So, my Vocal merch came in...

I ordered the exclusive, $1,000,000, Vocal Top Story Shirt from the merch store. While I was gone on vacation, it came in the mail. Vocal, I love you, but I have to be honest in this review... I love the shirt too.

But, there are some things that I think buyers should be aware of when purchasing.

Firstly, I think the material is great. It's super lightweight and feels nice on the skin. According to the tag, it's made of 52% combed ring-spun cotton and 48% polyester. Additionally, the shirt itself was made in Nicaragua.

While it's lightweight, my black under-top was seen underneath when I first looked in the mirror. It wasn't a big deal, as I've had much more see-through shirts in the past. I switched to a white under-top and the problem went away completely. So if that's something you're worried about, keep that in mind.

Another detail I really like about this shirt is the size of the Vocal Top Story emblem on the front.

The logo is located over the heart, right where it belongs! All jokes aside, it's small, but not too small. I like that it's not massive because I think if it was any bigger it might seem overpowering.

I'm no mathemetician, so I'm not going to whip out a ruler, but the Vocal logo is probably around a 1.25-inch diameter. The laurels around it are probably around 2.5 inches to 3 inches from left to right (or right to left, whatever you prefer).

The ink is nice. You can feel it on the shirt, but it seems well-saturated in the fabric. I know you're supposed to wash shirts before wearing them, but I'm a heathen, so I didn't do that. However, from the feel of it, it seems like it's capable of holding up well in the washer and dryer. I can follow up later if something drastic happens.

So how does the back of the shirt hold up?

I think the print is really well-balanced here. It is symmetrical and goes from the top of my shoulder blades to the bottom of my waist.

It's legible, and I'm excited to wear it out in public. What can I say, I'm a show-off. However, I do think this merch line has the potential to bring some traction to the website for people who don't know what Vocal is.

I've been on this platform for 2 years now, and I've loved watching the ways in which it's grown over time. I think this new addition Vocal has made will be a great way for the website to gain organic growth through word of mouth and creator advertisement.

Now, listen. I do have some cons. I did tell you I was going to be honest here. However, these cons are not dealbreakers, at least not for me, and I think it's best if customers are aware so they can select the correct options when purchasing.

The shirt is not white. It's close to white, but it's not white.

It's probably hard to tell because the lighting in my house isn't too great. But my backdoor is pure white, we just painted it a little under 2 years ago when we moved in. The shirt is very much off-white, though not a big deal for me, I figure this information would be nice for people to know.

I would probably quantify this color as a very, very, very light beige. There are yellowish/brown undertones present for sure. That being said, it's a very nice color, it's just not white.

My other qualm is the sizing, which again, isn't really a big deal for me. I like really, really, really, cartoonishly oversized tee shirts. Generally, when shopping for a graphic tee, I'll pick out Men's 2XL and it fits me the way that I like it.

I do believe these shirts are Unisex, so maybe that's why it seems to run small, but I do think these shirts run /slightly/ small. It still fits me comfortably and I'm very happy with it. It just feels more like an XL than a 2XL.

If you like shirts that fit you snugly, ordering your usual size shouldn't be an issue. If you like shirts that fit extra big, I'd go up an extra size on top of the size you were initially going to order.

All in all, I'm very happy with my tee shirt, and I will be ordering more from the Vocal Store.

For transparency, I ordered this shirt on the 16th of June and it came in on the 28th of June.

Currently, Vocal has four tee-shirt designs and two hat designs available for purchase. Each item (save the $1,000,000 Top Story shirt), is $30. Vocal+ members can receive a 25% discount on all purchases! Order yours today :)

Aside from tee-shirts and hats, there are books and anthologies available, as well as a 50% discounted yearly Vocal+ membership and creator tools.