new jersey state fireman's convention (1982)

label: ched
type: 50%/50%
era: 1982
where found: vestal dollar store, vestal, ny

well another post, another ched shirt. i found this particular one at a very cool dollar store in vestal, ny that took up shop inside an abandoned agway. if i remember correct, the place was called - what else - the "vestal dollar store". now what made the vestal dollar store one of my favorites was that the distributors for this place seemed to stop shipping goods in 1991. things like neon sippy cups and dominique wilkins school folders were all the rage here. i really loved this store and would love to go back sometime soon. that is if it's still open.

anyway, in the back left corner of this store was an old clothing rack and box below it filled with random t-shirts. the funny thing about this is that all the shirts fit into three categories: a) shirts about firefighters, b) shirts about wildwood, new jersey, or c) shirts about firefighters in wildwood, new jersey. this one obviously takes choice "c".

my roomate was quick to point out the extra space between the words "new" and "jersey". i never noticed it at first, but now it's all i can focus on when i look at the shirt. i first thought that it was for aesthetic reasons - to even the spacing of the words with the illustration, y'know? but taking a closer look, the bottom left of the new jersey illustration stretches almost an inch beyond the beginning of the word "new".

is this a design fail? or did we both miss the boat on something here?
oh ... shirt theory!

scan of the label:

farrah fawcett (iron-on)

label: ched
type: 50%/50% mos def
era: early-mid 1980's
where found: salvation army, latham, ny

i love this shirt and i think you do too. the color is such a freakishly bright yellow that it creates an invisible arrow pointing straight to the picture that we all know and love. it's really just that simple.

i've tried to take as good of care as possible with this guy. since getting it, some small holes have popped up and the print on the tag has faded away ... but hey, that transfer is still (knock on wood) pristine!

comfort-wise, there's really not much here. unlike the other ched shirts i've come across, which usually feel pretty quality, this one is very thin and cheap. the only reason to ever wear this piece is really just to say, "hey - i'm walking around with farrah fawcett on a loud yellow t-shirt,"

but that's not to take away from its greatness.

as said before, the shirt is manufactured by ched, but due to multiple laundering, the tag has completely faded. i assure you that the brand name is accurate.

which brings me to this week's important tip:

remember to practice safe iron-on washing! wash inside out on a cold and gentle cycle then hang dry. when not in use, be sure to keep the shirt inside-out to prevent the transfer from wearing away. not only will you feel smart, but you'll look it too!

scan of the label: