Wear your heart on your chest

Howies’ founders rejected the stress of the big city to live in the serene surroundings of the Welsh coast, so other T-shirts extol the virtues of getting out of the urban sprawl into the great outdoors. Jenny Bower’s Big City Defector, a line-drawn image of a kettle over a stove, may not be as witty as some of the designs on offer, but Mr Bingo’s Silence Seeker design and one T-shirt that reads ‘Head for the hills’ by Davies, accompanied by little figures running chaotically in all directions, tell a story that will strike a chord with anyone stuck on a stationary Tube train stuffed with exasperated commuters. They have a deliciously antisocial, almost misanthropic edge to them – get away from all the people and the stress – but don’t we all feel like that at one time or another?

Howies also takes issue with genetically modified foods and the British aversion to recycling, but it is the abrasive stuff that angrily points the finger that will get people thinking about their actions. For instance, if you happen to drive a Range Rover, could you stand to look at yourself in your rear-view mirror while wearing the Socially Unacceptable Vehicle T-shirt, stuck in a traffic jam on your way to work?

Howies’ clothing is available on-line at www.howies.co.uk or by calling 01239 614122