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The 52 Clothing: Reconstructing Fashion for Gamers

Ryan Fleming By

The 52 endeavors to blow the nerd musk off gaming fashion like dust from a Nintendo cartridge, melding game-inspired designs with mainstream appeal.

All but the most hardcore of hardcore gamers probably won’t immediately identify with the name “The 52,” but it — not surprisingly — has its roots in gaming. The name is a reference to 1952, the year that Alexander S. Douglas programmed the first computer game, Noughts and Crosses, at the University of Cambridge.  The 52 is a new brand of clothes designed for gamers, by gamers, but that will appeal to everyone.

Despite the fact that video games are a billion dollar plus industry, there is still a stigma towards gaming that is hard to shake. For many years, video games have been a niche; a subculture with limited cross appeal. But recently, things have changed. The average age of gamers has risen, meaning that what was once an industry for an easy-to-dismiss younger group is now dominated by the heavily sought after trendsetting demographic with money to spend.

Generally, when you think of clothing related to video games, most of the fashion is either an in-joke, or something that is targeted to a very specific group. A guy wearing a t-shirt of the Lich King might garner an appreciative head nod from a fellow World of Warcraft player, but the widespread appeal would be minimal. Similarly, you might find a t-shirt on the back of someone looking to squeeze the nostalgia out of retro design, but while a picture of an Atari symbol might be considered cool and hip, it is not an accurate representation of the modern gamer.

The 52 is a clothing company that wants to prove that it is possible to design a brand of clothing that will appeal to gamers, but also reach a more mainstream audience. The 52 currently offers a decent selection of t-shirts and accessories that deconstruct the iconography of gaming and reconstruct it with a flair that is hard to overlook or dismiss as belonging to a niche. With deeply stylized designs, the clothing line of The 52 is both stylish and trendy without sacrificing the core that it represents: gaming.

For The 52 to gain mainstream appeal, it will need to overcome the inherent prejudices that the industry can generate. If the designs continue to redefine our expectations, they might just pull it off.

Check out The 52’s offerings at www.the52wantsyou.com.

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Showing 30 comments

  1. wowguys at 11:59am 1st September 2010 I get the reference to 1952, but where's the PC references in your clothing? Shouldn't it be The 67, because Ralph Baer created the first videogame on a television screen? I appreciate the product and do like the style, it just seems like the 52 reference doesn't fit. Not my call though, the fans will decide its fate.
    1. Big L at 10:37am 3rd September 2010 I Don't believe it has to do with PC vs console vs Arcade...it's about video games. And the first video game was created in 1952. At least that's what I'm taking away from it.
  2. jacky ray at 11:54am 1st September 2010 a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into a desired emotional response. I am not the troll here. I simply stated my opinion and was then attacked by RogerHansen and goodmourning. You two are the trolls. I am entitled to my opinion, that doesnt make me a troll. Maybe The 52 can make that into a shirt.
    1. RogerHansen at 1:05pm 1st September 2010 "An awesome prize! Yay! The only way to get your product out the door is by giving it away!" Please explain to me how this is not an inflammatory message in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into a desired emotional response. I'm sorry that is actually your honest opinion, and not at all dripping with sarcasm and derision? Then I misspoke, you aren't a troll, you're simply ignorant and posting something that's not pertinent. Oh wait hold on a second, posting something not pertinent, irrelevant, or in other words extraneous. Your post is obviously meant to be inflammatory, but if you want to feign innocence and pretend its not, you're still a troll. We are all entitled to our own opinions, if you don't like it then you don't like and that is perfectly acceptable. However, when you post an opinion that is misinformed, sarcastic and designed to be insulting don't act indignant or offended when you're called out on it.
    2. goodm0urning at 1:25pm 1st September 2010 you literally tried to use twilight and true blood as a comparison to a shirt company? if i had to point out any of these responses that were off-topic, it would be yours. and maybe, if you knew anything about video games or graphic design, a shirt about a troll wouldn't sell well.
  3. jacky ray at 1:17am 1st September 2010 An awesome prize! Yay! The only way to get your product out the door is by giving it away!
    1. RogerHansen at 2:58am 1st September 2010 Now you're just getting desperate, this really must be your first time trolling the internet.
  4. 52 sucks at 1:23pm 31st August 2010 This company blows. It looks like a bunch of tools got together and made some half ass shirts. If you even google the meaning behind 1952 being the first game it's false. For reals. It's a google search away. Which means they put barely any thought into this. Who cares if you have a shirt with up up down down on it or Linch King. Do you know why Apple is cool, each employee is required to not talk crap about Microsoft. If they do, they're penalized. They should embrace everyone's style. So they can go **** themselves with their dumb clothes and learn how to make a t-shirt that isn't a hop and a skip away from a Ramones t-shirt.
    1. goodm0urning at 2:24pm 31st August 2010 i think the point is that it IS reminiscent of a Ramones t-shirt... and secondly, what does the Apple comment have to do with anything? Is the 52 talking crap? I see reasonable defense of the statements made. You're not even making a point, all this is, is an ad hominem attack on the company and makes you seem incredibly asinine.
      1. The 52 at 2:48pm 31st August 2010 Thank you for the support friend. I will get your contact info and make sure you get something cool from The 52!
        1. goodm0urning at 3:04pm 31st August 2010 sweet! thanks!
    2. RogerHansen at 3:04pm 31st August 2010 Learn how to google. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blco.... Read the first paragraph. Your post is confusing. You talk about how Apple is great because they "embrace everyone's style". Let's even pretend that is true and something that you can easily back up. You go onto make an ad hominem attack and very clearly don't follow your own advice and "embrace everyone's style." Please google the following. "How to google successfully and not make yourself look like an idiot."
      1. The 52 at 3:08pm 31st August 2010 Mr. RogerHansen, you too have earned an exclusive prize! thank you for the support.
  5. The 52 at 9:42pm 30th August 2010 Thank you all for checking out our gear and thank you Digital Trends for the great article! We, The 52, understand that our message will not reach all of you and it is not our intention to do so. We will not always like every game and/or genre of game that comes out. For example: Some people love Halo, some people hate it. Some people love Final Fantasy, some despise it. We all have a right to hold any opinion, BUT... lets understand that an opinion does not define the quality nor does it substantiate anyones perception of a product. We strive to create the best quality and to maximize comfort in each of our products. We do this by offering light weight shirts as well as printing the inside labels to eliminate a tag that may cause discomfort. These kind of details bumps the price up a little to ensure our quality expectations are met. When it comes to our graphics, we decide to be subtle with our gaming imagery. At first glance one may miss the gaming reference but when one looks closer, they will see the connection. Take a look for yourself. Thank you to the above and future positive comments and feedback. Take care everyone and please come check us out! The 52 Clothing
    1. jacky ray at 9:19am 31st August 2010 A) your message will reach everyone, regardless if it's your intention or not, B) what does you liking games have to do with clothing?, C) the word substantiate isn't used properly, D) an opinion does matter when it comes to this product, being that the opinions of those viewing your product will ultimately be the ones buying it, E) I have a ton of shirts with tags that have never bothered me; do you have a tag option for 12 bucks less?, F) and the shirts are so punk-rock-goth that no one wants to get close enough to see the subtle gaming reference. Seems to me like you are still ashamed you are a gamer so you hide it behind lavish graphics. Make cool designs that scream you are a gamer and then you will be both "new and innovative". Until then you are simply throwing a small controller graphic into a design unaffiliated with gaming.
      1. The 52 at 12:45pm 31st August 2010 We appreciate your feedback jacky ray and all comments are always welcome. A. When I said "reach all of you", I simply meant that we may not make sense to all of you, thats all. B. Games are much like apparel and other products. People, most times, purchase based on emotion. Some products have more of an emotional impact on one over the other. C. When I used the word "substantiate", I wanted to convey that perception does not establish proof or evidence to the quality or intention of our product. D. Opinions do matter to us, BUT "opinions" do not define us. E. Your right, sometimes tags are not an issue. We wish to make sure that tags are never an uncomfortable issue. As far as our pricing goes, we feel we are we are competitively priced for the quality of product we offer. Often times we will run online sales where you can save 20% to 30% on all products. This can bring a 52 shirt down to $16 which is a great saving. Also, we do not gouge our customer on shipping. We offer $7 shipping for your entire purchase which beats most of our competitors shipping costs. F. Our styling appeals to different types of people but not everyone. This is our first block of designs with many others coming out that touch on many different themes, genres, colors and lifestyles. We, The 52, have never been ashamed of our gaming passion nor will we ever be. We simply wish to express our gaming passion in a different way than most other gaming apparel lines. Simply the graphics alone are not what define The 52. Our mission, and our voice is how we truly convey what we are trying to accomplish. Take a look at other industry specific companies. Do all skateboarding apparel have skate images in the print? Do all Nike apparel have sports images in their lineup? The answer is obvious. There is much more to a brand than a graphic. You say we "hide behind lavish graphics"? We stand tall and proud behind our "lavish graphics" with an understanding that we are not just a graphic tee shirt company. We are a movement, a voice and a proud supporter of all you gamers who understands what we are doing. We are truly new and we would not have got to where we are without our fans and without innovation.
        1. jacky ray at 1:52pm 31st August 2010 Haha so defensive. Are you afraid people will not like your product because I don't? Because everything I say you immediately refute. Also, thanks for the heads up that you do sales often. I'll tell all my friends to wait for one of those. Oh and I ordered a shirt online the other day, shipping was free. I also researched shipping costs and it averages around 5.00 flat rate. If you ship first class in a package of your choice, its around 3 bucks. You're so full of lies its unreal. Can't wait to hear your defense!
          1. The 52 at 2:34pm 31st August 2010 LOL! Not defensive, more passion really. Plus, I was just taking this opportunity to give the blog readers some more info about us.
  6. jacky ray at 5:19pm 30th August 2010 Regardless of whether the number is hard to understand or not, which it is considering I know no one that immediately understands the connection, the shirts look like something out of the Twilight series. Luckily for the 52, that's all the new rage. It's too bad the demographic is teenie boppers and men going through their mid life crisis. Plus, at a price point of over 20 bucks, its just ridiculous. The only design that's worth anything is the forever respawn one. The rest are awful. And i believe digital trends feels the same way as they.never.once mentioned whether they like the 52 or not in this review. Keep at it, maybe a Fangtasia will open up and you can sell your clothes there.
    1. RogerHansen at 3:22am 31st August 2010 Whoa whoa whoa, you mention the Twilight series and then make a True Blood reference? Apples and Oranges baby, pick your vampire fiction and stick with it. As a side note and out of sheer curiosity, what Twilight shirt are you referring to specifically?
      1. jacky ray at 9:13am 31st August 2010 the one that has a skull and above it giant letters that say "The 52".... oh wait, nevermind. Sorry thinking of the wrong shirt. It's the black shirt that has a picture of Edward fighting a werewolf and there's a kid in the corner who is clearly playing a DS. and I do apologize for cross-referencing my vampire fiction. Just making the point that the "goth" look of these clothes would fit in well with the crowd at Fangtasia, and that the stigma surrounding the designs of these shirts is rebellious, anti-government, punk; a genre of individuals who tend to be very young (Twilight teenie boppers) or middle aged men who just bought their first motorcycle. Keep up the good work though, I really like the shirt with Bella Swan screaming "Rebel! Fight! Protest! Destroy!"... oops, there I go again, mixing the shirts up.
        1. RogerHansen at 2:53pm 31st August 2010 Is this your first time trolling the internet? Because it seems like it. Oh you mean you can't bring up a specific example from the Twilight series? Of course you can't, because they don't wear anything like that in Twilight. You: "...the shirts look like something out of the Twilight series." The Burden of Proof is on you pal and you are unable to back that statement up. I believe the internet term for this is, "FAIL." Oh wait your point with that comment was too actually compare it to something entirely different (True Blood). Way to support your argument there! You are making up a demographic of a group of hypothetical people that attend a fictional bar. Seeing how in that fictional world young girls under 18 (ie Teenie boppers) would not be allowed in such a club you fail at following your own logic even when simply making s**t up. The demographic for True Blood is mostly female over the age of 18, not middle aged men or teenie boopers. But hey let's be honest, Twilight and True Blood have nothing to do with the 52 and your comparison was simply a red herring that was somehow meant to slight the 52 brand. I'm sorry, but it doesn't work because you haven't successfully tied all three together. Even if you did, given the success of both True Blood and Twilight being compared to such franchises is hardly an insult or something negative.
  7. G_Girl at 3:00pm 30th August 2010 Most of the shirts have nothing to do with gaming. A tree? Why? You can't just put something random on a shirt and write "clothing for gamers" under it. If it was new and innovative I think people would be all for it, but it's neither.
    1. Big L at 3:15pm 30th August 2010 It looked like a child playing a "DS" under a tree to me...not so random.
  8. Big L at 1:54pm 30th August 2010 It doesn't look goth to me, more rock and roll, edgy. Very rarely see "Rock Stars" out there wearing their bright purple or blue colors...or whatever you consider hip. I really dig the designs and yes they do identify video games if you actually took the time to look at the shirts you see xbox 360 controllers in some of the designs, as well as their western shirt that says they will "respawn" forever. Sounds, like some are unwilling to take the leap into some thing new and innovative. You my friends are the La-hame ones.
  9. Tremblay Slice at 1:39pm 30th August 2010 Pretty easy to make "cool" gamer shirts when you just hide the fact that it's gaming related behind a number no one understands, and a design that doesn't show gaming at all. La-hame.
    1. RogerHansen at 3:48pm 30th August 2010 You're right, how can any one possibly attempt to comprehend the unfathomable connection to the number 52? 1952, the year of the first computer game? Wha- my brain just exploded!!!!!! Whoops, I'm sorry you probably don't "get" sarcasm as you obviously have trouble understanding anything. The gaming references are subtle, which is in my humble opinion makes them great.
    2. goodm0urning at 3:57pm 30th August 2010 you sound like an idiot. designing anything with subtleties is challenging and what is going on in these designs are smart and clever homages to the gaming culture. the 52 isn't something that is hard to grasp, it's a year and it is openly explained. names like 'Volcom' or 'Reebok' are much more difficult to comprehend without looking to wikipedia or google. you obviously don't game yourself, otherwise you would be able to understand the gaming acknowledgements in the product.
  10. GamerDude at 1:36pm 30th August 2010 Personally, I think it's ridiculous. The reason gamer clothing isn't popular isn't because they have Lich King's or Up, Up, Down Select on them. It's because gaming isn't a lifestyle that one necessarily brags about. You don't see people going around wearing shirts that say, "I bead in my sparetime", or "I play disc golf". It's just not something that is to be worn. Also, there's a reason that most clothing stores stopped carrying strictly black and white shirts--it's because color is popular. Look, I appreciate what they are trying to do, but it comes off very pompous and arrogant. Design shirts like that with bright colors that invite people and maybe, just maybe it will work. Until then, sorry to say it, but "goth" style is out. Nice review though.
    1. RogerHansen at 3:40pm 30th August 2010 If I did bead in my spare time, and there was a cool shirt representing that, I would probably buy it. Look, I appreciate what you are trying to do, but you attempting dictate what styles work and don't work makes you come off as very pompous and arrogant.
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