23PSI on facebook

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I just created a facebook page for 23PSI. There maybe some duplication with the content here, especially the images. But the major difference is its functionality that is peculiar to facebook. Content is a little thin at the moment, but that should increase over time.

23PSI at the ricecooker

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cuerno de chivo is now available at the ricecooker. I won't go into what the ricecooker is. Just visit it online here or better yet, head over to the shop where the tees (and lots of other indie D-I-Y stuff) are.

Upcoming Designs

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23PSI skull tee - a posse ad esse

23Psilocybine

No!

arrows

cuerno de chivo

* colourways to be confirmed.

Production Sample In

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In view of the doubts that exist in the minds of some of the readers of this blog (you know who you are ;-)), I want to say that 23PSI is for real and not something that I'm setting up only to abandon somewhere down the road. Fact is, I've been having some problems with my printer and this has been the main cause of the delay.

Anyways, I got the production sample of cuerno de chivo this past Saturday and it's pretty much up to scratch in terms of the fabric. It's more substantial than the standard AA tee and soft to boot because it's fully combed and pre-washed. What's being addressed now is the positioning of the design (which has undergone a minor change) and when that's sorted, will go to print. I expect to take delivery end of this week. So pix of the tees will have to wait until then.

4 Things About 23PSI

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1. 23PSI is just me. I do everything (bar stitching & printing the t-shirts) from my studio on the top floor of my home. So it's an intensely personal venture and very much an extension of me.
2. 23PSI is first about design, then t-shirts. Why design first? Because design is everything (Punk Marketing: Get Off Your Ass and Join the Revolution) - if it weren't, I might as well sell blank t-shirts. And t-shirts? The best medium to convey/communicate design. It moves and engages in a way no other medium can.
3. 23PSI reflects my view of the world which I hope finds a common ground with those who love design and t-shirts.
   
4. 23PSI is about the indie d-i-y ethic; about defining yourself in your own terms and doing things your own way.
   

What's In a Name?

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Someone I met a couple of days ago called this fledgling t-shirt label 23P.S.I. That wasn't what I had in mind when I chose the name but I was fully aware that some would assume that PSI stood for pounds per sq inch. Actually it's 23PSI pronounced with a quiescent 'P' - PSI being the 23rd letter in the Greek alphabet (aren't I a clever dick!) ;-) .

So, is calling it 23P.S.I. wrong then? No, so long as you know that it's this t-shirt label you are referring to and think it's the dog's bollocks. Now that would be a compliment. Fact is, I would answer to it all the same if you called it out in a crowded room. At the risk of trivializing it, once the introductions are over, it's just a name. What's more bleedin' important are the t-shirts and what's on them.

A Second Intro

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Written introductions are difficult. Having time to think about it before committing it to paper or before hitting the “post” button doesn’t make it any easier. In fact, it makes it a lot more difficult because there’s a greater degree of permanency to it making it open to repeated scrutiny. I find personal introductions so much easier, where I can just walk right up, extend my hand and say whatever it is that I’m supposed to say befitting the occasion.

So, why am I revisiting this issue of the introduction? Aside from the fact that I’m not quite happy with the one I wrote here, there are 3 reasons for this. The first has to do with the website that I’m designing now for 23PSI. In doing this, I’m also considering what to say in the page about 23PSI. The second reason is because the Intro is crucial in helping 23PSI find the right niche in the market. Many see this from the point of view of branding, but I’m reluctant to use the word which I think is not only overused but also misused. The third reason is more practical. Seeing that I’m still waiting for my production sample to be ready, I might as well make use of the time I have to address this now. Once the sample is ready, I figure I would be pretty busy getting the rest of the stock ready and worrying about moving it.

As such, I will be attempting to answer questions such as: who am I? what is 23PSI? why t-shirts? over the next couple of posts, Please pardon the paucity of designs/visuals. I try to avoid having to long a time lag between posting them here and having the tee in hand. So, that’s got to wait for now.

WTF?! Where Are The Other Designs?

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For that matter are there any other designs? Is 23PSI for real?
Yes and yes. In fact there are another 4 designs bringing it to a grand total of 5 including the one on which the production sample will be based. If everything is alright with that, then the remaining 4 will go into production. Currently, they're somewhere between completion and FA. So, that means I've a little more time to work on them if necessary.

Latest Update

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First off, I received the labels for the t-shirts this morning. The main labels indicate the sizes (S to XXL) and care instructions. There's also the small flag label for the side seam of the tee.

This may be a good time to talk a bit about the sizing. The first measurement is for the chest - double it to get the circumference. The second is the length as measured from the top of the collar where it meets the shoulder to the hem.

• S - 20", 27.5"
• M - 21", 28.5"
• L - 22", 29.5"
• XL - 23", 30.5"
• XXL - 23.75", 31"

As for the cut, it's a regular/comfort sort of fit i.e. not the slim fit, body-hugging type. I think this would cover most body types. Consider ordering a size smaller if you wear your tees a little more close fitting. More details on the cut and fit when the production sample is ready.

As for the care instructions, I have on the side of caution, deliberately set the bar a little higher, with rather prudent steps on handling the t-shirt, namely:

• machine wash 30 C
• wash with like colours
• cool iron
• no tumble drying, bleaching or dry cleaning

That sounds like a lot to ask for but that's the way to go to get the most out of them. As for the fabric, it's a 100% fully combed cotton with a 20 thread count. This makes it a little more substantial in feel with a fabric weight of about 180 to 200gms per meter sq depending on the colour. Being fully combed means it's also soft to touch and less prone to wrinkling.

Ok. There is one other burning question which I know is on the minds of some tee lovers out there. 'Are 23PSI tees made in a sweatshop-free environment?' Yes they are. They are being made and printed by a little set-up less than 20km from where I am as I type this. I've been to the shop more than a couple of times, the most recent was today to deliver the labels you see above. On one occasion, the owner's teenage daughter was present sitting on a worktable looking very bored as she worked the text messaging on her cell phone. So there's really no problem as far as this is concerned.

I'm expecting the production sample to be ready by the end of this or early next month. So there will be another update when that happens. Thanks for reading this far. Cheers.

23PSI linked on T-Shirts Around the Internet

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Another piece of good news. 23PSI just got linked on T-Shirts Around the Internet, which is probably one of the few blogs that truly covers what 's available in the world of t-shirts on the Internet. Thanks Katrina!

23PSI linked on the Daily Tee

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Just a bit of good news that I want to share. This blog was recently linked on the Daily Tee. Thanks Mike!

Label Samples Just In

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Just received label samples this morning. One for the inside collar which has the care instructions on the rear and the other the flag-styled label for the side seam of the tee. Some minor finishing issues to be addressed and the first batch should be ready in about 2 weeks.

About 23PSI

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23PSI is an independent t-shirt label characterised by clean and bold designs rendered with a degree of real world edge.

It is owned and operated by Nick Mun who believes that the humble t-shirt is the perfect medium to "free" a design or visual. Once the t-shirt is worn, it goes out into the world and is capable of engaging with people on so many levels. And depending on the design/visual it carries, can please or offend in equal measure, but hopefully in the end, become a talking point.

23PSI's mission is to design and produce bold graphic-based t-shirts that are as comfortable and lasting as they are distinctive.

To this end, all t-shirts will be 100% fully-combed cotton with a 20 thread count (fabric weight: 190 - 200gms per m. sq) and prewashed/preshrunk for greater comfort and consistent fit. Designs are screen-printed by hand using water-based inks for an extra soft feel and comfort. The t-shirts are also custom dyed, stitched and printed in limited numbers.