When I recently posted on the use of the Tide logo by Neil Young, I was sent a link to the terrific site Worn Free. These guys have made a business out of recreating vintage t-shirts. The twist is that we’re not talking any old tees but ones worn by icons like John Lennon, The Ramones and Debbie Harry. Worn Free’s mission? “To resurrect the coolest shirts of all time.” To tap into the authenticity of music, they’ve combed through thousands of photographs searching for tees that reveal the true story of entertainment. The Worn Free people pursue the last detail. Inside each t-shirt is a label that looks like a backstage pass. It shows either a photo of a rock star wearing the original t-shirt or a drawing of the design, along with info about where it was originally worn, who wore it and when. And in case you’re thinking – like I did – “Is this a pirate venture?” No, for every design they use they have worked through the necessary permissions. A huge job.
