SPACEMAN 2026 - LIMITED RELEASE

I am only creating 100 of these shirts into 2026. The SP@C3M@N (Spaceman) design. When this design was in development and I showed it to my friends, it got the strongest reaction. Because it is so striking with the iridescent colors and unique knockout approach. 

The story behind the design... 
My inspiration came from a few different places with this design. With the renewed push to put people back on the moon and manned missions to Mars, I thought about the bravery and overwhelming loneliness an astronaut would face traveling to Mars and beyond . Here on earth, there are times where living in this post-pandemic world can feel completely isolating as well, even if we are surrounded by people and conveniences that we typically take for granted. Like you are a spaceman who has to wear a spacesuit to protect you from the harsh elements around you (society).

Progression of the concepts...
Originally this design started as a spaceman standing on a small moon. I was feeling and trying to convey a sense of loneliness. It wasn't meant to be a tee shirt at that time. It was just a design exercise that I was calling "far from home". It felt bleak, but it it was a spark that allowed me to push this design a lot further. I created images of galaxies and I wanted them to pop with iridescent colors. Then I thought "what if the spaceman himself WAS the same material as the galaxies... because we are all made of stardust anyhow".  This sparked some new ideas and dozens of versions of the imagery that led me to the final version. 

The final designs...
After creating the designs, there is a lot of cleanup that happens with a variety of software tools. The final design was upsized to super high resolution using a paid version of Gigapixel AI, to give me an 8000 pixel image (huge) that I can then color-correct and modify. When the image was done it was about 80 megabytes. I then bring it into Photoshop to create half-tones to knock out the blacks, so that the black areas are not printed onto the tee shirt. This also allows the design to be printed on lighter color shirts as well. This makes the print softer, as a lot less ink is needed with the final print.

About the tee shirts I use...
I have wholesale accounts with four manufacturers of streetwear blank tee shirts. It literally took me months to try them all out before I found what I feel is the perfect tee shirt for my designs. Other clothing companies I have bought from sometimes use Next Level, Bella Canvas, and other elevated tee shirt brands, but those to me are too thin and too soft. Basically if you are a male and you can see your nipples through the tee shirt, then it is just too damned thin. This is why I avoid those brands for my shirts. 
This tee shirt blank is so good that I bought a pack of 12 of them just to replace the old motorcycle tee shirts that I used to wear.

Specifications: 
100% combed ringspun cotton, super soft hand-feel, side-seamed and retail-ready - the Perfect Black Tee Shirt packs the perfect weight at 5.6 oz with a perfect tight-knit face.

5.6 oz (190 GSM)
100% Combed Cotton Jersey

DETAILS:

Double-needle topstitch at sleeve, bottom hem, shoulders and armhole. Shoulder to shoulder tape. Under 6% shrinkage.

CARE:

Machine wash cold, tumble dry low

FIT:
Standard Fit
True to size

Size up if a looser fit is desired

COO: Make in Pakistan

Future updates...
We are sewing our own small labels onto the edges of the sleeves soon, but we won't ever put a scratchy label into the inside of the shirt.  I have about 50 new designs in the works, each at a varying state of completion. Keep checking the site for new limited run designs soon, or follow us on instagram at @legitthreadsusa. 

Let me know if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions!

John McKown, Founder
Legit Threads