Orange County, CA-based Affliction Clothing launched in August 2005 at the Pool Show, a designer trade show in Las Vegas. The line is know for intricate, graphic t-shirts, which appeal to fashion-minded men of all kinds - from millionaire rockers to Average Joes. Ten years ago, apparel production whiz Eric Foss and graphic designer Todd Beard founded a screen-printing business that was the precursor to the label we all know and love. When Cliff Chason, a childhood friend of Todd, brought his sales and marketing experience to the team in 2005, the trio was complete and Affliction was born. Although the label is new, their signature t-shirts are already popular with both Hollywood celebs and Middle America civilians.
The hand-drawn designs featured on Affliction T-shirts are apparently meant to reflect the age-old struggle to maintain the balance of good and evil, as well as the less epic dichotomy between the t-shirts' creators. Foss is the calm, cool, collected, conservative, and Beard is the wild child that cannot be tamed. Umm, ok. All I see is a cool t-shirt, but maybe you're deep enough to get the symbolism.
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Affliction 'Heroes & Demons' Foil T-Shirt
$70.00
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Affliction Screenprint T-Shirt
$53.00
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Affliction Screened Board Shorts
$78.00
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Affliction Bladed Straight Leg Mid Rise Jeans
$215.00
The label's clothing is manufactured with an abnormal amount of care. Hand-distressed and softened with various wash techniques including silicon, enzyme and mineral washes, then screen-printed using a water-based ink, each t-shirt is a distinctive work of art with a trendy vintage look. On top of the innovative manufacturing techniques and heavy subject matter - the hangtag boasts the slogan "Live Fast, Die Young"-- the shirts are pretty comfortable and stylish. In addition to their t-shirts, their most popular item, Affliction makes signature hoodies, thermals, polos, button-downs, jeans and hats.
Affliction can be found in men's boutique stores nationally, and in the closets of celebs like Wilmer Valderrama, members of Good Charlotte, Tommy Lee, Bruce Willis, Steven Tyler, Jamie Foxx and Keith Urban (to name a few). So basically, here's what you should take from this information: If you would like to score lots of chicks (famous and pretty ones, too), wear Affliction. That's the conclusion I've come to, anyway.