I [steve frost] SF

NAME: Amy
LOCATION: Chipotle, Belmont & Kenmore

My shirt, which says "I [heart] SF" was made at the going away party for my friend Steve Frost - you can see his face in the heart - Steve is an artist who lived in DC and he just moved to Chicago in ... August? Sometime in the summer. To start art school. So he lives here now. Um, and at the party, this DC artist who makes t-shirts had everyone at the party silkscreen the design onto the t-shirts.

Did people silkscreen them themselves?

Um, well, the artist who does it had, like, you know, had the design and we just - I did my own. Like, I picked my t-shirt color and I picked the color - because it was a red ink and I knew that the red color would come out kind of purply and pretty. So I picked it for that but there were all different colors.

And this was done at the party?

This was done at the party.

That's cool.

Yeah.

So "SF" stands for "Steve Frost".

Yes.

And it's a picture of Steve Frost.

Yes.

So the shirt says: "I [steve] Steve Frost".

More or less.

That doesn't really make any sense.

But it's cute, isn't it?

go SOX!

NAME: Sue
LOCATION: U.S. Cellular Field (Royals @ White Sox)

Is this shirt actually handmade?

Yes.

Did you make it yourself?

Yes!

Can you tell me about this logo?

Well, I guess I'm a rabid south-sider, so this is a rabid south-sider.

How long have you been a Sox fan?

Hmm, let's see. Probably about fifty years.

Fifty years!

Yeah, about. More or less!

How are they doing this year?

[Sue makes the "so-so" gesture with her hand.]
They're a .500 team, I guess. We might be able to win our division, so... I'd be happy with that. I believe in miracles. And I love the bleachers! I wouldn't sit anywhere else!

How long have you lived in Chicago?

All my life! Fifty-five years.

And how long have you been coming here? Or, over there?
[I am gesturing towards where Comiskey used to be.]

Holy-moly! About fifty years!

Anything else you'd like to say about the Sox?

Go Sox! I love 'em all! We've got a great line-up.

CUNT [sorry, mom]

NAME: Jessica
LOCATION: Parrots Bar and Grill, Wellington & Halstead

There really isn't a story behind it. But, I just wanted an offensive shirt. I had never seen anybody with the word 'cunt' on their shirt before.

You got this made at the Jive Monkey?

Yeah.

How do you feel about that word being familiar to people?

I think it's a good thing, because I think people don't know what it really means. It means: 'Can't Understand Normal Thinking' and there's a reason women are very offended by it, and I think that should be done away with.

Do you feel like you're reclaiming it, the way black people reclaim that other word that I'm not gonna say because people might get offended?

No, I don't think I'm reclaiming it necessarily.

I've read this book called "Cunt" that was all about how women should reclaim the word. It's like: if a word is offensive to you, you make it your own and then you turn it back around. Is that what you're trying to do?

No, not really. Like I said, just make it familiar kind of. Like, overexposure. So it's not a big deal when it's said.

But is the idea, though, to lessen its value as an insult to women?

Well, yeah. That's not a bad idea. But the shirt, though, I just wanted it to be offensive. I just wanted people to stop and go, "Wait, what does that say?"

Have people done that?

Oh yeah! Because it's very subtle. And they have to stop and kind of look at it for a second then they're like, "Does that say what I think it says?"

Would you say this shirt has been successful?

Yes.

[The Jive Monkey is an independently owned and operated store in Lakeview, one of the family of stores under The Alley's umbrella. They'll make any t-shirt you want!]

JOEY!!!

NAME: Ezekiel
LOCATION: Logan Square

What's the story behind this shirt?

Uh, well, Joey's my nickname given to me by my parents. Um, this shirt was given to me on my twenty-first birthday by my roommate's girlfriend. She made it herself apparently because she works at a t-shirt store.

How do you feel about wearing a t-shirt that just has your name on it?

I would agree with her when she told me it was incredibly obnoxious but I'm also a moderately obnoxious person and I'm okay with being obnoxious from time to time ... hence wearing the t-shirt.

How has the reception been?

Well, this is my second time wearing it and people seemed generally excited about it on my birthday but that's probably just because it was my birthday and that's the one day of the year where people are generally excited about my existence, I suppose.

Do you intend to ever wear this shirt out and about?

Um, yeah it depends on my mood I guess, and if I'm going to be acting like a clown for the evening. If it's on my list then clown I shall be.

Would you wear this shirt up by, like, Roscoe and Halstead?

That's, uh, that's - that's a no-go, actually. This is an uncharacteristically form-fitting physique of a t-shirt. Don't wanna give people the wrong impression up in that neighborhood. No offense.