by Gemma Tarlach
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
(KRT)
Whether you lean to the right or the left, want to quell voter apathy, or express your inner wonk, this election season there's a statement T-shirt for you. And yes, most designs out there are destined for the bargain bin come Nov. 3, but election fever is all about seizing the moment.
Supporters of both major party candidates have a range of styles and sentiments to choose from, but this year's biggest trend among the fashionably correct set are non-partisan shirts that stress the importance of voting, period.
In July, for example, during the unveiling of his new Citizen Change initiative to increase voter registration among young people and minorities, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs sported a shirt that said "Vote or Die."
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And we all know when it comes to fashion, where P. Diddy goes, America follows.
Give the candidate or cause nearest and dearest to your heart the ultimate endorsement: Give them the shirt on your back.
SAY `YES' TO VOTING
P. Diddy's sporty Patrick Henry-style declaration "Vote or Die" might have been the hippest thing spotted on the floor at the Democratic National Convention, but the shirt hasn't made it into stores yet. Visit CitizenChange.com for updates on availability and online ordering options.
At DeclareYourself.com, limited-edition T-shirts by designers Todd Oldham, Isaac Mizrahi and Richard Tyler ($20, plus shipping and handling, in women's and unisex styles) are selling so quickly that there's a three-week wait list for some sizes. Oldham's heather gray T-shirt and tank top feature a down-home "Gone Voting" sign, while Mizrahi's black-trimmed white v-neck, seen recently on the likes of Canadian transplant Avril Lavigne, features the word "vote" vertically down the front. Tyler's tie-dyed Summer-of-'69 redux includes the sentiment "be the change you want to see, vote" on the back and the word "love" on the front.
The non-partisan, grass-roots initiative Smart Women, in partnership with the League of Women Voters, has a variety of kitschy-cool shirts, mugs and other gear emblazoned with the slogan "Smart Women Vote: Elect to Make a Difference." (Smartwomenvote.com, prices start at $18 for shirts.)
A British company called the French Connection weighing in on American elections might seem like a geographical donnybrook, but it's happening this year. French Connection UK, which gets a lot of cheeky mileage out of its "fcuk" logo, has partnered with Rock the Vote to create three voting-themed shirts with such sentiments as "fcuk you, i'm voting!" The shirts will be available nationwide by September at fcuk's stores (the nearest to Milwaukee is in Chicago's Water Tower Place) or online at www.fcuk.com for $34.
