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Funny T-Shirts

In the longstanding conventions of humour, there isn't much that could be described as funny with regards to t-shirts. These simple garments have rarely garnered so much as a titter amongst most humans; however add a catchy phrase, a cheeky play on words or just some coarse language and suddenly everything starts to make a bit more sense. The first known example of a 'funny t-shirt' dates back to 1220, when, after defeating the Khwarezmid empire, Mongol warlord Genghis Khan sported a fetching sky blue cotton t-shirt with the slogan 'You Khan't Touch This'; an act which not only inspired future songwriters, but also began the long-standing tradition of humour on t-shirts.

Share your Humour with the World

Humourous t-shirts have very rarely strayed from the fundamental principles that were laid down by their earliest exponents. Proclamations, no matter how grand or inaccurate, are a good way of getting attention. This misplaced arrogance, whether deliberately ironic or disturbingly ignorant, is one of the true cornerstones of modern comedy, thus the transition to the medium of t-shirts was inevitable. A good example of this can be found in our very own range of British Towns and Cities t-shirts; for those who have ever visited Basingstoke, it's very hard to argue with its ascribed 'Amazingstoke' title and would you really want to mess with Margate?

As we all know though, comedy is an incredibly subjective thing. One person's side-splitting hilarity is another's eye-rolling depravity, so the increasingly exploitative manufacturers of humorous t-shirts have been quick to leap on both sides of this bandwagon. As purveyors of the finer things, we've always maintained a level of comedy aimed at the refined humorist - the thinking (wo)man's designer you might say.

Can't Say Fairer Than That

Truisms are also an integral part of t-shirt comedy gold; it's fair to say that if you don't know a Dave you probably live in a cave, thus 'Everyone Knows a Dave' - simple. There's no need to corrupt your livery with complex slogans, when uncomplicated exclamations will have friends questioning and then guffawing at the idea of fishing being the acceptable face of British bloodsport, for example.

The Ultimate Comedy T-Shirt

Ever since the 'I shot J.R' t-shirt emerged in the heady spring of 1980, the race to create an iconic hilarious slogan for universal use has been hotly contested. 'Frankie Says Relax' achieved the universal aspect of popularity, but failed miserably at providing even the merest smirk, aside from at the poor unfortunate who had chosen to wear it. Tapping that unique market has remained elusive for even the most prolific t-shirt manufacturers, making it something of a holy grail type figure - or as Andy Williams would probably say, 'the Impossible Dream'.

The best advice we can humbly offer when trying to buy a comedy t-shirt is to find one that you can laugh at. The last thing you want is for someone to question what it says and you be left looking like a freshly caught trout gasping for air. Retro is cool whatever style you back it up with, slap on a slogan with matching picture and you've quite possibly cracked it mon amis. Pretentiousness is unbefitting of comedy on any level, so loosen up and give a little love through the medium of the t-shirt.