Hot Topic + UFC = Affliction Shirts
I have to admit I’m suffering a bit of an internal dilemma. Being an casual UFC/MMA fan I’ve seen the sudden abundance of Affliction/Extreme Couture shirts that’s flooded the scene as well as the malls of late, and I’m slightly torn if I like them on not.On one side-they are pretty metal. I mean what’s […]
I have to admit I’m suffering a bit of an internal dilemma. Being an casual UFC/MMA fan I’ve seen the sudden abundance of Affliction/Extreme Couture shirts that’s flooded the scene as well as the malls of late, and I’m slightly torn if I like them on not.On one side-they are pretty metal. I mean what’s not metal about samurai’s, demons, skulls, swords, half naked women and scrawled Celtic or gothic artwork? Let’s face it, they are basically tattoos on fabric, and some of the designs are pretty cool and I have seen a couple that really grabbed my eye.
But then I’m really plagued by this Hot Topic + UFC/MMA = Affliction scenester thing in my head. Sure, some of those designs are cool, but to be honest at $60 a pop, I can go to Hot Topic and buy an almost identical As I lay Dying shirt for only $15. Plus, I’m haunted by the kinds of people that more then likely wear those shirts-not actual MMA fighters, but brainless tough guys, trying to be unique and wearing the same shirt as every other brainless tough guy, which brings me to the Hot Topic thing again, except for jocks. The fact they are sold at The Buckle gives you some idea as to who this stuff is marketed to- Do you think that UFC fighters shop at The Buckle? Affliction shirts are shirts for people who want to be UFC fighters or think they are UFC fighters much like Hot Topic shirts are for kids that think they are metal or want to be metal. Oh yeah-they have a women’s line of shirts too.
Plus they make Affliction jeans.
Affliction jeans.
Then there is the actual shirts themselves-have you guys actually touched one? The fabric feels like it’s made from the inner thigh skin of Teenage, Thai, she male concubine-its soft and velvety, hardly the fabric of guys beating the shits out of each others faces with their elbows. And the sizes-you’d think a product marketed towards tough guys not gay men wanting to show other gay men their traps, delts and tribal armbands. And what’s up with the “tight fit” design? I picked up a large to see the design on the back and it looked like it MIGHT fit my 7 year old daughter, then the sales attendant just laughed when I asked for a XXL,which I guessing had they had one would have fit me like a lycra body suit.
The thing is though I still like designs like this and this despite the fact I’m a 250 lb slob and not a gay gym rat. But the fact remains they are kinda like those Wolf/Indian shirts you see at gas stations, inside you are thinking “That’s pretty cool, but id never wear one in public”. And the fact they make them in various shades of Purple, Pink, Blue, Green and other non metal colors also concerns me as a heterosexual, male metal fans.
But I’m sure I’ll cave an buy one of these days, and when I’m wearing it at a concert with my gut hanging out between the bottom of the shirt and the top of my pants-feel free to make fun of me….but remember I carry I gun.
I guess I’m totally out of the loop here, as I have no idea what your talking about. But from what you’ve said, it sounds like they took something that a had a serious possibility of cool, and turned it into something super trendy and a tad gayerific. I wouldn’t make fun of you Erik – much anyway. :p
This reminds me though – I was at Sears not long ago, picking up a toaster and waffle maker I believe – when I was standing at the checkout looking around. I noticed that not more than 15 feet away from me were shirts on display with skulls plastered across the front of them – I actually had to do a double take – when did it become “hip” enough for a place like Sears (of all places) to be selling t shirts with skulls and the like on them? Did I miss something? Shortly thereafter, I noticed Wall Mart was selling similar stuff, but that was much less shocking.
on Jun 18th, 2008 at 22:14Don’t do it! I’m as big an MMA fan as the next guy, but don’t cave! Ha, ha…
on Jun 19th, 2008 at 13:35You lost me at $60 for a T-shirt … um, no thanks. I’d rather spend 10 bucks on the T-shirt and spend the other 50 on something else. Then again, I pretty much view clothes as something to cover the parts that need to be covered and not much else.
on Jun 19th, 2008 at 15:18But the fact remains they are kinda like those Wolf/Indian shirts you see at gas stations, inside you are thinking “That’s pretty cool, but id never wear one in public”. And the fact they make them in various shades of Purple, Pink, Blue, Green and other non metal colors also concerns me as a heterosexual, male metal fans.
HAHAHAH I totally get this because I do this all the time, I actualy have one my father bought me, never wore it this was probably 5 years ago.
on Jun 23rd, 2008 at 07:13How ironic, Affliction just started advertising on my website.
on Jul 3rd, 2008 at 12:51I have a general idea what you are talking about, never heard of thoses stores, don’t have chain stpores out here, let alone trendy ones, but by coincidence I am wearing a navy blue shirt with three wolf heads surrounding an indian head wearing a wolf pelt and it says spirit brothers. I’ve had the shirt and various ones with skulls etc. for about 18 years. Never been laughted at for wearing them but then people usually give me extra space anyway.
on Jul 5th, 2008 at 05:23Holy shit, sprayed some coke a few times reading that, pretty damn hilarious, until just a couple of weeks ago I didn’t even know what the hell all that Affliction stuff was, Saw some dudes that thought they were tough wearing them around Gadzooks and at first I thought it was some sort of Hardcore Skate band, then I thought “Nah, that dude has way too much product in his hair for it to be a band” then I saw some fights on TNT or Spike or somewhere and figured out it was a Fight company or whatever they are called. I guess I am too old to see the appeal of that stuff, to me it just seems like frosted tips, too many zippers on the pants, scenester stuff. I think I will stick to my Vomitory T-shirt and bust on it from a safe distance…
Haha
on Jul 10th, 2008 at 12:54I find this blog very interesting, i will be here everyday till now. Greetings
on Jul 20th, 2008 at 16:05Sigh….Hot topic bothers me. A lot.
I just don’t see the appeal in the the stuff that they advertise.
This was a fun read though haha.
on Jul 30th, 2008 at 08:24