thePULSEThinking Good Thoughts, Wearing Good Clothes:
What You Can Learn from Free Idea Clothing
By Sally Horowitz
Everybody is talking about the kids these days ~ and most of it isn’t good. Youth cultures are supposed to be weird, different and surprising; they are supposed to inspire a bit of trash talk from on-lookers. But while in the past youths have been accused of being too radical, too mean, and even too stupid, now they are accused of being too boring.
There have been countless articles published about hipsters ~ about young people dressing up in borrowed ideas and calling it original ~ but this isn’t one of them. Why? Because right here in Worcester County, there are people working to celebrate true originality.
Meet Kristopher Boothroyd, creator of Free Idea Clothing. He wants you to stay positive, to be creative…and to visit his store, located at 41 Elm Street in Fitchburg.
With its colorful sign and walls, the Free Idea shoppe is pretty hard to ignore ~ just like the clothes themselves. The aesthetic is bold, cartoonish and overwhelmingly up-beat, with t-shirts that read, “Stay True to your Roots” and “Free Idea Kids.”
But FIC isn’t just another run-of-the-mill streetwear start-up. Along with 90s pop culture and having fun, Free Idea’s facebook page lists “positive parts of history, Folklore and passing fads” as inspiration for the line. There is an intelligence behind the brand that sets it apart from others.
For the Free Idea logo, Boothroyd toyed with several different designs including a light bulb, a brain and a thought bubble. But he finally chose something a bit more unique: a trash can.
It may seem an odd choice, but it is symbolic of the brand’s philosophy. Boothroyd thought about how “All the greatest ideas…end up in the trash.” The Free Idea trash can reminds its wearers to express themselves and to take risks. Also, it looks pretty cool.
Boothroyd insists upon maintaining the good vibes of his brand; all the t-shirts are made sweat-shop free and printed with environmentally safe ink. And it seems he has karma on his side. Since its opening in 2007, Free Idea Clothing has taken off. There is international demand for his products and he is planning on opening a store in New York City next year.
To find out more about Boothroyd and Free Idea Clothing, visit his blog, www.freeideaclothing.blogspot.com.
thank you for the article. But 2 things should be noted.
1. The free idea store closed up a year ago. And the line is only carried in select shops nation wide.
2. The 2 picures that contain myself. Are NOT free idea tees. Those pictures are from when i was on johnny cupcakes clothing.
I just want to note this so there is no confusion. There is no relation between the 2 companies.
You need to check your sources. The store shut down a while ago. Also, it is easy to tell by reading this that you took all of the information off of Free Idea’s myspace and facebook. And two of the pictures are of Johnny Cupcakes clothing.
I follow Free Idea and I can easily tell all of this. Please, check your resources in the future.