under Contemplation
It's Raining Florence Henderson
AskMeFi
posted by bearwife at 2:18 PM on June 30, 2017 [7 favorites]


Can we just produce the shirts through one of those vendors that can just screen-print the same design onto a range of different shirts? Those are a thing, right? no sarcasm, I'm really not sure
posted by R a c h e l at 2:22 PM on June 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


Would buy another tl;dr grey shirt in a heartbeat. Probably also would procure FIAMO and definitely would purchase DTMFA.... perhaps I just like initialisms, though, thinking about it.
posted by sockermom at 2:29 PM on June 30, 2017


If cortex's twitter is any guide, I was just assuming they would all be menger sponge shirts with am all-caps pun on the back.
posted by zachlipton at 3:10 PM on June 30, 2017 [9 favorites]


(arched lettering at top) HI I'M ON METAFILTER
(middle) est. [MF logo] 1999
(arched lettering at bottom) AND I COULD OVERTHINK A PLATE OF BEANS
posted by drlith at 3:22 PM on June 30, 2017 [4 favorites]


oh what, I almost made this exact post less than a week ago

love my FIAMO shirt - working in forestry where we use lots of flagging tape I'm constantly being asked where I got it, and have even had a couple people ask to have their picture taken with me

but yeah, getting a little thrashed and could use a replacement
posted by mannequito at 3:41 PM on June 30, 2017 [5 favorites]


DTMFA is associated more with its coiner, Dan Savage, than with AskMe.

(Currently he's selling ITMFA merch for charity.)
posted by Shmuel510 at 3:52 PM on June 30, 2017 [5 favorites]


silenced all my life
posted by AFABulous at 5:39 PM on June 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


taters
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:43 PM on June 30, 2017 [3 favorites]


Maybe a typography shirt based on the data collected on the various ways of pronouncing MeFite that that one user did? (sorry i'm not braining today or would remember their name)

It was iamkimiam who I think might now be Dr. iamkimiam based on finishing this research?
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 6:06 PM on June 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


I would love a logo tee, or multiple logo tees. It would be nice to do some sort of "basic" shirt(s) for those of us who don't want to get into super-weird conversations about our shirts.

(Currently he's selling ITMFA merch for charity.)

Thank you! I saw one of those bumper stickers today in the grocery-store parking lot and wondered what it was ("I am The Mother Fucker Already"?), then I forgot my wonderings and didn't look it up. This thread is an unexpected bounty.
posted by lazuli at 6:50 PM on June 30, 2017 [1 favorite]


I wouldn't mind one with the MF favicon on the left breast. Maybe even a polo with MF embroidered on there.

Ideally in meta blue with the "MF" in yellow so I could wear it and pretend to be a Best Buy employee.
posted by octobersurprise at 7:07 PM on June 30, 2017


Heh, if there's a politics thread shirt I'm totally into either tehhunding or JCPL, those were my favorite in-jokes.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 7:14 PM on June 30, 2017 [3 favorites]


If we're memorializing threads, Emotional Labor will (I hope) outlive politics.

Metafilter: fair wages for emotional labor.
posted by Jesse the K at 7:17 PM on June 30, 2017 [6 favorites]




A "don't re-litigate the primaries" shirt would be genuinely useful in real life (or would just serve to attract people interested in doing just that), but Meredith and the Seven Steves was my favorite in-joke.

I'm kind of hungry for some guacamole now that we're on the subject.
posted by zachlipton at 7:36 PM on June 30, 2017 [5 favorites]


Tote baaaaaag

Otherwise a vote for Flag it and Move On.
posted by dinty_moore at 7:56 PM on June 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


Metafilter: can I eat it?
posted by scratch at 9:10 PM on June 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


"This shirt cost $20, same as in town."
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 10:04 PM on June 30, 2017 [3 favorites]


I still think an AskMe shirt or hoodie, forest green, with the words 'First, be smart from the very beginning' would be excellent.
posted by h00py at 11:57 PM on June 30, 2017 [17 favorites]


For reasons beyond our control, the only shirts possible now feature Menger sponges
posted by zompist at 12:22 AM on July 1, 2017 [8 favorites]


"Note: Everyone needs a hug."
posted by Sequence at 12:47 AM on July 1, 2017 [6 favorites]


I'm still pining for a hoppitamoppita shirt.
posted by Bruce H. at 1:33 AM on July 1, 2017 [5 favorites]


Please tally my vote for a color other than black, and "special snowflake".
And as long as you asked, I'd love a long-sleeved option.
posted by bookmammal at 4:33 AM on July 1, 2017 [2 favorites]


Vote #1 quidnunc kid

(I've heard it just a few times around here, it's pretty catchy!)
posted by NoraCharles at 6:06 AM on July 1, 2017 [9 favorites]


I'd love a throwback tee with one of the old banners on it. Walking around with a shirt saying "the Plastic.com it's okay to like" would make me happy.
posted by soundofsuburbia at 6:44 AM on July 1, 2017 [4 favorites]


This is just to say...
I fucking hate plums


Would go great on some custom print MeFi tighty-whities.
posted by ambrosen at 7:23 AM on July 1, 2017


I'd like a poly/cotton blend, maybe a little rayon or something, rather than all-cotton. I like black t-shirts (like, almost exclusively). I think it's important to offer a range of sizes for all kinds of bodies. I would not wear a shirt that says 'special snowflake'--I don't need that kind of attention.
posted by box at 7:58 AM on July 1, 2017 [2 favorites]


Ditto everything said above: no AA, made from decent quality material, women's sizes, etc. How about some V-necks, rather than yet more crew-necks?


TOTEBAGS TOTEBAGS TOTEBAGS TOTEBAGS TOTEBAGS!
posted by easily confused at 8:40 AM on July 1, 2017 [9 favorites]


If they could be produced on demand instead of having to count on selling X number of each design, then I like a [mefi in-joke of your choice] + [mefi logo] format.

...same as in town. [logo]
...it vibrates? [logo]
/hamburger [logo]
Metafilter: (tagline) [logo]
etc.

I would totally wear a shirt that said
MeFi
(pronounced 'meffy')
[logo]
posted by ctmf at 10:36 AM on July 1, 2017


Oh look, another thread about t-shirts where I again1 make2 my3 repeated4 plea5 for busty and plus-sized ladies tees.
This means no AA - their ladies shirts are ridiculously sized6.

We have been waiting for years and years and years. Please. Pretty please. Don't leave us out.
posted by ApathyGirl at 10:55 AM on July 1, 2017 [13 favorites]


YMMV
IANYL
IANALAIANYL
posted by Chairboy at 11:03 AM on July 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


Though I can see a slight problem with that last one...
posted by Chairboy at 11:04 AM on July 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


re:logo tees, any chance we could get some with the original logo? While I love the new site design, I have a nostalgic soft spot for the older logo style. (And getting it in MeFi blue would be extra perfect!)
posted by Rhaomi at 11:58 AM on July 1, 2017 [3 favorites]


I still wear my "special snowflake" shirt on special occasions but it is incredibly threadbare. I'd love to be able to replace it.
posted by eamondaly at 12:21 PM on July 1, 2017


Snowflake being a favorite alt-right term of derision these days, you might want to vary your epithetical mileage.

Perhaps, instead...

We all in these beans together.
posted by y2karl at 12:57 PM on July 1, 2017 [4 favorites]


I'd like Metafilter: __________________________ and a sharpie.

or an embroidered logo.
posted by theora55 at 6:02 PM on July 1, 2017


I'm still waiting for the mefi dinosaur shirt that was promised by someone, eh whatsisname, I forget.
posted by carter at 7:52 PM on July 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


mathowie and his promises! TravelFilter!
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 8:06 PM on July 1, 2017 [5 favorites]


I'd love a tote bag with the [+] and [!] on either side, as a person who doesn't often wear clothing with words.
posted by janell at 11:14 PM on July 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


I have one I bought a long time ago that says 'I [+] Metafilter' on the front, and 'MetaFilter, community weblog' on the back. I've worn it until its a threadbare rag. I'd love to be able to buy another. I've even thought about getting some of the companies that do one-offs to re-make it for me.
posted by overhauser at 7:41 AM on July 2, 2017


The emotional labor thread, printed in all-over print style like this.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 10:31 AM on July 2, 2017 [1 favorite]


The emotional labor thread, printed in all-over print style like this.
That'd be entirely possible, there's a vendor, Litographs, which specializes in doing this with cool designs for public-domain books, but also will do an all-over print of text you provide them.

(Made for a fantastic gift for my wife using some of her own writing. If it helps, she noted that it fit quite nicely. I'll have to look up who they use for shirts)

The EL-Condensed PDF is about 30,000 words on a naive count, and they recommend 40k.

That said, I'm pretty sure the rights issue involved in using that many people's words in a commercial product would be a nightmare. (Since I wouldn't want to assume that the people who assented to being included in the PDF would also implicitly be cool with having their screenname and experiences on a shirt wandering around, even if it's in fairly small type)
posted by CrystalDave at 12:31 PM on July 2, 2017 [3 favorites]


Yes, to be clear that would be a non-starter as much as I appreciate the heft of the idea.
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:18 PM on July 2, 2017


We're about to move somewhere there is going to be a much, much lower concentration of mefites than our current location, so I would purchase the HECK out of whatever merchandise I can get in order to help draw them out.

For the record my ideal shirt would be just [+] / [!] or the logo, and longsleeved. But I'd pretty much take what I could get.
posted by greenish at 3:27 AM on July 3, 2017


Another vote for "I [+] MetaFilter" - I once had folks ask me about it in a grocery store, which was pretty great, but for some reason I seem unable to find it now. Or maybe I outgrew it; not sure. Regardless, I'd love a replacement.
posted by nickmark at 8:03 AM on July 3, 2017 [1 favorite]


I've got a fairly lightly used "I [+] MetaFilter" shirt in Men's XL that I would be willing to part with for a nominal fee reasonable amount extortionate sum. MeMail me if you are interested.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:35 PM on July 3, 2017


Are you Ask or Guess?
posted by wenestvedt at 4:36 PM on July 3, 2017


I still want that tote bag that says [more inside].
posted by Too-Ticky at 9:59 AM on July 4, 2017 [15 favorites]


Another vote for women's plus sizes, pretty pretty please. The women's 2X shirts I have purchased from TopatoCo are... not actually plus-sized. I have so many WTNV shirts sitting neglected in my closet right now because on the rare days I can actually squeeze into the glowcloud shirt, the glowcloud looks rather mightier than it already is, plus a bit lopsided.

With that qualification out of the way, I'd love an "I [+] MetaFilter" shirt in grey, black, or dark blue. And +1 for stickers and tote bags if those possibilities exist!
posted by rhiannonstone at 2:38 PM on July 4, 2017 [6 favorites]


4X extra long shirts with the Treaty of Westphalia
posted by a humble nudibranch at 5:15 PM on July 4, 2017 [7 favorites]


With the caveat that I have no idea what their plus sizes are like, the Anvil lightweight tee I got from one of the Science March tahirts is a pretty great unisex fitted tee for people with breasts who don't want something super tight or to look like a formless mass of human in a tshirt.

Seconding the vote for the logo on something besides black. (And also maybe the option of smaller logo, or at least resized on smaller shirts?) I hear the classic blue background's a tasteful color.
posted by deludingmyself at 6:25 AM on July 6, 2017 [1 favorite]


Also... hex sticker?
posted by deludingmyself at 6:40 AM on July 6, 2017


I'd like to put in a request for stickers that say [+] and [!].

I would love flag sticky notes that had [+] and [!]. Maybe with a bigger sticky note pad that said "Flag it and move on."
posted by myelin sheath at 7:04 AM on July 7, 2017 [1 favorite]


Are you Ask or Guess?

Or an option between two styles:

[x] ASK
[ ] GUESS

and

[ ] ASK
[x] GUESS
posted by bunderful at 2:42 PM on July 8, 2017 [2 favorites]


I'm thinking of a goof on the Google search screenshots that use auto complete to tell a joke. Maybe "MetaFilter:" in a form with a few of the best entries underneath.
posted by scalefree at 6:12 PM on July 14, 2017


If you want to capture the zeitgeist of the current MeFi, this is your tee.
posted by heyho at 7:16 PM on July 18, 2017


IS THIS THE NEW THREAD

works on so many levels.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 7:29 PM on July 18, 2017 [8 favorites]


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