Our old friend Jon Wye has just released his newest T-Shirt which is part of his Pirate Chef series. The shirt is called The Mysterious Mr. Vegan Hunter and it features a fatherly rabbit who is relaxing in his rabbit-hole study, reminiscing on his days of great harvesting. He is even taking a little time to enjoy a good vintage of carrot juice whilst polishing his most trusted shovel.
I think the shirt features a super fun design that would have probably gone very well with the Threadless crowd if it had been submitted there. You’ll also find the Pirate Chef logo printed on the back of the T-Shirt.
The Mysterious Mr. Vegan Hunter is printed on a super soft 100% combed cotton Olive T-Shirt and is available now from Jon Wye for $29. For extra savings, use the coupon code “5up” for $5 off your entire order!
Our favorite custom leather belt designer and purveyor of fanciful T-Shirts, Jon Wye, has released a new line of tees and has opened up shop in what some argue to be the greatest city in the world, New York City. The new line features some wonderful and witty illustrations featuring everything from ants and robots to squirrels and the ever wonderful weasel. He also has expanded his Pirate Chef line, which is a welcome surprise (i’ve always been a fan of it). Raise your hand if your think Jon should turn Wonder Weasel into the next great animated series.
The new tees can be had at prices starting from $25 but you can save some cash this TODAY (Tuesday) if you use the code “CyberMon” at checkout (you get 20% off your entire order). The money saving deals last all week long too:
Cyber Tuesday: 20% off
Cyber Wednesday: reduced to 15% off
Cyber Thursday: reduced to 10% off until Saturday Dec 5th at midnight
In other news, Jon Wye, is now available in a brick and mortar shop in the heart of NYC at Bryant Park. “We’ve built an entire store that looks just like a classic library, complete with FAKE deer head, real working fireplace, bar, red leather high wing back chair, and custom built furniture in a classic library style.” If I was in NYC I’d definitely stop by and say hi! I have to say that the set-up looks totally amazing and luxurious to boot! And that wall of belts is pure awesomeness.
Can you believe it guys? Another 10 Indie Tee Spotlights have come and gone. How the time zooms by when you’re having fun, huh! So just like last time, I’ve got a wrap up post for your consumption containing ten, count em’ TEN great tips from the last 10 featured Indie Tee Spotlight brands. Enjoy with tea and a comfy tee!
1. Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously. “When we first began brainstorming ideas and concepts for shirts we thought we were going to revolutionize the t-shirt world. However, as we began studying our competition and becoming familiar with the t-shirt blogging scene we realized that a lot of people not only had the same ideas, but were sometimes better executed. It made me realize that we can’t take ourselves too seriously.” -Steve Orlando of Robit Studios
2. Hating Your Day Job Can Spark Inspiration. “We both really wanted to start our own tshirt company, with designs we couldnt find in stores. It also helps we both hate our day jobs. Ill never forget checking out Emptees for the first time and saying wow, this stuff is amazing I really want to wear this. ” -Brothers Jason and Jeff of Zombie Liquorice
3. Trial and Error Works. “There is so much knowledge available on the internet for the taking. The key is being able to sift through it. And then once you think you’ve sifted through all you can handle you take the plunge and start to put your money on the line and test things out. So my whole shop, process, everything came from being willing to learn and never be too set in my ways, which is something I think a lot of people get hung up on. You have to be fluid.” -Jon Wye of Jon Wye
4. Your Brand Should Mean The World To You. “It’s such an amazing and beautiful thing to be at the helm of a boundless and opportunistic endeavor. The identity, personality and collective attributes of my brand are nothing short of what time, frugality, devotion and hard work can produce. Prestigious means the world to me.” -William Matte, Jr. of Prestigious Clothing
5. Create Something That You Would Wear and Won’t Lose It’s Appeal. “That’s a good question. There’s no real formula or specific criteria here, but generally each shirt should be something that (a) we think is inventive, humorous or unique (and hence, won’t lose its appeal over time) and (b) something that we ourselves would wear out in public.” -Travis Greenwood of Found Item Clothing
If you’re a regular reader of this blog then you know how much I dig the gear that Jon Wye has been pumping out. For the uninformed, Jon Wye is a belt and t-shirt designer based out of Washington, D.C. If you need a quick review of Jon Wye then I suggest you check out Indie Tee Spotlight #14 for an interview that I did with Jon, Glorious Nonsensities Episode 1 for a video review of one of his custom belts and of course, head over to his website to buy Jon Wye stuff!
Also, Jon recently posted a video on his website that introduces his brand and shows off his Washington D.C. workshop. He has got a lot of cool machinery!
Also, it’s Attack of the Coupon Codes time, you can save 5 bucks on your next Jon Wye order with the coupon code “5up”.
Here’s the newest tee from designer t-shirt and belt maker, Jon Wye. It’s called Pirate Chefs and it’s a play on the old skull and crossbones concept. It’s part of a new series that will include an upcoming Pirate Chefs belt (see a preview of the artwork of the Pirate Chefs belt below).
I like it! And I can actually see Jon taking this a bit further and building on this Pirate Chefs line by including other tees and belts. I’m interested to see the rest of the artwork for the belt and the characters that will be included on it. Might some of those characters carry on to a future Pirate Chefs tee? What about a Pirate Chefs belt buckle? There’s so much you can do with this, Jon!
Modeling Your T-Shirts 101 is a guest post that was written by tee and belt designer, Jon Wye. In Part 2, Jon discusses how to take model shots creatively on the cheap. If you missed Part 1, check it out, Jon discusses how to create quality product shots using a DIY lighting box.
Method 2: Work The Camera In Your Kitchen.
With the previous method you can make your tees look as good as the big boys and the quality and style of the photos works for a small designer and a large designer.
But if you want to have your t-shirts on models (my new choice for displaying the tees online) it’s not that hard, just takes a little more time and patience.
1. Fabric Store Field Trip. Start by taking a field trip to your local fabric store or even your local home décor store. Head straight for the upholstery and home furnishings fabric section, look for the thick stuff. Make sure to bring your camera.
2. Have fun! With a friend, pick out your top 5 or 6 favorite fabrics and start photographing each other posing in front of the fabrics or laying on them on the floor.
3. Review. I picked out many fabrics that I loved in person but ultimately looked bad bad bad through the lense of the camera.
4. Two Yards or More. When you’ve found the fabric that suits your best, buy no less than 2 yards worth. You will need enough to go over your head and below your waist.
5. Positive Reinforcement. Treat yourself to a McDonald’s Cheeseburger, you’ve earned it!
6. Hang and Tighten. Go back to your pad and hang your new fabric. Make sure it is very tight and shows no wrinkles.
7. Prepare Lighting. Bust out as many lamps as you can find and shine the light away from the fabric. Get some white paper, or better yet, some white foam board, and bounce the light back on the fabric. Indirect light is the best light for modeling.
8. WHITE BALANCE YOUR CAMERA. Again, this is very important. Photoshop can only correct so much. You will need to take a picture of something WHITE that is in front of the fabric (but not with any part of the fabric in it) and balance your camera off of that image. Again, consult your users manual. White Balancing takes some reading to understand, so don’t beat yourself up. Essentially you are telling your camera what your consider to be pure white in the photo, and your camera should adjust all the colors it sees around that. You’ll probably need to do some Photoshop work, but not a lot.
9. Work The Camera. Don’t be afraid to be yourself. That is very important. Too often I see model shots where the people are looking far too serious for their own good! To me, it’s a turn off! I laugh, thinking, are you really that full of yourself to strike a pose that looks more like a epileptic fit with make-up on.
Modeling Your T-Shirts 101 is a guest post that was written by tee and belt designer, Jon Wye. In Part 1, Jon discusses how to create quality product shots using a DIY lighting box.
After four years of trying various photography methods for T-shirt display I’ve learned a few things that, with the help of Coty, thought I might pass on.
When I first started my company I was convinced that the photos had to be the best. I pulled in a favor from a professional photographer friend. Rented backdrops, rigging, lighting, lighting, lighting. Lighting is expensive. Asked a few attractive friends to help model. I even hired a professional hair and makeup team. My girlfriend, Nikki, was the hostess and helped provide a constant source of conversation and food.
It was the most professional endeavor I had organized to date! The photos came back amazing! My T-shirts were looking like a million dollars. The products looked hot, the models looked hot. Everything was in place.
I launched the new photos of the new products. Day one, day two, day three: where were my sales??? I didn’t get it. I had created some world-class imagery! Surely people would see my stuff and want to buy.
I realized many many months later that the problem wasn’t the photos, it was the fact that my site, my fans, my image, my WALLET wasn’t ready for a photo shoot like that. I was trying to walk the walk too early, portray myself as a bigger designer than I really was. So I took a step back and asked, are they buying me or my tees? And the answer was both. All the fancy photos were distracting from me, the small designer, selling you my vision.
So I took my licks and kept pushing ahead. And so I keep it small time, but really fun and classy!
And over the years I have come up with a few good methods for photographing on the cheap and hip, and just wanted to share some of them.
Method 1: The Abercrombie Method (no models)
Despite whatever violent ideas come to mind when you think of Abercrombie they have an impressive and consistent method for t-shirt photography; the precisely wrinkled head-on t-shirt photo. Check out their stuff, you’ll understand. Basically they take a freshly ironed shirts and do some hand wrinkling to make it look rugged, wearable, hip, and intentional.
But how do they get such good lighting and all those cool mini shadows that form from the wrinkled tees? The quick answer is a professionally lit photography room, but I’m guessing if you are reading this then you probably don’t have one and neither do I. But you can create a mini lighting box!
1. Paint It White. Get two 4 ft. X 4ft. board and paint them a matte white finish. Make sure it is matte white! And paint on enough layers to be completely opaque. The t-shirt will lie on one board and the other will go on the top of your creation.
2. Built The Frame. Find a way to build a 4 ft. X 4 ft X 4 ft. frame (I used PVC pipes and fittings). Place that frame over the 4 X 4 board you just painted.
3. Cover It Up. Drape a WHITE cloth over all four sides of the frame. You can buy something called white duvotene cloth from many stage supply houses, and it will block out excess light from within your frame, but still keep the interior white.
4. Cover It Up.Take your second painted board and cut a 5 inch hole in the center of it, this is where your camera lense will go through.
5. Add The Lights.Go to the hardware store and buy four duel fluorescent lighting fixtures (3 ft in length). Buy some DAYLIGHT BALANCED bulbs to go in them. Now screw those into the white side of the 4 by 4 board that has the hole in it. Starting to make sense?
You are basically done with the build. In the end you should have a 4 by 4 by 4 cube that has a white board as a base (one that you lay the t-shirt on) and a white board on top that has lights attached and a hole in the center for a camera.
6. Set Your White Balance. Turn the lights on and watch that baby glow. Don’t put any t-shirt in the box yet. Before you start shooting you need to WHITE BALANCE your camera from the light and color inside the box. Consult you camera’s manual to determine how to properly white balance. This is extremely important or your images will turn out like crap.
7. Take some photos. Start putting those t-shirts in your new lighting box and start snapping away.
Remember our friend Jon Wye? Sure you do, we featured him in Indie Tee Spotlight #14 and we did a video review of his Homemaker leather belt. Well, Jon Wye is back, this time with a ton of new tee designs!
He has got 6 new designs, in both men and women’s tees. Included in his most recent release is a tee that he is calling the “the FIRST stylish Washington, DC.” Here’s what he had to say about the appropriately named Washington D.C. tee:
Most DC shirts come from the National Mall right next to the Hot Dog vendors, and don’t really reflect the city!
This new DC shirt hits the mark. The rigid letters spelling out “Washington” represent the more, well, rigid elements of the city… business… POLITICS! And “DC” along with the outside of the whole graphic are coated in a goo. The GOO is the rest of us, the underbelly, the coating which makes DC fun.
To go along with the DC tee, Jon also released a couple of other fun and neat designs. I especially like that Fighting Rooster and Richie Rich tee! You can buy these tees here. Remember, Jon Wye is part of our Attack of the Coupons promotion so be sure to use the coupon code “5up” to take $5 off your purchase!
In this weeks Indie Tee Spotlight I feature Jon Wye, a belt and t-shirt designer based out of Washington, D.C. who has been doing his thing for four years now. You might remember that I recently featured the Jon Wye designed Homemaker belt in my last Glorious Nonsensities video review. Jon is the ultimate do-it-yourselfer as he has developed his own methods to produce his signature graphic design belts and buckles. He also has developed a unique method for taking 3D product shots, providing a unique experience for the potential buyer.
I had the opportunity to get to know Jon more and am happy that he was able to share a little about himself and the company that he has poured his entire self into for the last couple of years.
Coty: Your signature products are your custom made leather belts and buckles. What was your first experience in working with leather and what propelled you to start a company focused on making original and custom made belts?
Jon: It all started with a girl. I think that’s how a lot of good stories start. One of our first dates was making belt buckles out of wax carvings, plaster casting, and melting craft-catalogue pewter into the mold. And when she moved away to Barcelona (pre-planned before we met) I had a lot of time on my hands and so I kept creating. I didn’t want to be the person “left” behind, I wanted to strive for something. So I started making more belt buckles and eventually moved to belts. And the initial ideas for the graphic belt process came about a year into my brand. It was one of those ‘ah ha’ from a dream moments. And it kind of consumed me until I perfected it.
Coty: All of your products are custom made in your shop that you’ve named “the funkfactory.” How did you learn to work with the metal and leather mediums that you use for your belts? Did you learn by trial and error or do you have some formal training?
Jon: It was all trial and error. A lot of error! I worked as an Office Manager (glorified receptionist) at a PR firm for about 4 years. I spent a lot of time researching everything on the Internet. A tidbit here, a tadbit there. No one source spells it all out for you. I simply became a good disseminator of information, coupled with an unquenchable thirst to learn more and more. There is so much knowledge available on the internet for the taking. The key is being able to sift through it. And then once you think you’ve sifted through all you can handle you take the plunge and start to put your money on the line and test things out. So my whole shop, process, everything came from being willing to learn and never be too set in my ways, which is something I think a lot of people get hung up on. You have to be fluid.
Coty: We cover a lot about marketing and branding techniques. Have you done anything, either locally or online, different or unique to market the Jon Wye brand? What techniques have worked best for you?
Nothing, absolutely nothing beats getting out into the public! I spent the last 3 years selling at various outdoor events in the DC area, building my name. Every time people saw my display it was bigger and better. When I made money it went right into new displays (all custom built) and new products. People love to see you growing, and love to know that the money they spend on you is helping to build something special… that they had a hand in your success.
I once took out an expensive add in the back of Rolling Stone magazine… worst mistake ever! I spent $2000 thinking I was going to be selling belts and tees like crazy! I think I made about $250 back. I took the spanking and walked away from paid advertising. I started doing what I learned at the PR Firm. I wrote press releases, and came up with unique twists for announcements. And that led to some feature articles in the Washington Post that people still remember to this day.
And I talk about the brand. As one PR person told me, if you don’t talk about you, no one will. It’s true! It might feel odd at first, but if you truly believe in what you are creating it will come across as sincere when you tell people about you creations.
And lastly, my Pink Ducky sticker. One of my supremely talented artists, David William, helped me create a JonWye iconic image. My Pink Ducky sticker is known around DC and is included in every order from online. It was a big risk to create the stickers considering I give them away for free, but I have seen my return 100 fold. People love the darn thing and are shocked that I give it away for free. It’s waterproof and really durable. I made sure the quality of the sticker matched the quality of my brand.
Coty: You’ve been building the Jon Wye brand for three years now. What has been your greatest experience so far? What has been the most difficult or stressful part of running your own small business?
Jon: Actually I’ve been building it for 4 years as of January 2nd. YEAH… 4 year Anniversary! That’s why the JUNK buckles are on sale for $10. It was the first buckle!
I used to look for that great moment, the tipping point (BTW, I highly suggest reading ‘The Tipping Point’) but it’s been more of a slow and steady build. Each year is better than the last. Each year has great moments, but all in all it’s been the whole of it, the journey, the mental game of creating something that has been the most rewarding.
The most difficult or stressful part? OYE! Sticking to my ideas even though every sign around me said it wasn’t right. There were many moments where I didn’t know if I was going to be able to make my credit card payments. Times when I invested in new machines and products when I didn’t necessarily have the money. It is no joke when I say that I have put everything I have into this company, and then some. Thing are still tight, but thanks to all the wonderful people that have supported me the light at the end of the tunnel is peering through.
Coty: How much do you think the D.C. culture has influenced your designs and the direction of your clothing line?
Jon: The easy answer is that I am a product of my environment. I grew up here. I know people in DC, myself included, talk about politics on a more regular basis, as we are inundated. But I am separated from the political scene. And DC’s rich underbelly of Punk Rock, Bike Polo, etc is something I am just now becoming more aware of.
I’ve been getting some great items in the mail for me to review, and have been for the past few months. I enjoy all the stuff I’ve been receiving and really appreciate it! Anyhow, I thought I would bring back the video reviews that I started last August and then abandoned after just three episodes. I decided to give the video thing another go, this time with me being a little less eccentric, going without the Twitter nonsense in the middle and much much more information about the product and brand.
I’m going to be keep these in “beta” for the first four episodes (yes, I’ve pre-recorded four of these) so they’re pretty raw. We’ll see how the first four episodes of season 2 (and I use that term lightly since there wasn’t much of a season 1, LOL) go and if you guys like them then I’ll keep going with them. So, let me know what you liked and what you didn’t like.
In this episode I wear Monkeys! by Christian San Jose, available at Hippie Fruit, and review a belt sent to me by belt and shirt designer, Jon Wye. To get a close up view of the belt check out this 3D preview by Jon. Enjoy with tea and a comfy tee!
Monkeys. Good: great fit, huge print, print by Jimmy Heartcore, cheap and sweatshop free. Bad: Some moms might cringe when seeing this tee. Price: $11.
Homemaker Belt by Jon Wye. Good: genuine leather, custom made in the USA, very detailed print, colors are very vibrant, print on front and back, tiny signature on buckle (nice touch), nice keychain adds a nice touch, everything hand made by Jon Wye. Bad: Nothing really, might be a bit flashy for some but he also sells blank black belts and other designer belts. Price: $65.
If you have an awesome product that you want reviewed please feel free to contact me! Thanks for watching.
