Cool is the first time you hear A Tribe Called Quest on a cassette that somebody’s older brother made at college. Cool is saying “thanks babe” as your girlfriend gives you a birthday mix. Cool is stuffing the new Priest into your front jacket pocket, right next to your smokes and a switchblade. Cool is knowing you don’t need a keep case, you choose a keep case. Cool is all that plastic rattling on your dash. Cool is never buying the cd because you liked the solo better when the tape stretched. Cool is knowing that if you cover up the hole you can record Hüsker Dü over Donna Summer. Cool is living on after everybody says it’s time to die.

This shirt was designed by: Jan Kallwejt, a designer from Poland, the country that is the Velvet Underground of standing up to the Soviet Union, and sometimes has winters that get to twenty below zero. That’s cool.

Wear this shirt: with a chain wallet and jeans while your buddy takes a black and white photo.

Don’t wear this shirt: around the guy who sells old 8-tracks at the local flea market. He’s still a little sensitive about the day Todd Rundgren stopped being cutting edge.

This shirt tells the world: “Eight? Eight? I forgot what eight was for!”

We call this color: Adjectiveless Black. Laconic is cool.

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