Threadless T-Shirts - Profile for FRICKINAWESOME - Rules For Threadless Folks To Make Select Tees

FRICKINAWESOME aka Evan Ferstenfeld is a 31.14 year old boy, has been a member since May 5, 2006, has scored 37876 submissions, giving an average score of 1.66.

URL: http://www.threadless.com?streetteam=FRICKINAWESOM

Apr 02 '07 by FRICKINAWESOME

48 Comments

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Rules For Threadless Folks To Make Select Tees

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This isn't just because nearly 80 percent or so of the Select Tees make me sigh endlessly about wasted opportunities (which they do), but I've noticed that Threadless has stopped printing Threadless tees from the people who have won the main contest five or more times (i think that was the original rule they posted) and have gone with outsiders who I feel don't really "get" what Threadless members want out of a shirt. I could be totally wrong and forgive me for speaking on behalf of the Threadless nation, but where are the select tees from Glennz, Travis, Olli, Huebuket etc. that i'm sure everyone on Threadless would be running each other over to stuff into their shopping carts before supply ran out? It's cool the Threadless goes to other places and inspirations for a significantly different style of shirt, but I'd give several body parts to see what these extremely talented designers would be able to do with complete freedom, both color-wise and artistically wise. Several of my favorite selects have been from Threadless-bred designers (Tom Burns's "Mama's Boy", Ross Zietz's "Home is Where the Heart is, etc.). I must admit though, "I'm not a pirate" is absolutely stunning...and i'm waiting for "the motive" to come back into stock, if selects are ever re-printed...

wullagaru on Apr 02 '07 at 10:37pm

glennz has one and it was never JUST about the the people that won 4 or more times here it was more about bringing in outside designers. and while yes Im not a fan of most of them either it is always nice to see what the other guys out there are doing.

kaloyster on Apr 02 '07 at 10:38pm

I agree about the wasted opportunities thing.

Threadless should somehow inform the invited outside artists about something they have in mind about t-shirt designs, not just slap an art from the canvass straight to the shirt.

Damn, I wish I can make me one o' them Select designs. I have a design I can't pull off with just 5 colors :(

shirtflirt on Apr 02 '07 at 10:40pm

i think it would be a good thing if it was reserved for people who won 4+ times.

Kerrn on Apr 02 '07 at 10:42pm

i think that's part of the reason they started the select series
so that there were shirts that were kind of out there and not as main stream or typical of the threadless audience

oh and wullagaru already said it but yeah glennz had a select
Cowboys and Indians

-k.

shimala on Apr 02 '07 at 10:46pm

Actually it was the other way around. It was all outsiders to start and then we added the if you're printed 4 times then you are invited to do one. When you're invited you get an email with a list of everything you can do. We basically say the sky is the limit. Everyone that is eligible to do one has been notified, we're just patiently waiting.

El_Dictador_Cubano on Apr 02 '07 at 10:47pm

first off, i love some of the select tees to death, and some I don't care for. I own 3.

But yeah, sometimes the tees just aren't that neat, but they try to make them better with the whole SILVER FOIL(!) and the FELT MATERIAL(!) thing. The silver and gold foil are neat, but i don't think they really save this one too well.

shirtflirt on Apr 02 '07 at 10:48pm

is threadless(staff) happy at the selects that have been put forth thus far?

i bought aiko's. and really, that's the only i've really dug. i'm only one person though.

El_Dictador_Cubano on Apr 02 '07 at 10:50pm

which one was that, shirtflirt?

speedyjvw on Apr 02 '07 at 10:51pm

i personally prefer the selects 90% of the time
but im also a artsy fartsy nerd

yion072 on Apr 02 '07 at 10:51pm

Does Threadless decline a Select design if they don't think it will sell?

El_Dictador_Cubano on Apr 02 '07 at 10:52pm

fuck that, everything sells eventually on threadless.

Hell, FOR SALE BY PARENTS is almost if not completely sold out.

wullagaru on Apr 02 '07 at 10:53pm

hey craig im still waiting on my other three winning emails .. get on that would ya?

valorandvellum on Apr 02 '07 at 10:53pm

Of the select tees I've purchased, they've easily become my favorite/most worn items of clothing. I think if I wore them out to death, I'd turn them into a wall piece just because they could all double as artwork.

iPear on Apr 02 '07 at 10:54pm

Personally, I like selects cuz they're more expensive. in my case, that means they'll probably make me look cooler. Also, I'm not sure why, but they appeal to me more than regular prints, I'm not really artsy shmartsy, I'm just sort of a yuppie.

El_Dictador_Cubano on Apr 02 '07 at 10:56pm

i'm starting to think i'm like that too, iPear. The shirts i really desire every Monday are the selects. I wondered why.

OlliRudi on Apr 02 '07 at 10:56pm

some of my fave shirts are selects

exoticrobotic on Apr 02 '07 at 10:57pm

i ordered a bunch of my favorite selects today that i normally couldnt afford. i cant wait to get them, and i can think of 2 more off the top of my head that i wish i could get but are sold out

there have been a few selects i havent liked at all, but the rest are pretty snazzy

schleb on Apr 02 '07 at 10:57pm

when will we see an olli select?

wullagaru on Apr 02 '07 at 10:58pm

im looking forward to yours olli

El_Dictador_Cubano on Apr 02 '07 at 10:58pm

p.s. they should REALLY reprint some selects. Like Mama's Boy.

kaloyster on Apr 02 '07 at 10:59pm

@Craig Shimala: By "sky is the limit", do you mean the colors can be limitless? As I've read on a blog before Select designers are entitled to 8 colors only?

And yeah please answer the question of yion072.

valorandvellum on Apr 02 '07 at 11:00pm

Have they ever done reprints of a select before? Would they??

El_Dictador_Cubano on Apr 02 '07 at 11:02pm

i don't know. The problem is, Mama's Boy isn't sold out in the Girls sizes, so even if they did reprint them, it wouldn't be a candidate.

FRICKINAWESOME on Apr 02 '07 at 11:37pm

O sorry, wallaguru, you are correct...glennz has indeed done one. Whoopsie. The same still goes for the other designers i have mentioned above tho. I used to think that the "Select" label was only referring to the quality of the tees and the amount of colors and such that were allowed for the submissions, but I never thoght of taking it as also meaning its meant for a more select audience of the threadless population. It's defintely food for thought, and i am far from the typical Threadless "im just here for the goofy tees" kinda buyer, but most of the selects just seem like they come from a completely different conceptual hemisphere that is uaually reserved for those underground or purely rty sites like tank theory, etc. It's cool that they are much cheaper than most mof those really fancy schmancy tee sites (i know people want to look like their favorite celebrity for god knows what reason, but paying almost a hundred for a tee is beyond capitalistic insanity), so I guess I just wish more excited me the way many of the regular submissions do. But there's room for all types oftees on Threadless; I just never saw this site as catering to the same kinda audience those other sites reach for...

sonmi on Apr 02 '07 at 11:39pm

i told threadless i would have my select design ready for them at the end of february, but i still haven't started it... because i want it to be good. so much pressure (and general dislike) for select tees!!

valorandvellum on Apr 02 '07 at 11:43pm

At the end of february!!! Still haven't started it!!!

Hahahaha.

sonmi on Apr 02 '07 at 11:44pm

oh shoot i shouldn't have posted that here where the pink has already made its appearance!!

ir0cko on Apr 02 '07 at 11:46pm

haha. chop chop, julia! :P

valorandvellum on Apr 02 '07 at 11:46pm

Maybe since the pink was here, the pink no longer feels the need to come back. Or we could pretend like we were talking about something completely different! Like gumballs.

shimala on Apr 02 '07 at 11:56pm

I can't remember 100% right now but I think it's up to 10 for select now.

We haven't done a Select reprint and I don't think there is ever a plan to.

And yes, we have turned away some designs.

FRICKINAWESOME on Apr 03 '07 at 12:31am

NO SELECT REPRINT?!?!?! Dammit, no "motive" for me i guess. sigh. The Pink is hilarious by the way, sonmi.

Themilkman666 on Apr 03 '07 at 9:38am

I love tom's select tee, it is the only one I would think about buying (sucks it wont get reprinted). But although some are better then others I would never think of buying one of their tees.

mindtrance on Apr 03 '07 at 9:58am

What it comes down to is some of the old school threadless people love the selects because you get a taste of what threadless designs were like in the beginning for the most part.

The new school people and old school alike want select tee's from travis, etc.

Going outside of threadless for some designs keeps it interesting.

823freckles on Apr 03 '07 at 12:45pm

No select reprint? I NEED MAMA'S BOY! PLEASE!!!!

But seriously. By giving me that reprint button by Mama's Boy, one of my favorite tees ever, you're just messing with my mind then, aren't you?

Bramish on Apr 03 '07 at 12:53pm

I just checked them, and I really like 15 of the 40 Selects so far, which is a far, far higher ratio than the normal contest winning shirts.

juliejeremiah on Apr 03 '07 at 1:16pm

I probably like/would wear 3/4 of the Selects. I guess I have expensive tastes.

El_Dictador_Cubano on Apr 03 '07 at 3:07pm

give Tom another select, please.

FRICKINAWESOME on Apr 04 '07 at 2:00am

agreed el dictador.

Logistics on Apr 04 '07 at 8:50am

I really dislike most select tees, but the ones I like I really like. Like this one. I'll probably be picking it up, and the only select tee that will be company to it is ETA, and that is a damn fine shirt. There should definately be heavier screening for the shirts, but a lot of the bad ones in my opinion were the first half or so.

OlliRudi on Apr 04 '07 at 9:02am

taking a leaf off bramish, i checked the catalogue, and i dig 19 out of 40 selects. also a way higher like ratio than in the normal shirts.

eXtrachunky on Apr 04 '07 at 10:47pm

gahhh we need the motive reprinted!!!

BlameTheSuburbs on Apr 04 '07 at 10:55pm

Lots of selects are excellent. Probably the top 5 shirts printed here have been selects. The select program has been a great thing for threadless.

On the other hand, there are some that really don't seem to be the result of as much effort or thought. I might be wrong though.

Perudoesitbetterthanu on Apr 04 '07 at 11:02pm

hmmmm.....select is really selective...haha

i got one under my belt...might take awhile for the next three. oh well. I happen to really like the select tees that are printed.

Stevethegreat on Apr 04 '07 at 11:06pm

the thing that makes selects special is the lack of rules and I'm going to leave it at that

grayehound on Apr 05 '07 at 8:41am

i'm totally with somni...there is a ton of pressure the threadless-born designer are putting on themselves to put together something that's a notch above. i know i'm on Big Idea #4 or 5 and am waaaaaay past the deadline i'd set for myself, and i know i'm not alone in that. with all the negative reaction these get, we want to turn out something that meets expectations, is original and still is a personal statement...that's a lot of crap to toss in with a pretty much unlimited spectrum of choices.

with that said, all i buy anymore are the selects. my fave is still the first one that came out.

iDanSimpson on Apr 05 '07 at 8:47am

my thoughts on select tees:

to be quite frank and to the point, i like 1, may be 3, of the select tees. the one that i really like, Breaking the Sound of Music, has been sold out in my size for a while.

the other 2 that i sorta like i would buy if they weren't 25 dollars. bring them down to the normal price of 15 and i'm in.

with that said even that i haven't liked the majority of the select shirts for a while, i dig the idea of bringing in outside people to design, but bring down those prices.

10 days later

Ellsswhere on Apr 15 '07 at 6:07pm

Heres the deal'eo I think you will be rather impressed and amazed when the artists finally get their designs in... like sonmi said, its some intense pressure to design something with so many options... and you will never get the chance to do it again so you have to go all out. And if the artist had been holding them self back artistically to appease the threadless crowd... you will end up with something that well, not everyone likes. Surprising simple explanation huh'....

2 days later

FRICKINAWESOME on Apr 18 '07 at 1:13am

I guess you are right ellss...i just tire of shirts that seem to scream at me "WE'RE NOT PLAYING BY THE RULES OF DESIGN ANYMORE, NO MATTER HOW DISGUSTING THE OUTCOMES MAY BE, IT'S ART AND DIFFERENT AND YOU WILL LOVE IT OR BE ACCUSED OF BEING A CONFORMIST WHO ONLY LIKES WAR AND PEAS DESIGNS!!!!" So that's where my frustration to get a really good quality shirt with an even better, thought-provoking but still aesthetically pleasing design...

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