Rat Hole Crewneck

Cherry red cotton blend crewneck remade with hand-drawn rat graphic, overspray, and sewn button detail.

Category: Remade

File under: #StreetSubculture, #DIYGraphics, #NewYorkCity, #WorkingClassSymbols

Description

Cherry red cotton blend crewneck sweatshirt sourced secondhand and altered by hand. The surface was combed to remove lint and pilling before a light layer of white acrylic overspray was applied using a re-pressurized spray can. Overspray remains visible across the front and lightly onto the back shoulders.

A rat figure has been drawn directly onto the chest using black permanent marker. A single pink plastic button is sewn into the drawing to form the eye. Line variation, marker bleed, and uneven saturation are left visible. Several small holes remain present in the garment and have not been repaired.

In New York City, rats are a constant condition rather than an exception. Within skate, punk, and streetwear cultures, the rat has been taken up as a figure of endurance and collective survival—animals that persist through density, neglect, and hostility by operating together. The image appears here as a familiar marker of toughness and working-class proximity.