In a recent newsletter I asked people to enter a giveway for one of Dungeness artist Paddy Hamilton’s Dungeness Font t-shirts. To enter, all they had to do was answer this question. What is your favourite t-shirt?
I was totally unprepared for how may people would answer. I’ve had about fifty stories in the first few hours. The answers are so good I thought I’d let you see a few. T-shirts, it turns out, are things people have a big love for.
Steve, Los Angeles. “My favorite t-shirt was a New Yorker Dog t-shirt I had back the ‘70’s. It was a black lined angst ridden dog sitting with its tail sort of wagging, could be nerves, on a white t-shirt. Got the shirt my final year at University, and it was taken from me at a laundromat dryer one day in 1979. Remember it to this day and I still miss it.”
Eleanor. ‘My favourite tee-shirt is pink and showing picture of Ernest Hemingway at Sloppy Joe’s bar. I bought it in Key West, Florida in 1988! Still going strong!’
Tim. “Years ago (when dead sea was only sick) I used to test ride mountain bikes from a place called Llanwrytd Wells. The bike centre ran a ‘thing’ called ‘The green secret’ which promoted the ‘green’ element of mountain bikes, Welsh mountains/fells and the environment (bear in mind this was early 80’s). This tee shirt saw me through mountain biking, fell walking, hiking through the Pyrennean high route, 100km walking, marriage, six kids and eventually ‘died’ when it’s consistency became finer than the Turin shroud…. I miss it but still have the joyous memories of our adventures.”
Sarah. “The most favourite t-shirt I have ever owned: Year was 1995, I bought a Levellers T-shirt when I got one of my first jobs. I was at college and was about 17. Its a funky purple tie dye oversized top with The Levellers logo on it. I got my Dad listening to The Levellers (as he got me obsessed with The Beatles) so when I moved out and had my son, I thought I should start dressing more respectably and gave the top to my Dad. Dad wore it for years, along with a couple of others I gave him. When he died in 2021 and we emptied his house, I found the T-Shirt still in his wardrobe.
I washed it and started wearing it again. It’s about 28 years old and is back in my T-Shirt drawer.”
Alison. “My favourite T-shirt which I’ve ever owned is a turquoise blue one with a transfer of Roobarb and Custard on (a 1970s cartoon). I owned it when I was 10 years old and still have it! Sadly it hasn’t fitted for many decades!”
Monika. “My favorite t-shirt is the Sandinista one that my mother brought home for me from Nicaragua in the 80’s when she went there for Witness of Peace.’
Linda. “The favourite t-shirt I ever owned was a Stone Roses one, signed by the whole band, who we bumped into the morning after a gig at Glasgow Green in 1990 as they were staying at a hotel beside our flat. I gave it to my daughter as she was going to see them in the same place exactly 20 years later, and of course she wore it (I’d taken exceptionally good care of it!)”
Elaine. ‘The t-shirt I bought on my first and only trip to New York. It went on for years, despite shrinking in the washing machine and being handed down to my daughter!!’
Bubbles. ‘My favorite T shirt is a Portland Art Museum T shirt from the 1970’s. It’s a black and white picture (on a white T shirt) of a modern statue (of a primitive female “earth mother”.) In front of the statue we see a man with a raincoat on, his back turned to us. Caption: Expose yourself to Art.’
Mike. “As a 15-year-old Mod in ’64 I caught the train to Brighton where I bought a white t-shirt with a target motif. It was the latest and coolest fashion and I was the first Mod in our small Sussex town to wear one . For two days I was the local “ace face”, and put the t-shirt in the washing machine.
My favourite t-shirt came out misshapen with the target motif resembling Dali’s ‘Melting Clock’. It may have been cheap and shoddy, but for a short and wonderful time that t-shirt made me feel on top of the World.”
Scott. “My favourite T-shirt I’ve ever owned was a Page & Plant T-shirt bought during their 1995 World Tour, when I saw them at the SECC in Glasgow – the T-shirt is long-gone, but the memories of an excellent concert remain: The Black Crowes as support band; me “sat” (was a seated gig, but everyone was up and dancing!) five rows from the front; seeing my music heroes performing Led Zeppelin songs live.”
Sophie. “When I was about 13yrs old a new “Shopping Mall” was built in Norwich. We’d only seen Mall’s in American TV Sitcoms here in Norfolk so you can imagine it was a hot topic. Glossy marble floors, brightly lit clean and exciting clothes shops, even a Disney Store… amazing!! As part of the grand opening, they had invited all kinds of entertainment and various minor TV personalities. One of these events was an audition to be on a “Chicken Tonight” advert… well you can imagine our excitement. Myself and my two best friends Rachael & Alice, queued up for 4 hours with the “I feel like Chicken Tonight… like Chicken Tonight..!!” Theme going round and round on a loop as other hopefuls did a dance in front of the bright lights and camera. The grand prize was to be included on a TV advert, but the real reason I was queuing up was to receive the free t-shirt they were giving out to all hopefuls!! A 90’s style baggy white t-shirt with a bright yellow orange and green chicken on the front. Well I got my Chicken Tonight t-shirt and I lived and slept in it for years!! I absolutely loved that thing and I was ridiculously proud of it, despite never appearing on a Chicken Tonight advert… and rather ironically.. having never even tried Chicken Tonight!!”
Lorraine. “My outstanding t-shirt memory was a Star Trek one that I had for years – wore it all the time and eventually it fell apart. Original series with a picture of the Enterprise and the serial number down the side. NCC-1701-C. And I’m not feeling sad at all that I can remember that!’
Martin. ‘Once upon a time I was fortunate enough to be living and working in Manhattan. It was New Year’s Eve 1999 and I had been lucky enough to secure tickets for Patti Smith and her band at the Bowery Ballroom. I went, saw the show, bought the t-shirt – which was mostly Blakean in its representation – and she signed it. I wore it until it became a state health hazard and then had it framed.”
Katy. “My best t-shirt is a green Harley Davidson one. A colleague at work in the 1980s went home t Milwaukee. She picked it up and it has lasted ever since. My daughter wears it sometimes and my grandkids will wear it when they are taller.”
Antonia. “My favourite was one I had as a teenager – a giant white one with a few buttons down the front. When it was no longer white, I tie-dyed it purple, tying circles in it with string. I cut my finger removing the string. I wore it for many years. I no longer have the t-shirt, but I still have the scar where I cut my finger.”