Make an Effort 1982 Vintage Men's T-Shirt
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Government Issue, often shortened to G.I., emerged from Washington, D.C.’s first wave of hardcore in 1980 and became one of the scene’s longest-running and most adventurous bands. Led throughout its existence by the irrepressible John Stabb, the group debuted with the ferocious Legless Bull EP in 1981 and spent the rest of the decade refusing to stand still. While their earliest material delivered the short, fast blasts associated with D.C. hardcore, later records expanded into melodic punk, post-hardcore, metal, new wave, and psychedelic territory. Government Issue went through a remarkable number of lineup changes, but Stabb remained the band's unmistakable voice until its original run ended in 1989. Sometimes overshadowed by contemporaries, G.I.’s willingness to evolve ultimately became a major part of its legacy, helping bridge the raw early D.C. hardcore sound with the more expansive punk and post-hardcore music that followed. This design is based on the explosive Make an Effort 7" from 1982, which should be required listening for every hardcore punk fan.
Like all our designs, this one is treated with our signature ‘relic-ing’ process which includes our own secret recipe of hand-painted chipping, cracking, fading, and just the right touch of yellowing to ensure that it looks the part of a true vintage imprint.** We lay these works of art down on premium Bella+Canvas 3001 Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve Tees, one of the softest, best-wearing t-shirts available today, via state of the art direct to garment (DTG) printing which allows us to create a vintage effect that simply can’t be accomplished with other printing methods. In short, these shirts are everything you’ve dreamed of and more – it feels soft and lightweight with just the right amount of stretch, making it comfortable and flattering for both men and women.
- 100% combed and ring-spun cotton*
- Fabric weight: 4.2 oz (142 g/m2)
- 32 singles for a softer hand
- Dyed and cut in the USA
- Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
- Side-seamed construction
- Tear-away label
- Modern retail fit
- Runs true to size
Not sure what size is your best fit? We recommend taking one of your current t-shirts, laying it flat and measuring it. The measurements in the chart below are taken with the shirt laying on a flat surface. To get the length, measure from the high shoulder point down to the bottom of the shirt. To get the width, measure approximately 1-inch below the armhole, across the chest, from seam to seam. While our tees are all made using premium, pre-shrunk, ring-spun cotton, there can be some shrinkage depending on your personal wash and dry cycles. With that said, if you’re on the fence, we always suggest going up a size.

