SLOW FASHION IN FAST TIMES

How DIY and handmade graphic shirts are putting humanity back into everyday fashion.

Words by Joelle de Poto

CALVIN COHEN:

Calvin’s shirt is a linocut print of a wolf from his friend Joel. He likes wearing the shirt because it has a visual reference that serves as a token of their friendship. “Being able to put on art that another human intentionally thought about is very meaningful to me, and makes me feel more connected to other people.”

Holly made her own shirt and vest by cutting pieces of felt and sewing them together onto the garments. “I have bought nearly all of my apparel secondhand for almost three years,” she said. She also likes to upcycle thrifted clothes by sewing patches over stains. “I believe handmade clothes are an investment because they are customizable, wearable art.”

Tobias screen-printed his shirts for “Circles and Squares,” his WERW radio show (which you can find on werw.app). He used thrifted vintage t-shirt blanks as the surface for two-color prints because he believes that vintage shirts tend to be of better quality and printing on them gives them a second life. “When I decided to do a print run for my radio show, I wanted to not only create a promotional device but also make something highly personal my friends and supporters could wear.”