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The Peace Block Print Shirt is a limited-release item that debuts in store at 3sixteen NY and 3sixteen LA this Friday, July 16th, as well as online at 3sixteen.com. We worked together with our factory in India to produce this shirt using traditional block printing techniques, whereby wooden blocks are carved by hand, dipped in ink, and then stamped onto fabric to create a pattern with a uniquely hand-done effect. The base fabric we employed is a cotton-linen blend in a cream/natural color that provides great breathability and drape for the warmer months that we're currently enduring. What's probably most special about this particular block print is the fact that we requested a more free-flowing approach from the artisans who stamped the fabric. To avoid a formulaic pattern, we asked the printers to keep rotating the symbol each time they stamped it so that no two yards of printing are the same. We gave general guidelines on what areas should get large signs, medium signs, etc, but left the actual exact placements up to the artisans stamping them onto the fabric and were very pleasantly surprised with the result. We really mean it when we say that each shirt - because of this highly artistic process - is unique. 

Inspiration for this peace symbol artwork comes from a little stash of vintage 60's era protest pins in our archives featuring an unusual peace sign shape that was prominent in that era. Instead of harsh, sharp angles where the lines meet the bounding circle, these symbols featured rounded endpoints. We used this particular shape to inspire the ensuing design which we then sent to India to be carved into wood blocks. Just as war protest signs were hand painted and pinbacks were pressed by hand, we felt that the usage of block printing mirrored the aesthetic and intent of the points of inspiration we pulled from. It's especially apparent on the multicolor version where you can see inconsistent distribution of color in the symbols almost like watercolor paint

Peace Shirts will retail for $198 and a portion of the proceeds of each sale will be donated to Everytown, a nonprofit organization that works to end gun violence in America through an advocacy and policy-driven approach. Look for them to hit 3sixteen.com at noon EDT on Friday, July 16th; they'll be available in-store in both NY and LA later that day.