Tee-cember: Threadless Holiday Sale pt. 3

The Great Threadless Caper continues this week, and while the extra price cuts of last week are gone, something even better has replaced it: free shipping for orders over $50. Ten to one, if you were going to make a purchase under $100 before, this will save you a couple extra bucks further. While we're at it, the good folks at Threadless Blog would like to inform you that you can save another $3 with the coupon code "holiday08," among other $3 coupons.

It's a great week for it, too, as you could probably fill that order just from the new shirts. We've got the fan-favorite Monster Mash collab, the me-favorite Aphte getting his first print, the perennial favorite Communist Party reprinting for the umpteenth time... the boards have been buzzing for this week, and almost every shirt is a winner. My favorite this round is from Wotto. His "Thou Shalt Not Steal" is 100% Wotto characterization... the thief's face and the ghosts coming from his coat make that abundantly clear. Still, it feels a departure in some ways. This is, for example, one of the best uses of the splatter/inkblotch style that I've seen... I love how it forms the peddler's hair and beard in a huge amorphous blob... it's as if he sneaked out of the shadows to try to sell his hot merchandise: "Pssst... wouldja like t' buy a watch?" Of course you would. Or maybe a bird, some bones, a heart, the sun, or the flippin' Mona Lisa. The humor is as rampant as the style, and that's what Wotto at his best delivers in spades: humor and style.

While you're filling your cart up, I was also drawn to one of the reprints: Odd but Cute by azrielen. It's simple and bizarre, a one-color print whose name sums it up perfectly. It makes intelligent use of color and lines. It's also well over 5 years old... under 300 votes... it's a great indicator of how far Threadless has come. On the other hand, it's a great indicator of how well Threadless has stayed the same... it still fits their current selections and its title sums up chunks of their catalog. It's that combination of quirk with the everyday, that dash of humor, that finds its way into so much of their product. That they can reprint it five years later and still have it look fresh is testament to just how well they've built their brand. And c'mon, you've always wanted an elk-or-devil bunny. Don't even pretend.

Next week appears to be our last gift of the sale, and I for one am excited to see how they top this. Having seen my own cart deplete over the past two weeks, though, I have to urge once again... now may be the best time to bite, especially if you want these tees in your hands in time to gift them.