Cardboard Robot is a streetwear brand that doesn’t seem to get much attention outside of the urban clothing group. A real shame, because they have a large line-up of of attractive, eye-catching, and — in some cases — thought-provoking tees. I discovered them a couple months back and have been in love ever since, although the high-ish prices have restricted me from freely purchasing their goods. In addition to tees, they produce unique cut-and-sew hoodies. Their “Deer Hunter” hoodie, which has an oversized print of deer antlers and a fur-lined hood, has attracted some blog attention.
You can buy Cardboard Robot either at their MerchCo-powered store, or at Karmaloop, which stocks women’s items. There are other stockists too, but I’ll leave you to go Google them yourself if you’re interested.
After an influx of holiday gift money from my relatives, I finally caved and bought the shirt I’ve had my eye on since discovering Cardboard Robot. This design is called “Lobotomy” and features what looks to be an x-ray of some guy’s skull. Guys can get this design too, on white or dark gray tee for $20.
At a Glance
Cardboard Robot’s visual style is all over the place — they hardly stick to one consistent look, although there are a couple of common themes throughout their catalog. The tone, overall, is on the dark and gritty side, often with a bit of political/social commentary mixed in — many of the designs relate to war and violence. There are a lot of “costume” tees — these tees have prints which make you look like you’re wearing something other than a shirt. In this case, though, Cardboard Robot mostly ‘adds’ stuff to your look, such as nunchucks or a shotgun slung across your back. A lot of shirts feature the Cardboard Robot mascot/logo, either as is or in a parody. Striking all-over prints (often of beautiful black and white photos) are common.
The Shirt
The shirt looks as awesome as it does in the product photo. This is an increasingly uncommon occurrence nowadays, as more brands drift towards Photoshopping the hell out of their photos. The print is neat, with all-over printing flaws mostly relegated to minor areas like the shoulders. (Compare to my all-over prints from Glamour Kills and Imaginary Foundation, where you could see the flaws right on the collar — not the most inconspicuous of places.) The halftones used to produce the photorealistic look are absolutely gorgeous, and I like that the blacks are nice and dark. I’m not quite sure why Cardboard Robot decided to cut the print off at the sleeves, as the stark white fabric looks kind of jarring next to the dark ink.
The shirt brand appears to be of custom make. The fabric is 100% cotton and extremely soft — perhaps even softer than American Apparel, if sheerer. In fact, I need to wear a tank top underneath the tee so it isn’t see-through. Maybe the guys’ tees are different? I’ve found that most women’s shirts (other than AA) tend to be thinner than men’s. I like the snug fit and the long length of the body. The print is very soft and seems like part of the fabric.
There is a custom printed neck tag (which can be faintly seen through the back of the shirt) and a sewn brand tag made of some sort of tough, waterproof paper near the hem. The shirt also came with a custom hang tag, but unfortunately I cut that off before I could get a picture.
Shipping and Service
MerchCo shipped my shirt about two days after the order was placed. The shirt came in a standard mailing bag. Not much to say here, other than that things worked out exactly as they should. Shipping was a reasonable $4.90.
Closing Thoughts
Cardboard Robot shirts are expensive, but the quality seems to live up to the price. I’m a little disappointed with the sheerness of the fabric, but besides that I’m really satisfied with my purchase.
Glad you mentioned that the shirt is as good in real life as in photos. So frustrating when Photoshop makes you think that you're getting something that you aren't!