15 T-Shirts Every Geek Girl Should Own (Or At Least Squee Over).

I have an unhealthy obsession with making lists, it's nearly equal to my passion for all things nerddom, so why not combine the two?

My dear friend Paul has been admonishing me for not blogging more often and sharing my passions with the world - after all, you should never ask for permission to be creative, you should just get on and do it!  Right?

The sci-fi community still needs more female voices making their feelings known...and quite frankly I've never been known to shut up for longer than about five nano-seconds.

SO MUCH LIKE THE DOCTOR - SF GIRL REGENERATES AND FIRES BACK INTO LIFE!

 

Yes, I realise this is River Song, but quite frankly: She's AWESOME!

With that shiny new regeneration in mind, I'm hoping this will be the start of a whole host of new things; and far more frequent spewings forth from the inner workings of my crazy little geekette brain. Oh you poor bastards...don't say I didn't warn you!  :O It's going to be a mad exhilarating ride, so you'd better hold onto something and don't forget to bring a Fez.  Stetsons, bow-ties and Jammie Dodgers are also acceptable.


So what to discuss first? Well, one thing I've noticed in the past few months is the rise of custom t-shirt websites. Namely, websites that offer one-off specially designed tees for a very limited period - usually a day to three days max, then print them on demand on a limited print run, thus making sure the tees will stay unique and have a "cult" appeal. (Although some tee designs do pop up on other sites - ZeroBriant's epic Doctor Who: The Silence vs. The Weeping Angels t shirt, for instance - which is the current favourite in my wardrobe, though it is up against some strong contenders).

The epic battle of who blinks first?

 The two biggest "limited t-shirt" websites I've come across are the US Teefury and the UK's Qwertee - where t-shirts are around £10 including postage, meaning you get a fun and unique t-shirt for a fairly reasonable price.  The most enjoyable thing about these sites are the extremely geeky pop culture mash-ups that make up so many of the popular designs from a poster spoofing the "Back to the Future" movie poster with Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan replacing McFly and the Doc to a bajillion Doctor Who and Firefly inspired t-shirts because quite frankly, both shows will never not be eternally popular among the geek community! I highly recommend you take a look at both sites- you might just snap up a wonderful "must-have-it" bargain.

This list is dedicated to t-shirts I've found and adored across the interwebs and wanted to share. As a female sci-fi & fantasy fan - when I'm not dressed up all fancy to go out, I'm usually vegging out in jeans and a t-shirt and it feels good to wear my interests firmly on my literal sleeves. Generally, I tend to prefer the closer cut of baby doll tees, which my Mum moans about because I'm a pretty curvy girl, but there should be a few tees here to suit girls (and guys) of all sizes and fandoms. Enjoy!

1) "Self Rescuing Princess" Tee from ThinkGeek.

Why it's awesome: Everyone knows that the REAL reason why Princess Peach was in the next castle was because she'd gone ahead and rescued herself anyway! Besides who wants to wait for a Italian plumber to rescue you when you have your own wits and cunning at your side? I love this t-shirt because it totally encapsulates SF Girl's mission statement: that women are capable, strong and able to take the lead in difficult situations. No rescues required here boys - sisters and princesses are doing it for themselves.  

You can buy it HERE for $19.99 or £12.66 on ThinkGeek. UK buyers be warned though that ThinkGeek's US international postage is very steep so best to buy a few tees to make it worth your pocket money.

2) "We're All Mad Here" - Purple 'Alice In Wonderland' tee from ThinkGeek.

Why it's awesome: When I started SF Girl, I wanted to be cover all aspects of geekdom from science fiction to fantasy, fairy tale, comic books and steampunk. With that in mind, how could I resist such a brilliant Alice In Wonderland tee design? Taken from original illustrations from Lewis Carroll's classic novel and featuring a sentiment anyone would be proud of, this tee makes it clear that everyone's a little mad sometimes so why not embrace your inner weirdo? After all, we're all a little bit odd sometimes - just ask the Cheshire Cat. 

You can buy this gorgeous tee HERE for $19.99 or £12.66 on ThinkGeek.

3) The Guild - Official Cast Tee from Jinx.

Why it's awesome:  The Guild is quite possibly the funniest show to come out of the Internet in the past five years. The brain child of everyone's favourite geek girl Felicia Day and a hilarious take on the perils of online MMORPG addiction - the show has gone from humble DIY beginnings to a becoming a bona fide worldwide hit. Now you can have Bladezz, Vork, Zaboo, Codex, Clara and Tink on your t-shirt, using the show's cartoon title logos. If you are already a fan, you'll love this shirt, but if you've never seen the show, hop to it and get watching at www.watchtheguild.com. 

The Guild's fifth season is premiering online every Wednesday and Thursday on Bing, Xbox Live and Zune  with some very special guest stars including Nathan Fillion, Neil Gaiman, Brent Spiner, Erin Grey, Doug Jones and Richard Hatch.  

You can get this official t shirt for $19.99-$20.99 or £12.66-£13.29 HERE at Jinx.

4) The Girl Who Waited -  Little Amy and Raggedy Doctor Tee - designed by James Hance.

Why it's awesome: I can't even begin to describe how adorable this  t-shirt is. James Hance has become known in the geek community for his adorable artistic mash-ups of childhood favourites with sci-fi tropes from the cuteness of his Star Wars/Winnie the Pooh series 'Wookiee the Chew' to his recent Muppets/Firefly set: 'Firefrog'. This has to be my favourite however, as it captures a very young Amy Pond cradling her raggedy doctor doll, playing inside her cardboard Tardis, waiting for her Doctor to return and dreaming of the stars.

What makes it for me is the way in which it has a nostalgic childhood feel and a kitschy cuteness combined with an image that stays true to the relationship between Amy Pond and her childhood imaginary best friend The Doctor. Bonus points for the misspelling of "Police Box" too. Personally I think this tee looks best on a light blue background, but there are many colours to choose from and I'll definitely be purchasing this ahead of my trip to the Entertainment Media Show next month.

You can purchase this tee for $25.62 or £16.23 HERE from RedBubble. Also check out the rest of James Hance's amazing geeky artwork at www.jameshance.com.  I promise you won't regret it!

5) Jean Grey/Phoenix and Mystique - X Men Nouveau Tees from ThinkGeek - designed by Megan Lara. (Rogue Nouveau tee only available in the US through Mighty Fine).

 

 

           

Why they're awesome: In a world eclipsed by Batman, Superman and Spiderman t-shirts it can sometimes be impossible to find t-shirts for women and men dedicated to some of Marvel and DC's most iconic super-heroines and villainesses. Especially ones that don't depict them in a compromising light. With that it mind, I cannot praise Megan Lara's work enough.  

It's official: I'm a total Megan Lara fan girl!  

Here she depicts some of X-Men's most iconic women including the villainous shape-shifter Mystique, Southern Belle Rogue and my personal favourite: the unstoppable force of nature that is Jean Grey a.k.a The Phoenix. Megan often takes inspiration from the sinuous lines of Art Nouveau artists such as Mucha and the results are beautiful and unique artwork that also allows you to geek out at will. The women of the Marvel Universe have never looked better!

I cannot get enough of her artwork and she also has completed a line of limited edition posters depicted the female crewmembers of Serenity: Zoe, River, Kaylee, Inara and even Saffron. They are stunning and well worth a look. Megan has also produced t-shirt and art prints depicting iconic female characters from video games such as Samus Arran from Metroid,  Princess Zelda, Princess Peach and Chell from Portal.  

She also has a Kara Thrace/Starbuck design in the works that should be amazing!

The Mystique and Jean Grey/Phoenix designs are currently available from ThinkGeek priced at $21.99 or £13.94 each.  The Rogue design is currently only available in the US from MightyFine (who don't offer international shipping yet, which is a mighty big shame) for $25.00.

You can check out more of Megan's work at www.meganlara.com or join Megan's Facebook Group where she posts often and is happy to chat on all things art and geekdom with fans. 

I predict great things for her!

6) And Then Buffy Staked Edward. The End. Tee from Jinx.

Why it's awesome:  Do I even have to explain this one? Haha. For many of us women who have not been remotely enamored by the Twilight phenomenon and fervently hope it'll crawl under a rock and die very soon: this is the t-shirt for you.  Quite frankly if you want to get rid of the sparkly emo little twerp who are you gonna call? Only the biggest female vampire slaying badass pop culture has ever known. Buffy we need you to roundhouse kick some sense into these wimpy "Bella-wannabes". Kinda now.

You can purchase this shirt (guaranteed to get up the noses of any of your Twihard friends) HERE for $19.99 or £12.66 from Jinx.

7) Cake Dress Kaylee - Jason Palmer Studios exclusive Sereni-tee.

Why it's awesome: Yes, it's very pink and very girly, but it's dedicated to one of the coolest chicks in the Verse - Kaywinnit Lee Frye of the Firefly class ship Serenity. Very feminine, but still one of the boys, Kaylee was the cheery ship's mechanic with a bright side for everything.  A character well loved by fans; this would be a treat for any female Browncoat (That's a Firefly fan for the uninitiated). This shirt depicts her in her classic "Shindig" frilly ballgown and allows the wearer to be girly, whilst still getting her geek on. 

It's available as a tank top or a cap-sleeved tee with pink ribbon edging for the shiny sum of $25 or £15.84 from Jason Palmer Studios . Those of you looking for something a bit more kick-ass can check out the rest of Jason's Sereni-tee designs on that link which include designs depicting both Jayne and Mal and the Serenity itself.

Jason also does beautiful very limited edition art prints for a HUGE range of shows and film fandoms from Serenity to Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, Underworld, Indiana Jones, Alien and many more. The likenesses are incredible and the standard of the artwork is very high. You can take a look at some of it HERE.  Prepare to have thy geek mind blown.

8) Ninja Kitty Tee from ThinkGeek

 

Why it's awesome: I wouldn't normally post something that wasn't blatantly sci-fi related, but quite frankly: IT'S A CAT THAT'S A NINJA! :D Let's face it, everyone knows cats are stealthy furry balls of fighty scratchy death. That's why we love them. They meow us in to a false sense of security. I'm always a fan of t-shirts that bring a big giant kid-like grin to my face and this is one of them. Grab this sneaky kitty t-shirt at ThinkGeek for $24.99/£15.84.

9) The Dice Are Trying To Kill Me - Fitted Tank-top from ThinkGeek.

Why it's awesome:  Female D & D and dice-based RPG players are well aware that a game can turn on just one roll of a nine-sided dice. This shirt celebrates the inevitable moment where a game night's worth of bad luck descends into hilarity. If you are going to get killed, at least let it be an amusing death. Roll on baby and enjoy this fun tank-top. We'll bring the snacks, the dice will provide the adventure. Grab this top at ThinkGeek for $19.99/£12.67.

10) Geek Is The New Sexy t-shirt from SnorgTees.

Why it's awesome: Normally I wouldn't advocate such a blatant statement on a t-shirt, but hear me out. I've said a lot about the treatment of female sexuality in science fiction and comic book depictions, which seems to pander only to the male gaze.  However, I am all for a frank and empowered stand on female sexuality. An approach that favours how women wish to show themselves outside of how male-dominated media tells them they should behave or look.  

I'm not happy with some of the "pornified" images used to sell these shirts on the Snorgtees website, but I can agree that it's the computer age and nerds are very much in now. It's finally cool to be a geek and if being smart is the new sexy, then I'm all on board with that. 

Cover up with this tee and still proclaim your geekdom for $19.95/£12.65.

11) Padme Nouveau Tee from Her Universe.

Why it's awesome: It's quite possibly the most beautiful Star Wars t-shirt design I've ever seen and it's designed exclusively for female Star Wars fans. Another Art Nouveau creation depicting the plight of the Skywalker family over the course of the six films with Padme put firmly in the foreground. All your favourite characters are given space from Anakin to Luke, Leia, Han, Yoda, Obi-Wan and the droids and the image is framed in gold ink on a regal red background.

It's a gorgeous image and one any female Star Wars fan will cherish. Her Universe was set up by LA actress Ashley Eckstein, who voices female Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano in the Star Wars: Clone Wars CGI animated series as a response to her bewilderment at their being barely any clothing or collectables designed with the female Star Wars fan in mind. They stock exclusive Star Wars t-shirt designs for women and even jewellery and have a thriving online forum.

This t-shirt can be yours for $25/£15.84 HERE.


12) "I Love You." " I Know." 
Han and Leia Tee from Her Universe.

Why it's awesome: Celebrating one of the most iconic kisses in sci-fi screen history and one of it's golden couples: the irrepressible scoundrel Han Solo and the feisty Princess Leia. It's a subtle design on a grey t-shirt, which wouldn't look out of place out and about or at the gym, but would definitely show off your geek credentials.  A very sweet design and you don't even have to out fly an Imperial Star Destroyer to get it! Don't be a scruffy nerf herder, grab this t-shirt at Her Universe for $25/£15.84


13) Nerd Rage Tee from Jinx.

 

Why it's awesome:We've all been there - you start a conversation with someone and they tell you the little green guy in Star Wars was called Spock, they tell you they never saw Firefly because it looked boring or that aliens and spaceships are strictly for kids. Maybe you started a argument with your geek friends about who would win in a fight or the importance of canon and the heated debate went on for HOURS. Soon a white hot feeling decsends on you: you've been hit with a severe case of NERD RAGE!!!

There's a reason we geeks are so passionate and there's a line where years of learning trivial knowledge turns into pedantic nit-picking at levels never seen before by man or Silurian. It's why the internet forum was invented! Celebrate the full force of righteous geekery with this rather amusing shirt from Jinx for $19.99/£12.66 Because hell hath no fury like a geek scorned.

14) Batgirl Costume tee from ThinkGeek.

                 
Why it's awesome:  Now you too can fight crime in Gotham and be a super-heroine - same Bat time, same Bat channel. One of the most iconic female DC super-heroines Batgirl (Sorry Wonder Woman!) has been turned into a "costume" t-shirt by ThinkGeek. An easy way to make a cosplay costume or a fun way to walk around your friendly neighbourhood - whether you're Barbara Gordon or Stephanie Brown  high-kick and sucker punch your way over to ThinkGeek and grab this shirt! Or if you're after some Eighties nostalgia, there's also a She-Ra costume shirt as well.

All three shirt designs are priced at $19.99/£12.66. 

15) You Never Forget Your First Doctor Tee from ThinkGeek.

Why it's awesome: Does Matt Smith have your heart or is David Tennant your number one?  Maybe you've an old school yen for the likes of John Pertwee, Tom Baker, William Hartnell or Peter Davidson? No matter what the era, no one forgets their first Doctor and the sense of magic, terror and adventure Doctor Who conjures on screen and has done for nearly 50 years.

This t-shirt celebrates Whovian fandom in all its glory and is perfect for fan girls and fan boys of all ages. You can grab this shirt from ThinkGeek for $16.99-$19.99 /£10.77-£12.66 (Mens) and click here for the Women's Babydoll cut $19.99 /£12.66 The shirts have been selling like hotcakes - so you'd better get in there quick! Better than a trip to Gallifrey. Well nearly.

And thus concludes my little intergalactic trip into the galaxy of geek chic shopping. Many more delights lie in store dear readers, but until then live long and prosper!