Vintage t-shirts have absolutely blown up in the past few years, and beyond their hipster cool cache, vintage t-shirts are actually nicer to wear. The cotton is softer, the colors are toned down, and the printed images are worn and flexible. But when an average band t shirt from the 80s or 90s runs upwards of $100, they seem out reach and an unnecessary expense.

One of my favorite band’s shirts are so popular and expensive that they’ve almost become a cliche- Iron Maiden shirts. Maiden is famous for, among being one of the baddest rock bands of all time, their ridiculous t-shirt and album designs. Here is one tour shirt from 1982 thats selling on ebay for upwards of $550!

Luckily for us, there is a way to speed up the vintage process with t-shirts. Men’s Health magazine has a piece about breaking down the chemicals in todays shirts to make then appear vintage. While I don’t condone trying to ‘fake’ a vintage t shirt and play it off as original, there’s nothing wrong with doing some work on your shirts to make them fit, feel, and look better.

Step one is to break down the cotton. Make a mix of Morton’s Salt and Arm & Hammer Washing Soda to wash the shirt in. The salt is abrasive and weathers the fabric, while the Washing Soda dissolves the chemical coating that keeps the cotton stiff. Make a load of shirts and jeans and anything else you want to age, add regular detergent, the mix, and wash on high heat. Dry on high heat between each run. More washes mean more ‘wear,’ so try once and see how it comes out. Also, they recommend buying the shirt a size bigger as it will shrink.

Step two – the image. Modern shirts are printing with a plastic based ink that will hardly age at all over many years of wear. Once the fabric is conditioned, use a light grit sandpaper on the printed logo to break it down. Use irregular/circular patterns so it doesn’t look too unnatural.

There you have it. Find some vintage inspired shirts and make them your own.