Product Review ~T-Post: World's First Wearable Magazine~

T-Post contacted me to help spread the word about their new wearable magazine. It's basically a t-shirt that has a news story printed on the inside, with a fun and provocative image on the front. The reason that I wanted to learn more is because T-Post doesn't cover major news stories; instead, they seek out smaller-scale issues that don't receive a huge amount of coverage, and therefore give these quirky, interesting stories more exposure. The more these messages get around, the more a dialogue is created about subjects that might otherwise go undiscussed.

Here's how it works: these shirts are not available except through the a subscription to T-Post. They're one of a kind, and the breakdown is $25/shirt. Once you subscribe, you'll receive a new t-shirt every five weeks! If you do want to subscribe, you'll have to choose a size. I'd say that you should order a size up, not down. I wear a medium from head to toe, so I ordered a medium for women (different cuts are available). It does fit, but I wish it was a little looser in the sleeves and longer in the trunk. Plus, we all know that cotton t-shirts eventually shrink after so many washes.

Although they're keen on calling themselves a magazine, I think T-Post shirts are more like blog posts in terms of the length and subject matter. I suppose it's the set of shirts that makes up all of the stories in one "magazine" but since it's news stories, isn't that more like a newspaper? Oh well, you get the idea.

I actually wore my T-Post shirt out for the first time today to a clothing swap. You know, a bunch of girls (and sometimes guys) meet up and trade clothes they don't wear as much anymore for good reason. You can walk away with cute new items and change out your closet. At the end, what's left typically goes to Goodwill.

Although the attention was supposed to be on the clothes in the piles on the floor, I received a lot of questions and compliments about my shirt. I don't wear graphic t-shirts a lot, so I think I was surprised about the amount of attention being paid to my torso. Because I was wearing this edition, the t-shirt was very visually engaging with a lot of little details to take in. Naturally, each time I was asked about the origins and meaning of my shirt (since it's not glaringly obvious, and the headline isn't to be found on the front), I was able to pass on information about T-Post. More importantly, I was able to discuss the story, which is called "Cease the...Doh" and is about Dave Freeman, an author whose message was about seizing the day and living life to the fullest. Exactly halfway through his global adventures in day-seizing, he slipped and fell and hit his head in the hallway of his own home. There's something kind of amazingly poetic about his story, and of course his life's message is pretty important, too! The art is by Norwegian illustrator Esra Rise.

Two things about the article printed on the inside of the back of the shirt. It's kiiiind of hard to explain, and I found myself twisting around and trying to demonstrate, which wasn't entirely successful. On the other hand, I don't exactly want to stand still while someone reads me? So I guess I'm glad that it's not printed on the outside (although I'm sure that would be awesome for bored travelers behind me on the subway). Anyway, I guess the point is to take in the story and then regurgitate it in your own words.

Because I wore this to a clothing swap, it makes me think that subscribers may want to pass along their shirts once they've worn them for awhile. I mean, unless you need about ten new graphic t-shirts per year, on top of the new ones you will continue to receive. Which is cool too, although as I said, I don't usually wear this style that much so I think it would be odd if I kept too many options on hand for the few occasions I wanted to wear one. Anyway, by swapping these clothes around and sharing them, you give new wearers the opportunity to talk about the stories covered. I mean, after a year you've pretty much already talked to all of your own friends about it, right? One of the girls told me that I should give her the shirt in six months or so if we meet again at another swap, and I told her that sounded like a great idea.

I'm 100% behind this idea and can completely testify that it works. So if you're curious you should check out the website and think about becoming a subscriber. PS: T-Post subscriptions also make for really unique gifts!