Opinionated? Let a T-shirt do the talking
By Ted Miller Special to the Kansan
Matt Moustakas doesn't mind wearing his beliefs across his chest — or his back, for that matter.
Moustakas, Shawnee junior, is among the many KU students who wear T-shirts that promote their opinions. These shirts can cover topics from the environment to political parties or religious affiliation.
In addition, Moustakas finds that T-shirts that deal with issues provide unique designs.
"I'd rather have a shirt with a design," Moustakas said. "It's more attractive than a normal shirt. It doesn't have to change anyone's mind. But it's good if they at least think about the issue."
The design, combined with the message, also can attract attention.
Meredith Raffo, Lawrence junior and employee of First Street Graphics, 733 Massachusetts St., remembers a woman's reaction to a shirt displayed in the store's front window.
The shirt read, "First Hillary, then Gennifer, now us."
At first, the woman saw Hillary Rodham Clinton's picture and was obviously a fan of the first lady, Raffo said.
"When she walked up to the window and saw what the shirt said, she got visibly upset, then walked away in a huff," Raffo said.
Jennie Zeiner/KANSAN
Regardless of a shirt's intentions, if it addresses a controversial issue, then it is certain to attract attention.
"The shirts like that one are put in the window for political humor, not as a direct slam against another group," she said. "They're not meant to offend people."
"I'm just not bashful about what I believe in." France said.
Kristin France, Overland Park junior, said she didn't mind if people took a second look at the saying or picture on her shirt.
However, France said she not only had to support what her shirt was promoting but also had to be knowledgeable of the issues surrounding it.
"It's an open invitation for discussion among people interested or supportive of the particular cause or those opposed to it," she said.
For instance, a shirt France recalls from the 1992 presidential election featured a take-off of the Busch beer advertisements.
Using the same graphic design as the beer's ad campaign, the shirt claimed the policies of then-President George Bush were "brewed with ignorance," and if he were elected to a second term, everyone should "head for the mountains."
If someone encounters an opponent of a shirt's theme, France said, he or she should be prepared to answer questions.
David Almquist, a co-owner of Creation Station, 726 Massachusetts St., agreed that T-shirts also should present facts in addition to a general statement, especially since the T-shirt's message can reach so many people.
"They are walking billboards," Almquist said of T-shirts. "They educate, enlighten and inform."
For these reasons, Almquist and his partner, Schuyler Lister, have started a T-shirt line called Just Cause. The shirts are designed specifically to raise the public's awareness of the many uses of hemp.
Almquist and Lister said they wanted to
AT-shirt line named "Just Cause" at Creation Station, 726 Massachusetts St., has been created to promote awareness about the legalization of hemp.
end what they felt was a campaign led by the federal government that focused on marijuana abuse instead of the many products the hemp plant could offer.
"It is not about 'legalize today, get high tomorrow.'" Almquist said of the shirt line. "It's about the other 99 percent of what hemp would offer us."
The shirts feature scenes such as the Last Supper, with Jesus and his apostles discussing the amenities hemp can provide, none of which are smoking marijuana. Another shirt declares hemp to be "As American as apple Pie," citing historical items such as the flag or the paper on which the Constitution was written as examples of hemp products. One shirt reads, "Hemp, Hemp Hooray," using a U.S. Department of Agriculture report that states the many uses of hemp.
"We're taking a complicated, misunderstood issue and using education to address it," Almquist said. "Showing proof of hemp's viability on a T-shirt is a great way to do that."
The Just Cause T-shirts cost $15, and 25 cents of every sale is donated to the Hemp Voters Coalition, a group that is working to legalize the production of hemp.
As for shirts from other manufacturers, the price can range from $8 to $15, depending on where you purchase them.
Retail stores and specialty shops also might have supplies of shirts that promote different movements and causes.
However, the search for a shirt that supports individual ideas might lead one to a campus group.
Jonathan Hupp, Mayetta sophomore and president of the Jayhawker Campus Fellowship, says his group's shirts provided members with a good opportunity to share their beliefs with others.
He described one shirt that depicts a man holding the Bible while airborne. It reads, "Air Jesus," referring to Michael Jordan's sportswear line with the Nike company. Hupp believes shirts like this one serve a purpose.
"I guess it's a chance to stand out and be heard," Hupp said. "Especially when you're wearing a unique shirt."
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April 6, 1994 THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN • SPRING FASHION
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