Zoo York T Shirts

From LoveToKnow Men's Fashion

Vibrant and strongly artistic, Zoo York t shirts are the epitome of unique, irreverent style. Despite the fact that t shirts are inherently some of the most basic, commonplace garments in just about everyone's closet, these styles stand out for miles thanks to their remarkable graphic prints.

About Zoo York

Founded in 1993 by skateboarders Eli Morgan Gessner, Adam Schatz and Rodney Smith, Zoo York specializes in skateboards, apparel and accessories for men and women. The styles are targeted toward a young demographic in particular, no surprise considering the clothing embraces the graffiti culture of the Zoo York Tunnel in New York. The subway tunnel was home to hundreds of skateboarders and artists, who would meet late at night and scrawl old school graffiti artwork on its walls during the late 1970s.

It was not until the '80s, however, that "Zoo York" actually became a widely recognizable term. At the time, the words related specifically to the underground graffiti culture that had developed during the '70s. As time wore on, though, graffiti became a prominent hallmark of subway trains, skateboarders enjoyed greater presence in various hotspots throughout the city and deejays span wheels of steel (or turntables) into the wee hours of the morning. This new revolution truly defined what the Zoo York culture had originally stood for from its early inception: creativity, talent and urban culture.

The company was eventually acquired by fashion entrepreneur Mark Ecko, who bolstered the label's cachet by signing actor Ashton Kutcher as the face of Zoo York in 2004. Kutcher appeared in advertising campaigns over the course of two years, modeling street wear and bringing even more attention to the already popular brand.

In addition to the ever-popular t-shirts, the Zoo York men's collection also includes knitwear, polo shirts, sweaters, track jackets, outerwear, denim, pants, shorts, board shorts, hats, beanies, bags and other accessories.

Zoo York T Shirts Styles

If you're in the market for a new t shirt or two, you can rest assured that Zoo York's collection has something for just about every taste. Even those less inclined to wear apparel emblematic of New York's street culture will find favor in some of the company's simpler styles.

Seasonal Zoo York Tee Selections

A t shirt's inherent style doesn't change from season to season – it will always be the typical pull-over top – but Zoo York's collections certainly do. Each season, a new lineup of clothing and accessories is introduced, designed to reflect the industry's current trends and meet the demand for fresh designs. The t-shirts for each season do tend to follow a certain pattern; for example, those designed for spring are generally bright, vivid and make ample use of brilliant hues (like fluorescent lime green, turquoise and even hot pink).

Meanwhile, t-shirts from the fall collection tend to embrace the season's typically deep, dramatic shades. Don't be fooled into thinking that these darker t-shirts are plain and bland, though. On the contrary, each of the t-shirts boasts an intriguing graphic of some sort, ranging from tattoo-inspired prints to Zoo York logos.

Choosing Styles

As for choosing the t shirt that best suits your individual taste, that's as easy as browsing through the company's gallery of seasonal deliveries. Simply click on the "ZY MENS" tab on the label's Web site, select the season you wish to browse and navigate to the quite vast t-shirt library. There, you'll find numerous selections in a wide range of colors and sizes. Some examples include:

Roller, a brazen t shirt from the fall 2009 Premium T-Shirts collection. This top is adorned with gray letters that spell out "Zoo York" in haphazard fashion and boast a spray-painted effect. The shirt is available in two shades – eggplant and NYPD blue.

Zoo F.C. is a bold head-turner of a shirt and part of the same collection. It's available in black and is emblazoned with the company's logo, as well as some edgy artwork (a skull, knuckle duster and spiders are just a few examples). Elegant script at the bottom spells out "Unbreakable" and provides stark contrast to the otherwise outrageous shirt.

Owens is just made for anyone with an appreciation for the Big Apple. This royal purple colored top, part of the spring fashion 2009 collection, is etched with various symbols of the city, including the Statue of Liberty (with a pair of turquoise sunglasses over her eyes), a "Zoo York Trilogy" guidebook, a pigeon and other fun elements.